“Hi, George, I’m Audrey”
The line hissed quietly.
“George, are you still there?” Audrey asked.
“Yes. That’s called stunned silence. So you’re really there?”
She chuckled and shrugged. “The last time I checked. It’s just like Stephen said. I ran off the road. I saw smoke coming from the chimney so I knocked on the door. I’ve been here ever since. Hey, are my friends there?”
“No, they were afraid to venture out, but they called the sheriff and let him know where you were. Audrey, this will sound like a silly question, but was Stephen’s description of you accurate?”
Audrey sighed. “Stephen made me sound a lot prettier that I really am, but it was mostly accurate.”
“Hey, George!” Stephen yelled. “Strike that last comment. She’s sizzling hot, no exaggeration.” Stephen winked at her.
Her cheeks turned red and her eyes began to glisten. “I think he’s wearing rose-colored glasses, George. Why did you ask anyway?”
“Stephen can explain it to you, if he wants. We’re down at that little store about ten miles from the bridge, and they’re telling me that we need to get going. We’ll see you soon. Let me talk to Stevie again.”
“Bye, George.” Audrey handed the phone back to Stephen.
“Yeah, George, what’s up?
“Stevie, I don’t know how you managed it. Only you could be lucky enough to get snowed in with your dream girl. I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. We’ll be along as soon as possible,” George said and hung up.
Stephen set the phone in its cradle and slipped his arm around Audrey’s waist. “So, I suppose we should get dressed and grab a bite to eat. There’s no telling when they’ll be here.”
“Or we could not get dressed, grab a bite to eat, and then get into the bed and snuggle under the covers until they get here.”
“Does that mean we can pick up where we left off before the phone rang?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I lost my self-control, Stephen. I almost went where we can’t go.” Audrey twisted her engagement ring around her finger. “You have to help me because my willpower is totally gone. Promise that you won’t take me no matter what I do or say, even if I beg you.”
He slapped a hand to his forehead, wondering how they had taken such a big step backward. “So, it’s all on me to be strong and resist something I don’t want to resist? Okay, Audrey. If that’s the way you want it. You asked me to trust you, and I want you to trust me too. I’m here for you however you need me. But there’s a condition. As long as you’re wearing that ring, I won’t take you, but when you take it off again, you’re mine forever.”
“What makes you think I’ll take it off?”
“You’ll take it off because you can’t have me while you’re wearing it. Sooner or later you’ll realize that this is not a fantasy. You’ll figure out who you were meant to be with, and it’s not the guy who gave you that ring. If we have a deal, I want to hear you say it.”
“Okay, if I take it off...”
He shook his head, determined to have her make a definitive statement. “No. When you take it off, you’re mine forever.”
“Is that what you want, Stephen, me—forever?” She held him tighter.
“Yes, Audrey, that’s what I want, you and me forever.”
She relaxed and sank deeper into his embrace. “All right, Stephen. When I take off my engagement ring, I’m yours forever.”
“Okay, that’s excellent. Take it off anytime you’re ready. Now would be perfect.”
Audrey stood gazing up at him.
“You’re not going to take it off again, are you?”
“Honestly, Stephen, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She glanced at the window and pointed. “It’s still snowing. We have time. Now, can we eat and go snuggle under the covers?”
He pulled her close, reveling in the sensual touch of her skin against his. “There’s not much I’d rather do than snuggle naked with you in the bed.” He slipped a finger under her chin and tipped it up, then pressed his lips to hers. She puckered for an instant but quickly pulled away.
Chapter Six
After breakfast they got back into bed. Audrey climbed onto Stephen and straddled him like a lover. Her warm, wet flesh, as smooth and soft as fine silk, touched down directly onto his shaft. It would have been a simple matter for him to shift his position and take her, but the decision had to be hers. If she wanted him, a slide forward, then back would do the trick. He had made his wishes perfectly clear to her, and he knew she wanted the same, but she wouldn’t make the movement necessary to satisfy both of their desires. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down, squashing her ample breasts against his chest.
Audrey squirmed, raking her nipples back and forth across his. “Okay, why did George want to know what I look like?”
Stephen kissed her neck, inhaling her scent. “It’s silly.”
Audrey rested her head on his shoulder and kissed him under his jaw. She rotated her pelvis around in little circles. “Oh yeah? Well, I like silly, so you have to tell me all about it.”
Stephen groaned and raised his hips, applying more pressure where their genitals met. “I think that was my line, but—okay, I’ll tell you. Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me?”
Audrey giggled. “I thought you were going to say hard.”
Stephen chuckled. “That goes without saying, doesn’t it?” He slipped his hands down and grasped her bottom to keep her from rising off him.
She spread her legs wider, allowing her full weight to rest upon him. “Yeah, it really does. I’m still waiting for my answer.”
“All right. Do you know how sometimes guys get to drinking and start talking about women? Well, on one occasion after many too many beers, I described my dream girl to my friends and—you’re her. I know that sounds stupid. It’s only a coincidence, but...” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Audrey didn’t say anything, just buried her face into him. A wet trickle ran down his neck onto his shoulder.
“Audrey, are you crying?”
“No, of course not, don’t be silly,” she whispered. “Please hold me, Stephen. I want things to stay exactly like this.”
Stephen caressed her back and held her tight. “You know my friends are on the way to get us out of here. They could show up at any time. We should probably get dressed, unless you don’t mind getting caught like this.”
“I don’t want this to end. Keep your arms around me and make these few remaining moments last forever.”
Stephen stroked Audrey’s long auburn hair and lay gazing at her pretty face. A single tear trickled from her eye, rolled along the valley between her nose and cheek, and dripped onto his chest. A muffled buzz off in the distance found its way into Stephen’s ears.
“I hear a chainsaw. It’s George and the guys. As much as I’d like to stay right here forever, they’ll be coming through the door in a few minutes.”
“I hear it too.” Audrey sat up, wiped her face, and gazed toward the window. “I’ve had the best time of my life, Stephen. I’m sorry it’s over.”
“Don’t be so fatalistic, Audrey. Just because were going home doesn’t mean things can’t be as good for us.”
“Look outside, Stephen, the snow has stopped.”
He turned his gaze toward the window. A ray of sunlight glinted off the frosty panes of glass, illuminating tiny dust particles floating in the air. Never in his life had he hated anything so passionately as that beautiful stream of light. The dismal, gray world of gloom, so full of hope and dreams, was gone, washed away by a flood of golden sparkles. Audrey put her face into her hands and wept bitterly. Stephen went to her side and took her into his arms, unable to graciously accept the defeat he’d just been handed.
“Audrey, if you’ll get rid of that ring, we can have a normal relationship.”
She stiffened her body and shrugged him off. �
�I have to go back to my life, Stephen. Our fantasy is over.”
“Well, I don’t have to go back to anything. I can make a new life wherever I want. All I need is for you to tell me that you want me. You said you didn’t want it to end, and I distinctly heard the word forever. I’m game, Audrey, so what do you want?”
She folded her arms across her knees and put her head down onto them, but didn’t answer.
“Are you going to leave me in silence? For God’s sake, say something.”
“I’m sorry, Stephen, I’m so sorry.”
***
George and the rest of Stephen’s friends made it to the cabin a little while later. Laughter, slaps on the back, and curious glances at Audrey were spread liberally around. Their cheerful spirits only served to darken Stephen’s mood. Twice in as many weeks his world had been shattered by a woman. The first he now realized had been for the best, but nothing good could come from Audrey walking out of his life. Every failed relationship he experienced had led him to her. She was the one waiting at the end of the line. The one he was meant to be with forever. Nothing had ever been more certain to him, and yet he had no choice but to let her go. She wouldn’t allow him to love her, regardless of the pain he knew that decision caused her. If she would give him a logical explanation, though he would never be happy about losing her, he might be able to accept the situation.
George strolled over to Stephen, sporting a devious grin, shot a sideways glance toward Audrey, who was near the door, buttoning her coat, and raised his eyebrows twice. “Stevie, we’re ready to pull the car out of the ditch. Are you coming with us or going with her?”
Stephen watched Audrey step out the door with Johnny and shook his head. “What took you so long to get here?”
George looked a little bewildered, apparently because Stephen had totally ignored his question, but didn’t inquire further. “We didn’t know you were out here, Stevie. I called and left you a message that we were canceling because of the weather. When I didn’t hear back from you, I rode by your house. Your truck was there, so I knew you didn’t come here, because nobody in his right mind goes off to the woods and leaves his truck at home.”
“It wouldn’t crank, and I didn’t feel like fooling with it. The roads are pretty good, there wasn’t supposed to be any bad weather, so I drove my car.”
“After I didn’t hear from you for a couple of days, I started getting concerned. I finally called the cabin owner, and he told me that you came out two days early.”
“So that’s why nobody came looking for me, but what about Audrey?”
“Her friends claim they called the sheriff’s department the day it started snowing. The sheriff’s department claims they have no record of a call from them until this morning. No one is sure what happened.”
Stephen and George trudged down the driveway and met up with the rest of the guys as they were getting ready to wench the car out of the ditch.
“Hey, check this out,” Johnny said, looking at Audrey’s car. “This little sapling is the only thing that kept her from going over the cliff.”
Audrey went to Stephen, put her arm around his waist, and leaned against him. “I never did thank you for stopping me from driving over the edge.” They stood arm in arm, watching George and Johnny pull the car back onto the road.
The guys took a few minutes and checked Audrey’s car for mechanical problems. Johnny stood up and dusted the snow from his jacket and pants. “Everything looks okay. We’ll follow you to the gas station to make sure you don’t have any problems.”
“All my stuff is back at the other cabin. Could someone drive me there in one of the trucks to get it?” Audrey asked.
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” Johnny said, heading toward his truck. “Come on and get in.” Stephen stepped into Johnny’s path and held out his hand. Johnny grinned and handed the keys to Stephen. “Here’s an idea. Stevie, why don’t you take my truck and drive her to get packed up instead?”
Stephen helped Audrey get in through the driver’s door. She slid over to the passenger side, getting as far from him as possible.
“Why didn’t you want Johnny to drive me?” she asked without looking at him.
“I don’t trust Johnny around a beautiful woman. Especially one I care so much about.”
“You’re not my—”She cut her statement short.
“I’m not your what?”
“Forget it. Thank you for driving me, Stephen.”
“Go ahead and say it, Audrey. I’m not your what? I’m not your husband. I’m not your boyfriend. I’m not your lover. I’m not your anything. That’s all true, but here’s something else that’s true. You could be my everything.” Stephen kept his gaze locked on the road, afraid that if he looked at her, he’d lose control of his emotions.
“There’s something I want to tell you. I think you already know how I feel, and it doesn’t change anything, but I need to say it. Stephen, I—oh, there’s the drive. You can barely see our footprints.”
As soon as Stephen parked the truck, Audrey jumped out. He followed her inside, and they gathered all of her things in relative silence. Stephen hesitantly climbed into the cab, racking his brain for any excuse to delay taking Audrey to her car. She hadn’t volunteered to finish telling him how she felt. He didn’t think it would make him feel any better, but he wanted to hear her say that she loved him. He stuck the key into the ignition but didn’t crank the engine. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the trees, making an uncomfortable glare on the windshield. He flipped the visor down and turned to face Audrey. “You started saying something earlier, but you didn’t finish.”
She shrugged and looked away. “Oh really? I don’t know what it could have been.”
“I think you were going to tell me how much you cared about me and that you wanted to date me. And that maybe we should get a place and live together. I think you were also going to say that we should start saving up for our honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls. I’m also pretty sure you were going to suggest that we start picking out names for our inevitable two point five kids.”
Audrey gazed out the window toward the cabin, keeping her face turned away from him. She started to speak but gasped instead. After a moment, she cleared her throat. “Wow, I was going to say all that?”
Stephen tugged her shoulder, trying to get her to face him, but she pulled away. “Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s what you wanted to say.”
“You know, if I was going to say all that stuff”—she paused to take a breath—”you’d think I would remember.”
“I think you do remember, you’re just afraid to admit it.”
“Well, Stephen, obviously you know me better than I know myself.”
“I just feel like we have the beginnings of something special here and it would be a damn shame to throw it all away for no good reason.”
“Yes, Stephen, it was special, magical even, but it was just a fantasy. It’s back to reality now.”
“All right, Audrey. I just wanted to lay it out one more time. I couldn’t walk away without being absolutely certain you know how I feel. For the record, I think going our separate ways is a huge mistake.”
“I know you do, Stephen. One day maybe you’ll see that I was right.”
***
Stephen handed his keys to his friend Terrance and asked him to drive his car. Stephen drove Audrey’s car to the general store to be certain that everything was working properly. When he shut off the engine and got out, she strolled around and met him at the driver’s door. Stephen stepped aside to allow her to get in. She looked him in the eyes for an instant, then quickly turned her gaze to the ground.
“Thank you for a very memorable time, Stephen. This was the best vacation I’ve ever had.” Audrey grasped his hand and shook it, then drove slowly away.
While they were in the cabin, he had known for certain that she wasn’t playing games with him, that she had good reason for things being the way they were, but now, that confidence was waning. He had
held out hope until the last moment that somehow things would change. Even as he watched her drive away, he was still waiting for something to happen, for her to turn around and come back. She rounded the bend and disappeared from sight. He could still hear her car, but the sound was fading. He listened until it was gone. She wasn’t coming back. He knew that she was gone for good.
Stephen slogged over to his friends with his head hung down.
“Stevie, what the hell was that?” George asked.
“What?”
“She didn’t give you a good-bye kiss. Not even a peck on the cheek,” George said.
“What happened, Stevie?” Terrance asked. “She was your dream girl. Did you get her into bed? You had the opportunity of a lifetime, please tell me you didn’t blow it. Things like that just don’t happen in real life. You don’t get snowed in with your fantasy woman, but you did. Tell me that handshake was a put-on because she’s shy.”
“How many times have you gotten blasted and described your dream girl to us, Stevie?” George asked. “A thousand? There she was, man. I don’t know how, I don’t know why. But I’ve got to hear you say it, so did you get it or not?”
Stephen glanced back and forth between his friends, wishing they’d all shut up and leave him alone. “We didn’t have sex. You have to understand, she’s just not like that.”
“Tell me she’s a lesbian, Stevie, and then I’ll understand,” George said.
“She’s not a lesbian.”
“Is she married?” Terrance asked.
Stephen huffed loudly. “No, she’s not married. Are you guys finished interrogating me?”
“I left my thumbscrews at home,” George said. “I suppose we can finish questioning you later.”
Stephen sighed with relief. “So tell me what you guys think about her, pretty hot or what?”
“She looks like an Irish setter,” Johnny said.
Stephen grabbed Johnny by the collar and banged him into the truck he was standing beside. “Take it back, asshole!”
Johnny shoved him away. “Jeez, man, what’s gotten into you? That chick just shook your hand and drove off without looking back, and you’re acting like you’re in love with her.”
Snowbound Hearts Page 9