Her cooking improved to the point that they didn’t have to pretend and each victory made her more confident. Her food started packing on a couple of unexpected pounds to their frames and neither cared.
A week before Christmas, snow accumulated in heavy drifts up and down the mountain, they decided to check on her.
Pulling into the cabin clearing, they saw her glance through the front window. They knew they didn’t imagine her panic.
Knocking, it took her a long time to answer the door. When she did, a towel wrapped her hair and thick cream covered her face. Her body was hidden by a thick bathrobe.
“Did you guys smell the food? I just finished my third attempt at pot roast. I doubt it will be restaurant quality but you’re welcome to join me.”
“We didn’t mean to bother you. The snow is getting heavy. We wanted to see if you needed anything.”
“I’m all set and you’re not a bother. Let me take this stuff off my face and I’ll be right back. I don’t want my skin to dry out in the cold.”
She turned toward her bedroom and they saw a long lock of blonde hair trailing down her back. It practically sparkled.
As the door closed quietly, they shared a look but didn’t comment. Wade checked the pot roast while Knox put more wood on the fire.
When she reemerged fifteen minutes later, she wore the plain brown wig and glasses. Her upper body was concealed beneath a baggy flannel and her long, leanly muscled legs were covered in thick leggings.
Fluffy socks on her feet made them smile.
As she leaned over to remove the pot roast from the oven, the plaid shirt fell forward to reveal outstanding cleavage hidden underneath her snug t-shirt.
They hid the typical male reaction to such a sight.
The food was delicious and she blushed when they told her so. She didn’t say much unless they asked a direct question.
Looking around the cabin, they complimented how comfortable she’d made it.
“I love shopping online. I found some amazing quilts and curtains, throw pillows, and books. Lots of books.”
The built-in bookshelf was filled with them.
The moment they asked what she liked to read, she lit up like the sun and talked for an hour with them about books she’d read and others she wanted to read.
She was intelligent and interesting.
“You don’t have a television,” Wade stated in surprise as he looked around for it.
“Nope and I don’t miss it one bit.”
Knox laughed. “We live for football season.”
An hour later, they drank coffee and ate little chocolate cookies that were too good to be real.
Casually, Wade said, “Don’t spend Christmas alone. Join us.”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
Grinning, Knox assured her, “You don’t. We usually spend it sleeping or watching movies. You’re a welcome addition.”
“Don’t you…have family?”
Wade sat forward and crossed his arms on the table. “Not really. I have a sister that’s a bit of a hippy I see every few years. We were raised by an elderly uncle who died years ago.”
“I have two brothers who took after our messed-up parents. I spent high school in and out of juvenile detention and went straight into the military. They’re alive but I don’t talk to them.” Knox tilted his head. “What about you?”
“I…just have my aunt.”
“No parents?”
“Yes, I…” They watched her take a deep breath. “I have them. I sent them presents weeks ago from an address Hollow gave me. We…aren’t speaking right now.”
“Strained relationship?” Wade pressed.
“That’s an accurate description. I like my father but we aren’t close. I have nothing in common with my mother. She’s difficult and unyielding.”
“You should invite your aunt to visit,” Knox suggested.
“Someday. Not yet. It’s too soon.”
Grinning, his friend offered, “Since your great escape?”
Smiling in return, she nodded. “Exactly.”
“Alright. I need to know more. Where did you go to high school?”
“When I attended school, it was either in Washington or California. Ah, I spent a semester in New York. Most of my education was completed online or through tutors.”
The wheels turned. “Diplomatic parents?” She shook her head. “Military brat?”
It made her laugh. “Hardly.”
“Did you move around a lot?”
Considering her answer carefully, she replied, “Not really moves. Work meant a lot of travel.”
There it was. That niggling sense of familiarity. “Your work or work for your parents?”
Her smile was slow as she met his eyes. “How shrewdly your mind functions.”
“Care to answer the question?” he asked gently.
She crossed her legs which emphasized how long they were and folded her hands carefully in her lap. Comportment had clearly been a major part of her upbringing.
“I’ll give you a partial, though truthful, answer. The work was mine and sometimes coincided with the work of my parents.”
Leaning forward, Wade stared at her intently. “We’re not the only ones with shrewd minds, Gail.” Tilting his head, he stated, “You’re not a teacher.”
She didn’t look away as she answered, “No. I’m not a teacher.”
“Will I get more if I keep asking?” She shook her head. “Then I’ll take my new clues with satisfaction.”
Knox smiled. “Spend Christmas with us?”
With a regal nod, she said, “Yes.”
Satisfaction of their curiosity was the only gift they wanted.
Chapter Ten
Christmas morning, the friends met her at her Jeep as she pulled up to their house. Wade’s eyes went wide as he saw the back loaded with containers, baskets, and bags.
“I’m sorry to make you carry things.”
“We live to serve.”
She shook her head and said seriously, “No. That’s a terrible life. I wouldn’t want that for you.”
It was an odd thing to say.
They watched as she gathered packages and stood waiting for them with a smile. An enormous fruit basket, several specialty foods she’d purchased online, a huge rum cake she made herself, and several bottles of wine.
Blushing, she told them, “I don’t know the wines for Christmas. I wanted to have a variety.”
He laughed. “You could have brought Boone’s and we’d have been fine.”
Her brow crinkled in confusion. “Who’s Boone?”
“Cheap wine, Gail. Wait…you’ve never had Boone’s?” Knox looked sad for her. “That’s a rite of passage. Everyone pukes up Boone’s the first time they get drunk.”
“I think I saw that in a movie.” She shook her head. “I’ve never had it. I’ve never been drunk.”
“What a well-behaved kid. All parents should be so lucky.”
She snorted as she looked up at him. “My mother would staunchly disagree.”
They carried everything in the house and she moved some things from the kitchen to the living room.
“You have to open your presents first,” she insisted. “I hope you like them.”
Practically vibrating with nervousness, she watched as they unwrapped supple leather jackets, cashmere scarves, and Movado watches with an inscription that read, “Hours spent in conversation are never wasted. G”
Knox was blown away. “Gail…you spent a fortune.”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, it was hardly anything. I was surprised at what could be ordered online. I wish I’d discovered this long ago.”
The friends shared a look before giving her the presents they bought for her. She spent a long time admiring the tags, bows, and paper.
Quietly, Wade asked, “Do you not get many presents?”
“I receive too many but they’re rarely wrapped and never picked for me as a person or a friend.”
He’d never seen someone so clearly grateful for cookbooks, a couple of rare editions of her favorite books, and a boxed set of the Lord of the Rings movies.
Happy tears slipped over her cheeks and she stood to hug them. “Your gifts are perfect and thoughtful. Only my aunt has ever been so kind to me.”
A murmured, “You’re welcome,” was all they could manage.
The three of them worked to get dinner ready while Christmas music played through the house. She didn’t know the words to any of the songs.
When the food was on the table, she took their hands and said a prayer. “May the coming days be filled with hope. May children have food in their bellies and laughter on their lips. May there be peace.” With a small squeeze of their hands, she added, “And thank you for excellent neighbors and friends.”
At their expressions, she smiled. “I’m not very religious but there are just some things you do according to Aunt Ana.”
They talked more than they ate so it took a long time to finish dinner. She complimented them several times on their cooking. When none of them could eat another bite, she insisted on helping clean up.
Wade was sorry when the last of the dishes were done.
Gail walked to the foyer and shrugged into her coat. Knox and Wade watched her move as they had all night.
She had a natural grace that was difficult to hide.
Wade stared through the windows at the steadily falling snow. “I’m not sure you should drive yourself up the hill. I worry about the incline in this weather. You’re not a pro yet.”
“Let us take you.” Knox already held his jacket.
“If it will put your minds at ease.”
Ten minutes later, she sat between them on the bench seat of Wade’s truck. The lights from the dash gave the cab an otherworldly feel in the softly falling snow. The warmth made it feel closer than it was.
Gently clearing her throat, she told them, “Thank you so much for having me. It was a wonderful Christmas. My best yet.”
“Holidays were tense in your house?” he asked her.
“Ignored entirely unless Ana was with us or there was a function or event to be attended.”
“It was a pleasure to spend it with you.” Knox grinned. “You definitely made it great.”
A few minutes later, faster than either man would have liked, they pulled up to her cabin.
Knox opened the door and stepped out. Gail leaned up and kissed Wade’s cheek with a whispered, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
When she was safely on her feet, she repeated the kiss and the words to his best friend who looked as toppled by it as he was.
“You made it so, Gail.”
They watched as she made her way to the porch and up the steps. Only when she was safely inside with a small wave did they drive back down the mountain.
Their cabin came into view and Knox told his best friend, “It was my best Christmas, too.”
Wade nodded in agreement.
The house didn’t feel as warm or welcoming without her presence. She had an unusual innocence about her that didn’t make sense given how she’d come to live on their mountain.
Everything seemed new to her, bright. She curbed their natural cynicism and made them feel hopeful.
Their sanctuary felt strangely empty without her in it.
* * *
Spending time with Gail became their mission in life when the friends weren’t working. She always worried about bothering them but they insisted nothing could be further from the truth.
After the first of the year, the three of them had dinner together at least twice a week.
It wasn’t hard to see that she enjoyed feeding them. She ate little but it didn’t stop her from enjoying watching them eat.
She found a passion for cooking and took their compliments and suggestions with grace. Sometimes, she jotted notes in the margins of her cookbooks.
If something didn’t turn out the way she wanted, she cursed in a hot stream of Russian while they feigned ignorance.
By the end of January, Gail was confident in her little kitchen and proud of every culinary experiment. She loved baking most of all, though she didn’t eat what she made.
“It’s pretty. Don’t you think?” she asked while taking a photo of her latest creation.
“Stunning,” they agreed, with eyes for nothing but her.
Chapter Eleven
March 2013
On the first day of March, in honor of Knox’s birthday in the last week of February and Wade’s in the first week of March, Gail baked them cakes. An Italian amaretto for Knox and a turtle cheesecake for Wade.
She invited them for a special dinner to celebrate.
The gifts she gave them were intended to make their jobs easier and more comfortable.
Practically vibrating with excitement, she watched them unwrap new packs that weighed almost nothing, sleeping bags with subzero insulation, all-in-one tools in sleek leather cases, and flashlights that could take being run over by a truck and still work.
She made them test it.
Eating her cooking regularly meant Wade gained six pounds and Knox gained four. She was shocked to learn no one had ever cooked for them before and giggled when they told her they were proud of the extra pounds.
If either of them told her about a dish they particularly enjoyed, she worked to make it exactly right.
They never saw her without the wig and the oversized clothes that hid her body. They didn’t make passes at her and she didn’t flirt with them.
She appeared to want them as friends and company to break her solitude, so they gave her what she needed.
Having a woman around as a regular fixture in their daily lives was a novel experience and one they hoped would continue.
Her inexperience with average things took them off guard sometimes. It was like she’d lived in a bubble.
She had no real concept of money in everyday life.
Wade discovered she was sending the utility companies hundreds of dollars every month.
By the time he was alerted as the homeowner and asked her about it, she’d accumulated more than a year of credit.
When he brought it up, she replied, “It must be expensive to keep power and water running.”
They didn’t know where she got her money but she had an ample supply and was generous to a fault. Thoughtful in ways that continued to surprise them. Her pleasure in simple things most people took for granted was refreshing.
She had her secrets, without a doubt.
Whoever she was, wherever she came from, they accepted and welcomed her into their lives. They didn’t want her to leave.
“I like having her around,” Wade admitted after another evening spent in her company.
An understatement if ever there was one.
“I’m starting to depend on it,” he admitted. “I wonder…”
“Don’t,” his friend interrupted. “That way is madness. Trust me. I’ve been wondering since Thanksgiving.”
“She’s a good person but…it’s probably too much.”
“There’s no probably about it, Knox. Come on. It’s Gail. No way she’d entertain something like that. Not with us. I-I think she thinks of us like she does Hollow.”
“Bullshit. No way she thinks of us like brothers.” He shook his head as they entered the house. “I’ve heard her on the phone with Hollow several times now. To her, he’s a brother. That’s not the way she is with us.”
“We don’t have many friends. I don’t want to lose that with her. I don’t want to push her away.” Wade grabbed a bottle of water. “The rest isn’t worth it if we lose the whole package.”
He walked toward his side of the house and Knox called his name. He paused but didn’t turn. “I think you’re wrong. I think she might not know how to express what she thinks about us or maybe she’s afraid. I’m not giving up. We’ve waited longer for things we wanted less.”
Nodd
ing, his friend disappeared down the hall.
Like he did more nights than he cared to admit, Knox stepped out on the porch and stared up at the cabin where the woman he and his best friend thought about almost constantly slept. She always left a small lamp on in her living room and the glow of it pierced the darkness.
“Goodnight, Gail.”
* * *
In late March, they drove up the mountain for dinner. She planned to attempt a new recipe for lasagna so Wade brought garlic bread and Knox brought salad.
Winter hung on longer in the mountains and a sharp freeze the night before wasn’t unusual.
They pulled into the driveway clearing and she stepped out on the porch to greet them, dressed in warm clothes and wearing a huge smile. Waving from the truck, they picked up the food and started toward her.
“Right on time! I’m glad…” She took one step and slipped on a patch of ice that must have formed during the night.
Wade and Knox watched in horror as her legs went out from beneath her and she cracked her head against the wood as she landed flat on her back.
Gail was knocked out cold.
Chapter Twelve
The friends raced across the yard, yelling her name.
Reaching Gail first, Wade jumped the steps and crouched beside her. He carefully lifted her head and came away with blood on his fingers.
“We need to get her inside.” He scooped her up and carried her to the sofa. “She’s so fucking light for how tall she is,” he murmured as Knox spread a towel over the fabric to avoid staining it with blood.
Knox shook her shoulders gently. “Gail. Wake up.” Her eyes opened and she moaned. “There you are. Stay awake. You knocked the hell out of your skull and you’re bleeding.”
He found two bobby pins holding her wig in place and slipped them out. Tugging the dark wig away, both men watched as a mass of thick, honey-gold hair unraveled beneath it. It slid over the side of the couch.
“Um…Gail?” She moaned again and Wade said, “Okay. I’ll ask later. Don’t go to sleep, sweetheart.”
The deep frown on Knox’s face scared the shit out of him. “What? What’s wrong?”
Embrace the Wild (The Great Outdoors Book 5) Page 6