Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) (6 page)

Todd grabbed both of her hands and held
them to her side, careful not to hurt her. “Bree,” he pleaded, “you’re drunk,
and I won't take advantage of you.”

“Then let’s just look at it as me taking
advantage of you,” Bree purred against his ear, her hot breath shooting shards
of lust straight to his groin.

Todd got up, accidentally pushing her to
the side. The laptop nearly got knocked off the table and he scrambled to
steady it. Cursing, he straightened up then yelped when Bree stood right behind
him, cupping his rear.

“Bree, stop it!” Todd moved to the other
side of the room. Even drunk and not herself, she was beautiful, the light from
the fire casting a golden hue around her. It was taking all his inner strength
to not go to her and slate his need.

“I’m going to sleep upstairs and I’m
locking the door,” Todd stated. “We have a life together as parents and I’m not
going to disrespect you with a one-night stand. I want you, Bree. I want you
more than I can remember. And when we make love again, I want you fully aware
of what we’re doing because that’s what you deserve.”

“Fine!” Bree shouted. “Run away. Run
away like you’ve run from everything in your life. Run away again from me. I’m
used to it.”

The last sight Todd had of Bree that night
was of her sitting and pouting on the sofa, uttering a string of expletives and
derogatory comments about her. They said that a drunken fool offered no lies.
So, the words she uttered banked the need, but the pain that replaced it, cut
to the bone.

Bree woke up with a pounding head.
Groaning, she squinted around the room. The storm and natural twilight of the
Alaskan day offered little light, but it was enough to hammer at her aching
head. She’d slept on the sofa, her clothing, and the blanket bunched up.
Embers'd turned to ashes in the fireplace and the laptop jogged her memory.
She’d been watching a movie with Todd. The empty wine glass, a smudge of
lipstick on it, hit home. She’d gotten drunk. She remembered that and she’d
remembered … well… she actually didn’t remember.

Smells were coming from the kitchen
where Todd must be cooking up some breakfast. They were smells that made her
want to hurl. Eggs had never done that to her before. Cursing, through the
alcohol-induced fog, she realized that she was experiencing her first hangover.
Frankly, she didn’t see what the fuss was about. Bree lay back down and pulled
the blanket over her head.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Todd stated, pulling
the blanket down.

“Leave me alone, Todd,” Bree croaked, her
voice sounding like a frog, her throat parched.

“Aspirin and water,” Todd held out a
glass and a pill.

Nodding, Bree sat up slowly, the room
whirling a bit at first. “Thank you,” she said after gulping down first water,
then pill, then water again. “Thank you,” she repeated before lying down again.

“Nope,” Todd stated, pulling the blanket
completely off and grabbing her by the waist.

“What the heck?” Bree exclaimed as he
threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed up the stairs. “Todd,
put me down.”

“I will soon, I promise,” he stated,
sounding too much like he was enjoying himself.

Todd unceremoniously plonked her in the
shower and turned the tap on. “I would’ve undressed you, but I didn’t feel like
bearing scratch marks for the rest of the week. So, have the shower, get the
fog out of your brain, and come get some breakfast. I’ve already put clothes
out next to the bath.”

Peeling off the wet clothes, Bree found
a new target to aim her cursing at. As much as it pained her to admit it
though, the Neanderthal did have a point about the shower. The pounding of the
warm water on her skin, streaming through her hair had a way of washing away
some of the haziness.

Dressed and feeling better, Bree joined
Todd in the kitchen for breakfast. She didn’t really feel like eating but under
Todd’s eagle-eyed stare, swallowed down little bites until again, he was right,
and she started feeling more human.

“Looks like the predictions were right,”
Todd threw in, leaning back in his chair while she ate. He’d eaten the
equivalent of a horse for breakfast and his stomach was still as flat as ever.

Oh! Stomach! Bree had brief visions of
her hand trailing over his flat, hard stomach, teasing the little hairs along
the path to his…Cripes! Was that real or a dream? There was no way to fool
herself, it had been real all right.

“The storm is over, Bree,” Todd
interrupted her panicked thoughts and steamy memories.

“Huh?” Bree looked up at him, flinching
at the concern showing in his eyes. “Oh yes, the storm. I’m glad it’s over. I
miss Amber.” Taking their plates to the sink, she turned around and asked him,
“What happened last night, Todd?”

“We had dinner, played cards, watched a
movie, and you got a bit drunk,” he replied.

“And that’s all?” Bree quirked a brow in
inquiry.

“Yep. Why? Did you have some steamy
dreams about me, Bree?” Todd teased.

“No,” Bree shook her head, “just asking
as I’ve never been drunk before.”

Todd threw her a lifeline and changed
the topic, “Should we see if the phones are back up?”

“Oh, yes,” agreed Bree, “I’d love to
hear my,” she stopped and looked at him; considered. “I’d love to hear our
baby’s voice.”

xxx

“So, how are things with you and Todd?”
asked Shelly, her voice and manner all business.

“Oh, I don’t know,” responded Bree. At
the steely stare leveled at her, she continued quickly, laughing, “Don’t look
at me like that. I’m telling you truthfully. I don’t know.”

“He’s been a bit odd lately,” added
Bree. “The day after the storm…”

“When you had a hangover,” Shelly interjected,
grinning broadly.

“Yes, you dog. And thanks for rubbing it
in,” Bree mockingly slapped her friend’s arm.

“Oh, I remember a prim and proper miss
who wouldn’t let vile alcohol touch her lips,” Shelly responded. “You bet I’m
rubbing it in for as long as I can. About time you let loose a bit.”

“Nuh-uh, ain’t gonna happen,” stated
Bree. “That one experience was enough thank you.”

“We’ll see,” was Shelly’s cryptic
response. “Anyway, you were talking about you and Todd.”

“Yes,” nodded Bree, “He’s just been a
bit distant since then. At first, I wondered if something had happened between
us. I mean, I had all these steamy images from the night before, but he denies
them.”

“Steamy images?” asked Shelly, leaning
forward expectantly. “Do pray, tell.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Bree grinned
at her direct friend. “Did you not here the part about ‘he denied it’?”

“Nope,” Shelly shook her head
disappointingly. “I was stuck at ‘steamy images’. You gonna make those images a
reality?”

“No,” Bree stated, firmly.

“The lady doth protest too much,”
quipped Shelly.

“Oh, no,” disagreed Bree. “This lady has
been there, done that, and got the baby. And the only thing that lasted is the
baby. Love like Todd and I had burns bright and fierce, but can hurt you if you’re
not careful. So, I’m not going there.”

“Whatever works, Bree. You know I’ve
always liked Todd and you deserve a good guy like that, but it’s your life and
I support you.”

“Thanks hun,” Bree gave Shelly a hug,
oblivious of the gleam of mischief that touched her friend’s face.

xxx

The next day, Bree decided to redirect
her thoughts from Todd and explore the newer shops in town. Moving and settling
Amber in had taken much of her time until now. With Amber at school, making
friends and in a routine between grandparents and parents, she could take the
afternoon off for ‘me time’.

Despite the isolation of the town, it
was picturesque. Pots may be empty of flowers and covered with snow but the
buildings were freshly and brightly painted in hues of blue, yellow, green, and
some sporting natural brick that complemented the trees and mountains
surrounding them. Lights twinkled in the windows of shop owners who refused to
take down their festive season décor and though the streets were empty, the
shops had a steady stream of customers as people departed them and rushed to
their cars. Seeking nurturance in the form of hot meals and drinks, the bar,
and restaurants were stocked with happy customers.

Bree remembered her father’s scathing
remarks about the inadequacy of the town council. Although she believed that he
would’ve still found fault despite the town being so well maintained, he’d have
a lot less to criticize. He’d also found a lot to criticize with her. Stuff it,
thought Bree, that’s definitely not the thoughts to carry around with you when
indulging in some retail therapy and thanks to the help in house and home from
her grandparents and her new job, she could splurge a bit - even if her bags
held more for Amber than her. She’d rarely had a spare penny to splurge on her
baby. Shaking the maudlin reflections away, she dashed from the toy store to
the neighboring grocer.

“Hi Paula,” Bree greeted the woman who’d
been a constant in the shop for as long as she recalled. She’d seen Paula age
over the years, had been playpen mates with her children and now, she was
shopping for school supplies for her own.

“Hiya Bree,” Paula’s face split into a
huge, welcoming smile. “What brings you out in the cold?”

“Gran asked me to pick up the supplies
she ordered,” Bree responded. “I hear you had stock come in from Fairbanks.”

“I did indeed, hun,” Paula nodded,
scratching around behind the counter for a piece of paper. “Got your gran’s
order. Now let’s see… yes… this came in this morning. Okay, I just gotta round
up the rest of the order.”

“No rush, Paula,” Bree made her way to
the back of the shop where a small table and two matching chairs stood for just
such moments or a bit of gossip catch-up.

“Oh, hun,” Paula stopped Bree before she
sat down, “won’t you be a dear and grab that box next to the table?”

“Sure,” Bree answered, setting the box
on the counter by Paula.

“Thank you,” Paula responded, “it’s just
been so busy today with the stock coming in and Jim being ill.”

“I’m sorry he’s still sick,” Bree
offered. “It’s this horrible weather. Amber had quite a cold last week, too. Is
there anything I can do?”

“Well hun, now that you mention it,”
Paula began, “I haven’t had a chance to deliver that box. Would you be so kind
and take it for me - it’s just around the corner?”

“No problem, Paula, I’m happy to help
and it’ll give you a chance to get gran’s order together too.”

“You’re a darling, Bree.” Paula opened
the box and double-checked the contents. “Yep, all there. And it’s right next
door.”

“Next door? At Todd’s?” asked Bree.
Surely, he could’ve fetched the darn box himself.

“Yes, he wanted to fetch it himself.
He’s rather partial to that fancy coffee but he’s alone as all the staff are
off sick too and I told him not to worry. In this weather a soul needs a warm drink,
you know?”

Grunting a polite reply, Bree took the
box and went a few doors down to Todd’s building. He was sitting in the same
spot he had been when she first returned to Devil’s Creek - again jotting down
clients’ telephonic requests.

Great, Bree thought, the dread lifting.
She could drop the box on the desk, wave and dash back out. She’d go and grab a
cup of coffee in the diner and give Paula thirty minutes or so to get the order
ready. She’d just turned around when she heard the phone click and Todd greet
her.

“Hi, Bree,” his deep voice hit her like
she’d never heard it before. “You were at Paula’s?”

“Hi,” Bree turned around, subconsciously
smoothing her hair, she nodded, “and Paula asked me to drop that off, with you
both being short-staffed today.”

Whatever Todd’s reply was about to be
was cut off by the ringing phone, “Excuse me he said and picked up the phone.”
He’d just finished taking that call when another came through. Sitting down
now, Bree noticed that he was looking strained, dark circles surrounding his
eyes. His hair was mussed from him running his hands through them. Guilt tugged
at her. He was after all supporting Amber in a style that was more than
adequate and while she was frolicking about town, he’d been stuck here running
himself out.

When the call ended, Todd took the phone
off the hook. “Excuse me just another minute, Bree. I need to use the gents.”

Eyebrows raised, she realized that the
poor man hadn’t even been able to do that. Check that, he hadn’t probably eaten
yet either. She needed no more encouragement; her baby would expect it of her
as she should because she’d been raised that way.

Bree jotted a note down on the legal pad
and dashed out the door. Moments later, she was back in Todd’s building with
bags of steaming hot food. “You look like you needed it,” she said, breathless
from rushing outside in the cold.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Todd said
solemnly, touched by her care.

“You’re my baby’s daddy. Of course, I
had to. Amber would rake me over the coals or kill me with verbal diarrhea if I
didn’t.”

Ah, yes. Amber. Of course, that’s why
she was being kind. Heck, he was starving and he wasn’t about to decline the
piping hot meal she handed to him.

“Thank you,” he said, before putting the
takeout down to answer the ever-ringing phone.

“You’re welcome,” Bree responded. “Now
scoot,” she waved him away and sat herself down at the phone.

“What are you doing?” he asked. And why
did he seem to always ask her that these days. The Bree of the past he’d known
instinctively. This Bree was full of surprises.

“You go eat,” she ordered, “and have a
human moment. I’ll take over the robot phone duty.” At his raised brow, she bit
out irritatingly, “I bore and raised a child by myself and got myself a
qualification at the same time. I can most definitely answer the phone, take
down orders, and not chase your customers away.”

“Okay, okay,” Todd held up his hands,
“no arguments from me then. And, I didn’t think that you couldn’t do it. More
like I don’t think that you shouldn’t have to do it.”

“Been through this,” Bree gave him an
eye roll, reminding him of Amber. “Now scoot. I’ve got phone calls to take.”

A few hours later, after many phone
calls with the early Alaskan winter’s night already settled over the town, Bree
gladly accepted the steaming mug of coffee from Todd. She sat back and relished
the taste of a good brew slithering down her throat. “Mm… that’s good,” she
uttered in pure bliss. “I get now why you order it especially.”