Page 7 of I'll Carry You

Jen gritted her teeth. She knew what Mark Dawson, who ran the cabins with his wife Laura, would say. He’d say not to go, that it wasn’t worth putting herself at risk to go help a guest in the middle of the night. But the last thing she needed was a guest complaining about her to Laura in the morning. She wanted to wake up tomorrow with new luck and new perspective. Not carry over the shittiness of the previous day into the morning.

Sighing, she yanked her boots and coat on and headed for the door. She pulled the door closed and deadbolted it. Then she locked the outer glass door. No way in hell she was leaving Colby sleeping without several locks. Hopefully, he wouldn’t wake up and realize he was alone.

Fortunately, the complainer was in cabin four, which was a short walk from the front guest lodge. A halo showed around the full moon, Orion low in the sky already. She frowned and shoved her hands in her pockets.

She trudged up to the cabin, her eyes burning. This would kill her sleep tonight. Once she woke up like this, she could never get back to sleep.

Cabin four was one of the biggest cabins for guests who wanted more luxury than rustic camping. Why would a single guest rent this cabin? Usually, it was for large groups or families.

The light on the porch flipped on, and the door opened as she approached.

Not this guy.

Complainer and Hot Guy from the drive-through were one and the same. Of course. Why wouldn’t it be this way?

Except he wasn’t wearing a suit anymore. He had a fitted T-shirt and pajama pants on. And slippers. How cozy. She barely kept herself from rolling her eyes, surprised that he wasn’t wearing a fleece robe.Rich, spoiled jerk.

The look in his eyes made it clear he recognized her, too. “You,” he said simply.

“Jen.” She stepped through the open doorway. “What seems to be the problem, Mr....”

“Jason.” He motioned her farther in. “I told you. Hot water is broken.”

She sighed and made a beeline for the master bathroom on the first floor. Somehow, she doubted he was using the loft bedroom, even though the view was the best Redding Cabins had to provide. This guy liked his convenience. Her guess proved right. A travel case was open on the sink, and an open box of condoms was on the toilet.

Oh.No wonder he wanted a shower. She didn’t look to see if whoever he’d brought back was still here because she didn’t want to know.

Not her place to judge or even think about guest behavior. She wanted to get out of the cabin as soon as possible. Not that it surprised her he had someone with him. He was handsome. And virile.

Stop it.

She hadn’t had sex in far too long. After her experience with Kevin, she’d sworn off sex without some sort of commitment. Not that Kevin hadn’t promised to be committed. That was beside the point. Maybe things would get serious with Brad soon enough for that to enter the equation, though. She would welcome the end to her very long dry spell.

This line of thought needed to end. Jen went over to the shower and pulled the lever all the way to the left, turning the spray on.

Jason came to the doorway. He crossed his arms, watching her wordlessly. The muscles in his biceps flexed and were toned and smooth. Not that she was trying to pay attention. Her gaze flitted away, lower, and she stared at the floor.Goddammit, Jen.Get it together.She did not want this man thinking she was staring at his package.

“I already did that,” he said finally.

A blush warmed her cheeks. “How long did you leave it on?”

“Enough for it to warm up.” He scowled. “I don’t appreciate the insinuation that I don’t know how to use a shower.”

She checked her watch, not wanting to talk to him. Should she acknowledge their earlier interaction? Not doing so made the whole thing more awkward. She gave him a tight smile. “You’re not from around here, right?”

“I’m from Chicago.”

“Right.” City boy. It showed. “The thing is, we’re on well and septic systems out here. And the water is coming straight from the well, which is way underground, and it’s winter. So it’s freezing. Takes a bit for warm water to come out of the faucets because of the lower water pressure.” She pointed at the sign on the wall by the shower where this was explained.

She walked over to the shower and put her hand under the stream. The temperature had warmed, so it wouldn’t be long now before steam was filling the bathroom. “Give it another minute, and you’ll be fine.”

With a polite smile, she turned to go.

Jason tested the water temperature for himself. Seemingly satisfied with her explanation, he dried his hand, not saying anything else.

All right. Time to go. She headed for the front door. His footsteps padded behind her. Without looking back, she said, “If you need anything else, let me know.”

He hurried to the door. “Wait.” He offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry for making you come out here. I really thought it was broken. I swear I let it run like a minute before.”

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