“Why?”
“Eli’s quiet.”
“Quiet?”
“Well, you know, he doesn’t do that!” She waves at me, and I scowl.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Do what?”
“No!” She shakes her head and comes back to sit next to me on her way too comfortable couch. “He’s not about stating his intentions and stuff. He’s usually super easy going and casual about dating.”
“I’m reading too much into it.” I sigh.
“No! You’re not.” She smiles like she knows something I don’t. “He’s a Woodman man. Reed, when he finally got his head out of his ass about being too old for me, went after me like a man possessed.”
“Hence the bun in the oven,” I point out, and she laughs.
“Haha. Funny! But these men, the Woodman men, they’re a whole different species, especially compared to the men we’re used to.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Just… trust your heart. Your heart will never ever let you down. Remember that’s what my mom would tell us all the time.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I miss her. I can’t even imagine how much you do.”
“Every day… but somehow, I am right where I’m supposed to be. Just like I have a feeling you are.”
“You think so, or is this your hippie-dippy life is great, and I fart sunshine and rainbows talking?”
“You’re hilarious today! Just wait and see, you will be telling me I was right before you know it.” Somehow, her warning doesn’t frighten me. If anything, it makes me a little hopeful she will be right.
As if timed, we hear the sound of Reed’s truck rumble up the driveway, and we both turn to the front door as it opens and in walk two giant mountain men.
Side by side, I can see the similarities between the brothers. Reed might be an inch taller, but he’s slimmer and older. Eli is bulkier, his shoulders wider. And probably about a good foot, if not more than that, taller than me. But his hair is a ruddy red instead of dark like his older brother. Their eyes are different too. Eli’s are a amber brown. Almost golden.
“Got your car,” Eli breaks the silence. I can feel Camila staring at me. Not that I can manage looking away from the handsome man who seems to have put a spell on me.
“Thank you.” I stand. “I should go and unpack some stuff.”
“You sure?” Cam asks. “You could spend the night here and start in the morning,” she suggests despite knowing Eli asked me to dinner. Or knowing Cam, she probably suggested that on purpose.
“Cam—"
“I’ll help her,” Eli offers, and all three of us look at him.
“What about the bakery?” Reed asks. I can’t seem to look away from Eli. His amber eyes are on me.
“Tessa is closing,” he shares, and I groan inwardly. Man, I’ve probably made a mess of his workday. And that’s when Iremember. “Shoot! I forgot, Cam. I brought you something!” I tell Camila, and her eyes light up.
“From his bakery?” she asks, and I swear I can almost make out her stomach growling. Camila always had a sweet tooth, and it looks like baby does, too.
“Yes!”
“Damn banana bread,” Reed mutters under his breath, but Cam hears it and laughs. It makes me wonder what that’s about, not that I’d ask him. We’ve spoken once or twice, but he’s still very intimidating to me.
“I’ll go get it.” I walk toward the door, right past Reed and then Eli. But he reaches for me as if he’s reached for me a million times.
His hands touch mine but then fall to hold my hips in place, and the moment our eyes connect, it’s like something inside me shifts and rights itself. Like something has been askew before, and all of a sudden, he corrected it.
