Page 15 of Frozen Play

It was quiet. And a little cold, except where a warm body was curled around me as the big spoon. I blinked open my eyes to an unfamiliar place. It took a minute, then everything rushed back.

My Christmas plan for the cottage, the slide into the ditch, Skye, and now snowed in here. Through the big windows I could see pale blue sky.

The storm was over. A warm breath brushed the back of my neck. I twisted my head around to see Skye behind me, still asleep, one arm under her head, the other wrapped around my waist. She had one leg between mine and was burrowed into my neck as if she was seeking warmth.

She probably was. The storm had stopped, but I bet the temperature had dropped. This fireplace hadn’t been designed to heat the entire building. With the end of the storm, someone would fix the power. Skye could leave.

Damn it. Was it too much to ask for just a little more bad weather?

I needed to find a bathroom. I hadn’t brushed my teeth last night, and my mouth was coated in something that tasted bad. I was getting cold too. But I didn’t move. I enjoyed having Skye wrapped around me too much. My neck was feeling the twist so I had to stop staring at her. I turned back, dropping my head on the plaid pillow I’d swiped from Lina’s couch.

My mind worked on other matters. I had enough food and water for today and tomorrow, but if Skye couldn’t leave, as much as I liked that, I didn’t have a lot to keep us going. We might have to raid the tin cans. More likely someone, Skye’s family, would come looking for her and I’d be on my own again. But I pushed those thoughts down.

I felt Skye stir behind me. Her arm around my waist tightened then loosened. Her entire body stiffened and she rolled away from me, taking her warmth with her.

She cleared her throat. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to maul you.”

“No problem. I’m finding it a little cold, so…”

“Yeah, it is a little chilly. Storm’s cleared up.”

I nodded. And if I no longer had a Skye blanket, it was time to hit the head.

I pushed to my feet, feeling the stiffness from sleeping on couch cushions. The one under my hips had slid down, leaving part of me sleeping on the floor. I stretched, checking for pain in my shoulder. Cold air tickled my waist as my sweater pulled up.

Yeah, sleeping on the floor hadn’t done it any favors. But I could ice it with some snow and maybe that would help.

“I’m going to use the bathroom by the sliding doors again. The one by the front door is yours.”

I turned and Skye’s cheeks flushed. Had she been checking me out? If so, I approved.

“Right,” she muttered.

The bathroom was cold since the door had kept out what heat the fireplace could provide, but I was able to piss and clean my teeth. My hair was a disaster and my scruff would soon be a beard, but I wasn’t going to shave in these conditions. I ran my hands through my hair, rinsed out my mouth again, and returned to the great room.

Skye wasn’t back yet, so I tidied up the cushions. I checked the cooler for breakfast options. I had the makings of a protein shake, but no blender to make it in. I also had sausages and eggs, but there was no way to cook those. Yogurt and berries it was, then.

I was in the kitchen looking for bowls when Skye reappeared. I shot her a quick glance. She’d done something with her hair and looked more awake. And very appealing.

“You okay with yogurt and berries for breakfast?”

She came and sat on a stool at the breakfast bar. “That sounds good.”

“I brought stuff to make a protein shake, but don’t think that’s happening. And sadly, no coffee.”

“Are you a coffee drinker?”

I nodded. “Not like Oppy though. He’s a coffee addict.”

Her eyes lit up. “I totally buy that. Is he as crazy as he seems?”

Someone was a fan of the Blaze. “Yeah, Oppy is high energy.”

“Who else is addicted to coffee? Royston and Barnes?”

Interesting. Those two were my linemates, the ones I played with most often. “Most of the guys. Not Petey. His body is a temple and he doesn’t pollute it with caffeine.”

Skye shrugged. “Petrov does seem very…serious. His backup, Mitchell, is too, right?”

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