Chapter 32 Krista
KRISTA
I rushed up to the house and unlocked the door, tossing our things inside before running back to Rob, who was hobbling over to the house on a patch of ice.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“Because I’m not taking you down with me. Christ, how do you handle the wind out here?” he asked, pulling his coat up higher around his neck.
I wrapped my arm around his waist, careful of the incision underneath the layers of clothes. The flight out here was uncomfortable, but the ride from the airport to the house was even worse.
“It’s just something you get used to.”
“I don’t think I ever want to get used to bone-chilling cold like this,” he muttered under his breath.
I sucked in a harsh breath, biting back the pain of his words.
I didn’t want to admit that they had an effect on me, but over the last week, I’d grown used to having Rob around.
And when I thought I was going to lose him, I realized how close I was to finally having what my brothers had, and it was about to be ripped away.
This was supposed to be my chance with him, and he already hated it.
“Careful on the stairs,” I murmured, blinking back tears.
I told myself it was from the cold wind whipping at my face, but sooner or later, I was going to have to face the facts.
I was falling for Rob, and he was going to leave me.
He hissed in pain as we managed the stairs very carefully. By the time we were at the door, he was panting hard and extremely pale. Shuffling him inside, I helped him with his coat, then led him over to the couch, throwing my crap on the floor as he lowered himself.
“I’ll be right back. I’m just gonna grab your medicine.”
“Be careful,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It might take me a while to get to you if you fall.”
“I won’t fall,” I smiled, pressing a quick peck to his freezing cheek.
Pulling my hood up, I rushed back out into the cold, doing my best not to fall on the ice. My fingers were already freezing as I yanked the door open and grabbed the bag of medicine. Checking that I had everything, I slammed the door, then rushed back, nearly slipping on the ice.
As soon as I was inside, I kicked off my boots and rushed over to the thermostat to crank up the heat. I really couldn’t afford the higher heating bill, but I wasn’t about to let Rob freeze to death while he was recovering.
I’d just have to ask one of my brothers for a little help next month.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch for him.
“Just sit down,” he said, tugging on my hand.
I resisted, wanting to get comfortable before I sat down. I’d never get up, and there was too much to do before I passed out.
“You still have your boots on.”
“Who cares?”
“I do. And you shouldn’t be slumped over like that. We should really get you in bed.”
A smile tugged at his tired face. “You just want to get me naked so you can have your way with me.”
“As amazing as that sounds, I think my limbs are too frozen for sex.”
Groaning, he let me tug him upright and pull him into the bedroom. After straightening the sheets and covers, I helped him lay down, then looked around at the mess everywhere. It was a disaster.
“Forget about it,” he murmured, his eyes slowly blinking. “Come lay down with me.”
I really needed to get this cleaned up, but I could stay with him until he fell asleep. Giving in, I climbed into bed with him and draped my arm across his chest, careful not to touch his bandage.
“It’s ridiculously cold out here,” he muttered.
“It is, but I’ve turned up the heat.”
“Good,” he shivered. “Fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold.”
I slid my hand under his shirt and rubbed his chest, hoping to work some warmth into him. “Did you really mean what you said? That you don’t think you could ever get used to living out here?”
“Did you feel the wind?” he grunted. “Are you telling me you like that?”
“No, but… you learn when to stay inside.”
“Ask me again when I can feel my toes.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what he would say then, so I pushed it from my mind and focused on things I could handle.
Like cleaning the house and getting him better.
I mentally listed all the things I needed to do, and by the time I was done, Rob was breathing softly, completely passed out beside me.
Slipping from the bed, I gathered my clothes in the hamper, then rolled it out of the room and closed the door behind me.
After putting in the first load, I got to work cleaning up the living room.
I was shocked by the amount of clothing laying around the house, even though I saw it as soon as I walked through the door.
How did I live like this? Seriously, I saw it all the time, but coming back from a trip to this was just…awful.
I spent a good hour in the kitchen, cleaning everything in sight, only to realize I had nothing in the house to give Rob when he woke up, and he would be starving.
Shooting off a quick text to my brothers, I begged and pleaded for one of them to pick up some groceries for me.
Liam: Why don’t you just ask Ma to do it?
Because then she’ll want to come over here.
Liam: And?
And then she’ll interfere in my life.
Liam: Gee, I wonder what that’s like.
Jeff: Like her showing up at your house when you’re doing it with Bailey, and then she forces you to get married naked so you don’t back out.
Liam: Thanks for the reminder.
Seriously, can one of you just do this for me? I don’t want to leave Rob all alone.
Michael: He’s a big man. He can take it.
You’re such an ass.
Michael: Yes, but I also know men, and trust me, he doesn’t want to be babied any more than you want to baby him.
Jeff: Is that true? Cuz, I gotta say, I’d really like it if a woman came over and played naughty nurse for me.
Liam: That’s because you’re immature and don’t know what it’s like to have the love of a woman.
Jeff: Thanks for rubbing salt in the wounds.
One of you, pretend to be a man and help your sister out!
Liam: Sorry, I have to take out the garbage.
Michael: I’m still mad at him. He can suffer.
Then you’re dooming me to starvation as well.
Michael: Not really. You can still get away.
Jeff: Fine, fine. Being the only normal brother, I’ll do the respectable thing and get you groceries.
Thank you!
Jeff: And you promise to do me one gigantic favor upon further notice.
Fine. Whatever. Just get me food. And not just chips and cookies!
Jeff: On it.
The phone kept buzzing, but I didn’t pay attention to it. They were probably just bickering, and I didn’t have time for that. Not if I was going to make this place clean enough for a house guest.
I bit my lip as I looked around the big house, trying to picture another person living with me. That is, if I could convince him that life here with me was worth living. And right now, I felt like I was losing that argument by a mile.
The bitter wind gushed into the house the moment I opened the front door, but Jeff was not the one holding the groceries.
“Lizzy, what are you—”
“Take the baby,” she said, shoving Willa in my face, along with several cloth bags.
“What are you—”
“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to get her inside where it’s warm?”
Oops, I hadn’t thought about that. I carried my niece into the living room, standing near the fire to keep her warm. Once I had cleaned up the house, I was actually able to light the fire without risking burning the whole house down.
Willa made some cute baby noises, gurgling and cooing as I held her close to my chest. Pulling the hood back from her head, I stared down at my perfect niece with her gorgeous blonde hair that smattered over her perfectly round head.
She was absolutely adorable in every way.
“Holy crap, it’s cold out there!” Lizzy said as she stomped through the house with bags of groceries.
“What are you doing?”
Willa whimpered a little, startling me.
“Shh! Do you want to wake her?” Lizzy hissed.
I wanted to point out that she was practically yelling when she walked into the house, but then I would probably start a fight and wake up Willa.
“Lizzy,” I hissed. “What is going on?”
“Hold on. I have to get the rest of the groceries.”
She disappeared back outside, leaving me with a time bomb ready to blow at any second. I gently rocked her, hoping to keep her peacefully sleeping until her momma was back.
But every time Lizzy walked through the door with groceries, she disappeared again for more. Seriously, it was like she brought the whole store with her.
Finally, she closed the door and took off her hat, tossing it on the chair that I had just removed all my clothes from.
“There’s a coat rack,” I pointed out.
She looked around the house and frowned. “It’s clean in here.”
“I know that.”
“Why is it clean in here?”
“Because it was dirty,” I said in frustration.
“I know, but you’re always dirty.”
She kicked off her boots and set them on the mat to dry. Then stripped off the layers keeping her warm and hung them up.
Willa started to wiggle again, and I strode over to Lizzy, holding her out. “Here, she wants you.”
“Oh, no. That wasn’t part of the deal,” she laughed, slumping down in one of my chairs.
“But…she’s yours,” I continued. “She needs…something.”
“Cuddles,” Lizzy yawned. “And walking. And feeding. And more cuddles.”
Willa let out a cry, wiggling in my arms.
“Lizzy, seriously, I don’t know what to do!”
“Hey, we made a deal.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “We did?”
“On the phone. I ordered groceries for you and picked them up. I delivered them. Now it’s your turn to follow through.”
“Follow through on what? I didn’t ask for your help!”
Willa let out another cry, but this time, it didn’t stop. I bounced her, I rocked her, I walked around the room. Hardly anything calmed her down.
“Lizzy, what the hell do I do?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t be coming to you for help.”
“Why didn’t you go to Mom?”