Not bad.At least there weren’t curtains to clean or other furniture to dust off. Even the musty odor was now replaced with the inviting smell of burning wood.
Logan returned and draped the rug in front of the hearth before he collapsed onto the sofa, a cloud of dust billowing around him. “The road’s clear.”
“And your face is red.” I unzipped his coat and pulled it off. “There were two glasses in the sink. I melted some snow to clean them off and then filled them up if you’re thirsty.”
“What’s wrong with the sink?”
I handed him the water and he gulped it all down. “Do I look like a plumber? The only other appliance is a woodstove, but we didn’t bring any food with us, so it doesn’t matter. What were we thinking?” I took the empty glass and set it on an end table. “What if they’re hungry and she wants to stay a few hours? We might have to sleep here for another night because of the weather; it’s not safe to drive in the dark. Especially with a child, and we didn’t even think to bring a car seat!”
“Easy, Little Raven. Chinese food isn’t the only thing I know how to hunt. We won’t be going hungry.”
When he dazzled me with his smile, I sat down and curled against him. No matter the situation, he always made me feel protected. I pinched the stretchy material of his long sleeve. The blue-grey color was one I loved seeing him in. Logan was deliciously warm from all the snow shoveling, and I rested my cheek over his heart.
He kissed the top of my head, his voice a soft caress. “Do you want to lie down?”
“I’m petrified to see the sleeping situation upstairs. There might be a critter living inside the bedcovers. Anyhow, I don’t think I could sleep if I were given a tranquilizer.”
“I could rub your feet.”
I smiled against his chest. “You know me too well, Mr. Cross.”
When my mind started racing with anxiety, Logan began purring. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he was feeling the same way. Uncertain, excited, afraid, and hopeful. I wasn’t sure how to comfort him in return, so I wrapped my arm around him and held him close.
We waited for what seemed like centuries.
We waited to meet our destiny and face it together.
And then a motor sounded in the distance.
Chapter 16
Sadie and Adam
Before her brothersleft to go after Logan and Silver, Sadie had made sure to pack them plenty of food and water in several coolers. Between the extreme weather and potentially dangerous situation with the black market negotiation, she wasn’t able to relax for the rest of the evening.
“You’re pretty quiet over here, Kitten.”
She looked up at Adam, who joined her at the empty table. Page and Justus had carried the leftovers to Lucian’s kitchen, except for a few desserts.
Sadie pinched the foil around a pie plate. “My whole family is out there, Adam. The only real family I’ve ever known. I should have gone.”
“There wasn’t enough room in the truck.”
“Look at me, Scratch. I weigh a buck and a quarter. You could fit me in a glove box.”
He smiled handsomely and dragged a small plate of carrot sticks in front of her. “You should eat something.”
Sadie sat back. “Nah. It’ll be time for dinner soon anyhow. Since Page and Justus did all the work taking it into the kitchen, I’m going to heat everything up and set it out. Parents should enjoy their time with the kids,” she said, pointing at the group in the living room. Knox was playing with a toy truck, and the girls were coloring.
Sadie had a feeling Ella would help her with dinner. Ella meshed really well with their crazy makeshift family even though she was on the quiet side. She could speak, but she spent so much time following the conversations and lip-reading that she did better with one-on-one chats. Simon wasn’t going to help, especially after polishing off a box of those little chocolate candies filled with alcohol. He was barely awake, one leg slung off the couch and a pillow over his face.
Adam munched on a carrot. “I’ll help.”
And that’s just the way Adam was.
Sadie had liked him from the start, despite his gruff demeanor. Adam had endured a tragic past—one that changed his life. Not just because of the scars on his face and body, but the ones on his heart. Silver had mentioned that Adam was once a different man before the attack—less guarded and more social. Sadie had never known the old Adam, so she could only judge the man she knew now. The Healer who dedicated his life to helping others. The man who, despite his rugged appearance, knew how to waltz. A friend who always had your back and knew how to make a girl smile. Luscious brown hair, dark eyes, tall, a square jaw, classically handsome, mysterious, charismatic, and oddly single.
She furrowed her brow. “Why don’t you ever date anyone?”
