I can’t believe how rude Maddox is. I was trying to be as helpful as possible, and all I got in return was his grunting and his rudeness. Now, I have to drive home in this ridiculous weather, and I can barely see five feet in front of me. There’s a blanket of white, and I have no idea where I'm going. Even if I’m familiar with the area, the storm is making it impossible to navigate.

I'm praying I make it home safely and won’t lose control. After fifteen minutes of stress and only getting a very short distance, I have to stop. There’s no way I'm going to make it to the bottom of the mountain without getting into an accident. I have to turn back and ask the angry giant to let me stay until the storm passes.

This is going to be interesting.

Surprisingly, I manage to turn around and make it to his house, safely. And I’m somewhat shocked. I take a deep breath and a glance in the mirror and try to find a little confidence. Staying positive, I grab my grocery bags out of the truck, along with my purse, and head to the door. With one deep breath, I knock on the wooden door. It's beautifully carved, and I become curious if Maddox made it himself. While I'm admiring the woodwork, the door swings open and with one look, he shakes his head and furrows his eyebrows.

“What do you want, princess? You’re supposed to be on your way home.”

I smile as sweetly as I can, ignoring the pet name, hoping it will soften him just a little. “I know, I’m sorry. The storm is getting, and I'm not familiar with the roads up here. There’s no way I can make it home safely, much less to the bottom of the mountain. I was hoping maybe I could stay here until it passes, just enough for me to head home.” Again, I shrug my shoulders in innocence. This is my only option.

He stands silent, for what seems like minutes, even though only a few seconds have passed. I'm beginning to think he will turn me away when finally, he lets out a long breath and moves to the side while gesturing for me to come in. I slide by him quickly and take a moment to look at my surroundings. His house is very rustic but cleaner than expected. He has decent taste and not too much clutter.

In the corner, I notice a bookshelf full with more books stacked on the floor beside it. I'm very curious and make a mental note to check that out later. The dining room is at the back of the house, and the kitchen appears to be to the right of that. As I study my surroundings, I notice two closed doors to the right and to the left is a staircase. I hear him shut the door and he looks me over and sees I have grocery bags.

“Do you have anything that needs to be in the fridge?”

“Um, if you don’t mind. It’s only a few items.”

“Kitchen’s that way,” is all he says while pointing, then he disappears through one of the doors to the left.

Quietly, I move to the kitchen to put my things in the fridge. Everything else, I leave in the bag on the counter. I place my purse on the floor next to the couch, hang my coat on the rack by the door, but can’t bring myself to sit down. Maddox’s hospitality is annoying, but fitting at the same time. I'm quite nervous just being left alone in a strangers house and am not someone who’d make myself at home. I eye the door he went through, and realize he isn’t coming out any time soon.

Trying to pass the time, I walk over to his bookshelf to see what he spends his time reading. Some are on a few trades while others are robust and complicated literature. The broad range and assortment of genres on the shelves fill me with more questions about my host, but I know the answers would not come quickly, if at all.

As I continue to look over the titles, I notice he has a copy of one of my favorite books, which also happens to be a classic, Moby Dick. As I pull it from the shelf, I eye the complete Harry Potter series on the shelf below. I let out a giggle and quickly look back to the door, hoping he didn’t hear me. Confirming I'm still alone, I make my way to the couch and settle in with the book.

Before I can read a few pages into the book, I realize I never called my parents to let them know I was here and okay. I grab my cell out of my purse, quietly praying there’s a signal to call home. I let out a long breath when I see I have full service. I get off the couch and walk toward the kitchen and try to be as quiet as possible. After the third ring, I'm greeted by my mother’s voice.

“Taylor! Finally! Are you okay? Where are you? We expected you home over an hour ago.”

“Hi, Mom. I’m fine. I'm actually at someone’s house. It’s a long story, and I will tell you all about it when I make it home, but the storm has me at a standstill. I’m going to stay here until the snow lets up and I will be able to drive home safely. I just wanted you to know I’m okay and alive.”

“Well, whose house is it? Is it someone we know?”

“I honestly doubt it.” I laugh at the thought of Maddox interacting with my mother. While she's reserved and the nicest person anyone would ever meet, she’d tear him a new one for his rudeness. “His name is Maddox and seems to keep to himself.”

“Oh honey, it sounds like the beginning of a terrible horror movie. Are you sure you will be okay?”

“Mom, it will be fine—no need to overreact. Listen, I have to go, I just wanted to give you a call. I hope you guys are okay and will get through the storm okay.”

“We will be fine, dear. I’m just worried your father will annoy me to no end if we’re snowed in for too long. You may come home to a horror scene yourself!” We both laugh, send our love to each other and then goodbye. I love my parents’ relationship. They’re still very much in love and play pranks on each other as if they were my age. Their love is rare and amazing to watch. I hope one day find I will someone to share that kind of love with.

I make my way back to the couch, put away my phone and return to my seat with the book. I shudder a little due to the chill in the air and look around for a blanket. I finally find one and drape it over my shoulders. It's a heavy quilt that should warm me in minutes. Happy with the new layer, I settle back into the couch with Moby Dick and immerse myself into the story.

After an hour, Maddox finally makes his appearance, startling me slightly. He looks at me and scowls.

“By all means, make yourself at home.”

“You shut yourself in your room for over an hour. What would you prefer I be doing?”

“Make a few calls to get your ass home. Now you’re going to be stuck here until the storm is over.”

He runs his hand through his dark, unruly hair. It must’ve been months since he had his hair cut, but at the same time, it’s fitting for the whole rugged thing he’s going for. I watch his muscles flex with every movement. Quickly, I avert my eyes back to the book in my lap, not wanting to get caught admiring him.

“Listen, I’m not too happy with this situation either, but I do appreciate you not sending me out in this mess. There’s no way I could’ve made it out of that.” I gesture out the window in front of me and glance back at him to see if he’s still upset. He’s still looking at me, but his expression changes just slightly.

“Are you cold?” he asks with a touch of annoyance.

“Aren’t you? It’s freezing in here. I hope you don’t mind me using your quilt. I didn’t want to disturb you to ask.”

“It’s fine. I’ll start a fire to warm up the house. How about you check out the spare room and see if you want more heat in there as well. This fireplace does well to heat the main area, but it tends to leave the rooms a bit rigid.”

“Oh, okay. Um, which room would be the spare?”

Without a word, he points to the door on the right of the hall, closest to the front of the house. He puts on his jacket and boots and starts out the front door.

“Where are you going?” I can’t help but voice my curiosity. The storm is still growing, and it has to be freezing out there. He didn’t even bother with gloves or a hat.

“The wood pile is outside. I need to bring it all in.”

“Oh, well do you need help?”

He laughs at me as if I made a joke. I stare at him in confusion. Is it that funny that I would offer to help?

“I’ve got it handled, princess. Check out your room and let me know if it’s up to your standards.”

With that, he’s out the door, slamming it behind him. I stare at the closed door. Who does he think he is to keep calling me Princess? I’m sure he’s doing it to be irritating.

Finally, I open the door to the spare bedroom and flip on the switch. I'm pleasantly surprised that it's a large, beautifully decorated room with a four post bed. Long white sheers hang all around the bed, creating walls of silk. There’s a beautiful wardrobe on the opposite wall where I'm standing and a large stone fireplace to my left, directly across from the bed.

As I make my way further into the room, I see a small bathroom that has a gorgeous and inviting porcelains bathtub. I think this will do quite well their than the room being quite chilly. I decide to ask Maddox if he will make a fire in the room after all. It's getting late, and a warm bath before bed is the perfect ending to a very stressful day.

I make my way into the living room to grab my belongings and borrowed book, then am startled by the door swinging open and slamming against the wall. Maddox stomps in with a wheelbarrow full of wood. I quietly watch as he makes his way to a rack by the fireplace and unloads it all. Within minutes, he's done, and without saying a word, Maddox walks past me with the wheelbarrow and heads back out the front door. He leaves the door open, so I wait a few moments to see if he’s coming back before shutting the door. When I decide to go against his born-in-a-barn habits and walk towards the door, I'm almost run over with the wheelbarrow that’s full with more wood. I jump out of the way as fast as I can, thankful my toes are still intact.

“What are you doing? Stay out of the way.”

“Sorry. I was going to shut the door.”

“Don’t you think if I wanted the door shut, I would’ve done it?” His back to me as he finishes stacking the extra wood on the floor. When he’s finished, he comes back to the front door and slams it behind him. I can’t help but let out a frustrated growl. How can he be so rude all the time?

I'm still standing in the same spot when he returns. He takes off his boots and tosses them aside without care and puts his coat on the rack. Finally, he makes eye contact with me. “Did you decide if you want a fire in your room?”

“Yes, please.”

As he gathers the wood, I make my way to the room and sit at the end of the bed and wait for him to complete his task. Again, he refuses to make eye contact as he comes into the room and gets the fire started. When he’s finished, he dusts his hands off as a show of a job well done. He finally looks at me and stands there a few moments. Feeling awkward, I study the floor and wait for him to leave. I hear him clear his throat before finally speaking to me.

“So, you’re all set then?”

“Umm, not that I want to bother you any more than I already have, but do you happen to have an old T-shirt or anything that I could maybe sleep in? I have nothing else to wear and would rather not sleep in my work clothes.”

Maddox raises an eyebrow as he assesses my question. “I’m sure I have one.” He leaves and returns quickly. He tosses the shirt on the bed and starts to make his way out of the bedroom. Before he can leave, I have one more question to ask and pray it will not send him over the edge.

“One more question before you go.” He turns around and stares at me, remaining silent. I decide to continue, realizing he isn’t going to say anything. “Would it be okay if I took a bath?”

“Why are you asking my permission?”

“Because it’s not my house and because I'm not sure if it's even a working tub.”

“Yes, it works. That’s what it’s there for. Listen, I’ve had a long day and want to go to bed. The fire should last through the night. There are extra blankets in the drawers if needed. Whatever you do, don’t wake me.”

With that, he leaves and shuts the door behind him. I sit for a moment in silence and think about all the events of the day. Never in my life did I think I’d ever be in a situation like this with such a man like Maddox.

I clutch the shirt he gave me to my chest and make my way to the bathroom for a much-needed soak in some warm water. Hopefully, it will be what I need to wash away the stress of the day and to help me sleep.

Without thinking, I hold the fabric to my nose and breathe in the scent. To my surprise, it's an inviting aroma. It's a mix of laundry detergent, cologne, and something more rustic, more natural. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

With the new scent on my mind, I turn on the water. Once the tub is half-full, I submerge myself and close my eyes allowing the warmth to wash over me.