Bronnah is so cold her teeth are chattering. Along one wall is a solid wood trunk and Chase stomps towards it, lifting the lid he drags out a massive blanket. With a flick of his wrists, he whips it around her shoulders and pulls her close. "Thank you," she whispered and pushes back her soaking wet hair.
Chase removes his long coat and hangs it on the hook reserved for the lantern and hooks his cowboy hat over the handrail leading up to the tower. “Let’s go get dried off and warm up.”
Bronnah grabs the second lantern and follows him through the circular room. Another door leads into a small kitchen with a large black woodstove, table, and chairs. In the corner is a hutch with dishes, and a small pantry cabinet is built into the wall. A sink overlooked what he hopes to be the sea. Bronnah pulls the blanket tight and smiles.
“Cozy,” she quips. Curious now she steps through a doorway leading into a living room it is again a small keeper’s quarters. A brick fireplace is flanked with two chairs. A small sofa and area rug intensifies the comfort of the room and through another door is the first of two bedrooms. One has a single bed, the second is a queen bedroom with a private bathing room. The bathing room seems to be the one room the builder splurged. Carefully hooking the lantern on the wall, Bronnah is delighted to see a massive wooden tub. Although it doesn't have running water, it's a most welcome treat. "Hello beautiful," she murmurs and runs her hands over it, amazed at the craftsmanship that went into it.
Chase laughs, "I'll fight you for it." Bronnah turns and grins up at him as he hooks the lantern on the wall.
"Okay, cowboy, but I warn ya, I fight dirty," she drops the blanket on the floor, and her dress is plastered to her body, revealing more than she intended.
When his eyes drop to her body Chase takes an involuntary step towards her and growls, “We could always share.”
Bronnah backs up into the tub and grabs the blanket up off the floor. "Chase!" A blush stains her cheeks, and he recognizes a flicker of fear and uncertainty in her beautiful eyes. He throws up his hands in mock defeat and grins at her.
"Never hurts to ask, I'll start a fire to warm some water. I put your bag in the bedroom to the right. You go ahead and get cleaned up, and we'll talk later." Chase turns quickly into the main room and builds a fire before stomping into the larger of the two bedrooms. He quickly closes the small door and strips off his clothes. Most of the rain was on Bronnah and his overcoat.
Chase hooks the lantern on the wall and stretches out on the bed intending only to rest for a few minutes, but the past few weeks have worn him down, and he falls asleep instantly. Bronnah begins the task of heating water and filling the tub, and when she finally has the tub full, she sinks in with a moan of ecstasy. A small table has a towel and bar of soap which Bronnah quickly puts to use. She scrubs quickly, afraid that Chase might actually follow through with his threat.
Just the thought of all that cowboy makes her heart pound. Danny was the only man she's ever been with, and he was a boy compared to Chase. Thinking of her husband brings a wistful smile. Making love with him was interesting, he was always so desperate to touch her. It was fast, and frantic and often made her wonder why people made such a big deal out of it. Bronnah didn't know that she could feel this attracted to a man.
Giving herself a shake, she scrubs her body and hisses in pain when she hits the wound on her side. Gently she washes and rinses it before deciding it's time to stop hiding from him. The cold air hits her naked body, and she realizes the only thing she has to wear is the massive blanket. Squeezing as much water from her hair as possible, she wraps it in the towel and tiptoes from the bathing room.
As she hurries past his room, she sees that he is stretched out on the massive bed and snoring. Grinning in delight, she closes his door, leaving it cracked for heat and hurries to her own room. Her bag is on the twin bed, and she kicks the door shut before dragging out a simple skirt and white blouse. "God Bless You, Aimee."
Bronnah decides to skip the corset and allow her wound to heal. She pulls on the blouse leaving it baggy over the skirt before shaking her hair out and combing the tangles out. “Now fire, and food,” she tells herself as gathers up her soaked clothes to hang them to dry near the fireplace in the living room. After she gathers his wet clothes to hang up next to hers, she stokes the fire and giggles at the sounds coming from his room.
His snore would wake the dead. Using the towel from her hair, she mops the trail of water they left upon arrival and pads into the kitchen.
Bronnah jumps as the lightning and wind howl around the tiny house. Inside the small pantry, she finds jars of labeled vegetables. Green beans, broth, and even a jam for biscuits. Grinning, she pats her stomach and decides to make a soup and biscuits. After a thorough inspection of the pantry and cupboards, she finds everything she needs to make a decent
