The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

She cut her beautiful eyes at me as we paused our steps. I thought of all the types of night skies I’d seen in my travels as she waited for me to answer.

“The northern lights, they’re unbeatable.”

“I can only imagine.”

“You don’t have to. You can go see them for yourself,” I said in hopes of encouraging her. Even so young and flawlessly beautiful, she was tired. I knew that tired. I’d lived it. An experience like that could be just what she needed.

“Yeah, I’ll just take a week off, head up to the northern tip of the earth to admire one huge nightlight.”

“If it’s important enough, you’ll make the time.”

Offended by my bluntness, she pulled her hand away, and I shoved mine in my pockets as I rocked on my heels.

“Things like that aren’t possible for me. Not now, probably not ever.”

“That’s complete bullshit.” I could see her longing when I spoke to her about my trips. I wasn’t immune to the envy she clearly conveyed, and a deep need in me wanted her to have the sight of those lights.

“Okay, well, I’ll send you my schedule for the next five years and you work that out for me.” Annoyed, she turned on her heel without looking to see if I followed.

Under her breath, I heard her mutter, “I can’t just leave. I don’t get to do things like that.”

“Because you choose to be here. There’s nothing wrong with that unless you say there is.”

I followed her up her porch steps as she reeled on me. “Look, hippie, just because you decided to throw in your tie and live from tree to tree doesn’t mean the rest of us did. I have people who are depending on me.”

“It’s like I said, if it’s important enough to you, you’ll make time. You have responsibilities. I get that, beb. We all do. But you’re not entirely responsible for saving the world on your own, and I can see it on your shoulders.”

“Well, I can’t just walk away on a whim to take a break.”

“Oh, but you want to, at least right now you do. Admit it, you want to see those stars and you want me to take you to them.”

“You don’t know squat,” she snapped as I fed her the truth.

“You have one nasty temper, Rose Whittaker.”

“I resent that. You can’t expect me to be as agreeable as you are. No one is.” Unable to contain my chuckle, I could physically see her anger flare again as I took a step toward her, wanting to do nothing but put that fire out. I was just about to follow through when I caught the movement beneath her and froze.

“Rose, don’t move.”

Still clearly irritated, her flesh flushed from the gator punch, she looked at me for argument. “I mean, sure I’ll just stop all the progress I’ve made in the last year and go buy a map of the stars.”

“Rose,” I said sharply.

“What?!” she said as she moved lightning fast, gripped the large black snake’s tail, and hurled it over her porch.

I stood shocked as she glared back at me with her hands on her hips.

Completely stunned, I stated the obvious, “You just threw a six foot snake over your porch.”

“Well, you aren’t the only one who grew up in the trees,” she snapped as her chest heaved. Completely taken aback, I watched her, both impressed and fascinated.

If nothing scared her, what in the hell was she so afraid of?

We stood motionless, my need to have her growing beyond anything I could control as she returned my gaze with the same intensity. I knew sexual frustration when I saw it, and this beautiful woman was about to snap. A loud crash in the distance had us both whipping our heads back toward the party. A loud roar of laughter followed.

With regret, I turned back to her. “I have to go check on that.”

Rose nodded, disappointment clear in her features. I smiled. “We’ll have to take a rain check on that hate sex you were hoping for.”