31. Bodhi
31
BODHI
ONE WEEK LATER
D espite my reassurance in the car, Ella had been right about coming back to the real world. Work had been nonstop for both of us, and while we managed to steal a couple of minutes here and there, it wasn’t enough.
And that wasn’t the only thing.
Tom hadn’t reached out again, and the unknown only ratcheted up my unease. What did he want? Did they find something new?
Before the trip, I would have poured myself into more work and tacked a couple more miles onto my workout.
But that was before.
None of that works now, and while a small part of me is annoyed at this new change, the bigger part—the overwhelming part —is fucking thrilled at the prospect of losing myself in a spectacular blonde.
BODHI: Are you ready?
ELLA: Yes, just need five more minutes
Looking at the timestamp, I can see the message was sent more than fifteen minutes ago and that just won’t do.
“Evening, Rhea,” I say, stepping into the Poppy Seed and nodding to her as a smirk crosses her lips.
“Howdy,” she responds with a thick southern accent. “Have any plans tonight?” Her question is leading because I told her I’d be hauling Ella out of the Poppy Seed if she failed to cut out when she was supposed to.
“Crap,” Ella mutters as she looks at the clock and then back at me. “I lost track of time but my bag is in the car. I just need like twenty more minutes.”
Looking around my girlfriend to her boss, I smirk as Rhea shakes her head.
Good enough for me.
“Time to go,” I tell her, rounding the counter, her eyes widening as I do.
“Time to—” Ella doesn’t get the words out before I’m tossing her over my shoulder, making her yelp as I spin back to smile at Rhea.
“She’ll be back on Monday.”
‘What?” Ella laughs. “No, I have work to finish!”
“You two kids have fun now.”
“Night,” I call without a backward glance, as we head down the hall to the office where I scoop Ella’s purse and coat off the hook and continue toward the back door.
“You can put me down now,” she huffs but I ignore her, turning the handle and sucking in a lungful of air as I deposit her on the sidewalk. “Was that?—”
My mouth crashes over hers, cutting off whatever she was about to say in a hard kiss that we both desperately need. When I try to pull back, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls her body flush against mine, our tongues tangling in a fierce dance where everyone’s a winner.
“You were right,” she pants and I chuckle, pressing my lips to her forehead.
“I know.”
“I missed you.”
“I know that too,” I reply, taking her hand and pulling her toward my truck.
“But my bag?—”
“I’ll get it,” I tell her, opening the passenger door and hoisting her into the seat. “And I need you to just let me.” Gentling my tone, I press a soft kiss to her lips. “Please, let me take care of you tonight.”
“You drive a hard bargain, but I guess I can manage.”
“Good, I’ll be back in a sec.”
Closing her door, I make quick work of retrieving her bag, depositing it in the back seat, and climbing into the cab. I can already tell she’s more relaxed, her head leaned back and her eyes closed.
She’s so damn pretty.
“It’s kinda hot how you manhandled me in there,” she muses without opening her eyelids.
“We’d still be in there if I hadn’t,” I tell her, turning the key as the engine roars to life.
“I know.” The words are solemn as I weave my fingers between hers and rest our joined hands on her thigh as we pull out of the parking lot and onto the road.
I can feel the tension leave my body, her touch and the scent of sugar and chocolate soothing me like a balm as I navigate the back roads toward the cabin that’s been my home for the last few years.
The outside is worn in a way that gives it character, the Tennessee heat, relentless in the summer, aging the wood without apology. My headlights illuminate the dark blue door and I make a note to put a fresh coat of paint on it once the cold weather clears out for good.
“You fall asleep on me?” I ask quietly, squeezing her hand and smiling when her eyelids pop open and she looks around.
“Maybe,” she relents, a pretty pink blush settling on her cheeks. “But I promise I’m awake now.”
“We can sleep. God knows I sleep better with you anyway.”
“Really?” she asks, surprise in her tone, and hell, I hadn’t meant to say it, the words having slipped out on their own. But I can’t regret it because they’re so damn true.
“Yeah,” I tell her, turning so she can see the sincerity in my eyes. Swallowing hard, I force myself to go all in on this runaway train. “What do you think about stayin’ with me a couple of nights a week? I’d say we can stay at your place, but I have the dogs and they like having their space.”
“So, we sleep well a couple of nights a week and then not sleep the rest of the time?” she teases, pushing out of her door and stretching with her arms over her head as I grab her bag from the back seat.
It’s too soon to move in together, right?
“Babe?”
“Hmm?” I answer, the endearment registering a second later than it should.
“I definitely want to stay with you a couple of nights.” She winks. “Or more.”
I like the sound of that.
“Well, good.” My voice is a little gruffer than before. “I thought we could stay in tonight, maybe go out tomorrow. I haven’t taken you on a real date,” I tell her as I walk up the porch steps and pause.
“I’d love that,” she says before frowning. “I don’t think I brought any real date clothes.”
“We can figure out the details later; I just need to get you inside.”
“Then move faster,” she teases as I pause with my hand on the doorknob.
“Dogs are gonna be excited to meet you,” I tell her as a final warning, thankful when a smile stretches across her pretty mouth as I open the door.
A flash of gold zips past us and out into the yard, the golden retriever running in circles before leaping back on the porch, her back end wagging, making it impossible to be stationary.
I love this damn dog.
“Oh my gosh, look at you! ” Ella coos at an octave that makes Birdie’s tail look like a cartoon it’s moving so fast, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she leans into Ella’s leg. “Such a sweet girl, aren’t you? Yes, you are!”
Moose trots over and parks himself next to me, the senior rottweiler content to wait his turn to be fawned over. I give him a good scratch behind his ears, but I know it’ll pale in comparison to the love my girlfriend is doling out.
Girlfriend.
The sentiment is still new, but I can’t help the way a smile graces my lips at the thought. Sorren had stared pointedly at me when I mentioned Ella’s name this week—his version of I told you so— but I’ll take it all and then some.
Because I never would have gotten out of my own way.
I needed them.
All of them.
Even if I fucking hated it in the moment.
“And who is this handsome boy?” Ella fusses as she crouches down next to the dog still sitting at my side.
“Moose.”
She giggles as he licks her cheek, her hands cupping his face as she peppers him with kisses all while his big brown eyes stare up at me.
I get it, man, she’s the best.
I’m just about to tell her that when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
ELLISON: I need your help with something
BODHI: Name it
ELLISON: I got a donkey
BODHI: I love it already
ELLISON: Right? I need you to pick it up and bring it to the farm later this weekend
BODHI: Just send me the details
ELLISON: You’re the best
ELLISON: And I can’t wait to OFFICIALLY meet your girl
BODHI: Not you too
ELLISON: What? I can be nice
I snort and Ella looks up at me with a confused smile. “What?”
“Montana’s wife needs me to pick up a donkey.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it before trying again. “Does that happen often?”
“More than you’d expect. Last time Mason and I went to pick up a bonded pair of cows. One is blind and the other is her seeing eye cow.”
“I’m sorry, what?” She laughs, standing as Birdie skips the porch steps, then skids across the wood and through the open door.
“It’s kind of their thing,” I tell her as I usher her inside. “Ellison acquires farm animals— goats when she’s annoyed with him because he hates goats—and then she does whatever it is that makes him forget he’s mad. And then just repeats that cycle.”
“So, like some weird kind of foreplay?”
I shrug. “I guess. She’s hard to say no to even for me.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because where Montana wants you to be his friend, wants you to be happy and have a good time, Ellison just decides you’re friends and that’s the end of it—like when you’re in, you’re in.” I shrug. “They’re good people.”
“It hurts my heart that you always seem surprised by that.”
“I’m working on it,” I tell her, pressing a kiss to her temple, “more so now because of you.”
She blushes as I type out another message.
BODHI: I just told Ella how nice you are.
ELLISON: You know I hate feelings – but I’m really happy for you
BODHI: You haven’t even seen me since I got back
ELLISON: I know things
BODHI: That’s terrifying
ELLISON: And don’t you forget it.
ELLISON: I’ll send the details soon, but in the meantime, enjoy your date weekend
BODHI: That’s not creepy at all that you know that
ELLISON: I prefer informed
BODHI: I bet you do
“Ready to show me around?”
Her question is the only warning I have before she jumps into my arms and crashes her mouth over mine.
It’s sweet and perfect and finally.