Keep It Together - By Lissa Matthews Page 0,12
near his office, and I could understand that. I figured we’d move in together after we got married. This place, though”—she gestured with an arm sweep—“had been my grandparents’ home before my grandpa became involved in politics. I’d always loved it here, and it fit me. Russ couldn’t stand the quiet. He was always restless out here. It wasn’t busy enough. I guess that should’ve been my first clue.”
“You really prefer it over noise? Over the fast-paced days and nights of city life?” Colt couldn’t believe what he was hearing, though he shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, she seemed to be right at home with firearms. That fact aside, she couldn’t sound more perfect than if he’d picked her out of a catalog. He knew she wasn’t, but for him, she was heaven, and everything he’d been waiting for. He wanted to shout from the top of his lungs, Where have you been all my life?
At the same time, he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to say something, do something that would break the balloon and jar him back to reality and put his feet on the ground.
Chrissie laughed. “Yes. My mother had parties or luncheons or brunches all the time, so I can relate to what Amber was going through. There was always something going on, and though I was there, involved, right in the thick of it all, I couldn’t wait to escape. I like my quiet life out here away from everything.”
She was the fantasy. The dream. The ideal woman, if there were such a thing. She had beauty, brains, smiles. She had curves, was feminine somewhere underneath, he was sure of it, and could handle a gun. He’d never thought much about it before, but he found it incredibly sexy. She was self-sufficient, able to protect herself, didn’t need anyone, and could acknowledge it.
If he hadn’t been in love with her the moment he first met her at her and Russ’s engagement party…
“I guess it’s a good thing your family never sold it.”
“It is. My grandma wanted to keep it in the family as a reminder of their humble beginnings. Well, that and the land. We’re sitting on several thousand acres of prime forest land here. We own it outright and have been hunting on it for years.”
“Do you? Hunt, I mean.”
“Not anymore. I did some when I was growing up. My dad taught me. I couldn’t play organized football, so I had to do something to spend some time with him. My grandmother taught me to sew, cook, and make things. She said it was good to know how to make do in case the money ever ran out.”
“What can you make?”
“I can cook just about anything. Southern style, of course. Bacon grease, butter, you know…” Chrissie pointed to a large basket full of yarn that sat beside an overstuffed chair. “And afghans. I make several a year and donate them along with scarves and mittens. Grandma was also big on giving back however we can. My mother donates money and will volunteer from time to time, but I try to make things for people who don’t have anything.”
She blushed as she talked about it, but Colt didn’t know why. He hoped she wasn’t embarrassed by it. It wasn’t something he’d expected her to do with any of her free time, though that was only because he didn’t know what exactly she did with her free time. She surprised him with every word she said, every gesture she made. “I had no idea.”
“Why would you? Between my father’s family money from the railroad and my mother’s family money, neither is going to ever be poor or have to live paycheck to paycheck. He’s a mayor, and he’s happy being a mayor, but I didn’t want to live off their money. I even rent the house from them.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I want to survive on my own. Russ was always telling me I didn’t need to work because there was enough money to go around and allow us to live however we wanted, but…” She shrugged and went back into the kitchen. Colt followed like a puppy. The good feeling he had inside from being around her was infectious, and he wanted to keep it, wanted it to spread all through him. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest and his feet at the ankles. He was as casual as he could be when what