Page 13 of Sustain

“You two stay safe,” Billy says with a smile. “These storms can be unpredictable. You’ve got my number now if you need anything.”

I nod and give a wave as I shut the cab door. I only hesitate for a moment to watch what, for all intents and purposes, is a mini tank, roll on its treads into the darkening squall.

Shutting the door to the cabin behind me, I stomp and shake the snow from my person and kick off my boots, glad to be out of the frigid cold.

“Did we really just hitch a ride with Santa Claus?” Mackenzie asks from across the room. I can hear in her voice that she’s still a little loopy from the morphine.

“Indeed, we did,” I say, searching for the remote for the fireplace. It’s warm in here from the furnace, but not as warm as I’d like. “Didn’t you see that bag of toys he had behind his seat, or Rudolph leading us here?”

“I wondered what that was,” she laughs. “I thought it might be a body.”

“A body?” I ask, glancing over to her to see if she’s okay.

“Yeah...” she furrows her brow as if concerned about herself now, too. “Sorry, I hang out with the guys too much. They watch a lot of horror films.”

“Ah,” I nod my understanding. It makes sense.

“What are you looking for?” she asks, her laugh dying down.

“The bloody remote for the fireplace. I don’t see it anywhere.”

She bursts out in laughter again, and now I know for sure that she’s lost it.

“What?” I ask, genuinely concerned for her mental state. “What’s so funny?”

She points to the side of the large fireplace that takes up half of the back wall of the large cabin.

“See all that?” she asks, waving her hand slowly up and down. “That’s called firewood. We use that here in America to build fires.”

It’s only then that I see the cord of wood stacked against the side of the rock fireplace. I can’t help the chuckle that bubbles up as I feel my face heat.

Fucking hell.

“In my defense, my fireplace at home is gas and uses a remote. And, I haven’t spent a lot of time here yet.” I head over to the wood pile and start constructing a fire. “I happen to also be American, just so you know. Dual citizenship.”

“Oh, really? When did you convert?”

A snort escapes me before I can control it. I glance over my shoulder at her to give a snarky reply and see her struggling to shrug out of her ski jacket.Shit. I should have got her settled first.

“Damn. Forgive me. I should have made you comfortable before running around trying to do everything else.” I rush overand help her out of her coat, and as she leans back, I prop her bad leg under a pile of throw pillows. She only flinches once. “Better? What else can I get you? Hot cocoa? Tea?”

“You can stuff your tea,” she says, pulling the throw blanket I place over her up to her chin as she closes her eyes. “I’ll take some of the first thing.”

“Hot cocoa?”

“Yes, please.” Her voice drifts off, and I think she might be falling asleep again. The pain medicine sure does knock her out.

I head into the kitchen area and start rummaging through the cabinets. I was hoping to find some instant hot cocoa packets, but don’t find any. The couple I rented this place from last minute said the cabin was stocked, which, for the most part, it is. Just no cocoa.

Standing in the middle of the room, staring at the flickering reflection of the firelight on the copper pans hanging above the island, I scratch my head. My eye catches on the gift basket left as a ‘welcome’ present or something for me. More like a‘Thanks for overpaying for your stay,’gift. Sifting through the items, I find what I was looking for: A stack of dark chocolate bars.Perfect.

I warm up some milk in a pot on the stove as I break one of the bars into small pieces, and once the milk is steaming, I lower the heat and add the chocolate, stirring it constantly. I’m instantly transported back to when my mother used to make this for me on cold London afternoons after coming in from sledding on a hill down the road with my friends.

I guess winter sports have always kind of been my thing.

I send some quick texts to make sure all is well at the hotel, and once the cocoa is ready, I pour it into mugs and head back into the main room. Mackenzie did fall asleep, so I stoke the fire in the fireplace and sit back next to her. While I did try to becareful not to wake her, she opens her eyes and squints into the fire for a minute.

“You okay?” I ask, gently pushing a lock of her hair out of her eyes. “I made hot cocoa for you.”

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