Page 43 of Tempting Promises
“Keep going, Charlotte, you’re doing great,” Rowan encourages when I pull us to a stop for the tenth time.
My leg hurts. My ankle is throbbing so badly that the smallest movement sends shooting pain up my leg, and I am exhausted. “I can’t keep going.”
He faces me, his hands cupping my face. “We’re almost there. You have to keep going, it’s just about a quarter of a mile, then you can sit and rest, but the storm is getting worse, and we can’t take a break now.”
Normally, a mile or so walk would be less than fifteen minutes, at my pace, we’re at almost an hour. My feet are drenched, and I’m pretty sure my toes are going to fall off, but Rowan hasn’t said one thing. He’s just held on to me, keeping me from falling when I slip and forcing me to keep going.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my feelings starting to overwhelm me.
“You can apologize when we’re inside and warm. Come on, Charlotte. Let’s go.”
I exhale deeply and nod, limping my way to the cabin in an ice storm.
eleven
ROWAN
We get to the cabin without breaking our necks, which I think is a damn miracle in and of itself, but everything that can go wrong is going wrong.
There is no dry wood anywhere.
The ice storm has made what would normally be useable, absolute shit, so I am digging around to find anything to get us through. I need about five times as much tinder if I’m working with wet wood. Thankfully, the ice hasn’t penetrated and covered everything completely yet. I’ve gathered a lot in the last forty minutes that was under a few big trees and am walking back for the third time to drop it off.
I have no idea what this storm is going to do, but I have a feeling it won’t be good.
“Rowan?” Charlotte calls from inside.
I push the door open. “Yes?”
“It’s freezing in here. We have to get the fire going.”
“Hence the scavenger hunt I’ve been on the last hour.”
“I’m just worried because there’s ice coming in the fireplace.” She tempers her voice.
I nod once. “I’ll have it going soon. Did you find any food?”
“Yeah, the cabinet had some questionable items, but the datesare good. Plus, what we have in our packs will get us through at least five days.”
“I pray to God we aren’t here that long.”
“Seriously, you’ll be dead by then.”
I laugh once. “I’ll have killed you and buried the body.”
Charlotte snorts. “Please, even injured I can kick your ass.”
At least she still has her attitude.
“Anyway, go do whatever it is you can do while I take care of the important things.” I close the door and head back out to get some more supplies as the freezing rain continues to fall.
Another twenty minutes, and the weather has only gotten worse. I can’t be out here digging around much longer.
I just have to keep the fire going. If it burns out, we’re fucked.
When I get back in the cabin, Charlotte is sitting at the table, her leg propped up on the other chair.
“I’m going to get the fire going.”
