Page 64 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
She loved it.
It was even more rustic than she’d imagined, but that was its charm. It was all wood inside, from the floors, to the walls, to the ceiling. And it felt homemade, with all the rough edges and the bare-bones attempt at architectural style. There were no flourishes, aside from some antlers over the fireplace, but at the same time, everything looked as though it had been handcrafted.
It was sparsely furnished, with a sofa and coffee table on one side of the room and a bed on the other. A little kitchenette with a small table took up the far corner, and an open door showed a tiny bathroom. “You have plumbing?”
“Mmm, and electricity, though I usually shut it off for the worst of the winter.”
There was a closed door on the far side of the cabin, and Dahlia glanced back at JJ. “Another room?”
He scratched the back of his head with a rueful wince. “Sorta?” He led the way and opened it to reveal a small screened-in porch. There was another bed out there, along with a rocking chair and a heaping stack of books. “I sleep out here in the summer.”
Dahlia nodded. She couldn’t have spoken if she tried because all at once her throat was tight with a sense of… yearning? Was that what this was?
It was like feeling nostalgic but for something she’d never experienced.
She gave her head a shake and turned away as JJ shut the door against a strong wind.
“Make yourself comfortable.” He pointed at the couch. “I just need to make sure this place is secure.”
JJ moved around the cabin with a sense of purpose that made her even more acutely aware of the fact that she was standing there doing nothing.
“What needs to get done?” she asked.
“If a blizzard comes through, this place could get a hammering, and I don’t want to come back and find a window blown in and snow covering the floor.”
“Then let me help.”
He paused, glancing at her with surprise.
She arched her brows. “Do I seem like the type who’d prefer to sit back and relax while you do all the work?”
He chuckled, dipping his head.
“Besides,” she continued, “the sooner we get this done, the sooner we get back on the road.”
His chuckle faded. “You’re right. Here’s what we need to do…”
It didn’t take long with two of them working, and within ten minutes he was clapping his hands together with a satisfied sigh. “Right, all done.”
She peeked at the time on her phone. Thank goodness, they still had over two hours to get to the airport. She was annoyed with herself for being so uptight about it, but a lifetime of being “the responsible one” was hard to shake.
She glanced up to see JJ scanning the place with a smile that made her heart flutter again.
This little cabin was obviously important to him. And being here with him… she could feel it. His connection to this home was palpable, and she felt the echo of it. Like if she was here with him, then she belonged here too.
They shared a smile that was almost intimate, and it unnerved her, so she quickly looked to the floor.
She was being silly and fanciful and… ugh. This was so not like her.
But it was yet another sign that she needed to leave. “If that’s everything…” She headed for the door. “Let’s get to the airport, then.”
“Right.” He followed behind her. “Wouldn’t want you to be late.”
JJ walked to her side first, opening the door for her. He went to help her in, but she beat him to it.
He paused for a second, and she felt her insides tighten with anxiety as the seconds to her flight ticked down. Her arrival home felt like it was looming, and not in a good way.
“Thanks, Dahlia,” he said, nodding toward the cabin. “Your help made it go much faster than usual.”
