19

 

“I’ll be back later tonight. You guys behave.” Rori stroked Jumbo’s neck, the fiber silky against her palm.

Jumbo split his lips to reveal his bottom teeth.

Laughing eased the nerves threatening to swallow Rori whole. “You’re a silly guy, you know that? I love you.” She secured the gate, and then made her way towards the house, tugging her sweater close to her chest, fighting off the chilly breeze that swept across the yard.

Graham would be here soon to pick her up and take her to his house for Thanksgiving dinner with his family.

She jerked the front door open with more force than she intended. Was she ready for this?

Meeting Graham’s parents, his sister, and her husband? Becoming more entrenched, more firmly rooted in his life?

Little late for that, wasn’t it? She scoffed as she pulled a mug from the cabinet and filled it with lukewarm coffee. What was she doing? With a tummy rolling with nerves, the last thing she needed right now was coffee. She dumped the brown liquid in the sink and rinsed out the cup. She couldn’t imagine Graham not being a part of her day, not showing up at the sanctuary every afternoon with his quirky smile and whiskered jaw. She couldn’t forget how lonely and isolated she was until Graham roared into her driveway that first time and helped her deliver Reesie.

She pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth, her lips curving in a grin. How could she have ever thought he was a vet? Ha!

Truck tires ground into the gravel outside, and a door opened and closed. Paws bounced across the front porch and skidded into the wood frame of the house.

She met Graham and Goliath at the front door.

“Hey, beautiful.” Graham took his time kissing her, the woody fragrance of his cologne drifting in with the cool breeze from the open door.

She wasn’t complaining. His kiss heated her insides and raised goose bumps along her arms.

When he broke the kiss, his arms still draped around her back, he pressed his forehead to hers.

OK. She might want to mention that she could use another one of those kisses. Just to help with her nerves.

“We keep that up and I won’t want to go back to a big house full of relatives. I’d much rather stay here with you, cuddling in front of the fireplace and keeping each other warm.” His labored breath whispered against her heavy lids.

A sigh lifted her chest, and she opened her eyes, pulling back a little, feeling her stomach tense. “Do we have to go?”

Graham cocked his head, his brows bunching together. “No. I suppose we don’t have to.”

Really? That was great—

He grabbed her fingers and brought them to his lips, planting a slow caress on the top of her hand. “But I would love for you to meet my parents, sweetheart, and my sister and her husband. You’ll like them, Rori. They won’t hurt you. Can you trust me on that?”

How could she not trust him when he looked at her like that? Confidence in her—and was that really love?—all wrapped up in one seriously rich and luscious cocoa-colored gaze.

She nodded, shivering.

He rubbed her upper arms, and she felt the warmth of his touch through the fleece of her sweater. “And I’ve got a ham in the oven with a boatload of scalloped potatoes to go with it. Not to mention, a giant chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert.”

Her head perked up. She had to eat, didn’t she? She stepped through the open door, and pivoted to wait for him as he tested the knob.

Chuckling, he pulled the front door closed. “You know. For a little thing, you sure can eat.”

White clouds of frost puffed in front of her face. She tugged her sweater tight.

He leaned close, his scent wrapping around her like a warm blanket. He tucked some hair behind her ear, his knuckles grazing her cheek, sending shivers racing down to her toes. “You’re sure about this, sweetheart? I don’t want to pressure you into something that you’re not ready for.”

That was so Graham. Kind. Considerate. Loving.

How could she not be ready and willing to meet his family? She refused to let the nerves win. She nodded, lifting her chin and pressing her shoulders back. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

 

****

 

Graham parked the truck in front of the castle and killed the engine.

The motor ticked a few times, and then there was silence, except for Goliath’s panting in the cab.

He glanced over at Rori.

She was staring out the passenger window, her fingers pressed against the glass. She turned to him, her eyes dark, unreadable, her voice hesitant, unsure. “This is where you live?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and waited for her reaction.

“It’s so…big.”

He let out his breath on a sigh. “Yep. That it is. And incredibly lonely.”

“I could see how that would happen. Do you ever get lost in there?”

He chuckled. “Truthfully, most of the time I only use a couple rooms, my bedroom and the living room. Occasionally, the kitchen. I’m really not home that much to wander around the other rooms.”

Her fingers reached out to touch the glass again.

“You ready?”

“To meet your family, yes. To step into this gigantic house, I’m not so sure.”

His heart plummeted to his boots. He grabbed a hold of her free hand. “Why?”

She turned to face him, but stayed tucked away in the shadows. “I guess because it reminds me of how far apart we really are.”

“I’d say only a couple feet separated us right now, but I can change that pretty quick. Come here, beautiful.” He tugged her as close as he could, regretting the center console that separated them in the truck’s cab. “Then again, maybe not.” He sighed. Why hadn’t he thought to bring the car for her?

She threw her head back and laughed.

He ran his fingers through her silky mane. “If it makes you feel better about going inside, I’ll confess I’d much rather be with you in your house.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Her head tilted, her emerald eyes shining in the darkness.

“It reflects you. Your character.”

She scoffed. “Do you mean socially unacceptable or unfinished?”

He shook his head, his fingers dropping to her chin so he could make sure she saw his expression in the dim light cast by the glow from the house. “No. I mean intimate. Just the right size. Perfect.”

“Nobody’s perfect, Graham.” She pulled his hand away from her chin and tucked it in hers. “Especially not me.”

“People can be perfect for each other. God designed it that way.”

“How did you end up marrying Lisa, then?”

“Had I listened and waited for Him that never would have happened.” There was a whole lot more he’d like to say on this subject, but not now. No. When he finally told Rori how he really felt about her, he wanted it to be special. Not while they sat in the truck parked outside his house with his family waiting on them to arrive. And he definitely didn’t want to rush her. “Sweetheart, your home is your sanctuary, and it’s filled with everything you love. That’s the way it should be. That’s what a home is. Not this,” his head tilted in the direction of the castle, “giant shell of a house. Yeah, I know it’s colossal, but it’s cold and empty, hollow, too. A home shouldn’t be that way. It should be filled with love and laughter, with family and friends. But that’s the way it will be tonight. Because you’re here with me.”

Her round eyes welled, and her lips curved. She flicked at her cheek with the back of her fleece-coated sweater.

Soft leather creaked as he leaned in, settling for taking his time kissing her, cherishing the feel of her arms wrapped around his neck. When he pulled back, he was satisfied that he had helped her relax and alleviated some of her fear, but she’d warmed him from the inside out. He needed to escape the tight confines of the truck. “You ready?”

“Now I am.” Her words came out husky.

He opened the door and allowed the frigid air to cool the hotness racing through his veins.

Goliath bounded down after him.

He walked around the truck to open Rori’s door.

Would she be ready when he admitted how he felt about her?

Or would she run to the sanctuary of her home, afraid of everything he stood for?