by Rye Hart
“How many did she have?”
“She was the oldest of six,” I said.
“Six daughters? Her father’s in heaven somewhere for just being able to tolerate that many women.”
I giggled at his remark before I pulled the steaks from the oven. They were sizzling while the cheese melted on top and I began breaking up the bacon so I could add the finishing touches. I heard Liam step up behind me and start grabbing plates from the cabinet and I could feel his body heat radiating against my back.
“Here,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“So, who do you get your lawyer chops from?”
I felt myself stiffen while I dished out our dinner. I wasn’t liking where this conversation was going. I didn’t want to talk about my family. I didn’t want to go into any of the things I had to deal with while I was a teenager. I had positive memories of my grandmother before she died and those were the memories I wanted to focus on. Memories of covering the kitchen in smoke because I cooked the butter in the pan too long. Memories of burning cakes in the oven because we’d get to watching a movie and forget it was in there.
“No one, really,” I said. “My mother saw I had a knack for helping others and she was the one that suggested it when I was younger.”
“Your mother must be proud.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I said.
I could feel his stare on me while I spooned the rice onto our plates. I tried to take deep breaths and control the shaking of my hands. I was having a good day and I didn’t want to think about the people who’d abandoned me as a teenager.
“Look, this is gonna be a wonderful dinner and I’d rather not spoil it with talk about my shitty family,” I said.
“Fair enough.”
It was easy to get him to shut down about it but, when I turned around with the plates, I could see the curiosity in his eyes. I knew he wanted to ask more, just like I did about his nightmares, but he didn’t push the subject. Instead, he grabbed glasses and filled them up with sweet tea.
I walked the plates over to the small table in the corner and set them down. Liam was behind me in an instant with the glasses. We sat down next to a window that looked out over the winter wonderland that had blanketed the forest and I couldn’t help but gaze out the window while I began to eat. It was so beautiful and peaceful out here. I could only imagine what it was like during the summertime. I bet the forest came alive with flowers and animals during that time of year. I bet there was green that overtook the landscape surrounding the cabin. I took mindless bites of my vegetables while I imagined living a life in a secluded place like this but it was Liam’s voice that brought me back to dinner.
“We’re almost out of some things we’ll be needing to get us through the rest of this stuff,” he said.
“You’ve got plenty of meat in the freezer,” I said.
“But we’re running out of some other things. Like toilet paper.”
“Yikes,” I said. “Yep. That’s a problem.”
“I’ll have to walk into town to get it, which’ll take me a while. There’s a small corner store about a mile down the main road but I’ve gotta walk through four miles of woods to get there first.”
“So, I can’t make that trip with you,” I said.
“Probably not, with your ankle.”
“Are you gonna be able to do something like that safely?” I asked.
He paused with his fork halfway to his mouth before a grin tugged at his cheeks. I watched him place the piece of meat in his mouth before he groaned and sat back in his chair. I’d never seen someone actually enjoy my food the way he was before and it was a really nice feeling. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. Then, he swallowed and nodded his head.
“I’ll be just fine. I’ll take my phone, just in case, but I’ll be good.”
I nodded before I took a bite of my steak and I couldn’t help but smile. Holy hell, it really did turn out good. I heard a small chuckle come from Liam’s side of the table while we continued to eat but, this time, my eyes weren’t focused outside.
This time, they were focused on him.
“Anything else you need to get besides toilet paper?” I asked.
“We could do with some more batteries around here. I forgot to grab some when I was in town last. Too focused on food.”
“Well, food’s a good focus to have during a storm like this. And you didn’t anticipate some silly girl falling down a hill, so it’s more than warranted.”
I felt his eyes move up toward me while I grabbed my glass of tea.
“You’re not silly,” he said.
I paused my glass in midair as my eyes hooked on his gaze.
“Not by a longshot,” he said.
I felt a blush tint my cheeks before I smiled lightly in his direction. He released the hold he had on me and continued eating. I swallowed about half my tea down to clear my throat. I felt my mouth grow as dry as cotton underneath his stare and, the more my body began to heat, the worse it got.
“You want some more?” he asked.
“I can get it,” I said.
“Nope. Sit.”
He got up before I could make a move and went to grab the pitcher of sweet tea. I studied him while he walked away, clocking the strength hidden underneath his clothes. His broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist and his ass flexed with every step he took. His large hands wrapped around the pitcher and brought it to the table but the only thing I could think about was the palms of his hands wrapping around the swell of my thighs.
He topped off my glass while I tried to clear my head but the grin on his face told me he already knew what I was thinking.
The real question was whether or not he was struggling the way I was.
CHAPTER 15
Liam
I woke up the next morning and readied myself for the journey ahead. Even in clear weather, a trip like this would take me a couple of hours but, with the snow, it would take me most of the afternoon. I took a warm shower to loosen up my body before I ventured out into the kitchen. I could hear the sizzling of sausage already happening. Biscuits were being warmed and the smell of gravy permeated the air. Soon, there was a bowl being shoved into my hand by a beautiful woman I’d actually come to enjoy.
“You like biscuits and gravy?” she asked.
“What kind of question is that?” I asked.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, giggling. “Coffee?”
She poured me a mug of it before I could even answer her and I started to notice the way she was walking. She was a little steadier on her ankle but her limp was still prevalent. Her shoulders were rolled back and her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She brought the mug of coffee over to me while I stood in the corner and I could tell her back was tense. She turned and walked away from me to spoon herself up some breakfast and I realized what was going on.
She was nervous.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“I did,” I said. “I had a full stomach that lulled me right to sleep.”
“When are you thinking about heading out today?” she asked.
I watched her play around with the food in her bowl but I never saw her take a bite. I stood in the kitchen with her while her coffee grew cold, watching her push around her soggy biscuits. It should’ve bothered me that she was wasting food, especially since we were technically rationing things out in case the weather got worse, but all I could do was study her. The way her brow was furrowed slightly and the way her eyes were darkening. I watched how tightly she gripped her spoon, trying her best to conceal the tremor of her fingers.
She was clearly worried about my safety and that was something I hadn’t experienced before. Sure, I had my platoon looking out for me when I was still enlisted. Sure, I had Paxton watching my back from time to time. But I’d never had a woman worry this way over me before.
It was a new sensation and one I wasn’t completely opposed to.
“I promise I’ll be o
kay this afternoon,” I said.
“Oh, I know,” she said. “You’re very tall. And strong. And you were in the military. I’m sure you know your way around the woods and stuff, too.”
She was rambling and I set my stuff down and walked toward her.
I plucked the bowl from her hands and set it off to the side. I crooked my finger underneath her chin and slowly pulled her gaze up to mine. The look in her eyes almost took my breath away. It was filled with concern and worry, with just a hint of fear.
“I’ll be back by dinner,” I said. “Promise. Why don’t you take a nice long shower while I’m gone? I didn’t have time to wash your clothes before the fire went out, but you can borrow anything of mine you want.”
She nodded before she slipped away from me and I sighed as I heard her retreat. I was ready for my journey to the store. All I had to do was bundle up and I could get out of here. I walked over to the front door and threw my coat on, pulling on my snow boots and placing a hat on my head. I zipped up the coat and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of Whitney one last time before I left.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Letting out a sigh, I opened the door and stepped out into the cold. It was frigid outside and I was already beginning to shiver. I’d severely underestimated the chill that had descended over the cabin and, for a moment, I thought about backtracking inside and getting another coat.
I heard my name being called.
“Liam! Wait!”
I turned around and saw Whitney striding down the hallway, her face contorted with pain while she tried to move as quickly as she could. I stepped inside to figure out what was wrong. I thought maybe she’d done something else to her ankle but, once she got to me, she held out another jacket, waiting for me to slip my arms into it before she’d let me go.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s freezing outside.”
The look of determination on her face was one that would forever be carved into my memory. In that one moment, she had both conceded defeat and exposed how much she was really worrying. Sliding my arms into the coat, I felt her push it up onto my shoulders and I had to admit I felt a little better.
“You’ve got your phone?” she asked.
“I do.”
“Let me see it.”
She held out her hand and I sifted around for my phone. I placed it in the palm of her hand and she promptly started typing on the screen. She sighed before she handed it back to me, a number, along with her name, saved into my contacts list.
“Call me now quickly so I have your number,” she said.
Grinning, I pressed the call button. I heard something vibrating in the living room and she nodded in satisfaction.
“Let me know when you get to the store, okay?” she asked.
“I will.”
I started the journey through the woods and I could feel her watching me from the cabin windows. The snow was deep and it was hard to move. Each step seemed a little harder than the last. The snow was so high that I slammed my shin into the fucking tree that was down in the middle of the road and I had to pause to catch my breath.
I stepped in holes that put me in snow up to my waist and I cursed as my boots slipped on other things strewn along the road. Carcasses of animals and other trees that had fallen in the path littered the route I chose and I could feel sweat dripping down my back. But finally, after walking for close to two hours, I saw the store.
I shot Whitney a text message, letting her know I was safe before I started down the road toward the small building.
I walked in and immediately grabbed a basket. I was going to make sure I didn’t have to make a trip like this again. My legs were shaking with exhaustion and it was becoming more painful to breathe. The air was so cold, it physically hurt to face it, and I relished the heat of the store while I started picking things up.
I grabbed toilet paper and batteries. I grabbed body wash and shampoo. I grabbed another tube of toothpaste just in case we needed one and I snagged some basic medication. The shelves were practically bare, besides the few essentials I could find, and when I made my way up to the cash register, I decided to shoot Whitney another message, just to let her know I was about to head back.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen since the storm hit,” the man said.
I looked up at the old man standing behind the cash register before I drew in a deep breath.
“Thanks for staying open through all this,” I said.
“Ain’t no storm shut me down yet,” he said, grinning. “People’ll always need toilet paper.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle while I dug through my wallet to pay the man.
“You live up in the woods, right?” the man asked.
“Yep.”
“How’re the roads?”
“Rough,” I said.
“I hear they aren’t gonna get to this main road until Friday,” the man said. “You got enough food?”
I grinned at his question before I handed him a twenty-dollar bill.
“I do,” I said.
I gathered up my bags before I nodded toward the man. I waved off the change he tried to give me before I headed for the doors. The bags didn’t seem too heavy in my hands but I knew they’d start tugging pretty badly once I started walking through the woods again.
“You keep warm now!” the man said.
“I will,” I said as I pushed out into the cold. “I definitely will.”
CHAPTER 16
WHITNEY
I had no idea what I was going to do to pass the time. I stood at the window and watched Liam until he was out of sight. There wasn’t a television to keep my mind occupied and I didn’t have anything with me to read. I got the distinct impression that Liam wasn’t a reader himself, so I relegated myself to the fireplace. The living room was chilly and I wanted a warm space for him to return to, so I tried repeating the steps I’d seen him take whenever he built a fire.
I propped up a few twigs into a triangular-type shape before I stuck newspaper underneath it all. It took me a little while to locate the matches but, after I pulled out every single drawer in the kitchen, I finally found them. I had to strike up two of them before I got a flame going. Then, I lit the newspaper on fire and watched it quickly ignite. I scrambled for the small closet that had a bunch of chopped wood in it, then proceeded to squeal while tossing the logs into the fireplace.
It wasn’t perfect but it was burning. I closed the glass doors on it so I wouldn’t burn the cabin down with popping embers.
I went back into the bathroom and started to clean myself up. I passed the time by brushing my teeth and washing my face. Liam kept all types of things in stock underneath his bathroom sink. Extra toothbrushes, washcloths and towels, small travel-sized face washes and hand soaps. I took my time grooming myself before I got into the shower and I allowed myself the time to enjoy it.
I shampooed and conditioned my hair while I hummed to myself. My ankle was still throbbing but the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. I had to unwrap it last night because it started itching like crazy and I wasn’t even going to try to rewrap it. I had no idea how in the world Liam got it to be stable without being tight and knowing my luck I’d cut off so much circulation that I’d have to amputate my foot while he was gone.
I stayed in the shower until the water started to run cold. I felt clean and refreshed. The steam was comforting while it wafted around my body. I wrapped a towel around me and stepped out into the hallway, shivering at the cold as I quickly made my way back to the fire. I sat down in front of it and allowed my naked body to dry, running my fingers through my hair since I didn’t have my brush.
It wouldn’t look the best but it would have to do for now.
I sat there in front of the fire and listened for my phone. An hour had passed and I hadn’t heard from Liam yet and I was beginning to get worried. He told me it would take him around two hours to get to the store but I couldn’t help being scared. The temperatures
were frigid, the wind was blustery, and this snow was way too deep for anyone to be walking in it.
Then, finally, just as I made my way back into the bathroom, I heard my phone vibrate.
I tossed the towel into the hamper in the corner before I went dashing for it. I didn’t care that I was naked and I didn’t care that I was cold. The only thing I cared about was the fact that Liam finally messaged.
At the store. Need anything?
I messaged him back and told him it would be nice to have a razor but, other than that, I was fine. I set my phone down and breathed a sigh of relief.
I slipped into Liam’s room and opened his closet. I pulled out the first flannel shirt I could find and wrapped it around my body. The end of the shirt hung almost to my knees and I buttoned it up quickly before I sighed. It was so warm and soft against my skin, not like I figured flannel would feel. I rummaged around in his drawers until I found a pair of pajama pants. I slipped them onto my legs and laughed.
They were comically long, even with me rolling up the hem.
I pulled out a pair of socks and rolled them up my legs before I tucked the excess length of the pants into the cuffs. I looked absolutely ridiculous but I was warm. I sat on the edge of his bed and smiled. Images of the night we’d spent together came barreling back to me and I could feel my skin puckering at the phantom sensations. If I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I could still feel the way his hands wrapped around my ass. I could still feel the way his tongue lapped at my breasts. And, if I listened closely, I could still hear his voice rumbling in my ear.
I opened my eyes and took a look around the room. I hadn’t really gotten a good look at it that night because of all the distractions happening. There was a picture of him and that same guy on the wall except, this time, they were at the beach. Their skin was burned and their hair was insane but they looked to be having the time of their lives.
And, again, they were much younger in the picture I looked at.
I scanned my eyes across the room and they landed on a box. It sat on his bedside table and I wondered what it was. I crawled across the bed and reached out for it, taking it into my hands before I popped open the top.