Page 49 of Snowed in With My Small Town Billionaire

Gwen, who was sitting in the parlor putting a jigsaw puzzle together with Brent, looked up at them questioningly. Sawyer nodded. She looked relieved although Sawyer knew that she, like everyone else, was worried.

Almost everyone was very complimentary about Millie’s chicken and dumplings. Sawyer picked up on the slightly gamey taste, but if the others did, no one said anything. They ate with gusto as if it was going to be their last meal.

Sawyer and Gwen were cuddling on the couch in the library, reading books, when loud noises erupted from the parlor. They threw down their books and rushed into the other room.

Jeff pushed Darren. “I saw you looking at Elaine. You think that just because you’re so hot and studly you can have any woman you want.”

Darren’s clenched fists were by his side. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If I looked at her, it was because I spoke to her. Typically, people look at the person they are talking to. I have no interest in Elaine that way.”

“Please, Jeff. He didn’t look at me in any bad way. We were talking about the cars he restores, that’s all.”

“Don’t lie to me and don’t try to protect him. He was flirting with you,” Jeff shouted. He turned back to Darren and poked him in the chest.

Sawyer literally stepped between them and Lucas grabbed Jeff and pulled him back.

“Darren has not been flirting with Elaine. He has been one of the people keeping this place together. I suggest you act like you’ve got some sense or you can haul your skinny butt out to one of the cabins and stay there. Each one has a fireplace and you can cut your own firewood to take with you,” Sawyer said in a low, deadly voice. The look on Sawyer’s face showed that he meant business. “This is your one and only warning. The next time you start anything with anyone here, you will leave the lodge.”

Jeff bared his teeth at Sawyer, who stood in front of him calmly. He jerked his arms out of Lucas’ grip and stormed off into the conference room.

Elaine whispered, “Sorry,” to Darren. Her face was flaming red and it was obvious that she was humiliated by the situation.

Sawyer turned toward Jerome and waited for him to say something, but the man obviously decided that he should keep his mouth shut.

Gwen, Sawyer, and Lucas went back into the library.

“I hope help comes sooner rather than later. If they stay cooped up together for much longer, they’re going to be ripping each other’s throats out,” Lucas said.

20

C H A P T E R

Gwen

Gwen woke up, shivering. She realized that she could see her breath. The room was freezing cold and was seeping through the blankets.

She lay there for a minute, blinking against the darkness in the room that seemed even more oppressive than normal.

We ran out of gasoline.

The realization made her heart sink. Forcing herself off of her cot, she pulled on her heaviest sweater and thickest socks and walked quietly out of the room. The cold air in the hallway slapped her.

She quickly walked to the parlor and the warmth of the fireplace. Sawyer, Oliver, Daniel, Lucas, Emilia, and Zaid were already in the room. Zaid had been staying in the parlor lately because of his leg and Emilia never left his side.

Sawyer saw her coming. “We ran out of gasoline. Daniel switched it over to propane, but the generator doesn’t give off as many amps with propane as it does gas.”

Gwen’s heart sank, although Sawyer’s words simply reaffirmed what she already suspected.

“Everyone is going to have to sleep in the parlor or the library, where we have fireplaces,” Oliver said. “Although, we’ll have to cut a lot more wood to keep both fires going constantly.”

“Sawyer, Joseph, Darren, and I can make sure we have enough wood,” Lucas said. “We can force Jeff and George to get out there, and at least carry wood, too.”

Sawyer frowned. “There’s not enough room for everyone to sleep comfortably, even with both rooms open. I think I’m going to the cabins and bring in all the blankets. I’ll sleep in the same room I’ve been sleeping in. We have the sleeping bags that are designed to keep people warm even in sub-zero degree weather, so I’ll be fine.”

“Me, too,” Lucas said. “I don’t mind hanging out with everyone, but some of these people snore and I need my beauty sleep.”

Everyone laughed at Lucas’ humor.

Gwen bit her lip. Although the idea of sleeping in the freezing bedroom didn’t sound fun, she didn’t want to sleep in the same room with everyone else. They would be stacked on top of each other like a cord of wood. She was fine with sleeping in the warm bags. It was the need to get out of them in the morning that she didn’t relish.

---