Read Online Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) by Aneesa Price - Free Book Online

me.”
    “And you’ll listen to Gran?” Bree asked.
    She could feel the eye-roll Amber was
giving as she replied affirmatively. “Now honey, I may not be able to speak to
you again until I see you but I’ll try, okay?”
    “Okay, mom” responded Amber, “I love
you.”
    “I love you too,” Bree replied
misty-eyed.
    “Can I speak to my dad now?” Amber
asked.
    Bree handed the phone to Todd and
puttered around in the kitchen trying, though not succeeding, to not eavesdrop.
Regardless of their relationship, Todd had taken naturally to fatherhood and
the bond he’d quickly formed with Amber was solid. That was what kept him in
her life and made her make an effort around him though her body wanted to jump
him and her heart wanted her to run away.
     
    xxx
     
    The wind screamed as it whipped around
the house and scattered snow on every surface. While they still had television,
they’d watched the news and the tales of people rescued from cars, animals
brought into shelter was humbling. Bree was ever grateful that her loved ones
were safe and warm inside homes built for this weather.
    “What are you doing?” Todd interrupted
her thoughts.
    “I’m making hot chocolate,” Bree
answered. “All that snow out there makes me want something warm to drink.”
    Todd nodded in understanding, “The snows
already a meter thicker than this afternoon and it’ll get higher still. Let’s
hope this storm is a quick one as predicted.”
    “Yes,” agreed Bree, “I’ve never been
away from Amber before and I know she’s okay, but I kinda just want her with
me. I want to hold my baby.”
    Todd regarded Bree, a misty-eyed mom as she
moved around the kitchen pulling cups out of the cupboard and mixing two cups.
She didn’t need to ask him - seems like she remembered that he had a fondness
for the drink. He’s eyebrows quirked when he saw her plunking a bottle of hard
stuff on the counter. “Ah, Bree,” he interrupted her. “You don’t drink.”
    Bree looked at the bottle of fiery
spirits in her hand and shrugged, “I do now.”
    “You’re that worried about Amber?” he
prodded. She was gnawing her lips again.
    Yes, Bree, thought. I’m worried about
Amber and I’m worried about being stuck in here with you. “Of course,” she
responded. Then shrugging again, she added a few tots to their hot chocolate,
not noticing Todd’s brows rise at her heavy hand.
    “Bon appetite,” she said, handing the
piping hot mug of chocolate-laced spirits to Todd.
    “Let’s go sit by the fire. It’s the best
way to have hot chocolate,” Todd suggested.
    Sitting opposite Todd, a deck of cards
on the table between them, she took a gulp of the liquid and choked, sputtering
everywhere.
    Todd pressed his lips to stop the grin
from showing and went to gently smack her on the back. “Arms up,” he said, “and
breathe.”
    Freaking hell, holding her arms above
her head with him behind her was not a good idea when it held so many
possibilities - without clothing of course. He let his hands slowly glide down
the insides of her arms and sides then nearly did a whoop when she gave up an
involuntary shiver.
    Bree cleared her throat and abruptly sat
down facing the deck of cards and as far away from him as possible. “Should we
play?” she inquired.
    Todd nodded broodily, an observation
that Bree forcibly ignored as she watched him reach out and cut the cards.
After nearly an hour of terrible playing on both of their parts, Bree sat back
and sighed in exasperation.
    “That must be the worst game of cards
either of us have ever played,” she stated, sullenly.
    Todd nodded in agreement. “I don’t know
about you, but I’m bored with playing cards. I remember us being much better at
it - must be the storm and worrying about being away from Amber in her first
snowstorm that’s causing us to suck.”
    “Oh, I remember you always sucking,”
Bree responded.
    “I remember differently,” retorted Todd,
“but I’ll defer to the lady in