27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Andrew

I still want to give the guy a colonoscopy with his own hockey stick, but I refrain for her sake. Only for her. Because I realize that I've become that guy, the one who will do absolutely anything for his girl no matter how big or small, including race to her house when she screams and goes dark, ready to tackle a psychopathic murderer. There's only one problem with that scenario. It's not a murderer. It's a man who can't take a hint, and I really, really want to whisper things in his ear he'll never forget.

They've moved to the driveway, but I can't wait until he walks across the street to his car and disappears. Lottie's arms are crossed and she's still talking when he reaches up and tucks her hair behind her ear. A beast from the depths of my stomach rears its ugly head. I clench my jaw and hold back the stream of expletives itching to escape my lips. It won't impress her or make her life easier, so I keep them to myself and turn around to sit on my bike. Maybe I won't be so quick to resort to violence if I'm doing something besides lurking in the shadows.

Lottie swats his hand and adjusts her hair herself. Rory crosses his arms and shoots eye daggers at me. He asks her something I can't make out. She shakes her head and he frowns. Again, he glares at me like I'm his competition. I'm not, but I am the guy that's going to make him lose more teeth than any guy on skates ever has, and that's for sure if he doesn't stop touching her like he owns her.

I tap my fingers on the gas tank while she waves her hands around and he smiles. I can't imagine anything she's saying is positive, so he's either a narcissist who thinks he can still win her over or…she's not saying what I think she's saying. I hate the doubt that creeps into my mind.

Lottie turns on her heel and heads my way so I straighten up and prepare for just about anything.

"I'm sorry you were frightened," she says. "He's just…" A soft sigh escapes her lips and she relaxes. "He's got the hint. He's leaving. I'm so sorry, Andrew. I should have done this a long time ago. I hate that you sped all the way here worried about me."

I offer my hand palm up and relax when she places hers in mine. "This isn't your fault. He should have gotten a clue well before now. If you want me to leave to make things easier, I'll go. Say the word."

"No, of course not. I want you here, but I would like you to wait for me inside so Ginger will stop barking. Maybe give her something to eat? Is that okay?"

"Anything you want, just do me a favor?"

Her eyes narrow. "What's that?"

"If he lays a hand on you again, deck him for me." She arches an eyebrow and gives me the slightest grin. This is all the prompting I need. I wrap an arm around her and pull her close. "You're my girl, and he really needs to get the point and get out of here so you can get some rest."

She laughs and kisses my cheek. "Yes, sir. I'll be in as soon as I can."

There's nothing left for me to do but head inside her home and hope Ginger remembers that she likes me. That and grinning like an idiot when I open her door and step inside while he's stuck outside.

I realize once I'm inside that this is the first time I've been in her home. Everything about it is so very Lottie. It's sunny and feminine, which I prefer over my monotone home. Ginger utters a low growl at first, but when I kneel and offer my hand, her nubber wiggles and she rolls over for belly rubs. I don't know what's going on outside, but I'm sure this sweet dog is probably as confused as I am. She's got an empty bowl, and she keeps looking between it and me.

"Well, where's your food?" More wiggles are my answer, so I check the first most obvious place, the pantry. There's a large tub of kibble, so I offer Ginger about as much as Goblin gets though it's probably all wrong. One night of too much food probably won't hurt, and she nibbles at it, growling the entire time. Far be it from me to try to take a dog's food, but it's a little weird so I step into the living room.

I settle on the sofa and wait as patiently as possible for Lottie to finish her business. The twinkle lights Rory strung up in the back glow through the sliding glass door. In all fairness, I understand why he'd want to fight for her. She's pretty perfect, but he should have thought about that before he ruined what he had with her.

The front door opens and Lottie walks in, then shuts it behind her and leans on it. With a heave, she relaxes. "I'm glad that is finally over."

I stand and meet her in the foyer. She pushes off the door and opens her arms to me, so I accept her into my embrace, but I don't expect her to lift on her toes and kiss me. She links her arms behind my neck and pulls me down to her level. There's an urgency to this kiss in the way she takes command of it almost as if she's trying to prove something. Or maybe she's taking out her frustration…seeking comfort…I'm not sure, but I let her decide where this goes. She's all tangled up in my arms, her hair spilling out of her ponytail, hands buried in my hair. She's a mess of tears and whimpers, and it breaks my heart.

Gently, I pull her away and wipe her tears. "Hey, talk to me."

She closes her eyes and swallows, shakes her head a little, then opens her eyes and focuses on me. "I care about you a lot, so don't take this the wrong way, but that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"Oh, beautiful. I know. It's not in your nature to take joy in doing things that hurt people."

She sighs and takes my hands. "It's also hard to look at three years of your life as wasted."

"Not wasted. For everything that happened, you're still you. Life is all of our experiences, good and bad, and I really like who you are right now. For what it's worth, I think you deserve a little moping time."

She laughs an airy, breathy laugh but it holds more emotion than it lets on. "You make it really hard for a girl to resist you, do you know that? I'm lucky I snagged you when you were looking for love."

"Uh, I think I'm the lucky one. I entered the dating scene with hesitation and mild frustration, and God sent me you. You're just the ray of sunshine I needed in my life."

"And you're just the right amount of possessive a girl needs."

I can't help laughing because I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. "I'm sure that's a compliment somehow, but I'm not sure."

She giggles now and runs her hands up my arms to settle behind my neck again. "It means that I know I'm yours and no other woman is going to turn your eye. It means I can count on you like tonight when you zoomed over here to check on me. More than anything, it means I can relax and know I don't have to work so hard to make things work. They just work with us."

I wince a little, knowing there will be times that it doesn't seem so easy. "I mean, I am a little grouchy sometimes. It's not always going to be so peachy."

"I know but I guess I also know that even when we're not on the same page, we're still in the same book. And maybe this is cheesy, but our book is classic, Andrew."

"How so?"

"Puh-lease, Mr. Darcy's got nothing on you."

"Somehow I doubt that. That man has convinced entire generations of women to fall for the misunderstood grump." She arches an eyebrow and smiles. "I'm not that grumpy. I have not insulted your intelligence or income level in the process of proposing, now have I?"

"Well, no. I guess you're right about that, but I'll take Mr. Rossi over Mr. Darcy any day. Something tells me the latter wouldn't willingly get dunked by kids all day long."

I press a kiss to her forehead and breathe her in. "You smell so good. Like my grandma."

"I…smell…like your grandma?"

A deep chuckle rumbles from my chest and I pick her up, sling her over my good shoulder, and march into her living room with her. She squeals and wiggles while Ginger nips at my heels. When I toss her onto the sofa, Ginger barks and bends herself in half trying to play. I land on the sofa beside Lottie and pull her legs over mine, dragging her closer so I can kiss her.

"Hold on there. You can't just say I smell like your grandmother and then kiss me."

I grumble again. "I didn't mean it that way. She always wears rose scented perfume, and smelling it again brings up so many good memories of summers spent at her house with my sister and our cousins. Makes me think of pie right out of the oven and her sneaking us candy behind my mom's back. It even makes me think of my grandfather who got me into baseball." I wrap an arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "You smell like home, Lottie, and you make my heart happy."

She tips her head back to look up at me. "You make me happy too. I think I'm going to fall in love with you." She presses her hands to my cheeks and my gaze drops to her neck. Her pulse races. She's scared.

"When you do, just know I'll never let you go. I intend to fall in love with you, too."

I lean down and kiss her, letting visions of my future flash in my mind.