by Nina Crespo
Delanie got out wearing her coat. Wind whipped her hair and she swiped it from her eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“We don’t have a spare.”
“What?” She hurried to his side and stared at the open space, mouth agape. “I can’t believe I didn’t check. I usually do.” Her shoulders fell. “I was in a hurry to leave the car rental place at the airport. How could I have been so stupid?”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It happens. I didn’t check the condition of the spare in my rental either. Let’s get back in the car. We’ll call the rental company and they’ll send someone out.”
But five minutes later, poor cell reception meant that no one was coming.
Delanie massaged her forehead as she used the speaker phone on her cell. Every other word of the agent at the rental car company was lost. Then they dropped out completely. “Hello . . . hello?” Her screen displayed that the call was lost. She looked to Aiden. “Any luck with your cell?”
“No.” And worse, his battery level was at 15 percent, and he didn’t have a car charger with him. “We’re about a mile from the lodge. Let’s see how far we can get. It’s not ideal, but maybe we can get closer.”
“Good idea.”
Aiden started the car. A welcome blast of heat from the vents warmed his hands and feet. He put the car in drive and eased down on the accelerator.
The car sluggishly moved forward as the flat tire thumped on the road. At five miles an hour it seemed as if they were traveling slower than a snail’s pace.
A few yards down the road, the icy rain pelting the windows turned to solid white crystals.
Suddenly, a loud thump reverberated and the car sank to the right.
The rubber from the flat tire was gone and they were down to the metal rim. Shit.
Delanie shot him a nervous look as the car continued to drift toward the side of the road and the deep embankment beside it.
Aiden gripped the steering wheel, easing off the gas and trying to steer the car as straight as possible.
Finally, it came to a stop, and they both released an exhale.
He glanced at the darkened sky through the windshield. “The entrance for Echo shouldn’t be too far ahead. I think we should go for it.”
“I agree.” Delanie took a pair of black leather gloves from her bag and pulled them on. Then she slipped an arm out of her jacket, dragged the strap of her tote up to her shoulder, and pulled her coat on over it. “There’s a landline at the reservations center. We can call for help from there.”
“We’re going to be walking into the wind. Stay close behind me. I’ll try and shield you from the worst of it when we get out there. Okay. On three?” Delanie nodded to him in agreement. “One . . . two . . . three.”
They jumped out simultaneously and shut the doors behind them. Aiden used the key fob to lock the car.
He and Delanie trudged along in silence, their sole focus on getting to the reception building at Echo.
The wind picked up and started to push Delanie back.
She grabbed the side of his coat to steady herself.
“You okay?”
Delanie nodded. “Keep walking.”
More wind and icy snow pelted his face. Aiden ducked his head. Delanie’s feet had to be cold in her sneakers. Why hadn’t he noticed the spare was gone when he helped the bellman grab the boxes? Where was the damn entrance to the driveway of Echo Pines? How much farther did they have to go?
fifteen
JUST WHEN DELANIE was about to become discouraged, the entrance for Echo Pines came into view. Relief drained out of her. Her legs were tired and her toes were like ice cubes.
Aiden grinned. “We made it.”
She couldn’t stop her own smile, even though it felt like it was in danger of freezing on her face.
They turned left and headed across the gravel parking lot.
Warmth . . . The thought of it spurred her to move faster, and Aiden quickly matched her pace. By the time they reached the porch, they were both breathing hard.
She opened her coat and dug the key ring from her purse. She tried to insert it into the lock and missed because her hands were shaking from the cold.
Just when Aiden reached over to help, she fit the key into the lock, turned it, and shoved the door open.
She rushed inside and Aiden shut the door behind them.
The reception area was cold, but at least they couldn’t see their breath anymore.
She stripped off her wet, muddy shoes and so did Aiden, but they left their coats on. With the heat clearly turned off, they needed as much warmth as they could get.
Delanie flipped the light switch by the door but nothing happened. “No electricity. Maybe Roy turned off the power when he left?”
Aiden blew into his hands. “Let’s get a fire going and warm up first, then we’ll look around.”
At the fireplace, she peeked into the kindling box next to the logs. It was full of small twigs and paper. “We have wood and plenty of kindling.”
“At least something’s going our way.” He primed the flue, and she handed him the logs and matches.
Soon they had a fire.
Aiden set up the protective screen on the tiled area in front of the fireplace, and they huddled there together, holding out their hands as they absorbed the heat.
She shivered.
“Here.” Aiden took off his coat. He put it on Delanie and wrapped it over hers.
“What about you?”
“I’m good. I’ll call the car rental place. Do you have the reservation info? I’m assuming the door I saw behind the front desk leads to an office?”
“Yes, but there’s a phone behind the front desk too.” Delanie handed him her phone and the keys. She snuggled into the comfort and warmth of his coat.
Aiden pointed to the rear door in the right corner. “Where does that go?”
“The restaurant. The hall on the other side of the room leads to the bathrooms and some sort of storage for housekeeping. The fuse box is back there, too, I think.”
“I’ll look around. There may be some other stuff we can use to warm up.”
As Aiden walked to the front desk, she took off her damp socks and laid them on the floor near the fireplace, then sat on the wide sectional in front of it. She tucked her legs under her. The chill from her feet made her shiver even more. Delanie closed her eyes and tried to envision herself in a sauna. It didn’t help.
She heard Aiden open the office. Moments later, he walked to the back hallway. Had he talked to the rental car company already? That was a short phone call.
He returned carrying two beige comforters. He set them on the couch. “I flipped the circuit breakers but it looks like we don’t have power. Good news is, the housekeeping storage area is full of cabin supplies. We can grab some pillows later when we settle down for the night.”
Delanie paused as she grabbed one of the comforters. “The rental company isn’t coming to get us?”
As Aiden helped her wrap up, his chilly hands brushed over hers. His ears and cheeks were also still red from the cold. “The landlines aren’t working, and we still don’t have signals for our phones.”
Shelter, warmth, food, and water . . . The checklist her father had taught her as a child minimized her dread. They had plenty of comforters for warmth, the restaurant kitchen for food, and each other. Now was the time to set aside their differences.
Aiden went to leave.
She snagged his sleeve. “Where are you going?”
“There’s cocoa, coffee, and bottled water in the supply room along with the kitchen pans they probably stocked in the cabins.” Aiden tucked his hands underneath his armpits. “I can rig something up to heat water over the fire, or if we’re really lucky, maybe the kitchen has gas appliances instead of electric. If it does, we can use the utility lighter on the mantel to get the flame going.”
“Your cheeks are red. That usually means you’re still cold.” She held the comforter open. “Shared
body heat will warm us both up. Once we’re feeling semi-normal, we can scavenge for what we need together.”
“Works for me.” Aiden sat beside her and snagged the other comforter to lay on top of them.
She adjusted her legs under her, and her feet brushed his thigh.
His brows shot up. “Your feet are like ice.” Aiden scooted back and stretched out his legs on the sectional. “Lie down and give me your feet.”
“But like you said, they’re freezing.”
“We used to do this and it worked.” Delanie could see him lifting the front of his shirt underneath the comforter. “Come on. I can take it.”
In the past, when her feet had stayed cold after the rest of her had warmed up, Aiden would make her stick them underneath his shirt.
She didn’t want him to get cold, but the promise of heat surrounding her toes was too hard to resist. Delanie turned, put her legs between his, and wiggled her feet under his shirt.
Aiden sucked in a breath as his abs tightened under the soles of her feet. “Damn. Yeah. They’re even colder than I remember.”
“I told you.” She went to move her feet away.
“Be still.” He put his shirt over her feet and closed his eyes. “I’m fine. I’m imagining being in the Sahara . . . or at least the bottom part of me is there.”
The heat from his skin seeped into her. Aiden was so comfy . . . and ticklish, if she remembered correctly.
“Don’t you dare.” Aiden stared at her with one eye open.
“Don’t what?”
“You know what. Move those toes one millimeter and you’ll face the consequences.” He closed his eyes.
When they’d been at Clearmount, that penalty had been Aiden tickling her as payback—eventually proving the fact that shared body heat, without clothing, was a much more efficient way to combat the cold.
Is that what Aiden was remembering too? He shouldn’t, because none of that would happen now. Delanie pulled her arm from under the blanket and Aiden tensed. “Don’t get antsy. I’m just trying to get comfortable,” she said, lying back on the arm cushion. “You could be nice and warm in your hotel suite right now, you know. You didn’t have to come.”
“True, but I would have spent the entire time worrying about you. Not that you couldn’t handle yourself, but I’m glad that you’re not out here alone.”
Firelight flickered over his face.
Her ex would have forgiven her, too, but he wouldn’t have been so patient and relaxed like Aiden was now. Actually, Aiden had always remained on an even keel. The woman in his life must appreciate that. He hadn’t mentioned anyone, but surely he was at least dating on a casual basis.
The night she’d gotten sick, he’d asked if there was someone she’d needed to call. What about him? “Is there someone who’s going to worry if they don’t hear from you?”
Aiden chuckled. “You mean King? No. He’s too busy with his soon-to-be fiancée. He’s popping the question in a couple of weeks. Hope she says yes so his sorry ass will calm down about it.”
“So he’s not married to permanent bachelorhood like you thought he’d be? Who’s the woman who pulled off that miracle?”
“Sophie Jordan. She used to work for us, but she has her own jewelry line now. She definitely keeps King on his toes.”
“You sound really happy for him.”
“I’m happy that he’s happy.” Aiden’s smile faded. “I’m surprised there isn’t anyone else besides Edison who’ll expect to hear from you?”
Delanie smoothed the comforter. Was he fishing for information on her love life? Not that there was much to tell. “No. I haven’t really dated since the divorce a year and a half ago.”
“How long were you married?”
“Almost two years.” Memories of her marriage, buried deep inside her head space, started to emerge. She stuffed them back down. “What about you? Did you ever settle down?”
“No. I would need the right woman for that.”
“And you haven’t found her yet?”
“Something like that.” Aiden’s gaze met hers.
She wouldn’t attempt to interpret what she saw in his eyes. She’d done that once and gotten it wrong. “My feet are warm enough.” Delanie slipped them from underneath his shirt. She put on her socks. “That cocoa you mentioned sounds good.”
Aiden opened his mouth as if to say something but shook his head instead. He picked up his coat from the couch where she’d left it and stood. “It does, and I’m hungry. Let’s raid the kitchen.”
sixteen
DELANIE POINTED THE flashlight on her cell phone at the lock as Aiden opened the door in the back of the reservations center.
He swung it open and they walked straight into the café’s kitchen.
Two padlocked stainless steel refrigerators were on the left, with two doors along the wall. A large sink and compact industrial dishwasher were on the right, and dish holders with clean plates, glasses, and silverware were stacked beside it.
She and Aiden walked farther into the kitchen.
Delanie momentarily concentrated the light on the rectangular space where the service window was located. Stainless steel counters, built-in double sinks with more refrigeration space underneath, and a combination gas, griddle, and oven range completed the prep and cooking area.
Aiden studied the key ring. “A couple of these keys look like they belong to the padlocks on the refrigerator and freezer.”
Delanie held up the phone flashlight, providing light while he tested out the keys.
“Jackpot.” Aiden opened the freezer door.
Cold air rolled out as she held the door open. “Are there any burger patties? We don’t have to worry about thawing them out before we cook them.”
Aiden walked inside and peeked around. “Yep. They’re in here. There’s sandwich bread. We can use them instead of buns, and there’s some frozen cheese here too.”
He came back out with the two items. After locking up, they went to the refrigerator.
Most of the shelves were bare.
Delanie shined the light inside as he looked around. “Roy and the café staff are on vacation. He said he was cleaning out anything perishable.”
Aiden put the frozen loaf of bread and square block of cheddar on the refrigerator shelf to free up his hands. “There’s eggs and butter here, and some oranges and apples that still look decent.”
“We can make omelets, toast, and hot chocolate tonight?”
“Sounds good. If we’re still here tomorrow afternoon, we can switch up to grilled cheese or to the burgers.” Aiden grabbed the bread and cheese. He handed them to Delanie then held open the refrigerator door. “Can you get something for the eggs?”
“Sure.” She put the items he’d given her on the prep counter next to the range. Then Delanie found bowls, knives, and cooking utensils on a shelf in the corridor farther down by a hand-washing sink. She handed the bowl to Aiden.
“Thanks.” He cracked a half-dozen eggs into it.
They went to the cooking area.
Aiden unlocked the metal shutter on the service window and rolled it up, letting in what little light the gray sky outside the windows in the café allowed. Wind blew snow against the glass. “Looks like it’s not letting up.”
For some reason, she didn’t completely mind the weather at that moment, especially since food was on the agenda. She’d missed breakfast earlier.
They laid their coats on the ledge of the service window. As she took the utility lighter from her pocket, Delanie followed his glance to the stove.
They both noticed what was missing at the same time. “A skillet.”
“Copycat.” He grinned. “I’ll get it.”
Delanie washed her hands then whipped up the eggs. “Can you find some salt and pepper and a cutting board?” she called out.
A short time later, he returned not only with salt and pepper but packages of jam. “There’s soup, too, if you want some.”
More soup? De
lanie couldn’t stop a grimace as she seasoned the eggs. No thanks. She’d consumed enough of that to last her awhile. “I’ll pass, but you feel free.”
Aiden turned on one of the ovens to make toast.
Soon Delanie slipped into the familiar, comfortable rhythm of cooking with him.
He melted butter in the pan. She handed him the whipped eggs to cook, then cut off small pieces from the frozen cheese. He put four slices of bread in the oven, then went back to the eggs. She grabbed plates, silverware, and paper towels from the hand sink area.
By the time she returned, Aiden was removing the skillet from the burner. She handed him a plate.
He slid the first omelet onto its surface. “Don’t wait for me. Eat.”
She didn’t need him to say it twice. Delanie took a bite of the omelet. It was buttery and fluffy. “Want some to tide you over?”
“Sure.” Aiden paused to take the forkful she offered him. He winked. “Guess I still got the touch.”
“Maybe.” A smile she couldn’t stop twitched on her lips. “But your toast skills won’t measure up if you burn the bread.”
“Shit! I almost forgot.” Aiden snagged a pair of tongs from the counter and grabbed the toasted bread from the oven. “Nope. They’re not burned.” He grabbed a second plate for the toast. “One or two for you?”
“One, please.”
He put it on her plate and went back to making his omelet.
Without even thinking, she buttered all four slices, slathering one with strawberry jam for her and grape on the other three.
During their first meeting at the café, she’d mentally berated Aiden for assuming he still knew how much sugar she liked in her coffee. A tinge of guilt surfaced. Now, she’d just done the same to him with the toast. And he hadn’t said a word. From the moment she and Aiden had met, they could anticipate each other’s thoughts and needs. Apparently, they still could.
She took a bite of her toast.
Aiden glanced over at her and chuckled.
“What?”
“You’re making a mess.”