was a little easier this time, although it was also a little more obvious because every hair on her neck was standing up in a good way from the whisper that had vibrated through her ear and sent warm waves down her neck and straight to her heart.
Obvious, because, seriously, what kind of person wanted to be locked in a shed all night?
“I think it might be good for us,” she finally said, surprised at how much easier it was to say that the second time than the first.
“I was kind of thinking the same thing.” Again that whisper-soft touch sent shivers the whole way to her toes as he pulled away.
It had felt like sacrificing her pride, but when he agreed, it felt more like making the first move to reconcile.
It felt good.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Another verse she’d memorized from her childhood, and hadn’t really understood at the time, or made any connections to anything, popped into her brain.
She’d take grace. She could always use it.
“We’ll be fine. You guys go ahead and go,” Reid said.
“All right. Someone will be around to check on you in the morning, probably not too early though. I think I might want to sleep in. Maybe you will too.”
Emerson bit back a laugh at the humor in Deacon’s voice. Beside her, Reid moved. Maybe he was chuckling silently.
She didn’t really want him to know that she found his laughter compelling. So, she backed away from the door. His hand loosened on hers but didn’t let go.
“See you later, Mom. See ya, Dad,” Houston and Dallas called through the door.
“Be good for your gram,” Reid said before he too backed away from the door. “You’re not afraid of the dark...that wasn’t something that you’ve developed since the last time I saw you?”
“No. I think I am going to be cold, though.” She wished she had put a jacket on before she went out to check the shed. She didn’t think they were going to be out all that long, and she hadn’t considered it. The days had been nice and warm, but things definitely cooled off after the sun went down.
“They said something about a blanket. And a flashlight. We can go check out the stash and see what they left us.”
“Okay,” she said as she followed him over.
They went slowly, dragging their feet so they didn’t trip on anything. She wasn’t good with measurements, but she guessed that the shed was maybe twelve by twelve? Not huge. But certainly as big as anything they would need.
“Uff, here it is. I’m going to bend down,” Reid said, and she knelt with him, pulling her hand from his and placing both on the pile, feeling around. Their hands bumped.
“We had so many adventures when we were kids, but I don’t think we’ve ever been locked in the shed before,” Reid murmured.
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips. They’d had fun childhoods, and they’d been buddies for a long time.
It made the stiffness between them now that much worse. How could they let one misunderstanding ruin everything they’d ever had? How had she allowed it to happen?
“I found the flashlight,” she said as her fingers felt the hard, round plastic. She pulled it out and switched it on.
“That makes everything nicer.” Reid eyed the stuff in the pile as she did too.
There was a small cooler, and he opened it, revealing sandwiches and fruit and bottles of water. There were several blankets and a pillow.
“Just one pillow?”
With the flashlight on, she could see the smile as well as hear the humor in his voice.
“It’s not very big either. Maybe you get it half the night and I get it the other half?”
His eyes slanted to hers, and she could almost read in them what he was thinking.
She’d never needed a pillow when they’d been married. He was a back sleeper, and she’d nuzzled her head on his shoulder.
Her mouth opened before she thought about it. “I think your arms might be a little harder now than they used to be.”
She wanted to sink into the wooden floor. Why did she turn the flashlight on?
Well, she could turn it off. So she did. Snapped the thing right off. She didn’t have to sit there and be embarrassed while he watched her. Because she’d seen the grin that had stretched across his face when she’d said that.
Man. She didn’t normally have a problem with the wrong words slipping out.