With Dillon’s hands on her hips to guide her, she managed to climb into the car just fine, using her hands to feel her surroundings. Dillon’s body pressed against her side, his masculine scent enveloping her when he buckled her in.
They rode in silence for the first few minutes, only the quiet sounds of a hard rock song over the radio in the background and the hum of the engine beneath her.
Finally, unable to stand the silence, she asked, “Tell me again where we’re going?”
He chuckled. “Nice try. Actually, I want to stop by my parents’ first and drop Annie off with my mother for an hour or so.”
“How come?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Maybe I just want you all to myself. Ever think of that?”
The low, husky sound of his voice and the need she heard in those words slithered all the way up her spine, setting her nerve endings on fire and making her hands tremble.
“Actually, where we’re going won’t have heat. It’s going to be cold, and I think she’ll have more fun if I leave her with my mom.”
When the car finally came to a stop a few minutes later, that sense of giddy anticipation swelled in her chest again. “Now?”
He let out a quiet laugh. “Nope. We’re at my parent’s place. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
The car door opened then snapped closed, enveloping her in silence for a moment before the rear door opened this time. He got Annie from the back then closed the door, leaving her, once again, in silence. Way too much time to ponder what kind of surprise Dillon, of all people, could possibly have for her. By the time her mind went in antsy circles, the car door opened again, another cold blast of air hitting her cheeks.
“Ready?” The car door closed again, and his voice held an entirely too amused tone.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Immensely.”
She didn’t have to see his face to know a grin went along with that statement.
The next time the car stopped, she forced herself not to get too excited and instead folded her hands in her lap and simply waited.
“This is killing you, isn’t it?” His voice came suddenly beside her ear.
Startled, her heart jumped into her throat. “Yes. I really hate surprises.”
“I promise you’ll like this one. Keep your eyes closed.”
She did what he asked, and a click sounded through the space. The seat belt slid from around her body. He gave a gentle tug on the back of the blindfold and the material slipped away. The car door opened then closed. Silence enveloped her momentarily before her door opened this time and she turned in the direction of the icy draft.
“Keep them closed.” Taking both hands in his, he helped her exit the car. The nippy winter air stung her cheeks. He led her through the snow a few feet then released her. A few moments later, his body pressed lightly against her back, and his voice came low beside her ear again. “Ready?”
This time she couldn’t help the grin that spread across her mouth. He really enjoyed tormenting her.
“Open your eyes.”
When she finally did, she couldn’t believe what she saw. She stood at the end of the front walk of the house she grew up in. After she and Janey moved to Helena, it had taken her a year to find a buyer. She hadn’t seen it since she sold it seven years ago, and the sight of it took her breath away.
It looked so much the same. The old, two-story, colonial-style house had been painted white with black shutters, with new gleaming gutters lining the roof. Her mother’s rose bushes still lined the front of the house on either side of the small front porch, larger than when she left, all of them covered now by a blanket of snow.
Memories bombarded her. Christmases around the big tree in the living room, Thanksgivings with the three of them, numerous birthday cakes in the kitchen, summers in the backyard. Each one of them included her mother’s smiling face and the sound of Janey’s laughter. Her heart twisted and moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she missed this place.
“I should never have sold it.” She still couldn’t afford to make the mortgage payments, but she should have tried harder to keep the house.
Dillon’s hands slid onto her shoulders. “Want to go inside?”
Confused, she turned to look back at him.
His eyes glimmered with tenderness and a soft smile touched his mouth. He reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a set of keys, holding them up and jangling them.
“I managed to bribe a set of keys out of the owner.”
Somehow it didn’t surprise her. “Money talks, I guess, huh?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Wasn’t my name that got me these keys. It was yours. Apparently, the old guy liked you.”