Free Knotted Roots by Ruthi Kight Page A

loud, covering my mouth quickly, trying hard to
suppress the snort that I was sure was about to escape.  His own masculine
laughter joined with mine, mingling and building, until both of us were
clutching our sides.  I hadn’t had a good laugh in...well, forever.  I heard
the doors to the kitchen swing open again and glanced up as Grandma entered the
room.  She looked between us, her eyes searching for what had caused our
raucous laughter.
    “I
always miss the funny.  Wanna fill me in?” she asked as she pulled a package of
fresh sausage out of the fridge and slapped it on the counter.
    “It
seems that our dear Chase here is a fashion guru.  He has offered to help me
learn the ins and outs of his style,” I replied as I looked over at Grandma. 
She scowled at me, but I continued anyway.  “It seems that my style isn’t to
his liking.”
    “Oh,
I wouldn’t say that.  I really do like those pants.  But I’m afraid you’re
gonna have a hard time blending in around here if you continue to wear them,”
he teased, laughing as he took in Grandma’s bewildered face. 
    “Now
who said I wanted to blend in?” I teased back, earning another scolding look
from Grandma.  I laughed and got up from the chair.  “I guess I better go
change.  It was nice seeing you again Chase.”
    I
left them in the kitchen and made my way up to my room, gently closing the door
and the soft click echoed through the room.  I took a deep breath to steady
myself.  It had taken every ounce of willpower for me to walk out of that room,
especially when all I wanted was to climb into his arms and devour him.  I had
to get control of myself before I became one of those obsessed girls with a
stalker-like crush.  Yes, he was amazing to look at, and apparently had a
killer sense of humor that I had only just discovered, but I couldn’t let him
affect me this much. 
    I
got dressed as quickly as possible, putting on a light pink dress with capped
sleeves and a ruffled hemline.  I looked myself over in the mirror, twisting
and turning to look at every angle, before sliding on a cream colored pair of
ballet flats.  It was starting look like my beautiful heels wouldn’t be making
an appearance any time soon, and that thought made me sad.  I had always loved
a nice pair of heels, especially when they made my already long legs look even
more stunning. 
    I
brushed my hair and pulled it up into a bun, desperately trying to control the
unruly mess on my head.  The humidity here had wreaked havoc on my hair,
turning my once silky curls into frizzy piles of tangles.  It seemed that my
usual style would not work down here, once again. 
    When
I finally made my way back downstairs I was cool, calm, and looked absolutely
stunning.  I’m not conceited, but I know when I look great.  Plain and simple. 
I waltzed back into the kitchen to find Grandma still standing at the stove,
the smell of sausage filling my nose.  Oh man.  I hadn’t smelled something so
delicious in months.  Mom and Dad had been on a vegetarian kick for so long now
that I had forgotten how great the smell of sizzling meat could be.  I sniffed
the air, trying to control the drool that began to pool in my mouth, before I
noticed that Chase was still seated at the kitchen table.  This time his
attention was fixated on something in the backyard. 
    “Anything
interesting out there?” I asked casually as I sat down across from him.  He
didn’t acknowledge that I had spoken, so I tried again.  “Hey!  Earth to
Chase!” I snapped my fingers in front of his face, finally catching his
attention.  His eyes looked a little glazed as he turned to face me.
    “Sorry. 
I stepped out for a moment.  Did you say something?” he asked.
    “Nothing
important,” I muttered, glaring at the window as if it was to blame for
capturing his attention, something that I was making a concerted effort to
gain  I couldn’t see anything out there that would capture someone’s