“One of my brothers will get my Jeep when the weather clears.” She shoved her door open, grabbed her purse and stepped out, shutting the door with a hard slam.
I watched her dig through her purse for her keys as she made her way to her front door. Her walkway was slippery, and she was wearing high heeled boots, terrible for walking in the snow.
“Damn it!” She slipped backward, landing on her ass in a pile of snow. I stepped out of my vehicle to help but she waved me off. “Just leave me alone, Caden. I’ll live, okay?” She batted my outstretched hand away and struggled to her feet. She slipped over the slick stone walkway, softly cursing as she shuffled toward her front deck.
“Your landlord should be ashamed of himself. McMillon, right? Why doesn’t he hire a service to shovel and apply deicer to the walkway? This is treacherous even for me, and I’m in snow boots. And I know about the garage. Would you like me to talk to him for you?” I took her arm before she pitched forward into the snow. “This is dangerous, Charlotte. If you parked in the garage, you could use the inside door.”
“Hmph. Yeah, McMillon, he’s a real frickin’ peach and I can handle him myself, thanks. I’m a grown up. I’ll text him in the morning and take care of it, okay?”
I didn’t answer. I knew this attitude. She was upset and trying not to cry by covering it with anger. I had always found it endearing and sweet, and it made me want to protect her.
My own anger had burned out and I felt like an asshole. All I wanted to do now was make her feel okay again.
We made it up the stairs to her front porch, which was even slicker than the path. It was covered by an overhang, so no snow had reached it, but it was dotted with patches of moss and soaking wet. We skidded across the wood together and came to rest up against the door. I held the frame for balance while she unlocked it.
“Don’t say a word,” she grumbled. “I know. This porch sucks.”
Fighting a smile, I looked away, but my eyes caught on a glimmer hanging around her neck. All traces of amusement disappeared when I recognized what it was.
“You’re wearing my ring around your neck, Charlotte. Did you explain to your husband what it was? Or did you take it off before you took him to bed with you?”