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Vocal therapy was a pain in my ass. It kept me away from her more often than I’d like, but for as good a reason as any. My vocal cords are nearly back to where they were before I came home. I’m relieved not to be hurting anymore but dreading what comes next. Going back to Nashville. Leaving this place, this woman, behind.
Anna’s the one to pull back, running a soothing hand up and down my back as I try and pull myself together. She presses up on her toes and butts my nose with her own.
“Don’t think about it. I’m trying not to,” she says, reading my mind.
“We gotta lot to talk about the next two days. Don’t plan on lettin’ you leave here without us figurin’ somethin’ out.”
“Alright. How about we step inside before you end up spending the holidays with a cold?”
I step into her body and take a deep inhale of her perfume before cupping her cheek and bringing her in for another kiss. This time, I take my time with her, tasting her lips and tongue, drawing it out as long as I can. She feels like heaven, soft against my hard. Warm to my cold. It takes everything in me to keep from taking her to bed right now.
“I’ll grab my coat, but then I wanna give you your present,” I murmur against her swollen mouth.
“Already?”
“I have more than one, but this first one is special. You’ll love it.”
Her eyes twinkle when she backs up and holds my gaze. “I’ve never been one to turn down a gift. Get your jacket!”
When her hand comes down on my ass, I choke on a laugh and hightail it into the house.
36
ANNALISE
Last Christmas,I let Braxton convince me into going to her in-laws’ house. The Hutton family is big and loud but so loving it’s almost hard to believe. If I hadn’t witnessed the relationship that family has with my own eyes, I would have called bullshit.
I’ve never seen another family so tight-knit. So full of love and life. Not until meeting the Steeles.
Brody and his grandfather may not get along right now, but their love runs deep. Their disagreements come from that place of fierce devotion, which is what makes them so strong and all consuming. That’s how love is supposed to be. It’s supposed to turn us into fools so driven by the want to keep each other close that sometimes we say the wrong things and act poorly.
I’m comfortable here. There’s an aura of rightness that sinks deep in my subconscious whenever I step onto the Steele Ranch. This family, small in size but not heart, means something to me. It means a lot.
Spending Christmas here feels like a blessing.
Brody’s gloved hand is solid around mine as he leads us down a snowy path that leads to the cattle pastures. My excitement spikes. Despite the chill, I’ve never been happier tobe outside. The fresh air and open sky tickle something deep in my brain, a spot left untouched all my life.
“Did you buy me a horse for Christmas? You know I don’t even know how to ride one, right?” My steps are damn near bounced, our pace far too slow for my liking.
His laugh is a deep sound. “I didn’t get you a horse, Anna.”
“Okay, good.”
“Your gift is a bit past the stables, though. You won’t be able to miss it once we get there.”
We pass the stable, and a few moments later, I find the small structure just inside the first cattle pasture. A . . . pink one?
Picking up my pace, I tug him behind me. He starts to laugh, louder this time, and I ignore him, focusing on the little pink structure as it comes more into focus.
“Brody.”
I hear the smirk in his voice. “Anna.”
“What is that for?”
“What’s what for?”
“Don’t even try me right now.”
