Page 37 of Enraged

“Dispatch, be advised, there’s no flames showing,” he teased.

Dispatch, be advised I’m about to smack your lieutenant.

“I’m tryin’, bitch! I was rearranging everything so the oxygen could feed the logs!”

He looked up from unloading the grocery bags, clearly impressed by what I had said.

I was with y’all all through the fire academy and I’ve spent the last twelve years listening to y’all talk about it.

I struck a match across the brick, tossed it in the enormous opening, and watched the fire roar to life.

“Good girl.”

My pulse quickened.

Why have you said that about fifteen times in the last twelve hours?

“I hope you’re not seriously impressed that I can build a fire” I giggled.

“I’m impressed that you have the initiative,” he explained as he put the groceries away.

Is that a compliment?

“I’ll get all that put up. You go make sure we have wood!”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded, abandoning a pack of steaks near the stove.

Do I ever put the cold stuff in the fridge or just sit it out on the damn porch? Fuckin’ power outage.

Gathering all the perishables, I hauled them out to the back deck. From somewhere in the yard, I could hear Dakota’s voice.

Who the fuck is he talking to? Sir, this is the wilderness.

I began pulling things out of the brown paper sacks, sitting them out neatly on the old picnic table. Off in the distance, I heard Dakota laugh.

What the fuck?

I opened a carton of eggs so the cold air could get to them.

One thing all southerners will tell you is that we prefer a winter power outage to one in the summertime. If the power goes out this time of year, we just stick our groceries out on a table in the yard, fully confident that that outdoor temperatures will keep things from spoiling.

As I finished unloading all the things, Dak’s laugh echoed through the trees.

Someone is gettin’ real close to needin’ a grippy sock vacation.

Dakota

“Lena?”

No answer.

“Lena Loo!”

Still nothing.

“Jolene! Where you at?” My voice ricocheted off the cabin walls.

Where the hell did she go?

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