Decidedly with Wishes - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,22
my ex-fiancée, it was close to the truth. Being an NHL player was tough on relationships.
She turned to look outside the window as a small motorboat entered the marina, its engine slowly churning up the water. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
9
Nala
Road Trip Survival Gear
The steamy romance Dani recommended so I have something to read in bed.
But not the one with a hot hockey player.
No point giving my body the wrong idea.
I guess I won’t be needing any condoms on the trip. Not that I have any.
Download favorite music in case Eli’s taste in music leaves much to be desired.
Chocolate to bribe Eli in case he doesn’t want to play my choice in music. Always works on Dani.
Five days after my date with Eli, my two suitcases were packed for the trip to Copper Creek, Montana.
Had I ever been to Montana?
Nope. I’d been to Paris, Milan, New York City, and plenty of other locales known as the fashion capitals of the world.
Even if my bucket list had been a thousand items long, Montana still wouldn’t have made the cut.
But here I was, pulling my large suitcases into my condo building’s elevator, ready to zoom into the clear blue yonder and commence this new adventure.
At first, I’d been worried that when I told Bibi I needed the twelve days off, she would tell me it wasn’t possible.
All she did was snort and tell me it was about time I actually took some vacation days—saving them until my death wouldn’t do me any good.
She also promised me the company wouldn’t collapse while I was away, and that she’d contact me if they had questions.
This was followed by a concerned, “Do they have Wi-Fi and cellular towers in Montana?” I’d had to bite back a laugh at the question and her worried expression.
Eli was walking up the path leading from the visitor parking lot as I exited the building.
“You do remember that we’re going away for twelve days, not two months, right?” His voice rumbled with amusement, the vibrations barely contained in his chest.
I lifted my chin, pretending that seeing him hadn’t caused excitement to rush through me. If this was what it felt like moments before skydiving, I might have to consider adding that to a future bucket list.
Right, no more bucket lists for me.
They were nothing but trouble.
“Hey, don’t complain. I had to cut back on what I wanted to bring just to fit it in two suitcases.” Eli hadn’t given me much insight into the family events, so I’d planned for all kinds of possibilities.
Plus, I’d bought the cutest pair of cowgirl boots. And then there was the cute cowgirl outfit because if I was going to climb onto a giant animal that moved—and could possibly kill me—I would at least look stylish.
Eli took both handles from me, his hands brushing mine. A tingling warmth ignited at his touch and trembled through me.
I yanked my hands away as if I’d been burned.
Eli had on walking shorts and a soft gray T-shirt that hugged his muscles. It wasn’t overly tight, but it revealed what his button-up shirt the other day had hid. In contrast, I was wearing my favorite bright orchid-print sundress and headwrap, big sunglasses, and carrying an oversized handbag—all of which spoke of an era long gone. An era that still influenced the clothes I wore and designed, the colors a nod to my Kenyan roots.
We couldn’t have looked more different if we’d tried.
We arrived at his truck. I peered into the cab, where a giant fluffy dog was grinning at me from the front passenger seat. My heart let out a long, Oh-he’s-so-adorable sigh.
“I take it this is Spot?” I said, struggling not to laugh at the irony of the name. “Is there any particular reason you named him that even though he doesn’t have a single spot on him?”
“My seven-year-old niece named him that. She’s the reason I adopted him, and her favorite books star a large dog named Spot.”
He loaded my suitcase into the bed of the truck and walked to the driver’s side. I cautiously opened my door so Spot couldn’t escape. “Are you planning to sit on my lap all the way to Copper Creek?” I asked him.
“Spot, in the back.” Eli’s demanding tone turned my woman parts tingly in all the wrong places.
Forget it, ladies.
The giant beast flashed me the most adorable puppy eyes that almost had me hauling him up and relocating him onto my lap. “God, you’re adorable.”