AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But I’m screwed up. Totally screwed up when it comes to men.
Charlee furrowed her brow. She was letting one bastard rule her life. Giving in to the old feelings of pain and betrayal was letting someone else have control. And she couldn’t let that sonofabitch ruin her life.
She straightened. She wouldn’t let that happen, damnit.
Her heart beat a little faster as she finished packing. She tried to sort out her feelings for Ace and just how much he meant to her. They were friends, of course, and she’d cared about him since they were kids.
And now—
A knock at the door caused her to jerk her head up. Ace stood in the doorway, his shoulder hitched up against the doorframe. He looked so sexy and totally edible. That long rock-hard body, broad shoulders, and sexy stubble.Yummy.
His blue eyes sparkled, as if guessing the train of her thoughts. “Hey, sunshine. I’m going to throw my things in the truck and start clearing out the driveway.
She managed a smile. “Almost got everything together. I’ll join you as soon as I get everything ready to close up.”
Ace pushed away from the doorframe and gave her a wink before he turned and left the room.
Charlee could barely catch her breath as she watched him leave. She took her time packing and heard the snowblower going. When she finished, she put the linens from the washing machine into the dryer.
She left her duffel in the laundry room on the washing machine before going through the house and making sure the cabin was locked up tight. They’d already cleaned and straightened, so everything was ready for the next time she would come to her little hideaway.
Maybe with Ace again? They’d hadsomuch fun.
Or maybe with the girls. She always had a blast with them—it was just different than the kind of fun she’d had with Ace, of course.
They never did play strip poker.
Her thoughts bounced, like rocks skipping across a stream. The feelings inside her were a tangled mess, ranging from excited and wanting to sing out loud to terrified enough to hide under the bed and never look at another man again.
Yeah, I’m a certifiable mess.
She’d watched a YouTube video with Bailey that she’d really enjoyed. The video was by a marriage expert, who hilariously talked about the differences between a man’s brain and a woman’s brain. The thought made her laugh. Men could compartmentalize stuff in their brains, while in a woman’s brain everything was connected like a freeway.
Maybe she wasn’t such a mess after all.
But shewasdriving herself crazy the way she kept going over and over everything in her head.
When the laundry was done, folded, and put away, she finished closing up the cabin. Once she had her jacket, boots, and gloves on, she shrugged her duffel onto her shoulder. She grabbed the empty bag she’d brought the groceries in, took out the trash, and walked into the carport. Ossie trotted over to Charlee from where she’d been sitting at the mouth of the carport.
Charlee absently scratched the back of Ossie’s head as she watched Ace. He’d just about finished clearing out the driveway to the road.
From where she stood, it looked like the county snowplow had done its job on the main road and they’d be able to drive on out of here. She threw her duffel and the bag onto the backseat of the truck, next to Ace’s, and walked to the back of the truck to watch him.
She stuffed her gloved hands into her jacket pockets and waited for him to finish. It wasn’t long before he returned on the ride-on snowblower, along the freshly cleaned out driveway. He parked and put the machine away in the tool shed before heading toward her with his long, purposeful strides.
Before she could think twice, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her good and hard. She fell into it, enjoying how it felt to be so thoroughly kissed by someone she liked—really,reallyliked—and cared for.
She was smiling when he drew back. He gave her a broad grin. “I love it when you smile like that, honey. You have the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen.”
“Ready to go?” She met his gorgeous eyes. “We now have the exciting task of digging out my car.”
He nodded. “Snow shovel is in the back of the truck. I’ll make sure I get it back up here for you.”
She rested her hand on his gloved wrist. “We can put it into the trunk of my car so you don’t have to do that.”
He snorted. “With all that junk you have in there already?”
She shook her head as she thought about everything she’d taken out to try to change her tire. “True. I forgot about that.”
