Page 12 of A Little More Forgiveness

“I spoke to some friends at the fire house and the forestry.”

A sinking feeling developed in my stomach.

“Looks as if they’ll not be able to get to us for at least a few days.”

My jaw dropped open. “A few days?”

Mitch stroked his fingers along his beard. My eyes automatically followed the movement, entranced by the way they caressed the wiry hair covering his face, and I wondered how those same thick fingers would feel stroking down my abs to caress my pubes. I swallowed hard.

“Too busy with other emergencies to get to us any sooner.”

So riveted by his fingers, I’d again missed what he’d been saying. “Sorry. Other emergencies?”

He frowned. “Yes. The emergency services are swamped. After I told them I had enough food and water to last us, they confirmed it’ll probably be a few days, maybe more, before they’d get out and rescue us.”

“A few days, or maybe more?” A second ago, it was only a few days. Now it’s a few or more days?

“That’s what I said.” He answered carefully, as if talking to a child. “A few days or more.”

“What’s, maybe more?”

He shrugged. “Two, perhaps three days, I guess.”

My brain short-circuited. “So we three will be stuck here?” Mitch frowned hard at me. “Sorry, but the three of us might be confined here, in your cabin, for up to six days.” I didn’t think he quite understood the severity of our situation. “You, me, and asshole Gabe, together in your one-bedroom cabin for up to six days.” Was I the only one seeing the downside here?

His eyes bulged comically wide, and his mouth opened and shut a couple times, which might have been amusing if things weren’t so dire. I closed my eyes and dropped my head back on my shoulders. “Seriously. Is it just me who sees how bad this will be?”

“Then he stays outside.”

I reopened my eyes and focused on his. Light brown with the palest of green flecks. Lovely. “You can’t leave him out there for six days,” I responded carefully, reaching out to touch his forearm, liking that he didn’t flinch or try to pull away. “You understand that, right?” When he didn’t instantly respond, I squeezed his arm. The taut muscle flexed under my fingertips. “Mitch?”

He grumbled out a “Yeah.”

“So, can I go let him in? Inform him of what’s going on?”

He shook his head and grinned slyly. “Not just yet. Let him stew out in the cold for a while. I want him to be the one pissed off for a change. See how he likes it.” His grin turned evil. “I also want to be here when you tell him he’s stranded with us for the next few days.”

“Up to six days,” I reiterated.

“Oh, I don’t think we need to tell him about that possibility just yet, do you?”

The sinking feeling returned.

“I mean, everybody likes surprises, don’t they? So why would we want to spoil a doozy for him?”

It came as a bit of a shock to realize Mitchell Houghton had a fun side after all. Dark as hell and would get us both murdered when Gabe found out, but fun all the same. “You’re as bad as he is,” I rebuked him.

He beamed at me and winked, making my face go all hot. “You’ve no idea.”

Mitch’s infectious laugh meant I automatically joined in, laughing along with him. Whatever happened over the next few days, I had a pretty good idea our enforced time together wouldn’t be the least bit boring.

*

Slipping on my jacket a few hours later and going outside, darkness shrouded me as I headed over to my Jeep. The tall pine trees encompassing the property seemed to absorb all the light, and I shuddered at whatever predators may possibly be lurking within their pitch-black depths. Shining the flashlight in front of me, I kept my eyes firmly fixed ahead, breath streaming from my mouth in the bitter cold whenever I exhaled the warm air from my lungs.

Gaps had appeared in the clouds and every so often I caught a glimpse of the twinkling stars and full moon, the pale white globe seeming to light up the snow from the inside as it reflected off the frozen landscape.

The idle of the engine disrupted the deathly quiet, the exhaust fumes pumping from the tailpipe, and the windows all steamed up, not allowing me to see inside. But the sight had relief flooding through me, Gabe hadn’t frozen to death in the time he’d been banished from the house. I pulled on the handle, but he’d locked the door, so I knocked on the window a couple of times and waited. This close I heard music playing from within the cab and thanked the stars he’d managed to keep himself occupied during his isolation.

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