Heart of Frankenstein

by Lexi Post

  “Hey, Sas. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  The man’s antiquated greeting had him shaking his head. “I can think of at least a thousand other sights of much more interest, including the pine trees you just walked by.”

  Timber chuckled. “You’re too literal, my friend.” The man walked up and hit him on the arm, looking at the tarp hanging from the nearby tree branch. “New meat?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have perfect timing, don’t I?”

  “Yes.” Perfect for interrupting an enjoyable afternoon with Angel.

  “So, are you going to invite me in, or do I need to invite myself?”

  Crushing his honest reaction, he opened his arm toward the steps.

  “Thank you. How’s your patient doing?”

  He didn’t answer. Timber would discover that soon enough.

  Before the older man could lift the latch, he reached around him and knocked. Yesterday, when he’d entered, he’d found Angel naked and sitting on the table, her decision to have intercourse immediately a pleasant surprise.

  Timber glanced up at him, but didn’t open the door. “Is she moving around now?”

  “Come in.” Angel’s voice from inside saved him from answering.

  They entered to find her sitting on the couch, a book open on her lap. When she looked up and spotted Timber, she closed the book quickly, dropped her stick for turning pages, and jumped up to greet him.

  He took the opportunity of Angel giving Timber a hug to see what she read. It was the book on making love to a woman he’d been re-reading again last night. He’d left it on the couch, anxious to head out before dawn. Just the thought of her reading it and looking at the photos had his cock growing hard inside his jeans. He re-shelved the book before turning around.

  “It’s so good to see you.” Angel’s excitement at having Timber visit cut his own disappointment in half. If she wanted to be entertained by Timber’s stories, then he was a bit more pleased the man would stay.

  “Look at you. You’re up and walking around. How did that happen?”

  Angel stepped back toward him and wrapped her arm around his back. “This guy right here.” She looked up at him, happiness sparkling in her eyes before he moved his gaze to Timber.

  “Well, I’ll be a muskrat’s mama. Who’d have thought the big man had it in him. Good job, Sas.”

  He nodded before disengaging himself from Angel’s sweet embrace and moving to the older man. “I’ll help you with that.”

  “Great.” Timber turned his back at the offer and slipped his arms from the straps of the large backpack.

  He caught the heavy bag and set it on the table.

  Angel came over. “That’s bulging. What do you have in there?”

  Timber pulled out the chair and sat. “Uh-uh. Not until I wet my whistle. What do you say, Sas? Got anything for a thirsty man who’s been trudging through new snow all day?”

  He moved to the kitchen and filled the tin cup with cold water. When he turned back to bring it to Timber, he found Angel had stacked the three back cushions from the couch on the floor and sat by the table.

  Shaking his head, he brought Timber the cup then strode into his cave storage for the empty barrel and brought it back. Just as he set it down, she moved to get off the cushions and lost her balance.

  He scooped her up before she could fall to the floor. “Careful.”

  She looked at Timber. “See now why I’m doing so much better?”

  Timber laughed. “Yes, I do.”

  He set Angel on the barrel and returned the cushions to the couch.

  “I brought you a special gift.” Timber unzipped his backpack and buried his hand inside.

  Angel looked over Timber’s head at him and pushed out her lips as if she would kiss him. He frowned. There’d be no kissing with Timber around. Didn’t she realize he would stay the night?

  Timber caught her attention as he pulled something from his sack.

  “Oh, you sweetheart! How’d you know I love wine?” The older man’s cheeks turned pink at her words. She looked at him. “Look, we can have wine with dinner.”

  “I don’t drink.”

  Timber turned his head. “I know that. It’s all for her.”

  She scooted off the barrel and gave Timber a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  The older man grumbled something in return before burying his hands in his backpack again. “I almost forgot. I also picked this up for you.” The man held out a plastic package with a toothbrush.

  She smiled sheepishly. “My breath’s that bad, huh?”

  Timber vigorously shook his head. “Not at all. Actually, from your minty breath, I figured Sas had given you mint leaves and a twig.”

  She looked back at him. “Can you put this by the bed for me?”

  He strode forward and picked up the toothbrush, thankful to Timber for his thoughtfulness.

  “I brought this for you, Sas.” Timber held up a blue and black plaid flannel shirt. “It was the largest size Grubber had.”

  He took the shirt and held it against himself.

  “You’ll look handsome in that. I think blue’s your color.” Angel’s face shone with animation.

  Forcing his gaze from her, he nodded at Timber. “Thank you.” He folded the shirt and put it in his chest. “Were you able to find any pain medicine?”

  Angel shook her head. “I don’t need any pain medicine. I’m doing so much better.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “We need to change your bandages again tomorrow.”

  Her smile disappeared, and he kicked himself for having reminded her of the pain he would cause her.

  “Don’t worry.” Timber patted her arm to get her attention. “I was able to purchase a few pills.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” She gave the man a half-hearted smile.

  “I would have been here sooner, but Sturge and Ginny asked me stay an extra day. Sturge needed some help with his roof.”

  “What was wrong with it?” Angel’s interest was quickly diverted.

  Timber shrugged. “Had a slight dent in it. A tree branch fell on it and we needed to repair it, otherwise ice might build up there and cause a leak come spring time. Usually, Ginny would help him, but with the newborn, she’s pretty busy.”

  “She has a baby? Out here?” Angel glanced at him before returning her gaze to Timber.

  Timber crinkled his nose. “Yes, and that boy has lungs on him. He woke up last night and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Crying his head off. That’s when I decided it was time to skedaddle, otherwise I wouldn’t have been here until dinner. Speaking of food…” Timber turned toward him, “isn’t it about time for lunch?”

  “Yes.” He strode into the kitchen area and began preparations, listening to Timber and Angel’s conversation.

  “Did she have her baby here?” Angel’s voice was filled with concern.

  “No. She flew to Fairbanks. That’s the closest hospital. There’s an Inuit midwife, Frankie, in Savik that advised her on all that pre-birth stuff. After the birth, Ginny flew back with the baby. Sturge has a dogsled and team so it takes him a lot less time to get back and forth to Savik. It’s only half a day for them in the sled. They just bundled the tike up really well and got him home fast. That was in August, and it was probably in the low forties then anyway.”

  “I didn’t realize there was another woman out here. Are there more besides Ginny and the midwife?”

  “Oh, yeah. There’s probably about nine women in or around Savik.”

  “Hmmm.” From the sound of Angel’s voice, she was thinking hard. “Are there any women there that you’re interested in?”

  “Hell, no!” Timber paused. “Sorry about swearing, but I had myself enough of women down in the lower forty-eight. I came up here for peace and quiet. I don’t need no woman jabbering at me.”

  “Sas, do I jabber at you?”

  He turned to face her and noticed the gleam in her eyes. He wouldn’t say she jabbere
d, but she did talk a lot. “I decline to answer.”

  Timber’s laughter filled the room. “Now that’s a phrase I need to start using.”

  Angel grumbled. “Please don’t. I only insisted he use it because when he doesn’t want to answer me, he just doesn’t, leaving me waiting forever for an answer that’s not coming. To be honest, I prefer knowing there will be no answer so I can continue with the conversation.”

  He saw Timber roll his eyes before he turned back to completing the meal preparation.

  “Angel, sweetie. You do jabber, but I’m thinking that both Sas and I enjoy it.”

  She sighed. “If I didn’t jabber, as you put it, it would be as silent as a graveyard in here. I like to think I’ve improved the atmosphere a bit.”

  As far as he was concerned, she’d completely changed the entire feel of his cabin. He picked up the plate and the baking sheet and brought the sandwiches to the table. Handing one to Timber, he lifted the heavy backpack off it and set the plate before Angel.

  She smiled up at him like he’d given her a gold nugget. “Thank you.”

  Something in her eyes caught his attention and he forgot to look away.

  “Sas, is something wrong?” As her brow lowered in concern, he recalled himself and moved his gaze to the food.

  “No, just thinking.” About the look in your eyes. There was a tenderness in her gaze that wasn’t there before. When did that happen? Yesterday? The day before? Had their intercourse affected her as much as it had him?

  His heart expanded within his chest. She cared about him even more than just being worried for his safety. They were connected now. Even as the idea formed, he was hesitant to accept it.

  He picked up her sandwich and made her take a bite before she continued to chat with Timber. Her face, body and even arms moved with her conversation, her animation a refreshing change in his solitary life.

  And he didn’t want to go back to the way it was before. She now meant more than simple redemption and peace to him. He wanted more. He wanted companionship and…love.

  A new fear skittered up his spine—fear of rejection. It was actually an old fear born after Victor rejected him and later when Felix and Agatha rejected him. The pain was so debilitating that he’d avoided the possibility after that.

  The saloon whore’s reaction to him had not hurt because it was expected and based on pure physical revulsion, but to have Angel react in a similar way—the constriction in his chest took his breath away.

  She didn’t mind his scars. He breathed easier, the thought calming. That was the biggest hurdle, and she’d not even recognized them as the horror they were. That meant if she felt as strongly for him as he did for her…

  He tore his gaze away from her as his feelings overwhelmed him. He loved her. He leaned against the support pole, the revelation so strong he lost his balance. He loved Angel. Somewhere between thinking of her as redemption, caring for her and intercourse with her, he’d fallen in love with her.

  He tried to squash the burgeoning joy bubbling up from the depths of his soul. He didn’t deserve her. He was a monster inside and out. But his joy refused to be dampened.

  He loved her. It was as if he’d lived beneath an unnatural solar eclipse for three hundred years, and finally the moon moved, revealing the true brightness of day to shine upon him. Never had he felt such happiness. This new feeling was more than hope. It was the realization of that hope. He wanted to run to the top of his mountain and shout out his elation.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Hey Sas, where are you? Did you hear me?” Timber’s voice broke into his musings.

  “No, I didn’t.” He found both Angel and Timber studying him.

  “I said you better be ready for company. Ginny told Sturge he has to come by and visit Angel. She wants to come too, but he told her it was getting too cold for the baby to travel by dogsled. My guess is he’ll try to convince Angel to come back with him to meet Ginny.”

  He wouldn’t let her go. “No.”

  Timber’s eyes widened. “No? What do you mean ‘no’? No, that Sturge can’t come, or no that Angel can’t visit.”

  He moved to stand behind Angel, resting his hands on her shoulders. “No, Angel can’t leave without me.”

  She looked up at him, worry in her eyes before she addressed Timber. “We’d be happy to have a visit from Sturge, but I think any visiting will have to be done by the both of us.” She gave Timber a weak smile.

  Timber looked at him then at Angel. His eyes suddenly widened and a grin spread over his weathered face, his nose becoming buried in his bushy mustache. “Well, I’ll be a beaver’s bunion. You two are a couple.”

  He froze as Angel’s shoulders tensed beneath his hands, but then they relaxed and she looked up at him. “I think so. What do you think?”

  Happiness skittered through his heart like a frightened hare. Did that mean she loved him?

  “And don’t even think about declining to answer.” Her brows lowered over her searching eyes which revealed her own uncertainty.

  He looked at Timber. “Yes.”

  “This is cause for celebration!” Timber returned his gaze to Angel. “We don’t have a lot of bush matchmaking going on out here, so this would be considered an occasion.”

  She laughed, the sound filling his heart. “And how do you celebrate here in the wilderness? I’m guessing we won’t be hiring a disk jockey or hanging a disco ball in the trees.”

  Timber gave her a look of horror, his eyes wide as he held up his fingers in a cross as if to ward off evil spirits. “Hell, no. We roast marshmallows and watch the northern lights while getting drunker than a caribou on whiskey.”

  Angel shook her head. “But all we have is the wine you brought me, and I’m pretty sure Sas doesn’t have any marshmallows.”

  A gleam came into Timber’s eyes before he winked. “I must be psychic then. Sas, hand me my bag.”

  He let go of Angel reluctantly, still half in disbelief that she agreed they were together and that it might mean she loved him. Bending, he lifted the backpack and brought it around to Timber.

  “Just hold it like that a minute.” Timber unzipped a side compartment while looking at Angel. “Don’t know if you noticed, but Sas is like the strong man in a carnival. I think he was born with little biceps already developed.”

  Angel chuckled. “Oh, believe me, I know exactly how strong he is.”

  Timber coughed before pulling out a bag of marshmallows. “Ta-dah. But wait, there’s more.”

  He held the bag still as Timber rummaged through another compartment. Watching Angel’s expressions of happiness made him want to strip her naked and take her right there on the table. He’d be more irritated with Timber if he wasn’t making her smile so much.

  “Hah, found it.” Timber pulled out a plastic bag of broken graham crackers and a large chocolate bar.

  “S’mores!” Angel’s face lit up. “I love those. Haven’t had them since I was a child. Wow, you’re a sweetheart.” She hopped off the barrel and gave Timber a hug, still careful not to use her hands.

  He didn’t like her hugging the man. “Is that all you need?” He lowered the backpack to the floor.

  Timber’s face was bright red as Angel released him. “No, as a matter of fact. I need one more thing right now.”

  Holding the backpack up again, he waited while Timber rummaged through another compartment. The older man pulled peach-colored material out and held it up with both hands. “I’m not sure of your size, but I thought you might like a woman’s shirt to wear around here.”

  Angel looked at the blouse. “It might be a little big, but not nearly as big as anything Sas might have.”

  Timber looked up at him then nodded, so he moved the backpack to the couch where the older man would sleep.

  “I’m not a small man.” Timber grinned. “But even I’d be swimming in one of the Sasquatch’s shirts.”

  “I’m glad this one is a little large because I can’t even get my
hands through the sleeves of my sweater as we discovered. I’m just glad I dressed in layers when I went to the glacier that day because I’d worn a t-shirt over my tank top, so at least I have this.”

  Angel took the new shirt in the crook of her arm and walked over to him. “I’d like to change into this. Could you open the pantry for me?”

  He looked over at Timber. “You can use the cabin to change. Timber and I are heading outside now anyway.”

  She raised one eyebrow, but didn’t ask any questions. “Perfect.”

  “Let me just get my coat. It’s getting a lot colder out there. You can tell winter is knocking at the door.” Timber rose and pulled his parker from one of the hooks by the door.

  “I’ll be right there.” He turned his back on Timber. “Let me help you with your t-shirt.”

  The door closed behind Timber and they were alone again. As much as he wanted to strip her naked and take her, he held back.

  She dropped the peach shirt on the table and lifted her arms without a word, an oddity in itself.

  He pulled the bottom of the shirt up her body and over her head, carefully working the short sleeves around the bandages of her hands. Her tank top did nothing to hide the points of her hard nipples and he sucked in his breath.

  She stared at him, her gaze searching.

  His gut churned with longing, so he quickly grabbed up the new blouse and lowered it over her raised arms. The sleeves were long but loose, larger at the wrist than the elbow. The color made her look even healthier.

  “It’s exactly what I needed. What a dear man.”

  He nodded absently, his gaze riveted to her lips.

  When she licked them, he lowered his mouth and kissed her. He’d expected to show her his passion, but instead he revealed his heart, gently moving his lips over hers before pulling away.

  “Don’t be gone long. I’ll get lonely.” She smiled hesitantly, reaffirming his suspicion that something had changed for them. Something important.

  Finally, he turned away and followed Timber outside. For the first time, he wanted to stay inside.