Page 25 of Honoring Lena

Thirteen

Marshall stoodon the deck of Lena’s small, remote cabin, staring across the mountaintops stretching out across the horizon. Could he get any closer to the top of the world? The beauty took his breath away, and being stuck out in the middle of nowhere suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

“Daddy, you’s has to see this.” Carter barreled out of the cabin and snagged Marshall’s hand.

His son’s enthusiasm stretched his chest with joy. This time with Carter had shown Marshall just how much he wanted things to change when they got back home. He didn’t want to be gone all hours of the day, didn’t want to be so focused on saving the world that his own world drifted away.

How could he find balance, though? Between the company and DC, time slipped through his hands faster than he could control. The tighter he gripped, the more quickly the moments evaporated. Carter smiled back at Marshall as he dragged him into the cabin, and a jolt coursed through his body. He just needed to analyze everything better, formulate an action plan. Mission: Get Life Back couldn’t be that hard if he put his focus into it.

He stopped short as he crossed the threshold. The small, unassuming cabin exuded a rustic opulence he wasn’t expecting. Floor to ceiling windows allowed the bright summer sun to bathe the open living space in cheery light. A rich, coffee-colored leather loveseat and a recliner sat on a deep cranberry-red area rug and cozied up to a wood stove. On the other side of the room, cast iron skillets hung on the log wall. Cabinets lined the wood and were topped with what looked like hewn logs for a counter. The space was homey yet functional, upscale but unassuming. How it had been built with no access and nothing close amazed him.

“Daddy, look at the bear.” Carter pointed to a big grizzly hanging over the windows and front door behind Marshall. “Eena shot dat bear.”

Carter’s eyes, wide as saucers, looked up at the animal in awe. Marshall was pretty awestruck himself. He scooped up his son and pointed to the grizzly’s three-inch claws.

“That’s a gigantic bear, for sure.” Marshall peered at Carter’s profile. “Do you think Lena was scared?”

Carter’s head shook. “Nope. Eena’s not a’scared of nothing.” The confidence in his tiny voice amused Marshall.

The kid was perceptive. Lena Rebel didn’t seem to have the word fear in her vocabulary. It intimidated Marshall and invigorated him at the same time.

“You two are going to be in the sheep room.” Lena’s voice preceded her as she stepped from the back of the cabin. “Why don’t you come and put your stuff down, then we can help Bjørn with the rest of the supplies?”

Marshall set Carter down and hiked the bag slung over his shoulder up. Lena’s smile as Carter dashed through the living room with a whoop had Marshall’s heart thumping against his ribs. Would she smile at him too? He rolled his eyes at himself when she turned away without even a glance. He wasn’t some tongue-tied teenager anymore. There was no reason for him to be disappointed in her lack of attention or for his palms to get sweaty at the thought of being alone with her and Carter on the mountain.

When Marshall stepped into the small room, his estimation of the place rose even further. The room held a bunk bed and a single made from logs and decked out with rustic bedding. A snow-white Dall sheep skin hung on one wall, and two large windows sported views of the rocky mountaintops surrounding them. Every area of the cabin brought the Alaskan range inside, creating an intimate embrace with nature.

He could easily see wanting to just stay in bed and look out across the vistas. What was this place used for? Was it a family retreat, a place to escape? Was it a business lodge, and he was costing them revenue from guests? He’d have to ask Lena and make sure this family, who had so graciously taken in a pair of runaways, got compensated for their generosity.

“My room is right across the hall, and there’s a bathroom between us.” Lena pointed through the door, quickly dropping her hand when it brushed Marshall’s arm in the small space. “We have to haul water up, so we’ll need to be conservative.”

“All right. No pampering in long showers.” Marshall tossed his bag onto one of the beds.

Lena’s mouth tweaked up like his comment amused her, and the disappointment of earlier flew out the window. She’d been doing that more and more lately, or maybe it was that being stuck with her gave him a chance to see who she really was. Even more encouraging was the fact it didn’t hold the derision it would have two weeks before. Arne’s words about Lena not hating him came to mind, and Marshall wondered again if her father might be right.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but the thought emboldened him. He took a step closer. When her eyebrow rose in a what-do-you-think-you’re-doing look, he stifled a grin at her spunk.

“Lena, thank you for all of this.” He touched her elbow and sparks shot up his fingers at the feel of her soft skin. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you for saving us and keeping us safe.”

She stared up at him. When she didn’t yank her arm from his touch, he inched closer. Her forehead furrowed as she studied his face. Could he be brave and take the risk? When he jumped from the safety of the walls he’d built, would he land intact or splat in a bigger mess than he already was?

The screen door squeaked open, followed by a grunt and a slam. Lena stepped back and bumped into a bench behind her. Her eyebrows pushed even closer together as her gaze darted to Carter and back.

“I’m going to help Bjørn.” She swallowed and pushed past Marshall. “Go ahead and stay here with Carter.”

Marshall stared at the mountains. His heart beat wildly in his chest like he’d just played a game of one-on-one and come out victorious. He pursed his lips together to keep his smile in check. He was done analyzing if he should or shouldn’t give in to his attraction. For the first time in years, he finally saw through his grief to the possibility of finding happiness again. Now, he’d just have to convince Lena that he wasn’t the enemy.

---