Chapter 4 Hits The Spot
HITS THE SPOT
Rowan wasn’t used to women not getting the greedy look in their eyes when they found out who he was or related to.
He turned to Saylor and handed over the bottle of water.
“Thanks,” she said. “Can I cook for you? I feel as if I should do something.”
“I’ll never turn down someone else doing the cooking.” They walked into the kitchen. “Take your pick of what you want. Not much we can do about the frozen food.”
She opened the fridge. He’d picked food up a few days ago. They wouldn’t starve if they got stuck here for a couple of days, but it’s not as if there was a large variety of anything fresh.
After she shut the fridge, she opened the freezer. There was a lot of meat in there to choose from, some frozen vegetables and fruit too. Someone was on a smoothie kick and he didn’t know who. Everyone in the family took turns coming here.
It was probably Nelson. Who the hell knew what went through his younger brother’s head? But Nelson was here not that long ago with friends and he’d most likely loaded up.
“Ground beef doesn’t take that long to thaw,” she said, pulling it out. “Lots I can do with that. Is that the pantry?”
She was pointing to a door. “Yep. Help yourself looking around. We normally stock this place with staples. If West is coming, he’s got caretakers to get it ready for him. I just pop in and pick up what I want.”
When she returned with a jar of sauce and a box of pasta, he got out the pots and pans she’d need.
“My grandmother always made sauce on Christmas Eve. It will feel a bit like home if you don’t mind.”
He forgot about the day and that she was missing the holiday with her family.
An alert went off on his phone and he grabbed it to look.
“Shit. We might be here for a bit. The ice storm is going to hit soon and they are calling for a state of emergency.” He picked up the remote to find the news.
“What happens if we lose power?” she said when they saw the areas that were out that the storm had already settled into.
“We’re good. There is a generator that will turn on automatically. Plenty of gas for it and backup batteries if need be. No way my brother would worry about those things here. We’ve got satellite internet and TV too.”
“Well then,” she said. “We won’t starve or freeze. I guess things aren’t that horrible.”
“Nah,” he said. “As long as you don’t mind staying here for the holidays.”
“I don’t think I’ve got much of a choice,” she said. “Other than my coffee is going to suck because there is no creamer.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I drink it black. No milk either, as I never touch it. There might be some of those little creamers in a box somewhere.”
He moved into the kitchen and opened cabinets, found the box, and pulled it out.
“Sweet. Vanilla flavored. Okay then, this is almost like a vacation. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had one?”
“No,” he said. “How long?”
“Over a year since I’ve had a straight week off.”
She was opening cabinets. “What are you looking for?”
“A big bowl. I’m going to put the meat in hot water to thaw. That will make it easier to break it up.”
“Use the microwave,” he said.
“I’d rather not,” she said, laughing.
“Suit yourself.” He found bowls he’d never used before and handed one over. While she filled it with water, he asked, “Why haven’t you had a full week off in so long?”
“There is a shortage of nurses all over the US. I get assignments. Six months to a year. I’ve got two weeks left on this contract and took a week to see my grandmother.
I’ll go back and finish my last two weeks and decide where to go next.
Most times I take a few weeks in between for myself, since I’ve got to pack up and move. That’s not really a vacation.”
“No,” he said.
She had to be making decent money. He wasn’t sure why she didn’t just hire moving companies to do those things.
Not for him to ask either.
Many would call him spoiled, and he wouldn’t deny it.
“I’m sure you vacation all the time if you’ve got this place to come to.” Once the meat was thawing in water, she filled the container for the coffee machine West had. “Do you mind if I have a coffee?”
“Help yourself,” he said. “I’ll have one with you. Really, take or eat what you want. I don’t want to keep asking you. My guess is we’ll be here a few days before things clear enough for us to get off the mountain, even if the airport opens. You’re good with your supplies?”
She smiled at him. A soft one. Tender even.
Now that they weren’t around thousands of people, he could really look at her.
Dark blue eyes, brown hair pulled away from her face. Her shirt was purple and fit her well. Wasn’t skin tight, but hugged her body and was tucked into a pair of loose jeans.
When she’d turned, he saw the outline of her CGM on the back of her arm. Damon used to wear it there too. He couldn’t see her pump, but guessed it was on her thigh under her baggy jeans.
“I am,” she said. “I should put my extra insulin in the fridge. I can’t believe I didn’t think to do it. I’ve got it in a small, insulated bag.”
He walked over to get her supply bag that caused so much stress and set it on the large island in the kitchen.
She was staring at the coffee machine. “Do you want me to make it?”
“Phew,” she said, swiping a finger across her forehead. “Can you show me? I don’t want to break it, but it’s beyond anything I’ve used before.”
“It’s not that hard but takes getting used to.”
She opened her bag and pulled out an insulated pouch holding two boxes of insulin pens and put them in the fridge. He’d seen the other supplies in there. Pods for her pump and then extra sensors for her CGM.
He worried less that she would run out while they were here.
He made their coffee and handed a mug to her.
“Thanks.” She put in two of the tiny creamers, stirred it with a spoon she’d pulled out of a drawer and took a sip. “This hits the spot. What a day.”
“Tell me about it,” he said. “Sorry if what there is to eat here might not be good for you.”
She laughed. “I can eat what I want as long as I counter it with the right amount of insulin.”
“I know that,” he said. “Damon always ate everything we did. Sometimes it made me laugh at the amount of candy he consumed.”
He’d seen a large bag of gummy bears in her supply bag along with some of those little mini treat packets she’d eaten earlier.
Guess she was well prepared for anything.
His mother would be impressed.
Damn, where did that thought come from?
“People always give me crap about that. They confuse type 1 and type 2. I don’t correct them if they are nasty with comments. I’m glad you understand. Not that I plan on needing medical assistance, but it’s nice to not have to explain it to someone you’re trapped with.” She smirked at him.
“I’m not so sure anyone would consider staying here being trapped.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Not at all. Do you mind showing me to the room and bathroom I’ll be using?”
“Shit. Sorry. I’ve got no manners. I’ll be in the primary off the living room. The other rooms are upstairs, but I’ll show you where I am in case you need me at night.”
Her face might be as red as Rudolph’s nose with those words.
Not that he meant anything by them, but maybe he was silently thinking them.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She followed him off the living room, into the primary, and looked around. “Holy cow. You can lie in bed and just look out the doors at the view.”
“It’s pretty sweet. Not that it looks all that great out there.”
The rain was coming down and freezing on the deck already. They’d gotten here just in time.
“Dark and moody,” he said.
“I’ve felt like that a lot in my life,” she said, laughing. “I can safely say I’m not there anymore.”
He didn’t know what she meant by that, but since she turned and walked out, he decided it was best to let it go.
Hell, he knew little about her other than her name, what she did for a living, and where she grew up. Oh, he knew her medical status.
Guess it was more than she knew about him. She knew his name, his relatives, and his residence. Nothing more. She hadn’t even asked.
Women always asked him all those things.
He scratched his chin over the confusion and followed her to the living room.
She was already climbing the stairs and had her other bag over her shoulder.
“There are three rooms up here. Two share one bathroom between them, the other has its own. You can take what you want. There is also a room in the basement with a bath too. Just a shower.”
“As nice as that basement was, I’ll stay up here just the same.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I get it.”
“This place is massive.” She moved to the room with its own private suite.
The one his mother often stayed in. The other rooms had more than one bed in them for even more guests.
“I remember when West got married. That’s really the only reason I recognized him, because I was in New Jersey at the time and it was big news.
Otherwise I might not have known him by sight. Anyway, he doesn’t have kids, right?”
“They had my nephew in September. My mother gave me shit about missing his first Christmas. Not like I have much of a choice in the matter.”
“No,” she said. “Have you met him yet?”
“I have. Samuel. Named after my father. I was there right after the birth. Then I saw him again when my sister Talia got married the day after Thanksgiving.”
His mother was annoyed he was missing Christmas, but she’d seen him more this year than she had any other year.
Laken was married in March in New York, so he was with family then.
Samuel’s birth. Then he was ordered to arrive in North Carolina in October when Talia found out she was pregnant by an older man.
If he’d known that his sister was being the stubborn one and not Jace, then he wouldn’t have flown there.
Add in Thanksgiving with the full family and Talia’s wedding the following day.
Yeah, he wasn’t feeling much guilt over missing Christmas.
Though it was the first one he wasn’t home for.
He’d survive.
He got too much family overload this year as it was and next year was going to be just as crazy.
“There are a lot of people in the wedding picture. Your family looks big.”
“There are eight of us,” he said.
“Wow. I’m glad I’ve only got one sister. I couldn’t handle any more.” She was staring at him while she stood next to the bed. “Do you mind if I take a shower and change into something more comfortable?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said. He’d just try to not think of her naked up here. “I’ll go do the same.”
He turned and left and hoped he could get through the next few days alone in the house with a woman who had him more confused than ever before.