Bree walked down the stairs to the picture of Amber, dressed in a multi-colored, glittery costume that represented disco to her six year old imagination. “Wow, mom, you look like a princess!” Amber’s awestruck response was exactly what she needed to boost her confidence.
Bree bent down and kissed Amber, leaving the replica of her lips on her soft, rosy cheek. As she wiped it off with her fingers due to Amber’s protests, she threw a glance at Todd. Sucking in a sharp, quick stream of oxygen, Bree pasted a smile and gave him a nod in greeting. She was unprepared for the undisguised lust she saw on his face.
Turning back to Amber she said, “Thank you for the compliment, Amber, that means a lot to me, coming from a real princess, of course.”
“Oh, mom,” Amber rolled her eyes at Bree. Another one of her little quirky mannerisms. “If I’m a princess and you’re my mom then you’re one too.”
Lips curving, Bree responded, “Of course. I stand corrected.”
“You look great! Beautiful!” Todd’s simple remark laced with sincerity, made Amber giggle and her turn a bright shade of pink.
Todd was looking pretty good himself in a black pants and perfectly matching black shirt, casually opened at the top to reveal his delicious looking Adam’s apple. Black only made his dark looks more devilish and broody, something women wanted to sink into. Unfortunately, with the way he looked, Bree felt like one of those women. He bent over to chat to Amber as she tugged on his sleeve in excitement. Bree sighed, it gave her a fantastic rear view that nudged the temperature up a few notches. Todd turned around and caught her staring at him. He grinned in response, which she duly ignored offering him a blank expression in exchange.
“Are you ready to go?” Todd asked, holding his arm out, ready for her to hook into.
Bree nodded, bending down to kiss Amber first and greet her grandparents. Not, yet ready to speak to this sinfully delicious version of Todd, she took his arm and left for town to the sound of giggles in the background.
xxx
“Bree Tanner Ramsay,” a shrill voice interrupted her conversation with Shelly.
“Hi Sandra,” Bree replied, keeping her voice light and interested. Sandra was one person she had not missed while gone from Devil’s Peak. The feeling was as mutual as their common lust for Todd. From the looks, that Sandra had been throwing Todd the whole evening that seemed to be another irritating constant.
With a dress as brassy as her voice, Sandra dramatically stopped in front of Bree and gave her outfit an inspection. “I see that little has changed since you left us. I was hoping that some of the Lower 48 sophistication had rubbed off on you.”
Bree discreetly nudged Shelly who was about to deliver a scathing retort and with a fake smile still pasted on, responded with the nonchalance, she was far from feeling. “Well, you know me Sandra; I’m just a hometown girl at heart.” Before the verbal boxing match could be further entertained, Bree grabbed Shelly by the hand and headed over to the hotel bar, “Excuse us, hun, we’re a bit parched. See yah around.”
“Two things,” stated Shelly, “first - you don’t drink, and second - you’re too nice to that cow.”
“Killing her with kindness, Shelly,” Bree laughed. Now, this was one person she definitely had missed. Shelly may be direct and come across as no-nonsense, but she was loyal to a fault.
“Uh-huh,” came Shelly’s skeptical response.
“Now what’s the beef with Todd?” inquired Shelly. “You know I don’t entertain rumors as far as the people I love are concerned, so you better tell me.”
“Todd and I are trying to come to terms with co-parenting Amber,” replied Bree.
Shelly quirked an eyebrow in response, “Honey, you can’t fool anyone. Todd hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you the whole evening.”
“That’s just high school flames still burning, Shelly,” returned Bree. “We didn’t have closure when we broke up.”
“As I recall,” drawled Shelly, “you didn’t break up. You upped off and left. And, from what I see, you still haven’t ‘broken up’.” Shelly used a well-manicured hand to make air quotes before flipping her long, mahogany curls over her shoulder.
“And this is a good conversation. Thank you.” At yet another quirked eyebrow, Bree laughed and carried on, “No, seriously. Maybe closure is what we need before we move on.”
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies but I believe, Shelly that our dance is up.” Shelly’s date, a sinfully handsome newcomer to town, dragged Shelly away to the dance floor.
It gave Bree a moment to gather her thoughts. Closure. That was exactly what was needed. And, the sooner it was done, the better. She scanned the hotel bar cum dining area for Todd without any success. The evening had gone better than she’d imagined. They’d seemed to have put their differences aside and had even managed to dance together and have fun. They’d gotten quite a few looks when they’d arrived, but as the evening progressed, less people seemed focused on them, so the tactic to meet the grapevine head on must be working. What wasn’t working was controlling the pull he had on her. It had seemed so easy, so natural to dance with him. Swaying in time to the music had allowed a number of intimate memories to creep in. Not cool and not what she needed right now.
“You’re looking far too serious for a night out,” Todd’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He’d come up behind her and she could feel the heat coming off of him. Again, not cool. In fact, it was far too hot in the room.
Resisting the urge to fan her, she looked up into the chocolate warmth of his eyes and swallowed as discreetly as she could manage. “Oh, I’m just tired,” Bree replied, shrugging her shoulders in nonchalance. “I haven’t been out to a party in a while.”
“Well, let’s make it worth it then,” the smile Todd threw as he held out his hand, lit the room.
“Okay,” Bree squeaked, inwardly cursing.
The dance was the same torturous exercise in masochism as the previous ones. Their bodies moved in sync, touching teasingly when a dance move from either allowed a bump, a caress. The sudden cheers of, “Happy New Year,” broke the spell woven by the dance and startled her, bringing her closer to him. And just like that, he leaned down, kissed her and it was as though seven years had not even passed.
The kiss was tender, sweet, filled with fondness, and banked heat. It was a mouth she was familiar with, a mouth she’d been craving without knowing. The touch of his hands as they slipped around her waist and drew her closer felt right as did her arms snaking around his shoulders to lightly tug him down, his hair was like silk between her fingers.
All too soon, the kiss ended and Bree looked up into eyes that had turned the brown of good, dark chocolate; kiss-swollen lips that had her wanting to close in for another nibble.
Taking a breath, she said, as steady as she could, “Happy New Year, Todd. I’m just going to freshen up before we leave,” and she fled to the bathroom.
The drive back to the farm was awkwardly silent. When they arrived, Bree noticed that the only lights on in the house were on the porch and in the hallway. Thank goodness, she didn’t need to fake a ‘fun time had’ to her grandparents.
Todd cleared his throat and turned to her with an expression that was hard to read. “I had a great time tonight. Thanks Bree.”
Bree swallowed. It was easier to ignore the attraction in the quiet discomfort of the drive there. Face to face bedding down the internal sparks was a monumental task. “Pleasure…uh… thanks too,” Bree squeaked. She took a moment, “I mean thanks. I had a great time too.” Go figure that she’d act like a high school kid around her high school sweetheart. And oh yes, we was swooping in for the end of date kiss. Knowing his moves, Bree preempted it and scooted out the door before he could paste his delectable lips on hers.
Rubbing her arms to ward off the tingles of the cold and not in exaggeration, she blurted out, “Yikes, it’s cold. I better get going before I catch my death. I actually forgot how cold it’s here. See you tomorrow, Todd.”
Later that night, Bree finally gave up on the succumbing to the dreamless sleep she so eagerly wished for and got up. Because she was alone in the privacy of her old room, she took down a box from the top of her closet. At the very top of the contents was a photo of her and Todd at the high school prom, a heart around their faces glowing with the love of hope, the love of teenagers, and in it was written “Todd and Bree forever." Sighing, she closed the lid and got back into bed, the heat she felt on the dance floor gone and her heart filled with aching loneliness and longing.
Chapter 5
Bree hurried into the farmhouse. It was hard to believe but the Alaskan cold had actually gotten colder. Not that the cold mattered much to Amber.
The previous day, she’d stood alongside her gran watching disapprovingly as her granddad and Amber had spent their time frolicking in the snow. Snowmen were built in as many varieties as they could be, snowball fights were held with her traitorous gran joining in and various skiing and sledding activities were engaged in. Her grandparents had been showing a huge burst of renewed energy and when she teased them about it, they attributed it to her return. Bree’s lips curved at the lie - she was glad for the truth of the matter, which was that Amber had given them the gift of her unconditional love.
When Amber had skidded into the kitchen, dripping with snow and asking for hot coffee, Bree caved and joined them. The moment she saw Amber’s awestruck face as they threw the hot coffee into the air and had watched it freeze, would be one that would stay with her for eternity.
Tires crunching on the snow alerted her to a visitor; it was too soon for Amber and her grandparents to be back from town. The wind had picked up, impacting visibility and she shielded her eyes, staring, until the blurry figure morphed into Todd. Despite her resolve to attempt a platonic co-parental relationship with him, she felt a clench in her gut. Despite the many layers of clothing, there was something about him that pulled at her - always had.
“Hi Todd,” she called out from the porch and let him into the arctic entry. “What brings you around?”
Handing layers of clothing to Bree, Todd, shook himself as if that would chase some of the cold away. Darn, he knew a better remedy for cold and she was standing right there. Not that that would help much after the way she’d been acting as though he’d been invisible since the dance. If she weren't so skittish around him, he would’ve thought she was indifferent.
Soaking in the warmth of the house, he looked around searchingly, “There’s a snowstorm coming, and I thought I’d pop by while I could to see Amber.”
“Oh,” Bree let slip. Darn it! Of course, he was here to see Amber. She’d known that. But then why on earth had she thought that he was there for her? “Of course,” she quickly remedied. “Amber and my grandparents went to town for supplies. They should be back soon. Would you like to wait?”
The banging door of the artic entry made Bree jump and prevented Todd from responding as he went to close it. “Looks like the storm is here,” he observed. “Are the men still working on the farm?”
“Nope,” Bree responded. “They closed the hothouses with granddad yesterday and the chicken coop was seen to this morning so they’re all gone.”
Bree gnawed her lip, “Amber’s never been in a snowstorm before. Let’s call her.”
“Bree, I’m glad you called,” her grandmother’s voice came through the static sounds of storm-whipped phone lines. “We’ve been trying to get through to you for ages.”
“Sorry, Gran,” Bree responded, “I got in a few moments ago and then Todd arrived. The storm's picked up here, so I must’ve missed your call, and the storm’s interrupting calls coming through I suppose.”
“Well,” Moira stated, “the storms in full force here. I’m afraid, honey, that we won’t be able to come back to the farm. The three of us will bunk with Mary. I’m glad Todd’s there - means that he’s stuck too and that you won’t be alone.”
Yep, thought Bree. Just great. “Can I speak to Amber please, Gran? If the lines get cut off, I won’t hear from her for a while.”
“Sure,” Moira answered before putting Amber on the line.
“Mom,” Amber began, “there’s a snowstorm and the wind’s howling.”
“The wind’s howling, honey,” Bree smiled. Trust Amber to get excited about a scary snowstorm.
“Uh-huh," responded Amber. “And there’s even more snow than before, but we can’t go out because it’s dangerous and Gran says that we have to stay warm and we can’t come back because it’s dangerous and we’re staying in town and…”
Bree cut the verbal barrage off, a wider grin on her face, “And you need to be safe. So you know I won’t see you until after the storm and the roads are cleared?”
“Yes, mom,” Amber replied all-knowingly, “Gran told me.”
“And you’ll listen to Gran?” Bree asked.
She could feel the eye-roll Amber was giving as she replied affirmatively. “Now honey, I may not be able to speak to you again until I see you but I’ll try, okay?”
“Okay, mom” responded Amber, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Bree replied misty-eyed.
“Can I speak to my dad now?” Amber asked.
Bree handed the phone to Todd and puttered around in the kitchen trying, though not succeeding, to not eavesdrop. Regardless of their relationship, Todd had taken naturally to fatherhood and the bond he’d quickly formed with Amber was solid. That was what kept him in her life and made her make an effort around him though her body wanted to jump him and her heart wanted her to run away.
xxx
The wind screamed as it whipped around the house and scattered snow on every surface. While they still had television, they’d watched the news and the tales of people rescued from cars, animals brought into shelter was humbling. Bree was ever grateful that her loved ones were safe and warm inside homes built for this weather.
“What are you doing?” Todd interrupted her thoughts.
“I’m making hot chocolate,” Bree answered. “All that snow out there makes me want something warm to drink.”
Todd nodded in understanding, “The snows already a meter thicker than this afternoon and it’ll get higher still. Let’s hope this storm is a quick one as predicted.”
“Yes,” agreed Bree, “I’ve never been away from Amber before and I know she’s okay, but I kinda just want her with me. I want to hold my baby.”
Todd regarded Bree, a misty-eyed mom as she moved around the kitchen pulling cups out of the cupboard and mixing two cups. She didn’t need to ask him - seems like she remembered that he had a fondness for the drink. He’s eyebrows quirked when he saw her plunking a bottle of hard stuff on the counter. “Ah, Bree,” he interrupted her. “You don’t drink.”
Bree looked at the bottle of fiery spirits in her hand and shrugged, “I do now.”
“You’re that worried about Amber?” he prodded. She was gnawing her lips again.
Yes, Bree, thought. I’m worried about Amber and I’m worried about being stuck in here with you. “Of course,” she responded. Then shrugging again, she added a few tots to their hot chocolate, not noticing Todd’s brows rise at her heavy hand.
“Bon appetite,” she said, handing the piping hot mug of chocolate-laced spirits to Todd.
“Let’s go sit by the fire. It’s the best way to have hot chocolate,” Todd suggested.
Sitting opposite Todd, a deck of cards on the table between them, she took a gulp of the liquid and choked, sputtering everywhere.
Todd pressed his lips to stop the grin from showing and went to gently smack her on the back. “Arms up,” he said, “and breathe.”
Freaking hell, holding her arms above her head with him behind her was not a good idea when it held so many possibilities - without clothing of course. He let his hands slowly glide down the insides of her arms and sides then nearly did a whoop when she gave up an involuntary shiver.
Bree cleared her throat and abruptly sat down facing
the deck of cards and as far away from him as possible. “Should we play?” she inquired.
Todd nodded broodily, an observation that Bree forcibly ignored as she watched him reach out and cut the cards. After nearly an hour of terrible playing on both of their parts, Bree sat back and sighed in exasperation.
“That must be the worst game of cards either of us have ever played,” she stated, sullenly.
Todd nodded in agreement. “I don’t know about you, but I’m bored with playing cards. I remember us being much better at it - must be the storm and worrying about being away from Amber in her first snowstorm that’s causing us to suck.”
“Oh, I remember you always sucking,” Bree responded.
“I remember differently,” retorted Todd, “but I’ll defer to the lady in this instance as our most recent match proves differently.”
Todd sat back and sipped his now tepid chocolate drink. “Should we watch a movie instead?” Bree didn’t respond and he could see the thoughts roll around in her head as she bit her lip in contemplation.
“I’ll let you watch one of those chick flicks,” he offered.
“You always hated those,” she said.
“Nope, didn’t hate them,” he argued, “I watched enough of them with you when we were dating.”
“That’s because you wanted to get into my pants, Mr. Hunter,” Bree retorted then immediately drew back from the conversation. That was so not the way to go in this conversation; not when they were stuck alone in the house with candles flickering everywhere.
“Darn it,” said Bree in fake disappointment, “the power’s out. It was a good idea anyway though.”
“Oh, don’t throw in the towel yet, Bree.” He made for the staircase, “I’ll make a plan. You just sift through the DVD’s and choose something.”
Bree took her time to flip through the DVD’s, not seeing what kind of plan he could make, and wondering what the heck he was doing upstairs. Moments later, a proud Todd came into the room bearing a laptop.
Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) Page 5
