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The constant whine of the wind subsided as soon as he stepped inside the cabin. It still found its way through cracks in the wall planks, and past the plywood nailed over the missing windows. The cabin held no furniture, other than two benches built into the wall, wide enough for sleeping pads. There used to be a wood stove, but it had been removed long ago, along with its stovepipe. Plywood had been nailed over the former vent. The entire place was more or less a wooden box. But a safe, dry box out of the wind, so he’d take it.
Brenda stepped in behind him, having apparently gotten tired of being alone with the howling wind out there.
“Minimalist,” she murmured. “I like it.”
“It’ll do.”
“Is there any way we can have a fire?” She rubbed her hands together to warm them.
“Sorry. It’s not safe with no stove and all that wind. This cabin isn’t vented anymore, so even if I could start a fire in something, we’d be smoked out in no time.”
She nodded. Again, not complaining. “At least we’re out of the wind.”
“I’ll make it as comfortable as possible, I swear.”
Her dubious expression told him he had his work cut out for him. “How?”
“Watch and learn.”
He loved nothing more than rising to a wilderness challenge. For the next few moments he bustled about the little cabin. First, he spread the sleeping bags on the two benches. He stuffed extra clothing in the gaps under the door and windows where the wind came in. When the drafts had been sufficiently blocked, he hung a portable LED lantern from a hook in the ceiling. The light gave the illusion of warmth, if nothing else.
He got some water heating up on his high-powered portable camp stove. It generated some heat, maybe enough to make a difference in a small space like this. He gestured to Brenda to come stand near it. “You can warm your hands while the water boils. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.” A moment later she broke into a grin. “I’m famished, thanks for asking. What’s for dinner?”
“Beef stew, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, chana masala, mushroom barley soup, mung daal with tofu.”
He’d listed all the dehydrated meals he’d brought, expecting her to choose one or two. Instead she smiled again. “Excellent. That all sounds great.”
A woman with an appetite. She just got more and more attractive to him.
“I also have some beef jerky, salmon jerky, and plenty of chocolate. I brought an instant chocolate mousse for dessert. If you’re a drinker, I have a flask of brandy, but let’s make sure we’re warm and snug before we get into that. Alcohol can lower your body temperature.”
“You are a prince.” Her heartfelt tone matched the way she clasped her hands under her chin. “A prince among guides.”
“Here to serve.” He sketched an elaborate bow. Whenever he was in the wild, even in a cabin, he felt looser and more free to be a goofball if he felt like it.
She burst out laughing. “You look like an actor in a Shakespeare play. Or a Bridgerton episode.”
He had no idea what that was, but he could cop to the Shakespeare. As he pulled out the food packages from his pack, he told her about the time he’d been recruited to play Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. “At least I think that was the name.” He frowned, trying to remember. “I got stabbed, I remember that. I was always so relieved when I reached my death scene. After that I got to go backstage and work on my knitting with my friend who played Juliet’s nurse. I made sixteen pairs of socks during that run.”
“Was it at the high school?” Brenda perched on one of the benches, pulling up her legs to sit tailor-style. “In the auditorium?”
“Yes, but this was years ago. Before you came.”
She shot him a curious look. “How do you know when I came?”
Oh shit. Busted again. One of these days he was going to let it slip that he knew exactly when she came to town because he’d seen her carry her box of personal items into the elementary school and stopped dead in his tracks, unable to move until she’d disappeared through the door. “Didn’t you say you’ve only been here a short time?”
“Oh. I probably did. Besides, I suppose everyone knows that kind of thing.”
“Not really. Things happen all the time that I don’t know about. My own brother became an alderman and I was on a backcountry trip when it happened. Conor Gault moved here because he got together with Emmaline from the maple syrup farm and that was news to me. I took her brother Henry fishing and he kept raving about Conor but I didn’t know why. Generally, I have to get my town news from the Clarion, but they only put it out in the summer time. In the winter, I drop by the firehouse or the Blue Drake to get updates. Also Redbull’s aunty knows everything that goes on in town. She’s a one-woman tribal network, and I guess Lake Bittersweet is one step removed from her tribe. Sorry, I guess I’m talking a lot. I can stop.”
Why was he talking so much? Probably because it made him nervous being this close to Brenda with all her beauty and kindness. In this small space, he couldn’t just ignore her, and he don’t want to confess his attraction, so that left him with jibber-jabbering.
“No, I like hearing you talk.” She propped her back against the wall and smiled at him brightly. “It’s a good distraction. Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help you?”
“I got this. It’s my job. Your job is to rest and recover. That was a long hike and you did good.”
