Part of me wants to continue standing there. I want to verbally duke it out with my mother, telling her all of the things I’ve held in over the years. But, Neil’s hand on my arm, gently pulling me in the direction of the kitchen exit, is too alluring. Wordlessly, I follow him, noting that he’s already retrieved our coats from the room down the hall.
He holds the door open for me, and I’m surprised to find my father standing outside on the porch.
“You enjoy your weekend, baby,” he says in a low voice before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Take care of her,” my dad tells Neil and nods, heading back inside.
There’s silence as we reach the car. We don’t exchange words as he starts the ignition.
I’m grateful for the comfortable silence that settles between us as we start for our long drive to his family’s cabin.
Chapter 11
“Dammit! This is why Black people don’t do this type of stuff,” I growl, trying to get up off of the snow-covered ground.
Neil’s laughter would be annoying if the richness of his chuckles didn’t feel as if they were reaching down into my very core.
“Black people snowshoe,” he retorts, grabbing my arm to lift me to my feet.
“Name three,” I request, placing my mittened hands on my hips and staring up at him.
Shaking his head, he calmly says, “Keith, a friend of mine from grad school. Barron, he’s an old colleague of my fathers, and … you.”
“I don’t count. This isn’t snowshoeing. This is me falling on my ass so that you can get a good laugh.”
After the previous night’s long drive and the incredibly disruptive way dinner ended at my family’s, I was looking forward to sleeping in this morning. Neil had other plans. His behind had the nerve to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn to go snowshoeing of all things.
“You do count,” he declares, moving closer to lift the edges of the wool hat I wore so I could see him. “Besides, you said you enjoyed hiking.”
“Yes,hiking.This isn’t hiking.”
“It is. Just with a different kind of shoe on.”
“While trudging through snow, instead of on dirt or gravel. That I can deal with.”
“It’s hiking in the snow. Besides, you can’t tell me this view isn’t worth the trouble.” He spreads his arms out wide.
“Meh,” I huff and wave my hand at him, causing him to laugh even more.
“You’ll learn to love it.”
Rolling my eyes, I say, “Not likely. And why do you have that sled if we’re just snowshoeing?” I ask, eyeing the sled he’s been dragging behind him for the last mile since we left the cabin.
“It’s for the real reason I brought you out here,” he says with a hint of mystery in his voice.
“You have a surprise for me?” That lifts my spirits a little. I like surprises.
“We’re out here to look for a Christmas tree.”
My eyes widen as my smile increases. “Wait, really?”
With a grin, Neil removes the hiking pack from his back, and for the first time, I notice a blue handle sticking out of the bag. Lowering it to the ground, he unzips the pack and removes the hand saw.
“Whoa, if I didn’t know any better, I’d be a little nervous.”
He chuckles. “No worries, beautiful.” He moves closer, brushing his lips against mine.
I instantly melt, despite the cold temperatures and snow around us.
“You have nothing to worry about. You’re completely and utterly safe with me.”
