The lodge has been built into a natural hill that overlooks the beautiful Baja California mountain range. Woods cluster almost right up to the front door, thick and lush.
It’s as picturesque as they come.
I feel a certain sense of peace overwhelm me. It feels good to get off the road and to know that we’ll be staying put.
For a while, at least.
“Come on,” Artem says. He takes my hand and leads me into the lodge.
He has to push the door hard, but it squeaks open eventually and we walk inside.
The space is large, with a kitchen built into one corner and a door leading to the bedroom on the opposite side. A couch has been covered over with plastic, behind which rests a table with three mismatched chairs.
I venture towards the bedroom while Artem checks out the fireplace. It’s only mildly cool at the moment, but I have a feeling the temperature will drop in the night, giving us an excuse to light it up.
The bedroom is small. A bed is pushed up against one wall and it even has a mattress, but it’s covered over with a thick film of dust.
Apart from that, it’s practically empty.
I walk further into the room and check out the brilliant view from the window just over the bed.
Snow-capped mountain range sprawling under an azure blue sky.
Breathtaking.
I look down at the scratchings on the windowpane. Wondering if Cesar had stood there at some point, admiring the view in the same way I’m doing now.
I turn to find Artem standing in the doorway. He seems to take up the entire space, making the lodge itself look small.
I go to him without thinking about it and wrap my arms around him. It’s strange how natural it feels to be in his arms now.
He kisses my head, another gesture that has become comforting and familiar to me.
“I need to scout the area,” he tells me. “And secure the perimeter of the property.”
I nod. “I’ll try and make this place livable while you’re out.”
He pulls away so he can look down at me. “I don’t want you doing too much,” he says. “You need to rest.”
I roll my eyes and walk back into the living room. “I’m perfectly capable of doing a little light spring cleaning, Artem.”
He sighs. “Is there ever gonna be a time when you just listen to me without arguing?”
I glare at him. “What do you think?”
He grins. “Fair enough. I’ll need to go into town to place a call to Cillian as well, but I shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”
“No worries. I have tons to do here to keep myself busy.”
He grimaces again. “Please don’t go overboard.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
He smiles and kisses me softly on the lips before heading back outside to the car. I follow along to help him unload all the supplies we’d bought on our way out of Joshua Tree.
Once the trunk is empty, Artem climbs into the driver’s seat and heads back down the rocky trail that leads back to civilization. I watch him go until the car turns to the left and disappears completely from view.
At the back of the lodge, I find a small shed with brooms and mops. They could use a clean themselves, so I hold them under running water from the tap out back until they look a little more presentable.
Artem and I had bought a bunch of cleaning supplies and detergents, so I get them all out and set to work inside the cabin first.
I fold a clean duster into a triangle and wrap it around my face like an old-timey bandit. Then I dust all the surfaces, which creates something of an indoor dust cloud that took several seconds to settle.
I swept the floor twice over to get out all the dirt and debris clinging to the crevices in the wooden floorboards.
And when that’s done, I go through the entire cabin with my mop.
By the time I finish, the place looks so much cleaner and brighter. My eyes dart around the space, now seeing all the possibilities to make it more personal and cozier.
I’ve just moved on to cleaning the stovetop when I hear the car pull up outside the cabin.
A few minutes later, Artem walks in with his arms full.
He stops short when he takes in the newly exorcised cabin and looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“So much for taking it easy, huh?”
“It looks better, doesn’t it?”
“It looks amazing,” he replies. “Have you rested at all since I left?”
“You’ve only been gone an hour,” I say with a shrug.
“I’ve been gone for three.”
It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” he laughs. “How about we take a break for a bit and eat something?”
“Well… I’m almost done with the stovetop,” I tell him. “But we’ll need gas.”
“Way ahead of you,” Artem says. “I bought a gas cylinder from town.”
“Why don’t you get that set up, and I’ll work on dinner?”
“I can help,” he offers.
I smile. “Don’t worry. I can manage.”
He doesn’t argue too much, as he goes back out to the car to get the gas cylinder. While he sorts the stove out, I look through the supplies he’s brought for us.
Since we don’t have a working refrigerator, they’re all food items that can be stored at room temperature without going bad. Artem’s also bought us a small supply of vegetables, some olive oil, and a large pot and pan.
I pull out a packet of pasta, as my meal plan for tonight takes shape. Once Artem has the stove set up, he gives me a kiss on the temple on his way out and I get to work.
I boil some pasta and use the frying pan to get a sauce going. I cut up tomatoes and mushrooms and add that to the sauce to help build flavor.
I have limited ingredients so I have to think on my feet, but I find that I’m really enjoying myself.
When the pasta’s finished, I look around for plates
