Page 78 of His One True Wish

I walked straight through the kitchen as Cam bounded outside. I went into the bedroom and closed the door behind me. My chest heaved as the tears I held at bay spilled down my cheeks. I wiped them off with the back of my hand. Fuck me for crying. Fuck me for trusting Axl Grey.

I picked up my socks and scanned the bedroom for any more of my clothes. I grabbed my duffle. In the bathroom, I swept my toiletries off the counter and into my bag. Then I walked through thehouse in my boots, tracking melting ice across the floors. Axl was a neat freak. He’d clean it up. I didn’t care.

I stood in front of the fire, shaking. Outside, I heard the sound of metal scraping across icy snow. I glanced out the kitchen window. Axl stood behind the truck, shoveling. He’d made good progress and was already two to three feet behind the truck bed. A big bag of salt sat leaning against the back tire.

Axl put his shovel down and poured salt along the snowy drive. He didn’t look at the house. He focused on the ground. I guess he wasn’t a total liar. He’d made good on his promise to dig me out.

CHAPTER 23

BILLIE

Once packed, I went outside and picked up a shovel by the barn. I started to dig, throwing all my weight into the activity. It was hard work. It felt therapeutic. I focused on the snow, digging, lifting, and throwing it, knowing each shovelful meant I was closer to driving away from Smoke River and leaving Axl.

Axl worked the back of the truck, and I focused on the sides. He was not joking about being good at shoveling, but damn if I was going to let him “rescue me.” I was done being the girl in distress.

I scooped up snow and buried the memory of sleeping naked by Axl in front of the fire. I scooped up snow and tried to forget the first time I kissed him and how the kiss traveled from my lips to my center.

My radar was broken. I knew this in Seattle. I knew this on the drive to Denver. I let my guard down for two nights, and I pick a guy who doesn’t give a shit about cheating.

After about an hour, I looked up and a sinking feeling filled my body. Axl was close to the turn in the drive, but we were not even close to getting the truck out. I did not want to spend another night here.

The buzz of a snowmobile cut through the air. I stopped shoveling and looked up to see Ethan rounding the corner of the cabin. He’d come up along the river and the south field.

I leaned on the handle, happy for a break.

“Hey, Billie,” Ethan said, climbing off the sled. “Dad sent me. Said I need to help you get out before it’s dark. He told your mom he’d get you home tonight. If we can’t get you out, he’ll update her.”

“Oh, we’re getting me out tonight,” I said. “Thanks so much for helping.”

He looked at the truck. “Why don’t I put the chains on for you?”

“That would be downright dreamy.”

Axl waved at Ethan, but kept digging. He’d rounded the corner, which meant I was almost to the main road.

“Dad said the plow will be running in about an hour, so you should have no trouble.”

“Great.” Relief flooded my body. I was going home. I popped into the house to get my duffle and threw it into the back of the cab. Ethan got the chains on and backed the car up to make sure traction was good. Engine running, he opened the door and hopped out.

“She feels good.” He nodded down the drive. “You want to wait until the plow hits the logging road?”

“No, I’m ready,” I said, thinking about the drive ahead. “I would rather go now and not risk being out there in the dark.”

“All righty then,” Ethan said stepping aside. He handed me a flip phone. “Dad said to take this.”

“I can’t take a phone.”

“Sure you can,” Ethan said. “It’s an old flip phone that dad hasn’t disconnected from his account. He says you can’t do much on it, but if you need to make a call, you can.”

Tears flooded my eyes. I was so grateful to Mason and his boys for being kind to me. “Thanks,” I said. “Tell your dad I say thank you.”

“You got it.”

I reached out and gave him a quick hug before climbing into the truck. Ethan patted the hood, signaling I was all clear. I backed up the truck and did a three-point turn heading toward the road. Axl andCam were up ahead. I drove slowly, knowing Axl would hear the crunch of the wheels.

Axl was at the edge of the drive, still digging. He looked up as my lights flashed on the snow. Stepping out of the way, he clapped his hands, signaling Cam to jump beside him. I slowly rolled past the two of them. Axl nodded as I passed. I gave him a look, but didn’t smile. I didn’t roll down the window. In my rearview, Cam sat at his feet watching my taillights. It was hard not to imagine she was wondering why I was leaving.

The drive home was cake. It was everything the drive to Smoke River was supposed to be forty-eight hours before. Snowplows cleared the roads out to Four Clover Farm. Once I hit the icy highway, the drive was even easier with chains. As long as I didn’t stop, I was good to go.

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