Cold Feet Series

Part 3

The first thing he noticed was her feet were cold, having brushed against the offending appendages with his bare hand when he reached down to retrieve the bookmark that had fluttered away. So he looked, knowing what he would see. Bare feet.

"Put your socks on," he instructed in that stern tone reserved for being serious about little things. She smiled at him absently, then returned to her task.

After a pause he tried again, his tone taking on just a hint of 'I gave an order and you're not listening.' She fixed him with a questioning stare for all of two seconds before becoming absorbed in her work again. Oh, but those blue eyes could make him melt.

Relenting at last he stuffed the wayward bookmark into it's proper place and rose, retrieving her socks from where she'd left them. Somehow in all his fantasies about life as a married man he'd never envisioned socks strewn about the living room.

He turned to her, socks in hand, meaning to scold her, only to find those blue eyes looking at him. All thoughts of scolding fled. She could leave her socks anywhere and he would gladly pick them up for her.

She smiled them, and her whole face lit up. She was beautiful.

As if to prove her power over him she wiggled one foot. He went to her immediately, kneeling to put her socks on again. Playfully she moved her feet away each time he tried.

Giving up at last he placed the socks on the arm of the sofa and pulled down a throw that was kept around for just such a use. He covered those cold feet, then lifted them to tuck the little blanket around and under, making sure they would be warm. Patiently she let him tend her, then gifted him with a delighted smile.

Finished fussing at last, he reached up and claimed the book he had been reading. He was quite content to sit right here so he did.

The book was a good one and he soon lost track of the world around him, absorbed as he was in the literary one. When at last he looked up he was surprised to find her sleeping.

Carefully, slowly he lifted her into his arms for the short journey to the bedroom. Once there he lay her down as gently as he could, trying not to disturb her slumber. Standing upright again, he looked down at her, mesmerized by her.

He was still there moments later when Beverly joined him, greeting him with a kiss and wanting to know, "What were Jacqui's socks doing on the sofa?"

::: end:::

Return to Astra Plain's