In the end, it was easiest to get out of the groomer. She stood in the freezing cold and managed to pull her foot out of her boot, then shove it through the leg of the jeans and back into the boot without falling over. Then she had to repeat it for the other leg. By the time she ran around the groomer and climbed back into her seat, she was half-frozen.
Josh handed her one of her mom’s little apple pies with the foil already partially peeled back. “I think we’re going to have to act out this particular fantasy more often.”
“Yeah, we need the practice.”
He paused in the act of folding back the foil on his own pie to grin at her. “You know what would make it easier? If you wore that black dress.”
“I think you need a new fantasy.”
“You’re the fantasy, Katie. The rest is just the setting.”
Warmth curled through her insides, and she was smiling when she bit into the apple pie. Maybe they should go out in the groomer more often.
*
Rose snuggled closer to Andy and he squeezed her. “Cold?”
“Nope.” The down-alternative comforter Josh had bought her for Christmas several years back, and given to her wrapped around her yarn store gift certificate, was far too warm for her to get chilled in bed. That and the body heat.
An old black-and-white Western was playing on the television, but she wasn’t really watching it. The movie had been his choice, not hers, but she didn’t really care what they watched when he cuddled with her like this. She’d missed cuddling a lot.
“I hope the kids are doing okay,” she said during a commercial, because her mind had turned to them instead of focusing on the cowboys. “I always get nervous when they’re out in the groomer all night in the middle of the woods in the freezing cold. So many things could go wrong.”
“The club spares no expense when it comes to maintaining that equipment and I know Josh gives it a thorough inspection before he takes it out on the trail, because I’ve seen him do it. And they’re together.”
“It’s a good opportunity for them to talk.”
He laughed. “Not much else to do when you’re putting through the woods at eight miles an hour.”
“I hope they have enough food. And they’re going to drink too much coffee. It’s not good for their stomachs, especially since Katie’s only going to sleep for a couple of hours before she opens the barbershop.”
“You worry too much, Rose.”
“Do not. Besides, what else am I going to do?”
“You could talk to me instead.”
Rose knew he didn’t mean for her to talk to him about the kids. He wanted to talk about them. She’d known it was coming, but she was still trying to sort through just how she felt about Andy Miller.
“I don’t think what we have here is just casual anymore,” he continued.
“It may have started as casual, but this part—you being here with me right now—was never casual. I’m not a casual kind of woman.”
“I didn’t think you were. But you’re also not a woman who wears her emotions on her sleeve, either. It’s hard for me to know where I stand with you.”
She rolled onto her side so her head rested on his shoulder. “I’ve only ever told one man I loved him and I was married to him for a good part of my life. I’m not quite ready to say it again.”
“I’m a patient guy.” He kissed the top of her head. “All I need is a little encouragement that we’re headed in that direction.”
“Consider yourself encouraged, then. I like your company, Andy, and I’d like to have more of it. I know you rent your place, and it doesn’t really make sense for you to keep running back and forth between here and there. Unless you prefer it that way.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you, Rose Davis?”
She laughed, feeling a little bit scandalous. “I guess I am.”
“I’d like that.”
“I have to talk to Josh first,” she said. “When push comes to shove, the kids own this house and I work for them.”
“Your relationship with them could never be described as just that.” He took his arm from around Rose so he could prop himself up on it and see her face. “Before you talk to him, though, I have a thought I’d like to run by you.”
She listened to what he had to say, then took a deep breath. “I need to think about that, Andy. I need to see how things are. Promise me you won’t say anything to him right away.”
“Not until you tell me it’s okay. Nobody knows those kids like you do.”
Chapter Seventeen
On Saturday morning, after making sure all his guests got out on the trails okay, Josh drove over to Mitch and Paige’s house. Mitch had business travel looming on his horizon and he wanted to finish the home office before he left so his time at home could be spent with his wife and not remodeling.
The rest of the house had been finished in a hurry so Paige could host Thanksgiving, but they’d been putting off the home office. Now, with the clock ticking, Mitch had asked Josh and Drew for help.
By the time he got there, Drew had already arrived. They were still in the kitchen when Josh walked in, and he held up his hands. “I thought there was work to be done.”