Chapter Nine #2
Kenna is running after Amelia when her legs slip out from under her and she ends up flat on her back. When she doesn’t immediately pop up, I race over, my heart pounding when I see that her eyes are closed and she’s completely still.
“Jesus, are you okay?”
Her eyes pop open. “Yeah. I was just taking a minute to enjoy this. It’s been a while since Amelia and I have had so much fun.”
I sit down next to her, uncaring that my jeans are soaking in wet snow.
We watch the three kids having a ball, now back to making their assigned parts of what is shaping up to be a hilariously disproportioned snowman.
“Thanks, Carter.”
I smile and nod. Then I get up and offer her my hand. But as I’m hoisting her up, I slip myself and send us both tumbling back to the ground, me slightly on top of her. Both of us are laughing when someone walks over and clears a throat.
I roll off Kenna and look up at Bug’s stepmom, Allie. She looks between us, amusement lighting up her face.
I stand, and this time I manage to help Kenna to her feet without falling.
“Kenna Bennett, this is Allie Montana.”
Allie holds out her hand. “It’s Anderson, actually.”
“Right, I keep forgetting. Old habits.”
They shake each other’s gloved hands.
“Montana?” Kenna asks. “As in one of your arch enemies?”
I crack a grin knowing she remembers every word I said earlier at lunch.
Allie scoffs. “Stupid family rivalries. I wasn’t ever a part of it.
Mia and I have been best friends forever.
And Dax is friends with my brother, Blake.
Lincoln still hates all of us I think.” She pokes a finger into my chest. “I believe I’ve been growing on this one, however, since we’ve been neighbors for a few years now and our kids are… friends.”
Kenna laughs at the way she says friends.
“Bug tells me you’re going to be staying in Carter’s basement while your car gets fixed,” Allie adds, and I think I detect a hint of amused curiosity in her voice.
“Looks like it,” Kenna and I say at the same time, then laugh.
Allie looks between us, still amused. “And how long will that be?”
“Ten days,” I say. “Less if we’re lucky and the parts ship sooner.”
She snickers. “Why do I get the feeling they won’t?”
My jaw drops. “Allie, don’t you have two rugrats to put to bed or something?”
“Carter told me you have twins?” Kenna asks curiously.
“Christina and Alex. Sixteen months.”
“Must be a handful.”
She shakes her head. “Not with Bug and Asher—that’s my husband—doing the lion’s share.” She gazes over at Darla as if they’re related by blood and not marriage. “She’s amazing with them. She could watch your daughter if you need her to. She’s great with kids.”
“I’m sure she is,” Kenna says. “I’m just not sure we’ll be here long enough for me to need a sitter.”
“Oh, okay. Well, it’s been nice meeting you.” She turns to leave, then stops. “You guys should come for dinner sometime,” Allie offers, as if Kenna and I are a couple.
Kenna shifts uncomfortably. “I… uh…”
I step forward, glaring at Allie. “I think I hear kids crying. You’d better go check and make sure they’re both still alive.”
Kenna chuckles behind me. I’m glad she wasn’t put off by the inappropriate invitation.
After Allie leaves, I spin around and run a hand down my face. “I’m so sorry about that, Kenna. People around here are always trying to fix me up. It’s embarrassing.”
She tilts her head. “Do they ever succeed?”
“I’m a thirty-two-year-old single dad to a growing teenage boy, and I have a business to run. Doesn’t leave much time for anything else.”
“You don’t ever date?”
“Do you?” I say, throwing it back at her.
“Right.” She looks down at the ground before giving me a wry smile and a sigh. “So let’s finish this job before my fingers freeze off.”
We lean over, and together roll our large snowman base over near the bench. Christian and Bug’s middle part is as large as the bottom, while the head Amelia fashioned is basically just a large snowball. Once put together, we all stand back and laugh at our ridiculous creation.
Bug races inside her house and comes out with a handful of blueberries and a carrot. Amelia helps her make a ‘face,’ which is difficult considering how small the head is. Christian puts his baseball cap on Frosty’s head, then Bug flips the cap backwards.
“Perfect,” I say.
Kenna doubles over laughing. “Perfectly horrendous.”
I pull out my phone. “Stand next to him,” I say to everyone, then snap a photo.
Bug walks over and takes my phone from me. “You go. Family photo.”
I glare at her, hoping Kenna didn’t overhear. But then I follow orders, because somehow I know I’ll be spending a better part of the evening staring at the pictures she’s about to take.
~ ~ ~
By the time we make it back inside, Amelia looks ready to collapse.
Kenna takes off her daughter’s wet shoes and outerwear, then looks over at me. “It’s been a long day.”
I thumb to the garage. “I’ll just get your things.”
She shakes her head. “We can wait on the boxes. I need to get her to bed. Maybe just bring down the two green suitcases for now?”
“On it.”
By the time I get the suitcases downstairs, Amelia is asleep on the couch. She doesn’t even wake when one of the suitcases falls over with a loud thud. I cringe and whisper, “Sorry.”
“She’s out. I might not even bother with her pajamas. I’m just going to carry her to bed.”
I step over. “Allow me.”
I lift Amelia up effortlessly. She’s light as a feather. I almost feel stupid doing it when Kenna is clearly capable.
Kenna opens the door to the bedroom and pulls back the freshly washed sheets. When I set Amelia down, she turns over, not even opening her eyes, and snuggles with Horton who was patiently waiting for her to join him.
Quietly, I exit the room. Kenna comes after me, but lingers in the doorway staring at Amelia.
“She sure is something,” I whisper.
“She is. Looks like we both hit the jackpot in the kid department.”
I laugh quietly. “Yeah, if only I could hit the real jackpot, my life would be perfect. I mean what’s the Powerball up to now, two hundred million?”
Kenna abruptly turns away and leans against the wall. She looks about as tired as Amelia.
“Hey, listen. I’ll probably be up way before you are tomorrow. I leave early. But promise you won’t move all the boxes. They’re heavy as shit.”
“I know.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Who do you think put them all in the car?”
I arch a brow. “You’re much stronger than you look. But seriously, I don’t want you hurting yourself. You have enough to deal with. Use the car. There’s still plenty of room for whatever groceries you need. It’s got a full tank of gas. The GPS will help you get anywhere you want to go.”
She sits on the couch and waves an arm. “Fine. I don’t think I have the energy to argue about it.”
Despite how much I want to stay down here and talk, I believe she’s given me my cue to leave. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” I look up the stairs. “Ah, dang. The lock. I’ll go get it right now. It won’t take long.”
“Don’t bother,” she says, her eyelids looking heavy.
“It’s no bother. And I promised. I’m a man of my word, Kenna.”
“Yeah, I’m beginning to see that. You’re fixing my car, giving me a place to crash, trusting me with your house and your SUV, and building snowmen with my kid. I think it’s safe to say you aren’t going to slit my throat in the night.”
I laugh. But I don’t tell her I should install it anyway. If for no other reason than it’ll keep me from acting out the fantasy that’s been playing over and over in my head like a movie reel. The one that has me on top of her. Underneath her. Inside of her.
Yeah, I’ll definitely be installing the lock tomorrow.