Page 37 of I Knew You
“Don’t try to butter me up, Bram Winchester.”
“You should consider my attentions a privilege, sweets. They’re not given to just anyone.” It was a lie born of sarcasm. There wasn’t anything special about my attentions, but I wanted to egg her on.
Her blush deepened.
“The only privilege I want is you agreeing to let Lakey come and stay with me at Grams’ house.”
I laughed. “Which, if you remember, might actually be your house.”
“I’ll be having a little talk with my brother about that.”
“You know what would really stick it to your brother? If you come and stay with Lakey and me while you’re in town. You’d have your own room. We can move you to the one downstairs after the surgery. Plus, it’s thirty minutes closer to Roanoke for the appointments and the surgery.”
“You’ve been thinking about this all morning, haven’t you?” she replied, reading me like a book.
“That doesn’t sound like me.”
She gave me a sly expression. “I can’t believe you’re trying to get us to cohabitate. What would Grams say?” Her feigned offense was endearing.
“I know exactly what she’d say. ‘Don’t give up the pig for a little bit of sausage.’”
She laughed, and I drank it greedily like ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer’s day. “I didn’t say a thing about your sausage, Dracula.”
“My bacon, then?”
She laughed even louder.
“You make it difficult to ignore you when you turn on the charm.”
“Good to know. Wonder how charming I could get?”
A few seconds ticked by unfilled, and then, slowly, I put my hand on top of hers on the center console. She glanced at our hands, her face shaping into an adorable mix of nervous shock and pleasant acceptance. I lowered my voice as I squeezed her fingers. “I will take care of your every need, Julianna.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re putting it on thick,” she murmured.
“Hell, I’ll even let you see the sausage. Or bacon. Whatever meat you prefer.”
“You’re insufferable!” she squealed indignantly, then threw her head back with the biggest, most beautiful laugh yet.
I chuckled with her. She still didn’t push my hand away from hers on the console, and I felt like I’d won the lottery. Why hadn’t it ever been this easy with any other woman? I tried to file back through the years I’d had dates and short-term girlfriends. All those conversations had been pleasant. But none of them made me feel as alive as when I talked with Julianna.
“I thought of you every day.” I ran my thumb over the top of her soft hand.
She stilled then, and the smile that spread across her face sobered. My heart dropped slightly, and my mind raced. Was she thinking about the night of the wreck? Or when I came to her in the hospital, and all the pain and heartache I’d caused? Would I have to live the rest of my life wondering if she was thinking about my terrible choices, fearing the day she realized I wasn’t worth her time or effort?
“I never thought I’d be here again,” she whispered.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. My voice was sincere. “I’m sad and sorry for why, but I can’t tell you how glad I am that you are here.”
Chapter Eight
Julianna |September 30, 2024
He held my hand. He called me “sweets,” which was a new nickname. He said he missed me. Now, he wanted me to stay with him. I didn’t know what to make of it all. My heart was a mess. Part of me thought he was being too forward, the other part thought it felt so natural, so…right.
When we pulled into the driveway of Grams’ house, a wave of melancholy hit me and tears sprang to my eyes. This place would never be the same, and it wasn’t easy to accept. Before I could remove my seatbelt and reach for the door, Bram was already outside, opening it for me.
“That’s not necessary,” I said before climbing down, ignoring the hand he held out. “I’m not going to break.” That wasn’t precisely true, but the minor twinges of pain made me feel invincible compared to the usual mid-morning stiffness.
