Chapter 3 #3
“I can’t stand a mess.” She told him that she couldn’t either.
“Everything has a place, and it should be put back in place when you’re finished with it.
I don’t like clutter either. It gets on my nerves to see too much junk lying around when it should be put away.
My brothers’ houses are all decorated nicely and without too much clutter.
I think that has to do with my mom. The only time she has a lot of stuff out where you can see it is at Christmas time.
Then I think that it’s just pretty. In small doses.
Otherwise, I have to go outside and get some fresh air. ”
“I’m the same way.” The two of them laughed.
“I usually have to go to the bathroom so that I’m not rude, but I can see that your family is used to you going outside when you need a breather.
I don’t even like a cluttered tree. I want an ornament on each branch, and that’s about all.
I’m silly like that.” He laughed again, and she thought that she could hear him laugh for the rest of her days.
It was very masculine and gentle at the same time.
She also thought that he didn’t do it much.
She found that she wanted to make him laugh, even if it was at her.
It gave her warm and fuzzy feelings in her belly to have him do it.
He took her to his house, and she could see that he was extremely proud of his home.
“I love how the dining room table fits in here.” He’d shown her the dining room first, as it had the most furniture in it that she’d seen at the auction.
He told her that his mom was going to give him dishes that she had that she’d never used yet.
“That’ll fill up the cabinets well. And I love these glasses. Did you get them there, too?”
“Mom did. She said that I’d need some glasses first because I could always use paper plates if I needed to eat here.
So far, I’ve not yet, but I can see myself having a huge meal in this room with my family.
” She sat on one of the chairs. “I did that too to see if they’re as comfortable as they look.
I could sit in them during a meal, but not for a long conversation. They’re sort of stiff.”
“They are, but they fit well.” She got up and took his hand into hers.
“Show me the rest of your house. I’m excited about seeing it.
” He took her all over the house, and he was right, it was a house that suited them both.
It had rooms that a person like them could go into and chill a bit.
Also, there were rooms, like the library, that seemed to be the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day.
I don’t have any linens for the house yet.
Mom said she had some sheets, but then said that I should have new ones.
I’m ordering them online so I don’t have to mess with them.
Also, things in the kitchen. I don’t drink coffee, but I do love a good glass of iced tea.
I’ll get a coffee machine if it’s something you drink.
” She told him that she liked an occasional cup of tea, but not often enough to warrant getting a tea maker.
“I’m also hiring a cook for the house. With us both working, we don’t want to have to mess with cooking all the time when we don’t have to. ”
“I’ve never had a cook. Which shows since I usually eat out when I have to have a meal.
It’s just easier. I’m taking the kids out for fast food tomorrow night with a movie.
You should come with us.” He said that it was her time to get to know the kids.
“You need to get to know them, too, don’t you?
I mean, they’re going to be your niece and nephew if this goes anyplace between us. ”
“Do you want it to go anyplace between us?” She nodded and said that she really did. “I do as well. But I can’t tell you enough that I’m not a good person.”
“Why would you say that? Just because you have nightmares doesn’t make you a bad person.
It only makes you someone who has seen a great deal that bothers them.
And for all we know, you could become as calm as me when we’re together.
” He asked what if he were to hurt her. “It might happen, but we don’t know that either.
And if you do, it’s all right because you won’t mean to hurt me.
I’m not one of those fainting flower types. I can take you if you need me to.”
“You’re missing the point.” She told him he was just trying to wiggle out of being her mate. “Never that. But you might get hurt. I would die rather than hurt you mentally or physically. I’m falling in love with you.”
“I knew it would happen fast, but not this fast, but I’m falling for you, too.
You’re like the other half of me sometimes.
Does that make sense?” He told her how he was thinking of her as his other half all the time.
“You calm me in ways I’ve never felt before.
And you make me not think about my sister so much.
I feel sorry for her kids. They seem to not know any better than to have parents who treat them poorly. ”
“Beth is going to be tough to crack. When I found them tied up to the car that night, she stepped in front of her brother like I was going to hurt him. I wondered if she had to protect him a lot.” She asked if he thought that they beat their kids.
“I don’t know, that’s the point. I know that Marshall is the most tender-hearted one.
Beth is harder to know. That night, she seemed to be pissed off that someone caught them where they were.
Like they might get into trouble for being caught there. ”
“I’m going to find out what sort of home life they have tomorrow night.
I’m not going to drill them or anything, but just see what they’ll tell me.
I never knew them until this visit. I pay for their school supplies and all their fees when they come due, but I’ve never met them until the other day.
They’ve been kind of standoffish to me. I’m assuming that their parents have told them what a monster I am because I won’t give them money.
” Cullen said that was sad. “It is, isn’t it?
I mean, why am I the bad guy when all I’ve ever wanted was for them to have what they needed for their lives to be better?
I thought that when Mary Beth got her house, things would straighten up for them.
But all it did, as far as I’m concerned, was make things worse for them.
They have a roof over their heads, but a dirty place to live. ”
“I’ve seen what housing can look like when there is no money coming in or a lazy partner that drinks all the time.
” She asked him if he had seen it a great deal around here.
“More than I’d like to admit. That’s what my brothers and I do when we can is to make things better for the people living around here.
Sometimes it works, but most of the time, people don’t want you to bother them when they feel that they’re getting enough help from the state.
Then there are people who work the system so hard that they feel like they’re owed something from them. ”
“I can see that. You should hear about how Mary Beth goes on about the holiday season. I guess the kids get all kinds of clothing and toys from the holiday trees that are put out. She signs them up for all kinds of stuff like that.” He asked if the kids got it or if she sold it off for cash.
“I never thought of her doing that. You know, you might be right in her doing that to them. I don’t send them much for Christmas anymore because she told me that it gets lost in the things that the state gives them.
I wonder now if that’s what she’s doing.
I wouldn’t put anything past the two of them when it comes to working the system in their favor. ”
It was nearly midnight when he took her back to the bed and breakfast. She was so tired yet wanted to spend more time with Cullen than she had.
As soon as she got into bed, she thought of all the things that could happen between the two of them and hoped that it would come about.
She really liked the man and could see herself spending extra time with him while she was here.
But tomorrow she was going to see the kids and was looking forward to that even more.