“Where are you going again?” he asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Kate had simply said they were going Christmas shopping and asked Bree if she wanted to go along. Bree had jumped at the chance, anxious to finish off her list. Getting in a bit of girl time would be nice, too. Other than the frequent phone calls with Toni, she hadn’t had much of that since she’d left California.
Bree sat down on the edge of the bed and tugged on comfortable walking boots.
“When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure. Might be late.”
“Not good enough.”
He moved behind her. His arm came around her waist, and his lips pressed against the pulse point on her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. When she felt the heat building again, she kissed him, stood, and stepped just out of his reach, laughing when he growled in protest.
“Behave. I need to get your Christmas present.”
“You can be my Christmas present.”
“That’s a given,” she agreed. “But I’ll need some new wrapping. Which do you prefer—leather or lace?”
The heat in his eyes was almost enough to make her reconsider.
Leaving him to pout and excited about the day ahead of her, she made the trek to the main building, where she found the women waiting.
“Woo! Girls’ day!” Sandy shouted as Bree joined Sam in the back of the Jeep.
“Did Cage give you a hard time?” Sam asked.
Bree smiled. “A little.”
Kate laughed. “Welcome to the Women of Overprotective SEALs Club—or as we’ve recently come to call ourselves, WOOSC.”
“WOOSC?”
“Yep. Drives the guys nuts because they love acronyms but have no idea what it means.”
It was a beautiful day for a drive. The sun was bright, reflecting off the fresh covering of dry, light snow, making it look as if the ground were covered in diamonds. Above, the sky was a pale blue with only an occasional wispy cloud to break it up. Kate drove them to the nearby Pocono Mountains, where they spent a fun-filled day Christmas shopping in one of the large outlet malls. Not only did Bree manage to get something for everyone on her list, but she also had enough money left over to splurge on “wrapping” in the lingerie shop.
“So, are you ready for your big coming-out?” Sam asked with a grin as they headed back toward Sumneyville for a late dinner at Franco’s.
Bree hadn’t been in town since her return to the area, but word was sure to spread the moment she showed her face. She had no idea what the townspeople thought of the article or if they’d even read it. While the focus of the piece was Sanctuary, she’d made good on her promise to include a lot about the town and surrounding areas as well. She’d referenced the rich local history and provincial charm but made no direct references to ongoing drama or the questionable behavior of local leaders.
That she saved for her fictional small-town serial.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Relax. We’ve got your back,” Sandy said.
Carmella beamed and welcomed Bree like an old friend. “That was some article you wrote,” she said, pointing toward the wall behind the hostess podium. There, someone had printed off and framed the front page of the piece she’d written. “You have a gift.”
“Thank you,” Bree said sincerely, glad that Carmella was pleased.
“So, how long are you staying with us this time?” Carmella asked, seating them at one of the nicer tables in the alcove.
“Indefinitely,” Sandy told Carmella with a conspiratorial grin.
Carmella’s eyes lit up. “Really? How wonderful! Which one?”
“Cage,” answered Kate.
“Oh, he is a sweetheart. Good for you, honey.”
“So, have you given any more thought to Church’s offer?” Kate asked once their orders had been placed.
“I have,” Bree replied.
After admitting to Kate, Sam, and Sandy that she wasn’t quite ready to move in with Nick full-time, Kate had suggested talking to Church about staying in a suite in the main building. Not only would she have her own space to work, but she could also be close to Nick and have daily access to Sam’s crack coffee and Kate’s cooking—both of which she’d become quite fond of.
“I think I’m going to take him up on it.”
“It’s a good deal,” Sandy told her. “He offered me the same thing when I decided New York wasn’t for me. Of course, I think I spent more time in Heff’s cabin than I did in the resort, but it was nice to have the option.”
“I think it’s a smart move,” Sam said, nodding her head. “It’ll give you both a chance to wrap your head around everything, you know?”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Bree agreed, glad they understood. “But I don’t think Nick’s too happy about it.”
“Pfft. He’ll agree to anything as long as it’ll keep you around,” Sandy told her.
“You think?”
“Absolutely,” Kate confirmed. Each of the women nodded their agreement. “The man’s got it bad for you, Bree.”
* * *
Nick was sitting in front of his laptop when Bree returned to his trailer later that night. Brutus got up from his doggy bed to greet her.
“What’s Brutus doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“I thought Justin was taking him for the day.”
“He was,” Nick said with a crooked smile. “But Brutus kept sneaking away and coming back here. I think he was afraid you’d abandoned him or something. He wouldn’t even eat his dinner.”
Bree bent down and gave the dog a good scratch behind the ears. “I wouldn’t do that, buddy.”
“Hey, got some of that for me, too?”
She laughed and scratched Nick’s head, too. He grinned and pulled her in for a breath-stealing kiss that left her slightly off-kilter. It was something she could become addicted
