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Amelia did the same, taking off her shoes and her pants, as well as her sweater, before she slipped past me into the cabin. I followed suit, dropping my backpack next to the door and peeking into the bathroom.
Before we could indulge in a hot shower, I had to check the pipes—that was exactly where the problem lay. The last guests had reported that the water pressure was virtually nonexistent, resulting in only a trickle of water from the shower.
Not a good sign, but definitely something fixable. The problem likely wasn't with the pipes but with the water heater or its source.
When I entered the living room, Amelia was kneeling in front of the fireplace. There was no central heating up here, just the option to warm the rooms with the stove. And as it looked, her efforts were quite successful as the first flames were already licking the logs she had stacked up.
"Believe it or not, I grew up in the countryside too," she responded to my look of surprise.
"Your gardening skills suggest otherwise."
"But not my cooking and baking skills," she retorted. "Plus, I can ride horses."
"That's not news to me."
She glared at me darkly. "And I've even assisted in the birth of lambs. I can easily make up for a few dead plants."
"So what brought you to the big city then?"
She shrugged one shoulder. "No idea. Probably the desire to experience both sides. And then, somehow, I just never managed to leave."
"Until now."
"Until now," she repeated, closing the stove door. She was still kneeling on the floor but now leaned back a bit. "I'm also quite handy."
"Are you listing all the reasons why I can't let you go?"
"Do you really need any more reasons?"
The point had clearly gone to her—and none of my reasons had anything to do with her possessing any skills useful for the bed-and-breakfast.
"I find more every day," I admitted. "But how about you help me out for a bit? A hot shower sounds very tempting right now."
"Together?"
I snorted. "Of course together. I wasn't finished with you yet."
Amelia jumped up. "If that's the case… where are the tools, and what needs fixing?"
If she tackled the problem with the same enthusiasm, it wouldn't be long before it was fixed, and we could move on to the more fun part of our trip.
We spent the next four hours figuring out the issue and then finding a solution that didn't require us to return to the bed-and-breakfast only to have to come back again. Eventually, there was no doubt that we had truly earned that hot shower.
Amelia also got the chance to showcase her culinary skills since the fridge, the shelves, and what we had brought with us only offered a sparse selection. After two hours of driving and four hours of repairs, it was clear that we wouldn't be heading back today.
I had already warned Soraya and Declan about the lack of reception up here, making it impossible to inform them otherwise. The last thing we needed was a missing persons report, especially since Sergeant Williams would hardly find it amusing to have to search for us up here… only to find that neither of us had spared a thought that we might have to spend the night in the mountains.
The choice was clear when I had to decide between Sergeant Williams showing up and the opportunity to delve into some new developments without disturbance.
Though I had hinted as much to Amelia, I still doubted she had any idea what was coming. Nor was I ready to give her any clues just yet.
"If I remember correctly, didn't you mention a shower earlier?" Even as I asked, I was pulling two neatly folded towels from the shelf in the small hallway.
The cabin offered limited space, making efficient use essential. Amelia slipped past me into the bathroom, already shedding her remaining clothes. When I followed her, the shower was already running. My gaze landed on the washing machine, busy cleaning the muddy clothes we had shed earlier. I had wisely packed replacements, but we had still spent the last hours in our partial attire as it made no sense to dirty more clothes.
Amelia threw her shirt at me, already half under the flowing water. The warmth in the small room increased rapidly with the steam that enveloped us.
Her eyes roamed over my bare chest, and once again, hers were the first to darken. She bit her lip unconsciously, and not wanting to keep her waiting, I hurried to join her.
