Rocky Retreat (5 page)

There they lay, flat on their backs, their sides still brushing. Both of them staring at the ceiling as they discussed his morning wood and daydreamed about what they could do with it.

Lee would be ready to apply for sainthood by the time this relationship got consummated.

“Is it still storming?” Rachel finally asked, breaking through the dirty images that were doing nothing to ease the ache in his groin.

He listened for a moment, twisting his head fruitlessly toward the window. Even if the storm had passed, at this time of the year it wouldn’t be light until much later in the day. “It’s not blowing so hard anymore.”

“Doesn’t mean it isn’t snowing, right?”

“Winter in Alberta. You don’t like the weather? Wait two hours and it’ll change.”

The local saying brought another small laugh from her as Rachel propped herself up on an elbow. There was just enough light they could see each other, mostly as an outline.

She smiled—not one of delight, more tinted with sheepishness and regret. “I’m sorry if I’m tormenting you.”

“I hope I’m tormenting you a little as well,” he teased back.

She swung her legs around to pull into a sitting position, and cold air rushed under the sleeping bag.

“Yikes.” She was flat on her back in an instant, fabric tugged to her chin.

Lee rolled, careful to keep the material from moving and letting the warm air escape. “I take it you’re not getting up to start the fire?”

She clutched the edge of the fabric with two hands, eyes deliberately wide. “Oh, no, sir. That would be the task of the big, strong male in the room.” She wrinkled her nose even as her words shot pleasure through him. “Sexist or not, it’s damn cold out there.”

“You’re so lucky I stumbled in last night.” He took a deep breath and gathered his strength for a brand-new reason.

Slipping from under the toasty-warm covers was like dropping into one of Dante’s levels of hell. It was worse than hours earlier, the floor now icy cold underfoot since the cabin stove was inadequate to carry a bank of coals throughout the whole night, even with the damper shut down hard. He hurriedly pulled on his wool socks and coat before attempting to get the fire going.

Rachel stayed tucked under the covers, but she was watching him, the dim light from the candles he’d put a match to allowing him to witness her rising curiosity as he moved through his tasks.

“What are you doing?”

He pointed to the knob on the chimney pipe he’d just twisted. “This? Spark retarder. When the stove is cold, you need to open it
and
the damper, or it takes too long for the chimney to draw. There’s got to be heat in the stovepipe for it to work properly.”

“Oh.” He could see the wheels spinning in her head. “That’s why I ended up with so much smoke in the cabin when I lit it yesterday.”

“Brilliant as well as beautiful,” he complimented her.

She made a noise at him, but her eyes sparkled as she tucked her nose under the sleeping bag. He didn’t blame her. It was damn chilly in the room.

“It won’t be long now,” he promised. Lee glanced toward the counter, checking the supplies she’d laid out. “Coffee or hot chocolate?”

“Let’s go gourmet,” she suggested. “Mix them.”

It was a good idea, especially after he checked her coffee supply. If they added it to the chocolate, they might not run out before the weather broke. The other possibility was there might be a stash of emergency supplies somewhere in the cabin—most of the old trappers were good about preparing for anything. “After we have breakfast we’ll explore.”

Rachel curled herself into a sitting position, the sleeping bag wrapped around her shoulders. “Inside or out?”

“Both. We’ll wait until later in the day to go outside, but we need to find out what we have for supplies. Even if it keeps storming, I can make it to the highway, but we’re far enough into the bush I’d like to avoid trying unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

She was frowning, her happiness wiped away. “You’re not going traipsing off into the woods. It’s not safe.”

“I know, that’s why I said if at all possible we’ll stay here. But if we don’t have enough food, we’ll do the next thing.”

Rachel shook her head rapidly. “And the best next thing is not for you to wander into the wilderness in the dead of winter. I can afford to go without food for a few days, and we’ve got all the water we need. You’re not leaving.”

Already she felt comfortable enough to challenge him. Lee’s smile widened. Chances were they’d be trapped for a couple more days. Plenty of time to talk. Time to really get to know each other. It was awesome.

Then she pushed off the blankets and reached for her clothes, and his body reminded him all over that waiting wasn’t going to be peaches and cream. Good thing he had the best alternative to a cold shower right outside the door.

“Jackpot.”

Rachel looked as excited as he felt as they hauled out the shallow wooden box that had been tucked beneath the bed.

“Holy cow, that’s heavy,” she exclaimed as she tried to pull the crate out farther on her own.

Once both handles were free, Lee reached past her to grab them and move their find into the center of the room. It was midmorning, and the cabin had warmed up enough they’d gone looking through the admittedly small space. “The old-timers know how hellish the weather can get. I’m pretty sure we don’t have to worry about rationing your food anymore.”

He undid the latches holding the top wooden plank in place, and they worked together to lift off the lid.

Rachel made a sound of delight as she went through the supplies. “It’s like early Christmas.” She held up a handful of chocolate bars, delight shining in her eyes. “Okay. You can eat everything else. I’ve got what I need to survive.”

He laughed. “You can have the chocolate. It’s not my favourite.”

Rachel tilted her head to one side. “Really? But you had hot chocolate in your coffee this morning.”

Lee lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “That was to make things last. I prefer my coffee black.”

She placed the chocolate on the table, reaching for the next item. She paused with her hand over the box. “It’s really okay for us to use this stuff?”

“Of course, that’s what it’s here for.” Lee gestured around them. “Even if this were a private residence being used on a regular basis, under emergency conditions, all rules get tossed out the window.”

“If you could open them,” she teased.

She’d been shocked to find the snow outside the cabin door piled nearly four feet high when he’d pulled open the door that morning. The trip to the outhouse had required some path clearing on his part before she could make it through.

The wind had still been howling, and the sky the deep grey-black of predawn, but it looked as if conditions might improve later. In the meantime, they’d had breakfast and were now exploring the small cabin.

“What else do you like?” Rachel asked as she set the cans in neat rows on the table. “You take your coffee black. What would you have for dessert if you got a choice?”

“You know this.” Lee poked her in the arm with a can of baked beans. “Back in the spring when I would come to the café to bother you, you got to the point you’d bring my coffee and dessert before I even ordered.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “You’re right. I know this.”

“Don’t make it sound like you’ve committed some unforgivable sin. It’s just dessert.”

“It’s not that. It’s… I’ve been so tied up in my own head. You take your coffee black, and you want whatever cream pie we’re serving.” Her smile twisted. “Why does everything I say to you sound dirty all of a sudden?”

He didn’t want to laugh, but it was true. “Doesn’t bother me.”

They went through the entire crate, discussing their food preferences. Sharing stories about times they were little, like when Rachel decided malted milk chocolate balls were the only thing she wanted for supper.

She shook her head. “As much as I love chocolate, I can’t eat them to this day.”

“How many did you get down before you got sick?”

“More than my parents thought possible. Trust me, they taste much worse on the way up.” She sat at the table and was playing with the cans, her delicate fingers dancing over the metal surfaces even as she stared off into space, her dark hair pulled back into a tidy ponytail. “That was back when I remember there being a lot more laughter in our house.”

“Your parents don’t get along?”

Rachel hesitated. “I don’t know that it’s so much that. There always seems to be this tension now. I don’t remember that from when I was young.”

“It might have been there, but you weren’t aware.” Lee settled next to her. Daylight filtered in through the curtainless windows, finally brightening the room to the point he could extinguish the lantern. “When I was little, my parents were this impenetrable wall. I knew they loved me, and that was it. I only noticed when something interrupted their calm. Heck, I didn’t clue in they were real people until I got out of my teens.”

“I think we all do that with our parents,” Rachel said.

“They’re no longer infallible figures. They have flaws, make mistakes—” Lee shook his head. “My dad has been fighting health issues since the summer. He starts feeling better and then it sets in again and throws him for a loop. The doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. My invulnerable father seems to have lost his superpowers.”

Rachel nodded slowly. “That’s another part of growing up. We’re more aware. We see what’s happening in their lives as well as our own.”

“I’m glad I’ve got them,” Lee confessed. “I know it’s a standing community joke about the Colemans all living in each other’s pockets, but while there are moments that closeness is a pain in the butt, it’s usually the biggest blessing in my life.”

“You never feel like you’re being overwhelmed?”

“I don’t know about that. The clan can be nosy as all get out, but at the root of it, they mean well. At least ninety-nine percent of the time.” He paused. He didn’t want her thinking everything was sunshine and roses. “It’s like anywhere. Some people you trust more than others. I’m fortunate that in my immediate family, none of them annoy the hell out of me, except when they’re trying to. You have met my brother Trevor, right?”

Rachel laughed. “He can be a bit of trouble. Yes, I know what you’re talking about. But he seems mostly harmless.”

That made Lee snicker. “Mostly harmless. Nice one. I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”

“He thinks he’s God’s gift to women. It’s good to cut him down a notch or two.”

“You’re bad.” But she was smiling. “My family is different than yours. I have one sister who is ten years older than me. She’s been married forever and lives in California. We were never close, and when she got married she moved away so I rarely see her. I’ve always spent more time with friends than family.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Lee insisted. “If anything, the Coleman family is out of the norm these days. Most of us still live in the Rocky area, although one of my uncles did move away years ago. My dad and uncles rarely talk about him. And one uncle died—I think both those things happened about the same time.”

Family. He enjoyed having them, but what he had experienced was unique.

That fact was made even clearer as Rachel went on.

“My parents aren’t that annoying—I don’t want to give that impression, but I can tell something is up. Maybe some of it’s my imagination, but the last time I saw them, Mom was not pleased with me for rushing off and marrying Gary.” Rachel pulled a face. “Which makes sense considering how well
that
turned out.”

Heaviness began to descend on the room, and Lee shot to his feet, determined to give her something else to focus on. “Time to go exploring,” he announced.

Rachel shuddered, glancing toward the window. “Now?”

“It might get warmer this afternoon, but we have chores to do. They’ll keep us warm.”

Even though she wasn’t thrilled, she moved to get dressed. He was pleased to see she had full winter wear, including boots that stretched all the way to her knees. He pulled on his snow gear, smiling as Rachel purred happily.

“My gloves are toasty warm from hanging by the fire.”

She wiggled her fingers at him, and he laughed. “As long as you can keep doing that, you’ll be okay. Let’s get some fresh air.”

They marched outside, Lee pausing to brace her when she took a too-enthusiastic breath and ended up in a coughing fit. His lungs protested as well as the bitterly cold air blistered past his tongue.

“That’s wicked cold,” she said once she’d gotten back under control. She waded down the narrow path he’d stomped out earlier to the outhouse. She tilted her head back so the sun shone on her face as she inhaled more carefully. “The calm after the storm. Beautiful.”

Her dark hair stuck out from the edges of her hood, and even under her thick parka, her feminine form was all too clear. Then again, she could have been wearing a polar bear costume and he’d still be turned on, just knowing it was Rachel standing not ten feet from him.

He tore his gaze away to examine the sky, pointing toward the mountaintop rising above the trees to the west. “We have sunshine now, but those clouds are going to roll in on us, and fast. I bet we get a heavy snowfall again by this evening, maybe sooner.”

She glanced at her car. “Which is why we’re not trying to get out of here while the sun is shining?”

Lee cleared his throat. “No, we’re not taking your two-wheel-drive car down an icy mountain road that has widow-maker corners and two-hundred-foot drop-offs. Not when there’s a blizzard waiting to swoop down on us.”

Her eyes widened as he spoke. “Then I guess we better get those chores done that you mentioned.”

Lee handed her a shovel and a smile. “You know the trail to follow. Don’t bother going all the way to the ground, and only as wide as the shovel head is good enough.”

He waited until she’d slung the first load of snow out of the way, working the path to the outhouse before he picked up the axe. The pile of firewood inside needed to be replenished, and although he made light of it, from the look of the clouds, bad weather would arrive sooner than later.