Country Mile

TWO FEET IN IT

Adam and the girls entered the house after spending several hours grocery shopping for Clarice. They brought the last of the bags in when Anne entered the kitchen.

"Hey, honey."

Adam turned upon hearing her voice and the smile on his face fell when he took in her flushed cheeks. He crumpled up a bag and tossed it into the growing pile.

Bringing the back of his hand to her forehead, he checked her for fever. "You alright? You feel warm."

"I don't know what Clarice is going to do without Uncle John. He did everything for her. I mean, look at these cupboards. Completely bare." She sighed and wrapped her arms around Adam's waist. "Thanks for doing all of this."

"Mhm," Adam hummed, noticing how she completely dodged his question. "I'll ask again, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Were you restin' while we were gone?"

Anne looked up at him. "I—"

"ANNE!" Clarice's high pitched voice screamed out from somewhere further in the house.

Genna watched Anne's shoulders sag and her forehead drop onto Adam's chest.

"I'll take that as a no," Adam said darkly.

"ANNIE! I have one more box for you to—"

"COMING!" Anne suddenly shouted. Her face turned even pinker and she released Adam's waist, but his arms only tightened upon her.

"One more box for you you to what?" He asked, a glare forming on his face.

"For.. I was just.. she.."

"Anne.." Clarice said entering the kitchen and striding toward them. "Oh, you're all back! Wonderful."

Adam mustered a smile and finally let go of Anne when she made another attempt to step away form him.

"What took you so long?" Clarice asked.

Genna scoffed and dropped the 24 pack of Fiji water on the floor. "Oh gee, could be the fact—"

"It was just busy," Adam said, shooting a glare at Genna.

"Hm," Clarice rose an eyebrow at the girl, then reached out and patted Anne's cheek. "I actually have three more boxes for you to put up into the attic for me. Then I'll make us some tea!"

She turned on her heel and strode back the way she came.

Adam's scorching glare burned a deeper flush across Anne's cheeks. She made motion to move but Adam reached out and took her by the chin, bringing her eyes to meet his.

"Please don't tell me you've been haulin' things up into this old bat's attic the entire time we've been gone."

Anne blinked several times before whispering, "Not the entire time."

Adam closed his eyes and released her chin. Before he could say another word, Genna took off like a shot in the direction Clarice departed.

"Ah, shit," he muttered as he went after her.

The girl easily found the woman at the base of a set of attic stairs with three massive boxes.

"Are you kidding me?!" Genna seethed.

Clarice's head jerked up and her hand fluttered to her chest. "I beg your pardon?"

"You've been having your delicately pregnant niece, carry your ugly shi—"

A hand clamped down upon her shoulder and she was spun around to look straight into a set of blazing blue eyes. Adam held her in his gaze for a moment before looking over her, to Clarice.