by Marla Monroe
“This is good, Celina. You’re a great cook.” Russell’s praise seemed to bring a shine to her face.
Abe agreed with Russell and managed to say as much without growling. It was a miracle that he was able to force out a single word with the tightness in his throat.
“Do you want some more, Abe?” Celina stood up and started around the table with the pot of soup.
“I’ll get it.” He quickly stood up and took the pot from her. “It’s too heavy for you to be carrying around like that.”
She let him take the pot but then picked up the biscuits and set them down near him before carrying her empty bowl and plate to the sink. He couldn’t stop his eyes from following her every move. When he started to look back at his plate, his gaze caught Russell watching him with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“What?” he demanded in a gruff voice.
“Nothing. I’m going to take my shower now. Mind helping her with the dishes tonight?”
Before Abe could make an excuse, Russell was standing up and carrying his plate to the sink. He heard the other man tell Celina how good it was and that he was going to shower. Then he walked out of the room with a smile on his face. No doubt the quick peck on her cheek had something to do with that.
As soon as he finished, Abe jumped up and added his dishes to the sink. Celina had been busily putting away the leftover soup for the next day. It would be safe enough as cold as it got in the pantry at night.
“I’ll wash and you can dry now that you know where things go.” Abe filled the sink with water.
As they worked together in silence, he couldn’t help wishing that life was different. This quiet time was probably the closest he’d been to contentment that in a long time. The fact that it was largely due to the fact that there was a female at his side wasn’t lost on him. Yes, having Russell around to help with the chores was an added bonus as well, but there was something about Celina and her easy spirit that settled something inside of him. It should worry him, but at the moment, it didn’t. He would allow worry to come later when he was alone in his bed.
“Thank you for helping with the dishes, Abe. Made it go much faster.” She smiled up at him while she dried the last glass.
Abe took it from her and set it on the shelf in the cabinet over her head. He had to bite back the hiss of awareness that shocked him anytime their skin touched.
“No need for you to be on your feet any longer than you have to be. You cooked for us.”
“I told you that I don’t mind. I really like to cook, and you two eat enough to make it worth it.” She smiled again, but this time it was in amusement.
“Are you saying we eat too much?”
“Not at all. Just that you seem to enjoy what you eat, and that makes it fun to cook.”
Abe realized he was flirting with her and scowled before turning away. “I’m going to bring in more wood so it won’t be wet in the morning when we need it.”
He could feel her eyes on him as he stomped out of the room. No doubt he’d hurt her feelings. The sooner she realized he wasn’t someone to try to be friends with, the better. Nothing would ever become of it. He’d make sure she was safe, but anything more than that would only be asking for trouble and heartache. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime.
* * * *
Celina watched Abe walk away. What had happened? One minute they had been talking like friends, and the next he was growling and seemed almost angry. What had she said wrong? No matter how many times she went over their brief conversation, she couldn’t figure it out. Resigned to never knowing what had triggered his sudden about-face, she wiped down the counters and table before walking into the other room.
Russell sat in one of the lounge chairs while Abe was fiddling with the fire. There was a mountain of logs piled on a tarp next to the hearth now. Abe obviously felt that they were in for a major storm by the looks of it. She ventured over to the window that looked out into the back of the lodge. When she peered through the heavy drapes that helped to insulate the windows, it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the deep darkness outside the firelit room.
A thin covering of snow covered the ground outside, and as she watched, more floated down to add to it. It wasn’t a blizzard by any means, but it was definitely coming down. She thought it beautiful for a little while before the reality of what it meant returned to taunt her. It made feeding the animals and caring for them much more difficult. It brought colder air that would make it more difficult to heat the lodge.
She turned away from the deceptive beauty and hurried over to the couch where she could warm up near the fire. Suddenly she was much more aware of how cold she’d gotten standing there.
“Still coming down out there?” Russell asked.
“Yeah. Not really hard, but steady.”
“That will change. We’re in for a hard one. I just hope the temperatures stay in the twenties and don’t dip much lower.” Abe had abandoned the fireplace and was sitting in his chair now.
“How much snow do you think we’ll get?” She hoped it wouldn’t be too deep. The men had to be able to get back and forth to the barn and pasture.
“I’m hoping not much more than three feet,” Abe said.
She hissed out a breath. That was deeper than what she was used to. How could they possibly handle working in that? She would need to keep warm food ready for them. They would need hearty meals to keep up their strength and stay warm.
“Were you warm enough sleeping last night, Celina?” Russell asked with a worried frown.
“Yes. I was fine. Didn’t want to venture out from my warm nest this morning. I expect it will be even harder to make myself get up in the morning.”
“If you need more covers, there are plenty more piled on the bed in one of the other rooms.” Abe’s brows furrowed as if he hadn’t thought about it before.
“No, thanks, I’m fine right now. I guess if it gets much colder, I’ll need them, but I’m fine for now.”
“I’m heading up to bed.” Abe stood up and strode from the room.
She didn’t turn to watch him climb the stairs. Instead, she stared into the dancing flames of the fire and wondered what it would take to get him to relax more around them. He seemed so lonely inside, and yet he worked at keeping them at arm’s length.
“How are you holding up?” Russell’s calm words made her smile.
“I’m doing fine, Russell. What about you? How’s your back and shoulders?”
“They’re pretty much healed up. Shoulder is a little stiff when I first get up in the morning, but it loosens up quickly enough.”
“Abe is so distant, almost withdrawn. I hate seeing him like that.”
“He’s much more open than when I first woke up here. There were days when he didn’t so much as grunt around me. Give him time to get used to having you around. He’s basically been alone out here for eight years. I’m sure being around people again takes some getting used to.”
Celina nodded. Russell was right. It had only been a few days. Besides being another human being encroaching on his sanctuary, she was a woman as well. Then she placed her hand on her belly and smiled. A pregnant woman. It would be a lot for someone like him to deal with.
She frowned as another thought entered her mind. What if her presence there would only remind him of what he’d lost and be a constant source of pain to him? How could she stand that? She looked over at Russell. He’d lost his family as well. How did he feel about her being there? It was a lot to think about. She stood up to head to bed as well. She didn’t think she wanted to think about something like that around Russell.
“I’m glad you’re here, Celina. Don’t worry so much about us. We’ll be fine. You have more to think about than to waste time worrying about us. Get some rest, sweetie.”
She managed a nervous smile before she hurried to her room. She bundled into the pajamas and snuggled under the covers, shivering until her little nest warmed with her body heat. Russell wa
s right. She shouldn’t let their emotions play on hers so much. She needed to remain as calm as possible for her baby. She had a lot ahead of her with winter settling in and a future to plan. Whether or not Abe and Russell would be in it or not was yet to be revealed. She liked the two men, and they had been so good to her that she hoped they would always be around as friends.
Friends and maybe more?
She shivered at that thought. Where had it come from? She squelched it and settled down to sleep.
Chapter Seven
“Durn!” Celina scowled at the counter where she’d hit her head when she’d bent over to retrieve her brush.
The opposite door to the bathroom swung open with a thump against the wall. Abe stood there with worried expression on his face. She stood there in just her pajamas, shivering as she held her hand over her head were she’d hit it. Their eyes met in the mirror.
“Are you okay? What did you do?” He stepped into the small room and grabbed her wrist in his big hand. “Let me see.”
“It’s nothing. I just hit my head on the counter when I dropped my brush.”
He moved her hand away from her forehead and frowned. “You’ve got a red spot, but it’s not bleeding.”
She tried to step back, but stumbled. Abe grabbed her around her waist and jerked her toward him. Their bodies collided, and it took all of her concentration not to gasp and jerk free. He felt so warm next to her. He wore thermal underwear and nothing else. She was well aware of his arousal pressed against lower belly. The clingy material had left nothing to the imagination as she’d noticed before he’d pulled her into his arms.
As if realizing what he’d revealed to her, Abe quickly stepped back, leaving a hand on her waist until he was sure she was able to stand without help. Then he backed farther away and stood in the doorway to his room once again.
“Be more careful. Get dressed before you catch cold.” He turned and closed the door behind him.
Celina realized she’d been holding her breath when a wave of dizziness washed over her. She let out the breath and took several deep ones to regain her sanity. What had just happened? Despite the frigid air around her, her face was on fire as was the rest of her body. She quickly finished in the bathroom and dressed in the bedroom before heading for the kitchen.
She set the lantern on the counter and quickly set up the pot for coffee before looking out the window to a sight that brought both wonder and fear. There was at least three feet of snow if not more, and it was still coming down hard. Not only that, but the wind made it almost horizontal in its descent. With the cloud cover, dawn wouldn’t give much light for the men to work by.
Turning away, she quickly started breakfast while her mind tortured her with thoughts of Abe in those thermals, holding her tightly against his very aroused body. Why did that make her feel so hot and uncomfortable? It wasn’t right for her to feel this way while she was carrying Roger’s baby.
A noise from the great room pulled her back from her naughty thoughts. She pulled a mug down from the cabinet and filled it with coffee before going into the other room. Abe stood in front of the fire, using a poker to maneuver a log where he wanted it in the building fire. She couldn’t help but admire how the muscles of his back and shoulders bunched and rippled as he manhandled the stubborn piece of wood. Her pussy grew moist, and that quickly snapped her thoughts back to the present.
“Here’s some coffee, Abe.” She stepped closer and held the cup out to him.
He turned and accepted it, watching her closely as if waiting for her to say or do something that would piss him off. No doubt he expected her to either berate him for what had happened earlier or try to elicit another situation like it. She swallowed at that thought and took a step back. He didn’t follow her with his body, but his eyes didn’t release hers.
“Thanks. Looks like there are going to be another couple of feet before this blows over.” He watched her eyes widen before she could stop her mind from taking his words the wrong way.
“The snow. It’s coming down hard out there.”
Celina almost groaned at the images that one word elicited. She regained control of herself once again and took another step back.
“Breakfast will be ready in a few more minutes. Is Russell up yet?”
“He was in the shower when I came down. We’ll be in to eat in a few minutes.” He had turned back to the fire so that she couldn’t see his face.
Celina hurried back to the safety of the kitchen to finish the meal. When the kitchen door opened ten minutes later, she didn’t turn around to see if both men had arrived. Instead she dished up the food and steeled herself to remain calm as she faced the table and the two men sitting there waiting on her. She quickly added the dishes to the table and joined them.
Since it was so early and no one had been out to collect eggs or milk the cow yet, they were eating lunch foods instead of breakfast ones. She would cook breakfast for lunch instead.
Nothing was said all during the meal. Their silence made her nervous. She wasn’t used to so much quiet. It had never been quiet around her homes. Even during the last few years, she and her husband had talked about everything. This new life would take some getting used to. She didn’t mind it so much, except that she felt like it wasn’t an easy silence. It felt rife with tension and worry. Whether that was due to the snow or her presence, she didn’t know.
Russell and Abe finished eating and stood up. They carried their plates to the sink and poured another cup of coffee. Celina was still eating when they finished it and headed for the other room.
“I’ll bring the eggs and milk in as soon as I can. We’re going to work on the herd first, though.” Abe’s voice as he walked through the door did little to reassure her.
Before she could answer, the door swung shut behind them. She sighed and quickly cleaned up the kitchen, washing the dishes as fast as she could so she could return to the great room and the warm fire. Before she did, though, she located the insulated thermos and travel mugs she’d found and washed the day before. When Abe returned, she would send him back out with a thermos of coffee and filled cups.
The fire slowly warmed her chilled body and she settled onto the couch to plan the day. When Abe opened the door almost an hour later, she nearly yelped in surprise. She followed him to the kitchen and started pouring up the coffee.
“We’ll be another hour or so outside.” He turned to go, but she stopped him.
“Wait. Take this with you.” She thrust the thermos and two insulated cups toward him. “It will help keep you warm while you’re out there. I’ll make more coffee in an hour for when you return. Be careful.”
Abe’s eyes widened for an instant. Then he nodded and gave her a gruff thank you before turning away to shoulder through the kitchen door. Celina followed him and helped open the outside door for him. Once it was once again closed, she looked at the melted snow trail from the door to the kitchen and went in search of the mop to clean up the mess.
Once that was done, she tended to the milk and eggs. By the time she had everything taken care of in the kitchen, she had to add a log to the fire before it went out. She tried to keep busy to keep her mind off of thinking about the men out in the bitter cold in three feet of snow. Or was it four feet now? She had noticed when Abe had gone out earlier that it was piled up on either side of the door where they’d obviously shoveled a path to the outbuildings.
By the time they returned, she was back in the kitchen, brewing coffee for them. She heard them when they stomped off their boots outside the door before closing the door behind them. She could imagine them removing their gloves, scarves, coats, and hats before hurrying over to stand in front of the fire to get warm. She quickly poured up the coffee and carried it into the other room.
They both looked up when she walked into the room. The heat in their gazes sent her hormones into a gallop. Her pussy grew wet as her nipples peaked beneath the layers of clothes she was wearing. Before she had made it to where they were stand
ing, they’d regained control once more. They accepted the cups without speaking and avoided looking her in the eyes. Celina grabbed the now-empty thermos and cups off of the end table and carried them back to the kitchen with her.
She realized in that moment that regardless of their pasts, despite their resolve, and no matter how honorable they were, none of them would be able to escape the heat building between them. Eventually they would act on it. All that remained uncertain was how they would react to it. Celina closed her eyes as she leaned against the counter with her back to the door. Did she want this—them? She honestly didn’t know. All she knew was that she had loved Roger, but he was gone and she was left with a baby on the way to care for and raise.
Deep down she knew that they wouldn’t force her, but they would probably seduce her. She held no illusions that they couldn’t, based on her reactions to them already. She could either accept it for what it was and be thankful they were willing to let her stay with them, or she could fight it and make them all uncomfortable.
She still held some reservations about what she would do once winter was over with and her baby a month or so old. Unless Abe relaxed more around her during the coming months, Celina didn’t think she could live with them on a permanent basis. The stress would be too hard to deal with, and she didn’t want her child to be subject to it.
Closing her eyes, she prayed that she would make the right decision when the time came for one of the two she knew was ahead of her. She didn’t expect there to be love or anything more than a mutual respect between them since they’d all had families once. Still, the woman in her wanted more than it to be just sex. Emotions were a major part of the female makeup. She could see Russell caring about her, and that would be enough, but Abe? She just didn’t know if there was anything still alive inside of him capable of feeling something other than emptiness.