“My boot walked out of here on its own,” I yell across to the bathroom. The water just shut off, so I know he can hear me.
“I’d love to blame it on you being a slob, but I’m afraid you’ll poison the stew with more mushrooms.
I chuckle, because I will. “I’m not a slob. Just slightly bad about keeping track of things.”
“Lousy quality for a supply master.”
“Oh, I’m great with keeping supplies organized. That’s stuff that belongs to other people, so I wouldn’t dare be disorganized.”
“But it’s okay to lose your own stuff?”
“Yes, because I’m not letting anyone else down.”
“I’ll towel off then help you look for it. Or we can skip the Christmas celebration.”
“We’re going, even if I have to leave here barefoot. Don’t tryto weasel out of going, either. You promised you’d go and I’m not showing up alone.”
“What’s so important about a bunch of singing?”
“I want to see the kids perform. They’ve been working so hard.”
“You’re a hard one to say no to.”
“Except when it comes to sharing a bed,” I mumble under my breath. I have to be careful what I let slip around Garrett. The man has exceptional hearing, even from under the shower head.
Picturing him in the shower puts a smile back on my face. Per our agreement to be nothing more than friends, I shouldn’t be thinking of him in that way, but it’s so damn hard not to. Every night I watch him strip, then slide under the blankets on the floor. He thinks I’m asleep, that I’m not watching. But I open my eyes, just to glimpse the male I can’t have.
“You sure you don’t want help in the shower? I could move you along faster, then you could help me find my boot before the show starts.”
“Seriously, darling, showering with me will lead to things you don’t want.”
“You don’t get to decide what I want.” This time I mumble a little louder because I want him to hear me.
“Almost done,” he calls out. “If I find that boot, no mushrooms for a month.”
“You think I’ll be here for another month?”
“You’re right. Two months.”
“My skills aren’t that bad.” I’ve already been here six weeks, pouring everything I have into learning how to evade pursuers.
“You’ve made progress, but you need more practice, especially with scenting.”
“Or a better nose.” When several scents hit me at once, I struggle to separate them. I don’t recall scenting ever being this hard.
“You should be able to find that boot by scent alone. You’re still relying on your eyes too much, darlin’. Put a blindfold on.”
I’d like to suggest what we could do with a blindfold, but I don’t think he’d appreciate it.
“There are better uses for blindfolds, Garrett,” I call out to him.
“Not in my cabin.”
So much for having some fun. I sigh. I should be grateful I have my Garrett back. The open, easy-going, cheerful shifter I first met, not the one that turned away from me and his entire pack the second we got here.
“Maybe you should wear the blindfold and demonstrate,” I suggest.
He doesn’t answer.
