Page 22 of Staying for You

“I hope it’s okay I used that.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just make sure you’re turning it off when you’re not using it. It has some age to it and I’m not sure how safe it is.”

“I will.”

“Ready?”

“I am.”

He walks in front of me and opens the door and closes it behind us.

Chapter Seven

Cami

“They’ll be okay?”I ask again.

“They will.” He doesn’t say anything else, just sure that they’ll be warm enough and I figure it’s best to trust him.

Once we’re outside, I take in a deep breath. The scent of pine hangs heavy around us with the brightness of snow. The combination is incredible, assaulting my senses and reminding me of my childhood. It’s like I lit a holiday-scented candle during Christmastime and it makes me want to bake gingerbread cookies and trim a tree.

The only sounds around us are the crunching of snow beneath our boots and the jabbering of both Brody and Isabelle. Brody points out a bird or tree and Isabelle simply loves to hear her voice be heard. I chance a glance over in Owen’s direction. He has one hand wrapped around each of Issy’s ankles, helping her kick her legs and looks up at Brody over his shoulder to check on him.

“Did you sleep okay?”

I turn to look at him with a smile on my face. “I did. Very good, actually.”

“I was worried. I saw your sheets on the couch. I can get you different ones if those aren’t soft.”

My cheeks flush which I know has nothing to do with the weather. “It’s a thing I have about other people’s sheets.”

“It’s not me, it’s you, huh?”

“Exactly.” I chuckle. I explain my fear of basically any bed that isn’t my own and he shocks me when he simply nods in understanding and promises he’s not offended.

“I really do get it. And you know, not that I don’t make sure to wash all sheets and trust my cleaning company completely, but I’ve seen and smelled the way some of these guys come back after a long day of fishing so I’m gonna go ahead and side with you on this one,” he says and the grin he gifts me along with a slight chuckle makes me grateful I said yes to a walk. Even if it is so cold out here that my teeth are chattering.

The kids, on the other hand, look like they’re having a great time and don’t seem bothered by the cold in the least.

I rub my hands together as we stop and stare out at the icy lake to my left as we walk down the hill. It evenlookscold. The gray skies are almost ominous with the threat of what it’s about to unleash on us. I turn toward Owen and shake my head at how relaxed and chill the babies are while I feel like I’m one second away from turning into a popsicle. “Were they born in the Arctic? Seriously, how are they not freezing?” I tease.

He shrugs one shoulder and Brody wiggles on his back. “They’re used to it. Like me.”

Owen grabs my arm when I almost slip on an icy patch. “Thanks,” I breathe out.

“Anytime. Wouldn’t want you to break anything out here.”

“But in town it’d be okay?”

“Of course,” he jokes.

“So, does your family live around here, too? You said you were babysitting while their parents were away?”

He shakes his head and drops his grip on my arm when he sees that my feet are steady. “They live in my hometown. Liberty, Michigan. But their parents, my sister and brother-in-law are Brody’s and my good friends Rex and Chloe are Issy’s so I’m more of a surrogate uncle but I claim her as my own. I don’t know if I told you who they are? I probably did and now I’m just repeating myself and rambling.” He chuckles and pats Issy’s chunky thigh. “Anyway, they love the snow and outdoors so the kids are in it a lot. And my brother-in-law’s dad, Paul, he’s an outdoor junkie, too. He’s always taking them out sledding or just on walks. And it’s not as if Michigan is warm this time of year.”

The way his eyes soften when he talks about his family makes my heart turn to goo. I bite my lip, thinking that I’m ridiculous and hard up for the touch of a man if just seeing how a man behaves around his family has me feeling this way. Of course, it helps that he’s not at all hard on the eyes. “Still. I’m a giant wuss.”

His grin is crooked when he nudges me with his elbow. “Nah. You just don’t have thick enough skin yet.”

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