Page 69 of Forever Theirs

“Why not?” I griped and took a sip of my coffee, savoring the bitter flavor.

“Now who sounds like a serial killer?” Aiden joked while pointing my way. “She’ll be fine. Aspen is a capable woman who understands the dangers out there and is prepared now.”

“I should get her a gun.” Or a knife. Or both.

And a Taser.

“Yes, we should, but that can’t happen right this second, Mr. Anxious Pants. We don’t know if she’s had any gun safety instruction or even feels comfortable firing one.”

He had a point.

I fucking hated it, but he had a point.

“I’ll put in an order for a Taser from Brad at the gun store,” I grumbled.

“You do that, you overbearing mother bear.” I shoved Aiden’s shoulder as he walked past, headed for the front door. “We need to leave in ten minutes to get the bikes ready and not be late.”

I nodded, too focused on texting Brad about the Taser. Putting the phone into a side pocket of my black cargo pants, I swiped my mug off the counter and headed toward the front door. A soft laugh filled the chilled morning air the moment I opened it, which brought a smile to my face and eased some of the anxiety that had built the second Aspen was out of our line of sight.

She was simply on the front porch reading, and I’d gotten all worked up. Fuck, how would I make it through the day, miles away from her and hours without communicating?

“You guys are killing me,” she huffed, though the smile on her lips said she wasn’t really frustrated. “Go do your jobs. I’ll be fine.”

I leaned a shoulder against a post and took a sip of coffee. “What are your plans for the day?”

Aspen peeked up through her lashes while taking a small drink from the mug in her hand. She grimaced. “First order of business, go into town and get a decent cup of coffee. You guys are great at a lot of things.” Pink stained her cheeks, making me smirk. Damn right, we were. “But making coffee isn’t one of them.”

“He made it special for you.”

I shot Aiden the bird, making him laugh.

“So, the tar-like texture is special?” She eyed the steaming liquid with disdain.

I did the same. Damn, if she didn’t like my coffee, then we could get one of those fancy machines that had been on Aiden’s Christmas list for the past two years. Maybe that would make her stay inside. All day long, with the door locked.

Her next words pulled me out of my head. “After I grab drinkable coffee, I might go hiking to get more pictures.”

“No,” I growled, standing up straight and widening my stance.

“Um…” Aspen looked at Aiden while chewing on the corner of her lip. “That’s actually not your call, Miles. There’s a lake at the end of Wolf Run Trail I researched before coming here. It’s said to have amazing views and is a quick in-and-out, nothing that will require me to stay overnight.”

“And I said no,” I gritted out. I sounded like a stubborn asshole, but for her safety, I’d be anything I needed to be to protect her. Even if that meant protecting her from herself. “It’s not safe. You know why we feel that way. It has nothing to do with your capability.”

Her look of annoyed determination softened as she stared up at me. “I get it, Miles. I do, and if I go up there, I’ll be careful. I haven’t decided yet anyway. I might just hang around town and snap some pictures there.”

I didn’t like that either.

Fuck, why couldn’t we just lock her up in our cabin until we came home?

“I think you might have broken him.” Aiden stood from the swing and poked a single finger into the center of my chest. I swatted his hand away with an annoyed snarl. “Nope, still alive and grumpy as hell.”

My nostrils flared with the deep, calming inhale to keep from knocking out my best friend. “I just want you safe, Aspen, which means staying here.”

“And I won’t sit around your cabin waiting for you two to come home while you have all the fun,” she snapped back.

“It’s our job,” I clarified. “We have to do it or we wouldn’t be leaving you. It’s not like we’re going out on a hike for the hell of it and leaving you behind.”

“I get that, but your job is fun, being out in nature where you get to ride bikes and snowmobiles.” The swing rocked side to side when she stood, holding up the hand that didn’t have a death grip around the coffee mug. “Trust me, Miles. I can take care of myself. Promise. I’ve been doing it on my own for a while now.”

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