An hour later, dressed in sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt with no bra, Gabriela came down the stairs. He’d not meant to notice, but her breasts jutted forward when she put the thick robe back on. On her feet were furry boots she called Uggs, and on her head she wore a knit cap that miraculously held her curls down.
“All right I’m ready. Thanks for taking me back and forth.”
When she smiled at him, Jeremy swallowed. “Not a problem.”
They rode in silence back to her cabin and she hesitated before getting out of the truck’s cab. “Do you appreciate how beautiful the snow looks at night? Or, is it so common you stop looking?”
In the moonlight, the snow appeared to be blue and with the outlines of the trees the scene seemed more like a painting than true life. “Some nights, I’ll sit outside and take in how pretty it all is.”
“That’s good.” Gabriela smiled widely. “Because I won’t forget how beautiful this night is.” Abruptly she opened the door and slid out. Missing his cue to open her door, he climbed out of the truck.
When he rounded the truck, she was at the front door opening it. “Have a good night, I’ll see you at lunch maybe,” Gabriela said. “Thanks again.”
He waited for her to go inside and then went back to his truck. It was close to eleven and now he wasn’t sleepy at all. Jeremy chuckled. The things a pretty girl did to a man.
The next morning started with a bang. Literally.
Thud. Thud. Ripe Curse. Thud.
Jeremy was instantly awake. “What the hell?” He rushed to stand beside the window and peeked out between the blinds. Henry stood just outside his window attempting to split wood or maybe just doing a Michael Jackson impersonation. Each time he lowered the ax and the wood split, he jumped back. “Son of a bitch.”
Jeremy opened the window. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Earning my keep, that’s what,” Henry shot back. “A bit rusty at this though.”
“Parents have truckloads delivered for the festival. We don’t need any wood.” Jeremy shivered from the cold air. “Do something else.”
Henry didn’t seem convinced. “Like what?”
“Check on the horses.” Jeremy yawned so wide, his jaw cracked. “Or the cows.”
“Ha. You don’t have cows. Good one.” Henry gave him a toothy smile. “I’ll make some coffee. Is the front door open?”
He looked to the digital display on the nightstand. “I don’t know, it’s only six-thirty. I’ll let you in. But you best be quiet.”
“There’s a coffee maker in the bunk house,” Jeremy said, sitting at the dining room table a few minutes later. Henry didn’t do random things without reason. He’d probably had a rough night and needed to find a way to distract himself. Sometimes he wished the man would find someone else to be his reality check. And yet Jeremy understood. Having done a couple of tours over at the hellhole himself, it wasn’t something you just got over.
“Did your Dad tell you I’m going to work here for a while? Helping with the festival.”
Jeremy nodded. “He needs the help.”
Henry lowered to a chair with coffee and a plate of toast. “He said I can stay in the spare bedroom in here, but I’ll stick to the bunkhouse.”
“How about you wait until at least seven before popping up?” His father shuffled into the kitchen, scratching his head. “Who in the hell chops wood at six in the morning?”
“I apologize,” Henry said with a sigh. “I was trying to wake Jeremy up gently.”
“That was gentle?” Jeremy huffed. “How about next time you tap on the window?”
“Good idea,” Henry said.
Jeremy’s phone chimed. Cassandra again. Who in the hell did booty calls at seven in the morning? He pressed the silent button and got up. “Gonna take a shower.”
Chapter Five
Upon waking, it took a moment for Gabriela to figure out exactly where she was. The cabin was dim, as she’d drawn the curtains closed the night before. Not because there were any lights outside, but more because she got a bit nervous. What if a bear or a wolf came to the window? Maybe some strange creeper would peek in the cabin window and stare at her while she slept.
She’d gotten up a couple times to double check the front door and to ensure all the windows were locked. The silence had been deafening. Even now, the only sounds were the steady hum of the refrigerator and a birdcall every so often.
How could people live like this?
The need for caffeine forced her out of the warm cocoon she’d made. The bed was way too comfortable for her liking. Thankfully the cabin was toasty warm and through her socks, the wood floor didn’t seem cold at all.
After coffee and a light breakfast, she planned to go for a walk and get her bearings around the ranch. Perhaps if she got a better feel for where things were, she’d not be so nervous that night. Her boss had sent her there, telling her to remain for as long as she needed. She hoped to write the article quickly and hopefully be done in just a couple weeks. If things went smoothly, she could be home in time to celebrate the New Year with friends and family.
An hour later, she emerged ready to face the day. Thankfully, her Uggs kept her feet warm. Her jacket however didn’t do much more than provide a bit of break from the icy wind. Gabriela made a mental note to go buy something sturdier than the coat she’d bought online because it was “cute”.
She’d made it to the open barn-looking building, took out her camera and took several pictures of the structure.
Just then Henry popped out of a side door. “Good morning Gabriela,” he greeted, waving her over. “Wanna see the inside?”
The picture of him naked the day before gave her pause. “No thanks. I’m about to head back, my jacket isn’t warm
