Page 12 of His Forever Princess

His vest was covered in a thin layer of snow, his hand a block of ice when he grabbed onto her shoulder to steady himself.

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?" It was a silly thing to ask, but it was the first thing her mind latched onto.

"D-didn't h-have any," he mumbled through chattering teeth.

"Come on," she urged. "We have to get you inside."

It was only a few steps, but with his weight heavy against her and his feet dragging, the door seemed so far away.

One step. Two.

He stumbled. Even with her feet braced apart, they both almost went down.

She cried out. He gasped. Was he in pain? Was it his injury?

"You make me so angry," she cried out as she made a huge lunge toward the door.

He caught himself on the door frame, keeping them both from falling. Somehow, they shouldered him inside.

She was panting now, sweating a little beneath her layers from the exertion.

"You aren't thirty anymore," she said quietly, angrily. Tears were gathering in her throat and that made her angry too. "You can't just hare off into the woods. What if you'd frozen to death out there?"

His eyes were half-closed, his teeth chattering. He didn't answer.

He could be suffering from hypothermia. Her brain started to whirl in useless circles. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't get on her phone to find answers.

Get him warm.

That's all she could think.

New anger rose, anger that she hadn't gone out to find the woodpile herself. The small heater wasn't keeping up with the temperature outside, though it was warmer in here than out in the elements.

She needed to get him dry. Then she could build a fire in the pot-bellied stove in one corner of the cabin.

He hadn't moved since they'd come inside, only remained leaning against the wall. Was he even coherent?

"Come on," she demanded. "You need dry clothes." She reached up to unzip the vest and push it off his shoulders.

He gave a mumbled protest when she dragged his shirt over his head, grunted in pain when she made him raise his left arm. His bandage was still in place. She'd need to check it, but not now.

She went for the blanket from the bed as he struggled out of his pants.

"Get in the bed." She threw the blanket over his shoulders, but he seemed disoriented and didn't move.

She thought of giving him a little shove, but worried about his wound.

When she tugged him by the hand, he followed her the few steps to the bed, more docile than she'd ever known him to be. When she tried to step away so he could lie down, he wouldn't let go of her. He kept hold of her hand, pulling her close until she was tangled up in the blanket with him.

"Gideon!"

Maybe he fell or maybe it was intentional, but he took her onto the bed with him. He was behind her, snuggling like two spoons. He nuzzled his face into her hair.

"You're warm," he mumbled.

This wasn't a real embrace. He was only trying to get warm. And they'd both be embarrassed when he came to his senses and realized how he was holding her.

But she didn't tell him to let go. Didn't roll away.

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