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“That drifter was you, wasn’t it,” Cash stated, pausing by the driver’s seat.
“Pearl’s intelligence has been rubbing off on you, I see,” I replied, and Cash shook his head.
“Get out of here.” He waved me toward his son.
I chuckled, and he sat down, rocking the side-by-side before turning the engine over and cruising off.
“Ready?” I asked Keaton, walking around the front of our vehicle.
“Duh!” he exclaimed, and we were off.
Chapter 14
Grasping the knob to the front door was difficult, my fingers despite being gloved had long since become frozen. But we’d been successful, at least for the main area of the ranch. I was determined to put at least a few lights on my house. For Tenley, obviously.
The door finally groaned open, and I was hit with the most magnificent smell of ginger and nutmeg, with a sprinkle of cinnamon. My mouth fell open in shock as I stared at the inside of my once perfectly organized and clean home. There were at least two dozen ginger snap cookies on a cooling rack, with flour sprinkled across the tops of the counters. An egg carton and a few spices sat beside the bowl that had a small amount of batter scraped along the sides.
The boxes of decorations that I’d brought over for our ruined second, first date were empty. Santa and elves and little presents were scattered about the house, all with a purpose. Lights twinkled on the tree I’d set up in my dining room, directly in front of the massive glass windows overlooking the mountainside. Ornaments hung from the pine needles with a popcorn string only about halfway around it.
My eyes slid across the room glittering with golds, greens, reds, and silvers, finally resting on a slumbering figure. Curled up on the couch facing the fireplace mantle with two stockings hanging on it was Tenley. She had on another one of my big t-shirts, her hair flopped halfway across her face, and a soft snore left her lips.
Beautiful. She was absolutely beautiful, even if she left my kitchen a little bit of a mess. Quickly tossing my boots to the side, I walked to the oven and double checked that nothing was inside. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. At least it was turned off, so maybe she’d fallen asleep before the cookies were completely finished cooling down. I mean, she’d done a lot in the small hour and a half I was gone. Plus, it was nearly two in the morning already.
Wait, two?
My eyes snapped away from my sleeping girl back to the fireplace. Two. There were two stockings hanging from the mantle. She’d used a horse statue that was heavy enough to hold them up since I didn’t have a single stocking holder. I never put a stocking up. It wasn’t like Santa stopped by here on Christmas Eve.
Quickly returning to the entrance, I sat my boots up straight, removed my coat and hat, and walked as softly as I could to the fireplace. They were both old ones of mine, one with a torn toe which is why my mom had replaced it growing up. Above each of them, sitting folded like a name card on a table at a fancy dinner, was a name. ‘Weston’ on top of the stocking on the left and ‘Tenley’ on the other one.
I stared.
Feeling something I couldn’t remember feeling for the longest time. If ever.
It was almost uncomfortable. Someone else taking care of me after all these years. An inviting discomfort.
And relieving. The world felt a little less heavy, a little more…
Well, more like love.
Turning around, I looked at Tenley, far away in a world of peace and imagination. Man, I was certainly a fool for her, and I also saw no shame in that. Stooping down, I gently lifted her from the sofa, cradling her in my arms. She breathed deeply, groaning lightly, and rolled tighter against my chest.
A shiver ran down my spine. What it would be like to come home to this every day. I certainly wouldn’t complain. Though there was still so much to experience with her before that became a thing. Quietly, I walked down the stairs, flicking the lights off along the way. Well, just the main ones.
The glow from the Christmas tree lights I wanted fueled for as long as possible.
I groaned, pins and needles dancing through my arm. Cracking my heavy eyelids open, I inhaled deeply and shuddered as hair tickled my nose and cheeks. Hair that wasn’t my own. Sliding my arm that had fallen asleep out from under her, Tenley scooted closer, tucking her head back against my chest. She was still completely zonked out, cradled up against me. A soft light was filtering in through the bedroom window, but I wasn’t quite ready to wake up.
She didn’t seem to be either. Another soft snore escaped her lips, and I couldn’t help but smile. I doubted she knew that she snored, but she totally did. And I found it endearing. Soft skin slid up against my leg, brushing lightly before she slipped her own calf between my thighs.
Lifting a hand, I swept some hair away from her face, light and peaceful resting against my chest. Trailing gentle fingers along her cheek, I was in disbelief that such an incredible woman was here with me.
Her lashes fluttered, and I immediately paused my movement, worried I’d woken her up. But after a minute, she returned to her slumber. Leaning forward, I pressed a simple kiss against the top of her head. This was home.
“Who’s crossing the pillow wall now?” Soft and sleep-filled, her voice cracked through the silent air.
I smiled against her hair. “Mmmm. Technically there’s no pillow wall this time, so it doesn't count.”
She slid her head away from my chest and opened her groggy eyes. “Are you getting up?” she asked.
