Page 10 of Christmas on Ice
He shrugged. “Thought I’d catch Brenna when she got back to chat about her barn!” he shouted back once he’d caught his breath. “Drew said she’s going to remodel it into a wedding venue.”
“Pull!” Rurik yelled, interrupting my follow-up question. Brendan sure did seem fixated on helping Brenna with that barn. Seemed like I wasn’t the only one with a crush.
We grunted as our second attempt lifted the front end of the car onto the road. Noel turned the wheel so that it was parallel to the shoulder, and once the car was in the road, he slid out and jogged over to me with the keys.
“I hope she’s okay.” The eighteen-year-old was only a few months out of high school. We were all doing our best to help him adjust to his first time away from home.
“I’ll update you all when I get back there. Thanks a lot for coming out.”
Rurik snorted. “You sound like you are saying goodbye after a party.”
Jason laughed. “It’s a Southern thing.”
We looked at each other and shrugged. Jay was from Atlanta, and when I’d moved in with him, we’d discovered we had a lot in common, including fiery grandmothers and an obsession with everything fried.
I climbed into Kami’s car and adjusted the seat, setting it as far back as it could go. As I drove the short distance to her house, I wondered how she felt about me coming over to babysit.
6
Kami
“Idon’t need a babysitter, Brenna!” I whined from the end of the couch for probably the dozenth time since Trask brought me home. I rubbed at my eyes and pulled the blanket tighter around me.
She’d insisted on calling the paramedics to have me checked out. I’d consented, but only if she told them no lights or sirens. I didn’t want to freak out any of the neighbors—or wake up Ryleigh.
My head was throbbing, and all I wanted to do was go to bed. By the grace of God, Ryleigh had crashed early, but she was on my bed by the full window. The one time I left her there and slept in her bed, she woke up terrified, thinking she was outside in the dark.
“Don’t you argue with me, Kamryn Marie Ellis Spencer!” I winced at my full name, and her expression softened. “Please? You heard the recommendation. Someone should stay with you overnight, just in case. What if you pass out and Ryleigh finds you?” I sighed, and she took that as a concession. “I’ll come back after I close up. You like Trask. He’s just going to sit on your couch and check on you every hour or so.”
“I can call Chelsea. I’m sure she—”
“No. She and Jackson are doing their wedding cake tasting tonight, remember?”
I shook my head and stopped when I realized it hurt. “Fine. But I don’t have to like it.”
“What’s not to like? Have youseenthe guy?” A flush of heat rushed to my cheeks as an image of his kind eyes and teasing grin rushed through my mind, no doubt answering for me. Brenna laughed. “Yeah, I thought so. I’ll be back. Get some rest.”
She opened the door and jumped back. “Hey, you!” She laughed. Trask stood on the stoop, fist in the air as if poised to knock. “That didn’t take long.”
Trask handed her the keys to my car, which she dropped into the bowl on the cubby unit by the door. “Yeah, wasn’t any trouble. I think they enjoyed it, actually.” He only lifted the corner of his mouth, coaxing a tiny crinkle in his cheek, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“Guys are so weird.” Brenna pulled on her coat and looked back at me.
I mustered a smile. “I’ll be fine. Go!” I whispered, with a glance toward Ryleigh. “Just get back here before the storm.”
“If it’s slow, I’ll close up early, promise.”
She hurried out, but Trask didn’t move. His eyes darted around the space, and his interested expression told me he liked what he saw. I loved our little place. I hadn’t had to buy any furniture, and there was room for what little I’d taken from the house on base. I’d let Sutton keep pretty much everything. It gave me peace of mind knowing when Ryleigh was over there that he had everything she needed.
“You can hang your coat on a hook by the door.” Slowly, he peeled off his parka, stuffing his hat and gloves into the pockets. Finger-combing his blond waves, he seemed uncertain, so I patted the cushion next to me. “Thanks for your help tonight.”
He sank down at the other end of the couch and faced me. His large frame took up half the couch. Despite him just coming in from the cold, I could feel the heat emanating from him. “Anytime, Kami. I’m glad I was there when Brenna called, worried about you.”
“Me, too.” I glanced over at Ryleigh and suddenly got choked up, realizing what could have happened. “I’m really glad she wasn’t with me.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You want me to carry her to bed for you?”
“Umm.” I sighed. “She usually wakes up when she’s moved.”
