He ignored it and continued to massage the knots in her shoulders.“Chelsea, your muscles are tight.When did you last relax?”
She leaned back into the massage.“Um, what month is it?”
“April.”
“I did a Christmas in July thing with mum last year.”
Ten months ago.No wonder she was so tense.“You should take better care of yourself.”
“Pot, meet kettle.”
He snorted.“I know my limits.”It had become his mantra since the accident.
“So do I.”
He continued to massage gently, and she became limp in the chair.
Finally she sat up.“You’re going to put me to sleep if you keep that up.”
“I’d carry you to bed and tuck you in.”
She stiffened at his words.
Perhaps it was too intimate.He had to be patient.She was still getting used to the idea he had always loved her.He removed his hands and helped her to stand.“Why don’t you take a shower?”
She nodded.“Go get your things.You can stay in Mum’s old room rather than the barn.”
“Thanks.”He kept his elation to himself.Sure, she wasn’t inviting him into her bed, but the fact she trusted him enough to sleep inside the house meant a lot.He waited for her to go upstairs and then returned to the barn.He packed his gear, putting his camping equipment back in the four-wheel drive and then slinging his pack with clothes onto his back.He locked the car and then examined the latch on the barn.It might be worth getting a lock while Johann was still around.
Before heading inside, he did a loop of the house and nearby garden, making sure no one was around.All the blinds were down inside the house with only a little light slipping out at the edges, but it was impossible to see inside.
As he returned to the house and locked the door behind him, he heard the shower turn off.Before heading upstairs, he checked the rest of the doors and windows were secure and then met Chelsea on the landing.
The hair around her face was damp with the rest of it tucked into a bun and she wore a cute cotton pyjama T-shirt and shorts set with a sloth on the front.He clenched his hands to stop himself from reaching for her.
“Through there.”She pointed to her mother’s bedroom.“I’ll fetch some sheets.”She trotted down the stairs, her bun swinging from side to side.
He smiled and went into the bedroom.He hadn’t been in here before.Upstairs had been off-limits when he was a teenager and Aunt Maggie didn’t know about the times he’d snuck into Chelsea’s room at night.
He’d never been so glad she was hard of hearing and took her hearing aids out when she slept.
Chelsea had already been through the room.The dresser was dusted and clear of any knick-knacks and the double bed had been stripped of linen.A worn red rug was underneath the bed, so the person could step onto the soft carpet when they woke, rather than the wooden floorboards.
The wooden desk under the large window was also clear and dusted.Ethan walked over to peer out at the night.This room faced the public garden side, and he lowered the blind so anyone walking down the street couldn’t see in.
“Here you go.”Chelsea walked in and dumped the sheets on the dresser.“I think I found the full set.”She pulled out a pale blue bottom sheet and found the corners.
He moved to the other side of the bed and together they fitted it and then she threw the top sheet on.When it was lined up neatly, she went to tuck it under.
“Woah.”Ethan held out a hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Who taught you to make a bed?”
She screwed up her face.“I taught myself.”
He shook his head.“You tuck it in like that and it will never stay tucked.”The army had drilled into him how to make a bed correctly.He went around her side and hip-bumped her out of the way, showing her how to do the proper corners.
