Emmitt stepped into the room. I waited by the door while he smoothed back the hair from each boy’s head. When he finished checking on them, he motioned me into the hallway and pulled the door partially closed behind him as he left. He had werewolf hearing, but I didn’t and appreciated the consideration. With their door cracked open, I’d hear them when they woke.
We walked across the hall to another bedroom, which mirrored the boys’ room. Emmitt flipped on the switch so I could see clearly. The full-sized bed and matching dark dresser complemented the forest green walls. Sheets and a light quilt covered the bed. An extra quilt lay folded on a trunk at the foot of the bed. Our bags rested on top of the spare quilt.
Staring at the bags, I felt a blush crept into my cheeks. Did he plan to sleep with me? When he’d suggested sharing a bed last night, I thought he’d been kidding.
I could feel him standing behind me, waiting for my reaction. Too much was coming at me too fast. Thinking of him...us...right now made my head hurt.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“How about don’t hog the covers or I’ll push your furry butt to the floor,” Jim called from the living room.
Emmitt snorted behind me, and I turned to look at him.
“I just want sleep. I won’t get it out there with Jim or if I’m further away from you than the next room.”
I recalled what he said about having a hard time sleeping away from me and sighed as I nodded my acceptance of the situation.
Quirking a smile, I quoted Jim. “Hog the covers and I’ll push your furry butt to the floor.”
He grinned in return.
“Now, go away so I can change.” He obliged, and I quickly changed into the pajamas he’d packed for me then slid under the covers. “Okay. I’m decent.”
I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door so he could change if he wanted to. Listening, I heard him enter, the rasp of the zipper, and the rustle of clothes. I closed my eyes while wondering if he felt as self-conscious as I did.
He stepped to my side, surprising me enough that I opened my eyes. I saw his loose shorts as he reached up and closed the curtains, and I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. He moved to his side and slid into bed beside me but didn’t reach for me.
We lay quietly, side-by-side, and I wondered if he could still smell my fear or if all my other emotions where flooding it out.
“I’m sorry about in the truck before. You’re right. I don’t need to be afraid right now. I need to be strong and face whatever happens. I just don’t want to drag anyone else down into my problems. I wish there was a way I could face Blake and still keep my brothers safe.”
Emmitt rolled to his side so he faced me. “We will find a way.”
He moved his hand, lightly resting it on my side. I didn’t mind. The warmth of his palm soothed me to sleep.
Chapter 16
A few hours later, the boys burst into the bedroom, and I heard them pause when they saw two lumps under the covers. Either Emmitt had been sleeping deeply or Jim had set us up. I lifted myself up on my elbow, trying to play it cool.
“Good morning, you two. Is Jim awake?” They both nodded. “Good, tell him we’ll be up in just a little bit.” They didn’t move.
“Who is that?” Liam asked pointing to the lump that was Emmitt.
I glanced down at Emmitt. He was watching me, letting me deal with the situation however I saw fit.
“It’s Emmitt. Jim had the couch. You two had the other bed. So, I let him sleep here after he promised not to steal the covers.”
Liam quietly gazed at the floor before he took a deep breath and lifted his head.
“If you married Emmitt, we could live with Nana and Jim forever.”
My eyes widen in surprise as I scrambled for something to say, but Liam saved me from a serious answer.
“If you don’t want to marry Emmitt, we would be okay with Jim, too.”
My face flushed, and the bed started shaking due to Emmitt’s silent laughter.
“We’ll talk about who I marry some other time, but I’ll keep what you said in mind. Now, go get dressed and wait with Jim.”
Both boys scampered out of the room, and I got out of the bed without looking at Emmitt. I’d never given marriage a thought. Had Emmitt? He might have because he’d called me his repeatedly. I wasn’t sure how I felt about a permanent relationship, though, and couldn’t afford to dwell on it. There were bigger issues in my life.
I grabbed some clean clothes and left the room, pretending I didn’t notice Emmitt’s scrutiny. Shutting myself in the bathroom, I started to get ready. I didn’t take too long. The boys were probably hungry and trying to talk Jim into leaving without us. I pulled back my wet hair and opened the door.
Emmitt leaned against the wall, waiting. His sleepy smile and slow appraisal had my stomach doing acrobatics. He winked, and I realized he knew what he did to me. With an embarrassed smile, I indicated the bathroom was all his and fled to the bedroom where I ditched my dirty laundry.
I went to join Liam and Aden in the living room where I could hear Jim entertaining them with stories from Emmitt’s youth.
“Morning,” I said, walking into the room. “Did you two sleep well?”
“Yep, until Aden woke me up,” Liam complained.