Chappy could tell that Carlise was a little uneasy to meet his friends, though. He’d tried to reassure her that they’d love her, but knew she’d just have to see for herself how down-to-earth JJ, Cal, and Bob were. The plan was for them to try to find her CR-V on their way to the cabin and see if they could dig it out. They’d also grab the suitcase she’d left in the back and bring it up to the cabin.
As for the car itself, the battery could be shot from the cold weather, or there might be damage to the engine from the tree she’d hit. They’d check it out and pass on the info when they arrived. The sun had been out for the last three days, but it was still cold, and the snow hadn’t melted at all. The two feet of snow might’ve been too much for the small SUV to handle, but it didn’t matter. If Carlise needed to go to town, he’d take her there in his Jeep.
“What time do you think they’ll be here again?” Carlise asked nervously.
“I’m not sure. Probably around lunchtime,” he told her. “Bob has a plow on the front of his pickup, but ultimately the condition of the roads will determine when they arrive.”
“Okay. I hope Baxter doesn’t freak.”
“He won’t,” Chappy reassured her.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. He’s been so much better around us. He’s getting used to us and realizing that not all people are bad. Just yesterday he almost came into the cabin when you left the door open. If nothing else, I think he’ll stick around, if only to make sure you’re okay.”
“He is kind of protective, isn’t he?” Carlise asked with a small smile.
“Yup. I about crapped my pants when he barked yesterday when I was tickling you on the couch, and he heard you shrieking through the door. I’m sure he thought I was hurting you.”
“You wouldn’t hurt me,” Carlise said firmly.
He loved that she sounded so sure. “Of course I wouldn’t. But Baxter doesn’t know that. He’ll learn, though.”
“Do you think Cal will remember to bring the bag of dog food? I mean, as much as I’m sure Bax is enjoying the human food, it’s probably better to wean him off it sooner rather than later.”
“He’ll remember.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to meet Callum Redmon. He’s famous!”
Chappy chuckled. “Whatever you do, don’t bow or call him Your Highness. He hates that.”
“Oh my God, I wouldn’t do that. That would be . . . weird or something.”
“It would.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking it,” she said with a small laugh.
“I know I don’t need to tell you this, because I trust you, but I’m going to anyway. Please don’t stare at his scars. He went through hell when we were POWs, and he got the brunt of the torture from our captors.”
“I won’t. Scars don’t make the man, it’s what’s inside that I care about. The prettiest men are sometimes the biggest assholes, while the ones who don’t fit society’s mold of what’s masculine or handsome often have the biggest hearts and are the kindest people.”
“That’s very true. He’s just had a lot of crap said about him because of his royal status and the scars. It takes a toll.”
“Well, he’s safe here,” Carlise said. “I’d never do anything intentionally to upset your friends.”
“And they won’t do anything to upset you,” Chappy returned.
“It’s . . . we’ve . . .” She paused. “I think they’re going to be concerned about how fast things have moved with us.”
“They won’t.”
“Of course they will. I mean, it has been fast, Riggs.”
“Does it feel wrong to you?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then screw what anyone else thinks,” he said firmly. But Chappy knew where this was coming from. She had yet to call her best friend or her mom because she was afraid they’d judge her, just as she thought his friends would.
“Yeah.”
They were standing in the kitchen, and he cupped her cheek as he urged her to look at him. He loved putting his hands on her. Touching her in any way he could. Her skin was dewy soft, and she was so fragile looking, but he knew she had a spine of steel.
“If Susie tells you that you’re making a mistake, will you believe her? Or trust in what you feel building between us?” Chappy hadn’t really meant to ask the question, but he was a little concerned about how stressed she seemed over the speed of their relationship. As far as he was concerned, they were perfect together, but if she didn’t feel the same way, he’d wait as long as it took for her to realize this was meant to be.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered, dropping her gaze—and not answering his question.
Chappy’s stomach churned. They hadn’t talked about what had brought her to Maine in the first place, but it was there between them, like a boulder they’d eventually have to get around. He was trying to be patient, to let her tell him the details when she felt comfortable.
“Then talk to me,” he said, hearing the pleading tone of his words.
“I . . . I’m scared.”
“Of me?” Chappy asked.
“No! Not of you. Never of you.”
“Then what?”
She opened her mouth to respond but stopped when a sound from outside caught their attention.
Mentally cursing his friends’ bad timing, Chappy leaned down and kissed Carlise gently. “We’ll talk later. But in the meantime, know this: Whatever happened. Whatever you’re afraid of . . . we’ll figure out together how to move past it. A few skeletons in your past aren’t going to scare me away, sweetheart.”
She gave him a brave smile and nodded.
It would have to do for now. But later, when they were alone, Chappy was determined to hear her story. To let her get it off her chest. Instinctively, he knew they couldn’t move forward until they dealt with whatever she was running from.
“Come meet my friends. They’re going to love you.”
Chappy helped her put on her coat, and they headed out onto the porch. Baxter was in his little den under the firewood but was keeping his eyes on both Carlise and the newcomers.
He was a great dog and an amazing protector. Chappy couldn’t be happier with how in tune he was with Carlise.
Cal, Bob, and JJ got out of Bob’s Chevy Silverado, which had a huge plow on the front—the only reason they were able to get to his cabin—and Chappy was surprised to see their admin assistant, April, exit the truck as well.
“Hey!” Bob said with a grin as he walked toward the cabin, carrying a large suitcase. JJ hovered near April, making sure she didn’t fall in the deep snow, and Cal followed behind.
Before Chappy could respond, Baxter came out of his makeshift doghouse and growled low in his throat as he stood near Carlise.
“Whoa. Okay, not coming any closer,” Bob said, stopping where he was at the bottom of the three steps leading up to the porch.
“It’s okay, Baxter,” Carlise said, immediately going to her knees on the porch near the clearly unsettled dog. “They’re friends. They aren’t going to hurt you.”
“I think he’s more worried about them hurting you, honey,” Chappy told her.
She looked up at him, then back to the dog. “They aren’t going to hurt me either,” she added.
“Holy crap, that is the skinniest dog I’ve ever seen,” JJ commented.
“Actually, he’s gained weight over the last week or so since we first saw him,” Chappy told his friends with a shrug. To his surprise, Baxter was close enough to Carlise for her to touch him. Her hand gently touched his neck, and he could see the dog’s body shaking.
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” he said warily.
But Carlise ignored his warning. “It’s okay. He’s just nervous. This is probably the first time he’s seen people other than us in a long time. You’re okay, right, Bax? These are Chappy’s friends. They’re just here to visit. They’re good people. They won’t hurt you.”
Her voice was a little singsongy—and Chappy had a flash of what she’d sound like talking to their baby. It was totally nuts, but nevertheless, a longing hit him so intensely, it almost brought him to his knees.