Page 39 of Enraged

I slid the door open. “Dak?”

Nothing.

Maybe he went back to Creek’s Edge.

Suddenly, the front door swung open, and he appeared, two big paper bags in his arms.

“Dakota! What the fuck!” Without warning, I burst into tears. In an instant, he was at my side, the bags tossed over the back of the couch.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, alarmed, but my words decided not to work.

Speak, bitch.

“What happened, Lena?” He asked again, pulling me into his arms. Still unable to speak, I sobbed into his shoulder.

Maybe I’m the one that needs a grippy sock vacation.

“Shhh…” He soothed me, his hand smoothing down my hair. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded gently.

Finally, I found my voice. “I thought something happened to you! I thought you had gone home or fell down the mountain or a bear had eaten you or…” I trailed off.

“A bear?” He asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “No, I didn’t become bear chow.”

I smacked his chest. “It’s not funny, fuck face! I was genuinely worried.”

Kissing the top of my head, he released me. “I’m sorry I worried you. Mr. Driggers from up the road stopped by when I was out there messin’ with the wood. He said that now the news is saying we could get around two feet of snow and ice, so I decided to go to the liquor store before it got bad.”

It didn’t even occur to me to check the yard for his truck.

“Two feet? Holy shit.”

“Yeah, I know. The liquor store had one flashlight left and some batteries but no candles. I grabbed the light and the batteries because I found a weather radio.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“I think between the fire light and the flashlight, we will make do. I can’t believe we didn’t have any candles in this damn place,” he remarked. “Now, we know we need to stock this place back up before next winter.”

“I have some candles in my car.”

He eyed me curiously. “Orders you haven’t dropped off?”

Uhhh, no. That’s just bad business.

“No. I packed some to set the mood for…” I trailed off. “Anyway, I have some.”

“Awesome sauce. Where are they at in your car? If I start the trek now to get them, I might be back by nightfall.”

I rolled my eyes. “In the back. They’re in a bag with my initials.”

He laughed. “That ought to narrow it down.”

As he walked his sarcastic ass out the front door, I peeked into the discarded bags he left on the couch.

Three bottles of Jack Daniels, a bottle of Patron, a bottle of vodka, a flashlight, some batteries, and a bottle of orange juice.

Damn, so it’s that kinda party.

Dakota

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