With just a simple touch.
“I’ll get the banana bread from my truck. Why don’t you get the keys and look at the place? I’ll help move your stuff in.”Wow, mountain guys are sure friendly.“We both will. Right, Reed?” he says, and we both turn to look at Reed, who is now scowling. Camila starts to laugh, patting his shoulder. He looks down at her with nothing but adoration.
“Payback, big guy,” she mumbles. His face softens further. That small moment feels private somehow, so I turn to look at Eli, whose attention is completely on me.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to my truck.” My lips twitch because there’s no missing either of their trucks and the idea I need help finding it is hilarious. But still, I follow him.
I have a feeling I would follow him anywhere.
“Thanks,” I whisper, but I know he hears me as his hand falls from my hip only to take mine in his, tangling our fingers as we walk together.
And boy, oh boy, do I like holding his hand.
5
ELI
Ihave one more box to haul into Stella’s place, not that there were many to begin with. That fact alone shocked the hell out of me.
A woman like her, fucking drop-dead gorgeous, moving from where she did, doesn’t usually travel really fucking light. I have more shit than her, and I think of myself as a minimalist. I believed helping her unpack would give me insight about her, but it only left me with more questions. My phone rings, and I pick it up without checking the screen. I know exactly who it is as I see Reed’s big-ass head standing at his window sporting a huge-ass grin.
“What?” I ask, and a bark of laughter sounds from the other end. I gotta fight myself from getting annoyed. “Owen.”
“You…” He breaks into a fit of laughter all over again as if I just told the world’s best freaking joke. “You went and…” He starts to chuckle while trying to catch his breath, but I’m not going to deal with this shit.
They know me.
We’re close.
They know how out of character this is for me to react this way with a woman.
“I get you think you’re being fucking hilarious, and you don’t get this, but you calling to laugh at me for feeling the way I do is fucking shitty of you.” Silence meets my ear.
“Awe, come on. You’re my little bro. If I don’t pull your leg about getting sprung over a chick, my annoying older brother card gets pulled.”
“Fuck you,” I mumble and hear him bite away a laugh.
“This is that serious?” he asks genuinely. I grunt because I see Stella walk past the front window and note she needs curtains. My brother might be the only close neighbor, but people drive around these areas. I don’t want some creep getting a glimpse of her.
“Very.”
“How? You just met her. Or at least that’s what Reed said. Did you know her before this?”
“Nope. He was right.” I pause to wedge my phone between my shoulder and ear as I pick up the last box that saysKitchenand shut the car door. “Look, man, you know me, yeah?”
“I do. I get that. But maybe?—"
“No maybe about it, Owen.” I look up to see her opening the front door, curious about me on the phone while holding her last box. “She’s mine. So, how about at your next tea party with Reed and Eden, you let them know that, too.” I hang up, not wanting to waste any more time with my brother on the phone.
Not when my future is walking right toward me.
“Need help?”
“Nope.” My lips twitch. Fuck, she’s cute thinking this little box warrants help. I head to the door and wait for her to walk through before stepping inside then shutting the front door.
“You need curtains, babe,” I point out. She looks toward her front window and nods.
“I think I have a couple panels in one of my boxes from my old place.”
