CHAPTER 15
Liam
I woke up the next morning and readied myself for the journey ahead. Even in clear weather, a trip like this would take me a couple of hours but, with the snow, it would take me most of the afternoon. I took a warm shower to loosen up my body before I ventured out into the kitchen. I could hear the sizzling of sausage already happening. Biscuits were being warmed and the smell of gravy permeated the air. Soon, there was a bowl being shoved into my hand by a beautiful woman I’d actually come to enjoy.
“You like biscuits and gravy?” she asked.
“What kind of question is that?” I asked.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, giggling. “Coffee?”
She poured me a mug of it before I could even answer her and I started to notice the way she was walking. She was a little steadier on her ankle but her limp was still prevalent. Her shoulders were rolled back and her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She brought the mug of coffee over to me while I stood in the corner and I could tell her back was tense. She turned and walked away from me to spoon herself up some breakfast and I realized what was going on.
She was nervous.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“I did,” I said. “I had a full stomach that lulled me right to sleep.”
“When are you thinking about heading out today?” she asked.
I watched her play around with the food in her bowl but I never saw her take a bite. I stood in the kitchen with her while her coffee grew cold, watching her push around her soggy biscuits. It should’ve bothered me that she was wasting food, especially since we were technically rationing things out in case the weather got worse, but all I could do was study her. The way her brow was furrowed slightly and the way her eyes were darkening. I watched how tightly she gripped her spoon, trying her best to conceal the tremor of her fingers.
She was clearly worried about my safety and that was something I hadn’t experienced before. Sure, I had my platoon looking out for me when I was still enlisted. Sure, I had Paxton watching my back from time to time. But I’d never had a woman worry this way over me before.
It was a new sensation and one I wasn’t completely opposed to.
“I promise I’ll be okay this afternoon,” I said.
“Oh, I know,” she said. “You’re very tall. And strong. And you were in the military. I’m sure you know your way around the woods and stuff, too.”
She was rambling and I set my stuff down and walked toward her.
I plucked the bowl from her hands and set it off to the side. I crooked my finger underneath her chin and slowly pulled her gaze up to mine. The look in her eyes almost took my breath away. It was filled with concern and worry, with just a hint of fear.
“I’ll be back by dinner,” I said. “Promise. Why don’t you take a nice long shower while I’m gone? I didn’t have time to wash your clothes before the fire went out, but you can borrow anything of mine you want.”
She nodded before she slipped away from me and I sighed as I heard her retreat. I was ready for my journey to the store. All I had to do was bundle up and I could get out of here. I walked over to the front door and threw my coat on, pulling on my snow boots and placing a hat on my head. I zipped up the coat and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of Whitney one last time before I left.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Letting out a sigh, I opened the door and stepped out into the cold. It was frigid outside and I was already beginning to shiver. I’d severely underestimated the chill that had descended over the cabin and, for a moment, I thought about backtracking inside and getting another coat.
I heard my name being called.
“Liam! Wait!”
I turned around and saw Whitney striding down the hallway, her face contorted with pain while she tried to move as quickly as she could. I stepped inside to figure out what was wrong. I thought maybe she’d done something else to her ankle but, once she got to me, she held out another jacket, waiting for me to slip my arms into it before she’d let me go.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s freezing outside.”
The look of determination on her face was one that would forever be carved into my memory. In that one moment, she had both conceded defeat and exposed how much she was really worrying. Sliding my arms into the coat, I felt her push it up onto my shoulders and I had to admit I felt a little better.
“You’ve got your phone?” she asked.
“I do.”
“Let me see it.”
She held out her hand and I sifted around for my phone. I placed it in the palm of her hand and she promptly started typing on the screen. She sighed before she handed it back to me, a number, along with her name, saved into my contacts list.
“Call me now quickly so I have your number,” she said.
Grinning, I pressed the call button. I heard something vibrating in the living room and she nodded in satisfaction.
“Let me know when you get to the store, okay?” she asked.
“I will.”
I started the journey through the woods and I could feel her watching me from the cabin windows. The snow was deep and it was hard to move. Each step seemed a little harder than the last. The snow was so high that I slammed my shin into the fucking tree that was down in the middle of the road and I had to pause to catch my breath.
I stepped in holes that put me in snow up to my waist and I cursed as my boots slipped on other things strewn along the road. Carcasses of animals and other trees that had fallen in the path littered the route I chose and I could feel sweat dripping down my back. But finally, after walking for close to two hours, I saw the store.
I shot Whitney a text message, letting her know I was safe before I started down the road toward the small building.
I walked in and immediately grabbed a basket. I was going to make sure I didn’t have to make a trip like this again. My legs were shaking with exhaustion and it was becoming more painful to breathe. The air was so cold, it physically hurt to face it, and I relished the heat of the store while I started picking things up.
I grabbed toilet paper and batteries. I grabbed body wash and shampoo. I grabbed another tube of toothpaste just in case we needed one and I snagged some basic medication. The shelves were practically bare, besides the few essentials I could find, and when I made my way up to the cash register, I decided to shoot Whitney another message, just to let her know I was about to head back.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen since the storm hit,” the man said.
I looked up at the old man standing behind the cash register before I drew in a deep breath.
“Thanks for staying open through all this,” I said.
“Ain’t no storm shut me down yet,” he said, grinning. “People’ll always need toilet paper.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle while I dug through my wallet to pay the man.
“You live up in the woods, right?” the man asked.
“Yep.”
“How’re the roads?”
“Rough,” I said.
“I hear they aren’t gonna get to this main road until Friday,” the man said. “You got enough food?”
I grinned at his question before I handed him a twenty-dollar bill.
“I do,” I said.
I gathered up my bags before I nodded toward the man. I waved off the change he tried to give me before I headed for the doors. The bags didn’t seem too heavy in my hands but I knew they’d start tugging pretty badly once I started walking through the woods again.
“You keep warm now!” the man said.
“I will,” I said as I pushed out into the cold. “I definitely will.”
CHAPTER 16
WHITNEY
I had no idea what I was going to do to pass the time. I stood at the window and watched Liam until he was out of sight. There wasn’t a television to keep my mind occupied and I didn’t have anything with me to read. I got the distinct impression that Liam wasn’t a reader himself, so I relegated myself to the fireplace. The living room was chilly and I wanted a warm space for him to return to, so I tried repeating the steps I’d seen him take whenever he built a fire.
I propped up a few twigs into a triangular-type shape before I stuck newspaper underneath it all. It took me a little while to locate the matches but, after I pulled out every single drawer in the kitchen, I finally found them. I had to strike up two of them before I got a flame going. Then, I lit the newspaper on fire and watched it quickly ignite. I scrambled for the small closet that had a bunch of chopped wood in it, then proceeded to squeal while tossing the logs into the fireplace.
It wasn’t perfect but it was burning. I closed the glass doors on it so I wouldn’t burn the cabin down with popping embers.
I went back into the bathroom and started to clean myself up. I passed the time by brushing my teeth and washing my face. Liam kept all types of things in stock underneath his bathroom sink. Extra toothbrushes, washcloths and towels, small travel-sized face washes and hand soaps. I took my time grooming myself before I got into the shower and I allowed myself the time to enjoy it.
I shampooed and conditioned my hair while I hummed to myself. My ankle was still throbbing but the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. I had to unwrap it last night because it started itching like crazy and I wasn’t even going to try to rewrap it. I had no idea how in the world Liam got it to be stable without being tight and knowing my luck I’d cut off so much circulation that I’d have to amputate my foot while he was gone.
I stayed in the shower until the water started to run cold. I felt clean and refreshed. The steam was comforting while it wafted around my body. I wrapped a towel around me and stepped out into the hallway, shivering at the cold as I quickly made my way back to the fire. I sat down in front of it and allowed my naked body to dry, running my fingers through my hair since I didn’t have my brush.
It wouldn’t look the best but it would have to do for now.
I sat there in front of the fire and listened for my phone. An hour had passed and I hadn’t heard from Liam yet and I was beginning to get worried. He told me it would take him around two hours to get to the store but I couldn’t help being scared. The temperatures were frigid, the wind was blustery, and this snow was way too deep for anyone to be walking in it.
Then, finally, just as I made my way back into the bathroom, I heard my phone vibrate.
I tossed the towel into the hamper in the corner before I went dashing for it. I didn’t care that I was naked and I didn’t care that I was cold. The only thing I cared about was the fact that Liam finally messaged.
At the store. Need anything?
I messaged him back and told him it would be nice to have a razor but, other than that, I was fine. I set my phone down and breathed a sigh of relief.
I slipped into Liam’s room and opened his closet. I pulled out the first flannel shirt I could find and wrapped it around my body. The end of the shirt hung almost to my knees and I buttoned it up quickly before I sighed. It was so warm and soft against my skin, not like I figured flannel would feel. I rummaged around in his drawers until I found a pair of pajama pants. I slipped them onto my legs and laughed.
They were comically long, even with me rolling up the hem.
I pulled out a pair of socks and rolled them up my legs before I tucked the excess length of the pants into the cuffs. I looked absolutely ridiculous but I was warm. I sat on the edge of his bed and smiled. Images of the night we’d spent together came barreling back to me and I could feel my skin puckering at the phantom sensations. If I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I could still feel the way his hands wrapped around my ass. I could still feel the way his tongue lapped at my breasts. And, if I listened closely, I could still hear his voice rumbling in my ear.
I opened my eyes and took a look around the room. I hadn’t really gotten a good look at it that night because of all the distractions happening. There was a picture of him and that same guy on the wall except, this time, they were at the beach. Their skin was burned and their hair was insane but they looked to be having the time of their lives.
And, again, they were much younger in the picture I looked at.
I scanned my eyes across the room and they landed on a box. It sat on his bedside table and I wondered what it was. I crawled across the bed and reached out for it, taking it into my hands before I popped open the top.
I gasped when I found what was inside.
It was a Purple Heart, glistening and gleaming with bravery and victory. My mind started to swirl with the implications of Liam having something like this. It meant he had been wounded in battle somewhere. It meant he had sacrificed a great deal to save the lives of those around him. I sighed heavily before I closed the box, trying to place it back delicately where I’d found it.
I wanted to know what had happened to him. I wanted to know what he’d done to receive a medal like that. I wanted to know how he’d been injured and how bad it had been.
But my phone vibrating in the other room interrupted my thoughts.
Scampering off his bed, I rushed down the hallway to get it. I saw a message from Liam and I opened it, smiling when I realized he was on his way back. That meant he would be back well before dinner but just as I went to message him back, a call came through.
It was Gwen. I smiled.
“Hey there,” I said.
“Girl. What the hell? I’ve been waiting for you to call me and I haven’t heard a peep! What gives?”
“I’m so sorry. Things have just gotten a bit crazy around here.”
“Crazy how? You okay? You find yourself a man? Oh, is he doing you right?”
I blushed at her comments. “Do you want the punchline or the story?” I asked.
“Gimme the punchline and then start from the beginning,” she said.
“I’m snowed-in at a cabin on the mountains with a mountain man.”
Silence fell, followed by a shriek through the phone.
“You’ve been holding out on me! The fuck’s going on?”
“My first day here was okay but they were forecasting a hell of a storm. I, of course, didn’t listen and went on a hike the next day to explore the scenery.”
“Of course, because you’re stubborn as hell,” she said. “Go on.”
“I got lost. Gwen, I was petrified. The snow was thick and it was freezing and I took off running up a hill to try and see if I could get high enough to see the resort.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“I caught my ankle on something and tripped. I went rolling down this damn hill and my leg hurt so badly. I crashed into a tree and couldn’t catch my breath and, when I came to, I was on his couch in his cabin.”
“Oh, shit! Is he hot? Please tell me he’s hot.”
“He is pretty good looking, yes,” I said, giggling.
“Are you gonna do him?’
“Gwen.”
“Are you?” she asked.
“Come on.”
“Oh, holy shit. You already did him!”
“Gwen!”
“I know you, Whitney. Had it not happened, you would’ve denied it time and time again. But you didn’t. That means you finally got some! Tell me all the details.”
“That, I’m not doing,” I said.
“So, you did sleep with him?!”
“Didn’t we just establish this?” I asked.
“I didn’t really know,” she said. “I was just spouting some bullshit to see if you’d confirm.”
“Did anyone tell you growing up that you should’ve become a lawyer?” I asked.
“Nah. I’m just good at arguing.”
“Heaven help the man you end up with,” I said.
“Speaking of men, tell me about him. I’m already liking this cabin story. What else is there?”
“Well, he used to be in the military. He’s retired from it now and living in this cabin we’re in.”
“So, he’s isolated,” she said. “Probably hasn’t seen a woman in a while. He devoured you, didn’t he?”
“Are you on meds?” I asked.
“Just living through you. Building a business doesn’t leave much time for the men of this world.”
“Oh! How is that going? Narrowing down the buildings and stuff.”
“It’s going well. I’ve got it down to four and I’m going tomorrow with a realtor to take a look at them. Expect pictures.”
“I thought you weren’t bringing me in until there were two,” I said.
“Eh, things change,” she said. “Like they apparently have with you. How’s the storm looking your way?”
“Didn’t you guys get snow?” I asked. “How does it look where you are?”
“I mean, we saw, like, four inches. With the way you’re talking, it sounds like you’ve been dumped on.”
“It’s easily two feet but I think it might be a little more,” I said.
“Good thing you don’t have a job right now. You’re gonna be stuck for a bit.”
“I booked three weeks with the cabin at the resort. I’m sure I’ll be out by then.”
“Or you could just cancel and spend the three weeks with your handsome mountain man,” she said.
I felt my body shiver at that comment. I honestly wouldn’t mind spending a few more days with Liam. He was kind and attentive. Sure, he was quiet, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t listening. It would be worth it if I could have just one more night of passion with him. One more night to memorize his muscles and feel the tickle of his beard against my skin.
I felt so beautiful in his arms. I’d never felt that beautiful before.
“Anyway,” I said, sighing. “Let me know how the building shopping goes.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” she said. “You can’t leave me hanging like that. You gotta give me something on this guy.”
I grinned as I sat down on the couch. I knew exactly what I was going to tell her and I knew it would drive her wild. The two of us talked while I stayed cryptic, laughing at her growing frustration. I told her as much as I could, from him taking care of my ankle to him taking me to see the beautiful view he had just in his backyard. It felt so good to talk to Gwen about something that was positive. Something that made me smile and had me giggling like a little school girl.
“Here’s all I’m gonna tell you,” Gwen said. “Seize life. You don’t have anything here waiting for you. No job. No apartment. No nothing.”
“I’ve got you,” I said.
“And I’ll always be here, no matter where you are. Ride this out. Whit, this is the happiest I’ve heard you since before you fucking graduated. Just let yourself have this, okay?”
I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was just starting to set. I pulled the phone away from my ear to check the time. I’d been talking with Gwen for close to three solid hours and I still didn’t have a message from Liam. I got up from the couch and made my way to the window, gazing out over the only trail that led up to his cabin.
And he was still nowhere in sight.
“Whitney, you there?” Gwen asked.
“I gotta go,” I said.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hopefully nothing. I gotta make a phone call.”
“Whit, talk to me,” she said.
“Liam went to the store this morning to get some stuff and he’s still not back.”
“Liam’s the guy?” she asked.
“Shit, did I not give you his name?” I asked.
“No, we were too busy talking about his muscles,” she said. “When did he leave?”
“Eleven this morning,” I said.
“I’m gonna let you go. Call me if you need anything, okay? Do you have his number?”
“I do,” I said.
“Try calling him. And keep a level head. If the snow’s bad, maybe he’s just taking his time getting back.”
“He was walking, Gwen. The snow’s too high to drive.”
The silence on the other end of the phone confirmed my fears. Out of the two of us, Gwen was always the one who kept the level head. She was the one you wanted during emergencies because while everyone else was screaming their heads off, she was dictating what everyone needed to do.
And, when she grew silent, that meant she was panicking.
“Whit, here’s what you do. Give him a call and see if he picks up. If he doesn’t, call the store he went to. Do you know which one he went to?”
“I could find it, I think,” I said.
“Don’t go out. Don’t go looking for him but see if you can call the store and confirm that he left.”
“I know he did,” I said. “He sent me a text message.”
“Then see if the store owner can check out his window. You don’t see him, right?”
“Nope.”
“And if the store owner can’t see him, it diminishes the places where he could be,” she said. “Do you have access to the internet?”
I held my phone out and checked my service. I somehow had two bars for phone reception but the 4G service would be spotty at best.
“Barely,” I said.
“Get off the phone and call them. Then, go from there. Call me back if you need something.”
“Will do,” I said.
“And Whit?”
“Yeah, Gwen?”
“Don’t be stupid. Going out into that shit is what got you in his cabin in the first place. Do not go searching for him. Call 9-1-1 if you have to.”
“I won’t,” I said.
“Promise me.”
I sighed into the phone before I nodded my head.
“I promise,” I said.
“Good. Let me know when you figure something out.”