Free Wrangled Mess by Reese Madison Page B

covered.
    Now, if that wasn’t bad enough, Trace reached back in a hurry to turn the vacuum, now blower, off and lifted the hose as he bent. That sent more paper snowflakes all over the freaking place. Bits is currently chasing a piece of toilet paper down the hall towards the bedrooms.
    Every time it floats down closer to him, he snorts pushing it back up into the air out of his reach. He jumps to chase it, slips, slides, and scrambles for traction as he crashes into the walls.
    I’m so stunned I can’t even laugh. I have a huge stupid grin on my face under my hand that came up over my mouth as the utter comedy of the situation set it. “I’m going to be picking toilet tissue off the walls for years.”
    “Who the fuck put this thing on Blow??” Trace is not nearly as amused, which makes it really difficult to keep a straight face now.
    “We use it to blow up pool chairs and toys.” I explained trying to rescue a piglet who is currently having a blast in his toilet paper haven.
    “You couldn’t tell me this before??”
    “I didn’t think about it! You had your face buried between my legs. Blowing was the last thing on my mind.” I hope he didn’t hear that last part.
    Suddenly the papers began to lift up and swirl around as the sound of the vacuum got closer.
    “TRACE!!!” I squealed and hunkered down against the storm. Bits is off catching the brunt of the storm like the brave son of a warrior he is.
    The motor stopped and the snow began to settle.
    I peeked out, “Are you done?”
    “Oh I’m sorry, I had blowing on my mind. My bad.” He reached back and flipped the switch to reverse the flow of air. “Sucking. We’re supposed to be sucking. I always mix these things up.”
    I giggled and looked up to steal a hug and a kiss before swatting his butt and getting back to work cleaning up this hilarious mess.

7
    Sleeping with Trace and Bits is a little tricky. Bits wants to be between us. Trace wants under the covers. I can’t find my pillow. Never mind, I have his arm. If Bits would stop irritating Trace I could sleep.
    I finally got fed up and grabbed the little piglet by his front shoulders and got in his face, “Now look. If you don’t want to sleep in the guest dungeon, I suggest you lay your little butt down and go to sleep. Stop aggravating your Daddy. He’s not going anywhere, so just stop being a selfish little boy, and go, to, sleep.” I set him over on, my pillow. Oh, there it is. “Stay.” I put my palm up to his nose like a wall.
    He turned around twice, curled up and went to sleep.
    Trace had snuck under the covers by the time I turned back around. His arms gathered my limbs and draped me over his warm almost naked body. “Well done love. I like your assertive side. It’s sexy.”
    I sighed, “I’m so tired.”
    He kissed the top of my head. “Sleep well Cookie.”
    “Thank you for staying with me.”
    “You realize you’re never going to get rid of me now, right?”
    “Did I say anything about wanting to get rid of you? It’s not like I’m going to feel safe alone at night again anytime soon, not without you here. Just don’t let me find out you’re making all this up to get in my bed.”
    “Getting in your bed is a benefit, but my goal is to get into your heart. I don’t need to make shit up to do that. I take your life very seriously. I wouldn’t worry you if I didn’t think there was damn good reason. I can’t be here all the time, so I need you to keep your eyes open. Don’t stick your hands in places you can’t see, and check your brakes when you drive.”
    “You’re scaring me Trace.”
    “Good. A little fear will keep you alert. Get some sleep. And no more leaving your door unlocked in the mornings.”
    “Okay.” I’m too tired at this point to argue. Between dinner, his snack after dinner, and cleaning up after Bits, I’m whipped.
     
    When I woke up on my own without the alarm, and without my handsome Cherokee wrangler, the first thing I did was