“She’s two,” he said softly, giving me a sweet smile. “Don’t stress.”
“You still bought her the stupid boots,” I choked out.
“She’s two,” he repeated. “And I have a feeling she’ll be asleep before we leave the parking lot.”
“It’s so embarrassing when she does that,” I confessed, resting my hands on his sides. “Everyone was staring.”
“No one was paying any attention.”
“Like, God, what a horrible mother,” I continued like he hadn’t spoken. “Why can’t she control her kid?”
Trevor burst out laughing and leaned down to kiss me firmly on the lips. “Anyone that thinks that has never had a two-year-old,” he said, kissing me again. “Now, hop in the truck and I’ll load our bags.”
“I can help,” I argued.
“Truck, Morgan,” he said, ignoring me as he started putting bags into the storage box in the truck bed. “Hurry, it’s about to start raining.”
He shifted as I tried to reach past him, bumping me deliberately with his ass as he continued to unload the cart. “Go.”
* * *
Over the next few days, we fell into a familiar pattern. Trevor made us breakfast in the mornings before he left for work, just like he’d promised, but I was the one who made lunch and dinner. I didn’t feel right letting him wait on us, especially when he refused to let me pay for any of the groceries, and, honestly, I enjoyed doing things for him. I’d fallen surprisingly easily into the domestic role, and I couldn’t say that I disliked it, even though it felt pretty damn weird.
Etta and I usually spent the day playing with the puppy and taking rainy walks around the property. We never strayed so far that we lost sight of the house, but we still found new areas to explore every time we went out. Trevor’s property was gorgeous, and Jesus did it smell good, especially after it rained. Everything felt clean and fresh out there in the middle of nowhere.
Unfortunately, before Trevor had left for work that morning he’d dropped a little bomb into the center of our idyllic break from reality. We hadn’t seen anyone else since we’d arrived, and I had a feeling that Trevor had asked them to stay away for a little while. I’d been really thankful for the reprieve as we’d settled in, but it looked like the easy visit was coming to a close and things were about to get a bit more complicated.
Trevor’s family always had dinner together on Friday nights. It was some sort of tradition that had been going on for years. He’d been really cool about it, and had made it clear that we didn’t have to go, which I appreciated. However, I couldn’t really think of a reason to refuse beyond pure selfishness.
So, instead of taking Etta on a nature walk that afternoon, I was busy cleaning us up and making us presentable. I dried and curled my hair for the first time in weeks, put Etta in an outfit that actually matched, packed up the diaper bag with enough supplies to take care of any emergency, and made sure we were ready by the time Trevor pulled in from work that evening.
“Damn,” he said, grinning as he caught sight of us sitting on the couch. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I know,” I replied, standing up and twirling around. “I actually showered today.”
“You did?” he joked, coming in close. He sniffed. “Yeah, you did.”
I burst out laughing and pushed at his chest. “I didn’t stink.”
“Well,” he replied, drawing out the word like he didn’t agree.
Etta chose that moment to stand up and do a little twirl of her own.
“Me wearing fethah panties,” she said proudly.
Trevor looked at me for clarification.
“Feather,” I murmured, snorting as Etta did a little dance. “I have no idea why she’s so proud of her diapers, but I have a feeling at some point it’s going to become a problem.”
“As long as we can break her of it before she starts preschool,” Trevor replied in mock seriousness. “I think we’re safe.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears,” I said, raising my hands in supplication.
After a quick change out of his work clothes, Trevor led us outside to his truck. The nights had been getting colder since we’d arrived, and I had a feeling it was going to be getting pretty cold before too long. Our days of exploring were going to come to an end if I didn’t get us some winter clothes.
“We’re eating at my aunt and uncle’s place,” Trevor said as he pulled out of the driveway. “They’re just right down the road.”
“I remember,” I murmured.
I was nervous about seeing everyone again and I wasn’t really looking forward to dinner, but it seemed like Trevor was even tenser than I was. He wasn’t outwardly nervous or anything, but there was something about the way he held himself that put me on edge. I couldn’t describe the vibe I was getting from him so I didn’t bother to say anything about it on the short drive, but I continued to watch him closely.