Off the Grid

by Shyla Colt

  As much as she tried to get into the remember when session, she couldn’t help but feel haunted by her daddy’s parting prophetic words. Was he right?

  ***

  Thorn

  Swallowing to lubricate his dry throat, he wiped his clammy palms on his khaki cargo pants and rounded the curve that popped him out near the cleared path people used to park before they entered the forest. He could’ve asked Alexa to meet him at his cabin, but knew they needed to keep up appearances for work related reasons. He hadn’t seen her in months. He hoped this time would let them reconnect enough for him to take things to the next level.

  The curvy, honey brown-skinned woman clad in worn jeans that hugged her thighs, a long-sleeved thermal T-shirt, and a black down vest confused the hell out of him. Her purple tinged black hair had been pulled back in a single braid that hung over her right shoulder, and made her heart-shaped face with its high cheek bones and large eyes stand out. He paused and narrowed his gaze as he searched his memory. She looked familiar. Lilac Fehr. She worked at the paper alongside Alexa.

  Dread filled his chest. He stalked forward as his mind filled with reasons why Alexa wasn’t here. “Where’s Alexa? Is she okay?”

  Her eyes widen and she swallowed. “As far as I know she’s fine,” Lilac replied.

  “So why are you here?” he asked.

  “Because Peter told me to be.”

  What the hell? Why couldn’t Alex at least tell me herself? His stomach ached as he shook his head. “Why?”

  “That answer is above my paygrade.”

  He ground his teeth. Dear Johned again. Anger swept over him as he thought of all the things he’d done in preparation for her arrival. The hope he’d held disintegrated to ashes. Scowling, he turned on his heels and walked away.

  “Hey. Wait.”

  He glanced over to see her long legs eat up the distance between them as she jogged toward him.

  She skidded to a halt. “Where are you going?”

  “Back home. I have better things to do than play games,” he said.

  “Whoa.” She held up her hands, palms out. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Peter, but please don’t shoot the messenger. I’m here to do a job. One I am ready, willing, and completely capable of doing if only you’ll allow me to.”

  He looked up toward the sun and breathed out through his nostrils as her words penetrated the red haze buzzing around him.

  “This is my chance to prove I can do a story of this magnitude. If you send me away I’ve already lost.” Her voice wavered and her eyes grew glossy. She blinked rapidly, and balled her fists. “I cannot have that.” Her gaze was steady and she stood less than an inch in front of him, blocking his path.

  She’s brave. I have to give her that.

  “If we do this, you need to listen to every order I give without question, and you have to keep up.”

  “I can do that,” she replied automatically.

  He couldn’t tell if her answer was legit or she was full of hot air. Closing his eyes, he released a deep breath. He’d already accepted the money. He couldn’t afford to give it back. It’d been a huge hit to lose a month’s worth of pay after he recently finished paying for some of the bigger jobs in his cabin. I’m not going to cut off my nose to spite my face. “Then you have yourself a guide for a month, Lilac Fehr.”

  She grinned, and he turned away, not ready to be charmed by her sunny disposition. He was pissed and as salty as a sea captain too long on the water. How could she do this?

  “Thank you. If I remember correctly we work well together,” she chirped. She was like a bird tweeting early in the morning. It’s a beautiful sound when you’re up and taking in the glory of a sunrise. But annoying as hell when you’re trying to sleep in.

  He grunted. “It’s been a long time since Chemistry class.”

  “If I recall correctly we both got A’s,” she continued to talk, ignoring his attempt to curb her chatter as she adjusted the pack on her back.

  “There are no tests you can pass with a pen and paper out here, Fehr.”

  “Oh, I know. I’m reminding you that I’m a quick study.” The confidence in her tone was charming. His lips flickered upward despite himself. You had to admire a girl with spunk. “We’ll see. Let’s get a move on.” He spun on his heels, not bothering to see if she followed. It would be wrong to direct his anger at her. Still, it remained right below the surface, boiling like heated water in a tea kettle ready to blow and whistle. They descended the steep hill into the colorful forest putting on its fall display as lush greens yielded to coppers, yellows, and rusts.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” she said quietly.

  The reverence in Lilac’s voice surprised him. “You get out here much?”

  “No, I’ve been cooped up in the office for what seems like a decade. I started to feel like a vampire. The sun almost burned me when I stepped into it.”

  He grimaced. This was exactly why he stepped back from everything and never looked back. After all the time he spent alone in remote locations, there was no way a nine-to-five would ever make him happy. Sitting in a tiny cubicle, trying to make quotas, and jump when the boss told him to would drive him insane. “That’s no way to live.”

  “No, it isn’t,” she agreed. “Which is why I put a stop to it. I wish I’d done it sooner. It’s all too easy to get so hung up on paying bills and reaching lofty goals you don’t see what else you’re missing out on in your life.”

  He arched an eyebrow and risked a look back at the woman carefully observing the ground in front of her. “I’m shocked to hear you say that. I seem to remember you always had your head in a book.” He’d been sure she’d be huffing and puffing by now. Instead, she kept his brisk pace.

  “That’s because I was trying to ace my classes and get a scholarship. College is expensive, and I was the baby of four.”

  He grunted. “I’m kind of shocked you didn’t leave, get your degree, and never look back. Once you get out in the world our town seems a hell of a lot tinier.”

  “Ha, are you kidding me? And what? Break Fehr tradition? You want me to be excommunicated from my family and have my ancestors haunting me? I’ll pass.”

  He smirked. He knew all too well how important family tradition could be. She was funny, but he didn’t want to laugh right now. “Since I have you for a month I plan on walking you through the variety of courses I offer. It’s my goal that by the end of the month you’d be able to survive out here on your own and understand what’s necessary to live a fully sustainable life.” It was easier to fall back onto training. It allowed him to avoid the reality of his dashed plans. He wasn’t naïve enough to call what he felt for Alexa love. It was a comfortable affection they could build upon. Marriages had been made from less.

  “What do you intend to start with?” she asked.

  Her question drew him back out of his head. “The first thing I want to do is assess your basic knowledge of survival skills.”

  “Such as?”

  “If you know how to start a fire, pitch a tent, or search for water. How to stay warm when it’s cold, how to find water, food, and medicinal herbs.”

  “Yes, I do to the first few and somewhat to the last.”

  He shook his head. “I’m talking about more than what you covered in Girl Scouts.”

  “It’s a good thing, ’cause I was never a Girl Scout. My immediate family are Appalachian folks. I know a thing or two about the old ways.”

  “Then you won’t mind showing me?” he challenged, not able to believe this sassy woman in front of him and the quiet girl he’d attended school with were the same person.

  “Nope. I’m used to having to prove myself to a man. However, you might end up feeling inadequate. I’m pretty damn good with fire work. Don’t feel bad, though. I showed my brothers up many times and they survived.”

  Is she for real right now? He looked down and caught her quirky grin. He might actually be enjoying this banter if his brai
n wasn’t stuck on a loop made up of all things Alexa. Was Alexa laughing at him now? Maybe with Peter? He knew she’d been seeing someone else. Now it was clear who that man might be.

  He doubled his speed, anxious to burn off the pent-up emotion bottled inside of him. Lilac remained close. No complaints spilled from her lips, and no stumbling or requests for breaks hindered their progress. He respected her for that. She’d been here less than an hour and she was already making him do things he didn’t want to. He might be in serious trouble.

  Part of him wanted her to throw in the towel and leave him to his solitude. The other part craved adult interaction. His face heated. The minute Lilac entered the cabin she’d be privy to his shame. He was out of practice when it came to dealing with people on a personal level. Especially one as pretty as Lilac Fehr. He crushed the thought like dead leaves beneath his boot. This was strictly business.

  They reached his cabin faster than he wanted. A fine sheen of sweat coated his forehead and the back of his neck. His chest tightened as the white pine dwelling came into view.

  “Oh, this is beautiful.” Birds skittered from the trees with angry squawks at her disturbance.

  “You like it?” he asked.

  “Yes. Did you build this yourself?” The wonder in her voice pushed him away from the irritation the unexpected swap stirred up.

  “Every inch.” Pride filled him like a balloon inflated with air. He’d toiled, hammered, sawed, sanded, and stripped bark for his homestead.

  “You did an amazing job.” They moved up the stairs and onto the screened in porch where he’d set out two comfortable wicker chairs, two white pine rockers, and a matching table he crafted himself. On the left and right he stacked up wood in anticipation of the cooler weather starting to creep in. He’d done it to free up time with Alexa, but Lilac didn’t need to know that. He’d let her think he was extra prepared.

  “This is a really nice set up.” She turned and shielded her eyes from the sun. “The view is incredible.”

  Alexa said being surrounded by the trees made her feel trapped and isolated. He’d cleared out several of the trees since she’d been out last in hopes of appeasing her. The Marine in him understood compromise. So, he’d done his best to do what he could stand to adjust.

  “You don’t mind all the trees?” he asked, curious to get another woman’s opinion.

  “No, I think it’s part of the reason this place is so spectacular. I mean, it’s one of the reasons you live out here, right? To be surrounded by nature. It’d be a shame to take them down. Do you have a power source and running water?”

  Her questions were thoughtful and intelligent. She did her research. “Yes, I have a solar powered system set up behind the cabin and well water I have running in the house. I also have a pump over there.” He pointed to the red hand pump a few yards in front of them. “I use solar power and a generator. I wanted to have multiple ways to produce energy just in case something happened. We’re about forty-five minutes from immediate help, and that’s in good weather. Water and power are two of the most important issues one needs to address when they’re thinking of living off the grid. I also use a Gasifier to power my generator.”

  “Wait, a Gasi-a-what?”

  He chuckled. “A Gasifier. It’s a machine that harnesses the power of burning wood into fuel that’ll power my generator. The odd-looking green contraption over there.” He nodded his head toward the drab olive green metal instrument with rounded barrels connected by thick pipes and tubes.

  “I’m not going to lie. That looks intimidating and cool as hell.”

  “Nah. It’s really not once you understand it.”

  “Did the land come with the well?”

  “No, I dug it. I specifically chose this spot because of its access to water. One last thing before we go inside. The outhouse is over there to the left. I preferred it to the composting toilet.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m with you on that call.”

  “You ready to go inside?”

  “Yes, please.” The eagerness in her voice and the sparkle in her eyes chased away a bit of his bitterness. There was nothing like having a student excited to learn.

  “I’ll give you a tour and then I want you to unpack your bag so I can look over your supplies.”

  “Okay.” She bounced on the balls of her feet. It struck him how different he felt with her here.

  He led her inside and tried to view the space from her perspective. “This is the seating area.” A small brown leather couch rested against the far wall with the new Aztec cream and turquoise throw rug in front of it. The ruffled turquoise pillows stood out in the minimalistic space, along with the Mason jar full of flowers on the long white pine end table. She turned to him with a small smile.

  “You’re a far better housekeeper than my brothers.”

  He released the breath he’d been holding. Bullet dodged. She wasn’t going to ask him about the feminine touches. He remembered the Fehr boys. Levi, Gideon, and Oren were legendary when it came to pranks, mischief, and their protection of Lilac.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. When I’m in the mood I watch movies on my laptop, and I’ve got a few board games for when company comes over.” Beside the couch was a small bookcase he made to keep his science fiction, how-to manuals, and horror books contained.

  “Read a lot?”

  “I do when I have the time.”

  He moved toward the kitchen area. A small square table was pushed against the wall with two straight back wooden chairs. Against the wall, he’d built a counter with a stainless-steel sink beside a burner. Overhead cabinets and additional storage space below were made of the same white pine wood he collected from the trees on his property.

  “Is the water cold?”

  “No, I built in a heating option. It gets damn cold in the winter. My main goal was to be as comfortable as possible.”

  “It feels like you’ve accomplished that.” She craned her neck to take in the high ceilings instrumental in making the space feel larger.

  “Thank you. Cabinet space above your head holds all the plates. Below and to the side here are used for the pantry.”

  “And the wood burning stove?”

  “It can be used for cooking, but more than anything, it’s the best way to heat the cabin for the lowest price.”

  “And it works out?” she asked.

  “Trust me. What you see now is an upgrade from when I first lived out here. Come on, I’ll show you the loft.” He guided her up the winding wooden steps to his spacious sleeping area. A king-sized mattress placed on a built-in platform stood front and center with its black and gray comforter and matching pillows.

  “It looks cozy.”

  “It is. Let me show you the shower, and we’ll get started.” They retraced their steps down to the main floor, and he took her to the farthest corner blocked off by a shower curtain. “This is my latest labor of love. I just finished tiling it in and figuring out how to perfect the heating mechanism for the water. It’s a lot more enjoyable when you don’t have to heat the water up yourself and pour it over your head caveman style.”

  She giggled. “Oh, I’d imagine so.”

  Pulling back the curtain, he showed her the gray slate tile. “It’s pretty straightforward, nothing fancy.” The space had enough room to sit on the built-in ledge he’d added, stand and shower and dry off. He’d been meticulous in the measurement of the towel rack. It was far enough away to keep the towel dry and give a person room to towel off before they stepped into the cabin onto the soft rug he kept outside of it.

  “And that’s my place.”

  “It’s really fantastic, Thorn.”

  He studied her face for signs of dishonesty and found none. “I appreciate the kind words.”

  She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “I want to thank you for taking me on and allowing me to report on this. I’ll do my best to properly represent this lifestyle.”

  He believed her.
<
br />   “That’s all I can ask. I agreed to this mainly because I want people to see it’s completely possible to do, and not as crazy as they think. A lot of us have forgotten our roots in this town. Many of our forebears lived like this not too long ago.”

  “I think my Gran would have approved,” Lilac whispered. A sad expression stole the light from her eyes and turned the corners of her full lips downward.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “It was recent, so it’s still fresh.” She cleared her throat and stood straighter. “Sorry about that.”

  He shook his head. “No need to apologize.” He understood grief whether it be the loss of a person or a lifestyle.

  “I’ll go start unpacking.” As she rushed over to her pack, he couldn’t help but wrestle with the anger slowly dissipating. Lilac didn’t set this up. He knew Alexa could be flaky. She had a string of broken engagements and exes. She’d always been on a different wavelength than him, but they had a great time together. The chemistry between them was effortless. Perhaps he’d confused that with compatibility. Seeing Lilac’s easy acceptance of his life made him think about things. She got it. At the least, the next month would be pleasant.

  Chapter Three

  Lilac

  She couldn’t call Thorn mean or unpleasant but he was quiet and distant. His orders were always clear and concise, as he remained firmly placed in business only mode. It made the days stretch on. His authoritative tone reminded her of the men in her family. With his clean-shaven face, he resembled the boy she’d secretly crushed on in high school. His features had matured and made him even more devastatingly handsome.

  His jaw was more prominent and chiseled like the rest of his body. Hard work certainly does a body good. She felt like an interloper seeing the changes she knew he must’ve made for Alexa. The ruffled pillows, flowers, and updated appearance smacked of wooing. It stuck in her craw that the woman was playing Thorn again.

  The man had literally been through hell and back. Wasn’t one Dear John experience enough? She’d been in a few serious relationships, but none had taken. Yet here was a woman holding the interest of two men and she couldn’t care less. Peter could be a bit sleazy, but Thorn was one of the good guys.