Page 33 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“You hungry?Want me to stop for anything on the way?”
“I just want to sleep, so please take me to a hotel, Nick.”Her eyes were closed, head resting on the seat behind her.“I can order room service later.”
“Sure thing,” he said, pulling away from the curb.
“Life was normal a few days ago,” she whispered.
“And it will be again.You need some rest, and things will look better,” he said.“How’s the body feeling?”
“Okay.”
“Liar.”
Nick turned on the music, and soon the soulful sound of jazz filled the cab.
“I figured you more for a heavy rock, bite-the-heads-off-chickens man.”
“You obviously did a lot of ‘figuring’ about me in college.”
“You were such an asshole that I was trying to work out what made you tick,” Poppy said around another yawn.
“Ouch.”
“Truth hurts,” she said.Minutes later, she was out, mouth open, snuffling like a small puppy.
“You are way too cute, Tinker Bell,” he whispered.Nick had had a few brushes with strong emotions where women were concerned.He couldn’t remember any making him feel like Poppy did, which was a scary thought, especially as they’d just reconnected with each other after years.
Turning into his driveway thirty minutes later, he pulled up outside the garage.
He’d bought this house five years ago for a bargain because it had needed so much work.His family had helped him with that.They’d spent hours on it, and the result was a home he loved.Probably too big for a single man, it had four bedrooms, two living areas, and a big yard out back, but he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Hitting a button on the remote, he drove into the garage and parked.Poppy didn’t wake, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Welcome to Hotel Atherton.”
She woke slowly.
Nick watched as she blinked several times.She then sat up and looked around her.
“Where are we?”Her voice was husky.
“Hotel Atherton.”
Her eyes went from him to the interior of his garage.Tools, a few toys, his motorcycle, and a Jet Ski.Nick was neat, mostly.Things usually had a place, but there was the corner to their left that had a bunch of stuff that needed rehoming.He called it his “get to it” space.
“I’m not getting out,” Poppy said, locking her door.“You promised you’d take me to a hotel.”
“I did.My family call this Hotel Atherton because if anyone needs a place to crash, this is it,” Nick said.
She turned her head and looked out the window.He wanted to laugh because she looked like an angry kid.Instead, he got out.He then opened the back door.
“Don’t touch my cat!”
“When you have your shit together, we’ll be inside.”He grabbed the carrying case in one hand, and the other bags in the other.Shutting the door with his foot, he then walked inside the house, leaving her steaming in the car.
His family—mainly the women—had a lot to say about the interior of this place.Especially the kitchen.There were appliances he’d never wanted but had to have, apparently, and a huge stove he’d fought not to get.He’d lost.
Heading into the living area, big windows gave him a view of the backyard.There were trees and some gardens that his sisters had planted.The kids in the Atherton clan had selected the swing and slide set.
Placing the cat cage on the floor, he went to check doors and windows were shut so he couldn’t escape.Then, going through the bags, he found a litter tray and a bag of stuff to put in it.Setting it up, he then opened the case.
