Coffee was comprised of four main ingredients: the coffee beans, sugar, cream, and water. Take out the cream and sugar, and you might still be able to get it to function the way it was supposed to. But without water? Lily stared at the tap over the scarred enamel sink in the kitchenette. Why wasn’t there any water coming out?

This early in the morning, when the sun had barely risen but Wookie was wide-eyed, wet-nosed, and raring to begin the day, Lily couldn’t function without coffee. She had to provide for herself during this challenge, so she had taken to heating water in a pot lent to her by Ruby and transferring the boiled water into a travel mug, hopefully without spilling any on herself. She thanked her lucky coffee beans that she had decided to bring instant instead of something that needed to be filtered first.

But all of that hinged on having water.

Wookie whined, pawing at the door as she peered through her fur at Lily, forlorn. Lily felt the same way. What had she done to stop the water from coming? Was there a water tank? Had she used it all up? She’d already been taking quicker-than-usual showers because of the cold water that emerged from the nozzle.

This day was going to be a disaster. Where could she find water? Ruby probably wouldn’t wake up for hours. Should Lily knock on Ethan’s door and ask to use his sink? That wouldn’t be weird at all…

“You have to do this on your own.” Her voice sounded groggy and gravelly in the darkened room. Wookie scratched at the door into the main room of the cabin once more.

Lily took a deep breath. Think. If she had been out in the wilderness, what would she do for water?

She’d use the lake. Boiling water got rid of any bacteria, didn’t it? Or maybe she wouldn’t use it to make coffee, but she’d need water for something, wouldn’t she? Washing herself or flushing the toilet. Yesterday, she’d lit the fire herself with no help from Ethan at all. She could handle finding a little clear lake water. Heck, she was getting good at this self-sufficiency thing.

Her mind set, she pulled on a chunky beige sweater. The hot handyman would probably think she looked ridiculous in her shorts with a thick sweater, but she was already wearing her one pair of jeans every night and her sweats to bed and there was no way to do laundry so.... She pulled on her flat-soled tennis shoes and tucked the laces under the tongue rather than do them up properly. She was still half-asleep.

Wookie scratched at the door again. “All right, girl. I’m coming.”

The dog yipped happily and danced in front of the door, chasing her tail. Lily grabbed a pot for the water and led the way outside. As she cracked open the door, she warned, “Don’t even think of running to Ethan. I am not in the mood to chase you this morning.”

The moment she opened the door, Wookie bounded away. When Lily called her name, the dog paused by the stand of trees and crouched to do her business. She returned, trotting up to Lily, a moment later.

“This way, Wookie. Heel.”

Since she wasn’t a strong swimmer, Lily hadn’t walked the path to and from the lake more than once. It was beautiful and peaceful and this time of morning, it was too cold for bugs. Lily had noticed they only came out once the sun had warmed the air. In the dim, greyish-pink light, she could barely see the tree branches before they walloped her in the face.

“You should have brought a flashlight,” she muttered under her breath.

Add it to the long list of things she should have done. She hadn’t brought a flashlight, aside from the one attached to her phone. Technology was forbidden during this little challenge, anyway. The sun was already sleepily rising from the horizon, so by the time she reached the lake, she should be able to actually see.

As the trees in front of her drew away, Lily stumbled down the path. The long grass tickled her calves as the shore gently sloped toward the water. The early morning sun glistened off its still surface, the far side a picturesque shadow of pine trees shielding the roofs of cabins. It was beautiful.

A mosquito bit her neck. She slapped at it.

And painful.

Deciding not to linger, she followed the grass to where it ended, replaced by mud and a jumble of rocks. The rocks piled atop one another in a haphazard mess, as though Mother Nature had decided to clean out her closet and left them there, out of sight and out of mind. Beyond the rocks, the water glistened in the early morning light. The muck was too thick to walk through and Lily could only imagine what kinds of creatures lurked inside it. Looked like she’d have to climb on the rocks.

Lily slapped another mosquito before she clambered up the rocks. They weren’t very high or difficult to climb. The soles of her shoes slipped a bit against the slick areas. As long as she avoided the parts with moss, she should be all right. Behind her, Wookie’s claws clicked and she wheezed as if searching for the best path to follow Lily.

“Don’t go into the water, girl. I don’t want to have to give you a bath … somehow … without running water.”

Okay, now how to get the water into the pot. From her perch on the rocks, she would have to bend way over to reach the water unless she went further down where some rocks were closer.

She firmed her chin. She was already out here. A few feet more wouldn’t hurt. She climbed over to where a rock jutted from the ground at an odd angle. From there, she could scoop up the lake water and hope it was mostly clean. Squaring her shoulders, she tentatively stepped from her rock to the slanted one. She tested her foothold first, making sure it was solid before she leaned her full weight on it. Safe. Leaning down, she angled the pot to scoop up some of the water. Was the lake here really as deep as it looked from the glimpse?

As she crouched, her foot slipped on the slick rock.

No!

She tumbled into the frigid morning water. The cold water seized her lungs. She thrashed, trying to pull herself up again. Luckily, it wasn’t as deep as she’d thought, but her sweater was caught behind her. She couldn’t reach to untangle it. She dropped the pot, panic overwhelming her.

* * *

Ever since he’d retired from the Rangers, Ethan didn’t sleep well. He found himself up at odd hours of the night, memories and nightmares circling his subconscious like sharks ready to attack the moment he slipped into slumber. He’d discovered one thing that refreshed him after a restless night. Hiking through the woods in the early morning. One more reason why he’d chosen Pinecrest Lodge to be his sanctuary. In the morning, as the birds stirred and the sun rose, a quiet peace descended upon the world. Untouched nature.

He followed a narrow path that led to the lake. Breathing the fresh air laced with the scent of pine, he watched the finches twittering in the branches as the sun cast long shadows across the forest floor. Birds called, chipmunks rustled in the leaves. And there was a high pitched yelp.

Wait. Was that Wookie?

That dog took to running off despite what her owner wished. What if she had been cornered by a raccoon or hurt herself? Despite the fact that he hadn’t carried a weapon out with him, Ethan bolted toward the sound. Twigs snapped beneath his hiking boots, branches stung him as they smacked into him while he passed. He didn’t care. He hated to admit it but that darn dog had captured a piece of his heart with her brown-eyed unconditional love and acceptance. He couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her.

The yipping became more frantic and he ran toward it, his heart thundering in a way he’d been trained to control. He held panic at bay by paying attention to his surroundings, cataloguing every minuscule detail.

The trees thinned as he approached the lake. The rising sun, pierced his eyes and stained the horizon red. Wookie scrabbled over the rocks and grass to get to him, her barks even louder now. They rang in his ears. And that … was that a ripple in the water?

Something had fallen in.

Not something. Someone.

Lily!

He shucked his backpack, kicked off his hiking boots, and dove into the lake. He cleared the rocks easily in his arc, aiming for a shallow dive given that the water wasn’t more than four feet deep here.

Lily. Where was Lily?

The water was murky. Particles of dirt stung his eyes as he squinted, searching for the source of the disturbance. She had to be here. If she’d fallen from the rocks… Why hadn’t she stood up? The currents of water stirred frantically, someone waving their arms. She must not be able to swim and panicked.

He stood, coming up for air as he waded toward the disturbance. The water reached the middle of his chest. Wookie scrambled from rock to rock, whining. She barked at him. Where is my master?

A flailing hand caught him by the back of his knee and his leg buckled. He fell under the chilly water again. Relief swept through him. He’d found her. When he caught her hands in his, she stilled. He tried to tug her up, but something held her down. What? He groped at the back of her sweater until he found the place where the thick knit was caught on a submerged rock. She flailed again, weaker than before.

Hold on a moment more.

The sweater could burn, for all he cared. Holding her close to his chest, he grabbed a fistful of it and yanked with all his might. The sweater gave way. He got his shaky legs under him and stood, holding Lily above the water line.

She coughed and sputtered, spewing lake water out of her lungs. When she was done, she went limp in his arms. He carried her to shore, where Wookie ran back and forth, yipping at intervals until she was able to twine around Lily’s legs. She pawed at her master and whined. When Lily crouched to pat her dog, Wookie stood on her hind legs and licked the water off of Lily’s chin and neck.

“I’m fine,” Lily muttered, but her voice lacked conviction.

Ethan stepped closer and gripped her by the elbow, helping her to stand. His wet socks sank into the mud. “What—” were you thinking?

She was shivering. Would she go into shock? Without thinking, he enfolded her into his embrace. He’d gotten doused in the cold lake water, too, but not for as long and he was a naturally warm person to begin with. She had to warm up.

“Ethan…”

“You’re cold,” he told her, his voice brusque.

When she leaned her cheek against his shoulder, he was struck by how well they fit together. As if she had been made for his arms. Her shivers slowly abated as he held her. When she tipped her face up to look at him, her eyes were impossibly dark. Her lips parted as if she meant to say something, but she never did.

He kissed her, the touch of his lips light at first. When she didn’t resist, but started to kiss him back, he grew bolder. He adjusted his hold on her to cradle her head. The thrill, the rightness he felt upon holding her couldn’t be denied. When reality intruded in the form of a paw on his ankle, he broke away from Lily to look into her eyes. Neither of them spoke. For a moment, both were speechless. She had to feel it, too.

One thing was for certain: Ethan definitely couldn’t claim not to like her anymore. If anything, he liked her too much for his peace of mind.