To keep her safe, of course. Because technically, she’ll be a tenant of my parents, which means her getting hurt would be their problem.
That’s the only reason I care.
I lock the door behind us, not that it’s really needed around here, then turn to Hallie, who’s looking at the little home with unmasked glee.
“All right. Well, I guess…I guess I’ll take it.”
“We’ll be neighbors!” Emma squeals with excitement, hopping up and down.
Hallie looks in the distance, where the lights for our place are visible, not too far off, then looks back at my daughter. “We will, won’t we?”
“Not to rush you, but you really should start moving in soon and get it done with before the storm on Tuesday. You don’t have to bring everything tomorrow, but you might as well bring the basics.”
She nods, that excitement turning more serious. “I should head home, then. Start packing.” I nod, and then the three of us move down the gravel driveway toward my house and her car. As we walk, she turns to me. “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate tomorrow, getting ready for the storm, but do you think it would be okay if Emma tagged along with me? I could leave her with your mom, but?—”
“If Emma doesn’t get to help, she’ll be disappointed,” I finish.
“Yes, I will!” Emma agrees.
“I’ll pack up my car tonight and head this way tomorrow morning. You can help me get those unloaded, and then we’ll head back to my place to do another trip?” she asks.
Emma nods, but I shake my head.
“Dad texted the family group chat to ask when you want him and Madden there to help you bring things over. Emma will come with them, and with Dad’s truck and a trailer, you four should be able to get it all in one load, unless you have a ton of stuff.”
Her face pales, though her cheeks stay pink with the cold, and she shakes her head. “Oh, no, I don’t need?—”
My steps slow as we approach her car until all three of us stop.
“Hallie, if you think telling my mom no is hard, you know by now that telling my dad no is going to be like hitting a brick wall.”
Hallie sighs, then, dramatic as ever, looking to the night sky with a shake of her head. “You Kings are so damn stubborn.”
“Yeah, well, you should be used to it by now. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” I turn to Emma before Hallie can argue and toss her the house keys. “You go inside and get ready for a shower.” She opens her mouth to argue, but as I’m learning is her way, Hallie chimes in.
“You’ve gotta wash the makeup off your face. Put your hair in a bun and keep it out of the water, and it’ll stay dry.” Emma looks to Hallie for another minute, and I expect an argument, but instead, she nods, then waves.
“Later, Hallie. See you tomorrow!” And then she’s off without an argument, unlocking and opening the door before slamming it shut behind her.
“I don’t know how you do that,” I say with a shake of my head, clear awe in the words.
“It’s not magic: I just know how she thinks. I get her. Hell, I’vebeenher,” she says, stepping toward her car as she digs distractedly in her bag for her keys. I’m about to ask her what she means by that, but before I can, her foot hits a patch of ice, and the shoes with no grip slip, her entire body jolting as shestarts to fall. Instantly, I’m there, grabbing her and pulling her up and stopping her from falling on her ass. My hands are on her shoulders, and her green eyes are wide with panic before it slowly recedes. Once she’s steady, I glance down at those stupid fucking shoes before glaring at her.
“You need better fucking shoes.” She’s so close, her head tipped up, her breath caressing over my chin and down my neck, causing a chill I can’t seem to fight off to roll down my spine. “If you’re going to be on the farm a lot, especially in winter, those aren’t going to cut it.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You almost fell on your ass.”
“Well, thank goodness I had a big, strong, handsome man to catch me, huh?”
I stand there, frozen in place with her words, like a kid who just had the popular girl compliment him, and she uses my stillness to get away. She dips under my arm to get away and nearly slips again, but I reach out in time, settling my hands on her waist and pulling her up and toward me. Her hands move to my chest to steady herself, and her eyes are wide, but it doesn’t look like panic this time. Instead, it’s something I can’t quite identify.
“See? What have I told you about those goddamn shoes?” My voice is low and gravelly to my own ears, and even though I try to make it sound annoyed, I don’t know if I succeed.
“Just because I work on a farm does not mean I have to look ugly, Jesse.” Her words are breathy, nerves and irritation intertwined.
You could never look ugly, I don’t say, thankfully.
