Read Online Rooter (Double H Romance) by Teiran Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Teiran Smith
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dinner.”
“Well, at least he did that much.”
His disapproval makes me giddy inside, but I don’t respond.
“Give me ten minutes and I’ll come get you.”
I wait at the front door like a teenage girl waiting for her date to arrive. True to his word, Rooter appears before me in exactly ten minutes. He escorts me to his truck and takes care when he lifts me into the cab. After tossing my crutches into the back he slides in next to me and asks which store we’re going to.
“Aaronson’s?” I answer with a question because I realize it’s much farther away than any other store. The distance is precisely why I chose it. I want to extend my time with Rooter as much as possible. Only thing is, Aaronson’s isn’t cheap, which is probably why he’s giving me a questioning look. “They have the best produce,” I explain and he nods and starts the engine. At least it isn’t a lie. Even if it costs three times as much, I do prefer their produce to anyone else’s.
Inside the truck, I’m overwhelmed by Rooter’s scent, a mixture of leather, aftershave, and peppermint. I inhale deeply and a warm, calm sensation falls over me.
“Why couldn’t Mike go to the store?” Rooter asks. “He lives there, too.”
“Mike, go to the store? No thanks.” I chuckle. “Only if I wanted a cupboard full of junk food and canned soup.”
Rooter chuckles at my response. “There’s this thing called a shopping list.”
I roll my eyes. “Not even that would work, and besides, I don’t trust him with my debit card.”
He shakes his head and grips the steering wheel. “I still don’t understand why you both allow him to stay there.”
“I don’t allow it.” I sigh and pick at my cuticles.
“You should have a say in who lives in the same house with you.”
Yes, I should. “My name isn’t on the deed.”
“But you pay rent to live there.” He presses his lips into a thin line.
“Miranda has faith he’ll change and go back to the Mike of old.”
Rooter’s head snaps in my direction. “You mean he wasn’t always a woman beating pussy?”
I laugh at his choice of words. “No. He used to be a nice guy.”
“What changed?”
“His parents died and apparently, I broke his heart.”
Rooter’s posture stiffens, and he looks at me with a raised brow. I can tell he’s replaying the chronology of the things he’s learned about me. “Broke his heart? When were you two together?”
“Never! Oh, God, no,” I quickly answer. “A while back, he told me he was in love with me and I didn’t reciprocate.”
Rooter visibly relaxes. His death grip on the steering wheel loosens. “Well, that explains a lot.”
“Yeah.”
“Doesn’t make it right, though.”
I shake my head in agreement. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Do you have the same faith as Miranda that he’ll go back to being a decent guy?”
I shake my head. “I wish he would, but I lost hope for him a long time ago.”
Now would be a good time to tell Rooter that Ryan is just my gay friend, but I’m not sure how to approach it. I don’t want to appear presumptuous. Maybe he didn’t think anything of it. And if he did, and he was jealous, I need to find a way to use it to my advantage. So for now I’ll keep that tidbit to myself.
Once in the store Rooter grabs a cart and follows me as I fill it with items from my list. We’re only a third of the way down the list when I grimace in pain and come to an abrupt halt. He rushes to my side wearing a worried expression.
“You okay?” He asks.
“I’m fine.”
He cocks his head, not buying it. “I should’ve just taken the damn list and come for you.”
“I’m okay,” I insist, touched by his concern. “I prefer to do my own shopping. I’m picky about brands.”
Rooter reaches into the cart and holds up store brand cereal and generic Hamburger Helper. “Really? Because everything in this cart is generic.”
“Not everything.” I blush and point to the Velveeta cheese
“Well, at least he did that much.”
His disapproval makes me giddy inside, but I don’t respond.
“Give me ten minutes and I’ll come get you.”
I wait at the front door like a teenage girl waiting for her date to arrive. True to his word, Rooter appears before me in exactly ten minutes. He escorts me to his truck and takes care when he lifts me into the cab. After tossing my crutches into the back he slides in next to me and asks which store we’re going to.
“Aaronson’s?” I answer with a question because I realize it’s much farther away than any other store. The distance is precisely why I chose it. I want to extend my time with Rooter as much as possible. Only thing is, Aaronson’s isn’t cheap, which is probably why he’s giving me a questioning look. “They have the best produce,” I explain and he nods and starts the engine. At least it isn’t a lie. Even if it costs three times as much, I do prefer their produce to anyone else’s.
Inside the truck, I’m overwhelmed by Rooter’s scent, a mixture of leather, aftershave, and peppermint. I inhale deeply and a warm, calm sensation falls over me.
“Why couldn’t Mike go to the store?” Rooter asks. “He lives there, too.”
“Mike, go to the store? No thanks.” I chuckle. “Only if I wanted a cupboard full of junk food and canned soup.”
Rooter chuckles at my response. “There’s this thing called a shopping list.”
I roll my eyes. “Not even that would work, and besides, I don’t trust him with my debit card.”
He shakes his head and grips the steering wheel. “I still don’t understand why you both allow him to stay there.”
“I don’t allow it.” I sigh and pick at my cuticles.
“You should have a say in who lives in the same house with you.”
Yes, I should. “My name isn’t on the deed.”
“But you pay rent to live there.” He presses his lips into a thin line.
“Miranda has faith he’ll change and go back to the Mike of old.”
Rooter’s head snaps in my direction. “You mean he wasn’t always a woman beating pussy?”
I laugh at his choice of words. “No. He used to be a nice guy.”
“What changed?”
“His parents died and apparently, I broke his heart.”
Rooter’s posture stiffens, and he looks at me with a raised brow. I can tell he’s replaying the chronology of the things he’s learned about me. “Broke his heart? When were you two together?”
“Never! Oh, God, no,” I quickly answer. “A while back, he told me he was in love with me and I didn’t reciprocate.”
Rooter visibly relaxes. His death grip on the steering wheel loosens. “Well, that explains a lot.”
“Yeah.”
“Doesn’t make it right, though.”
I shake my head in agreement. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Do you have the same faith as Miranda that he’ll go back to being a decent guy?”
I shake my head. “I wish he would, but I lost hope for him a long time ago.”
Now would be a good time to tell Rooter that Ryan is just my gay friend, but I’m not sure how to approach it. I don’t want to appear presumptuous. Maybe he didn’t think anything of it. And if he did, and he was jealous, I need to find a way to use it to my advantage. So for now I’ll keep that tidbit to myself.
Once in the store Rooter grabs a cart and follows me as I fill it with items from my list. We’re only a third of the way down the list when I grimace in pain and come to an abrupt halt. He rushes to my side wearing a worried expression.
“You okay?” He asks.
“I’m fine.”
He cocks his head, not buying it. “I should’ve just taken the damn list and come for you.”
“I’m okay,” I insist, touched by his concern. “I prefer to do my own shopping. I’m picky about brands.”
Rooter reaches into the cart and holds up store brand cereal and generic Hamburger Helper. “Really? Because everything in this cart is generic.”
“Not everything.” I blush and point to the Velveeta cheese
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