Authors: Melissa Price
Forty-eight
When she looked outside the next morning a light snow had begun to fall. Sean had left for work and said he would call her. Ever since she had gotten shot, he called her three times a day to check on her. She was finally feeling more like her old bad self instead of the shot, bad self. She giggled. Only she would understand that. Maybe Sean would.
The weather channel had said a big storm was moving to the east coast and they could be in for a lot of snow. Maybe she should go to the store and stock up on some things after taking Tango for his shots. She waited an hour and then called Sean. She asked if she should go pick up some groceries in case the storm was bad.
“Good idea, use my credit card. It’s in the top drawer of my dresser. I can bring the bags in when I get home. When I bought the house, I was told that there is a generator that will run the refrigerator, but nothing else in case we lose power. I’ll stop and get some gas for it. Oh, and pick up a couple of packs of double A and C batteries.”
She went upstairs and looked for his card. It seemed like an invasion of his privacy to rummage around in the drawer, but she found the card.
She picked up the car keys he had given her and put on her coat. “Come on, Tango.” She put his leash on.
Her cell phone rang. It was Maggie asking her if she wanted to go to the store.
“I have to take Tango over to see Walter for some shots first.”
“Oh, great. I wanted to ask him something anyways. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
So she and Tango waited and went with Maggie.
At the clinic, Walter told her he looked better. He gave him his shots and then checked him over. “He’s healthy, just undernourished. He’ll need to gain some weight before he gets neutered.”
Neutered? That was expensive wasn’t it? Oh well, she had to do it later. Sean was not going to pay for it.
Taylor went to the front desk to pay and was shocked at how little it was. “Are you sure?” she asked the receptionist.
The woman smiled at her, “Don’t tell anyone what you paid. You’re getting a special rate.”
Taylor paid and left with Maggie and Tango. “Please tell Walter thank you.”
Maggie smiled at her, “Of course. Besides you and Sean painted for us, remember?”
She remembered. They had both been covered in paint by the time they were done. And it had been fun.
As expected, the store was busy with the threat of snow. Long lines at the checkouts with people buying water and other staples. Taylor bought a full cart of stuff, including two cases of water, food supplies, and an assortment of batteries, a flashlight lantern, a book to read, a few puzzle books, a carton of soda, plastic plates and utensils, and some extra food for Tango.
When they got back to the house, Tango started barking and raced up the stairs to be let into the house.
Maggie laughed, “I don’t think he likes the cold snow any better than the rest of us.”
Taylor gave Tango a big hug and his tail wagged. “He’s doing so much better.”
“Yes, it’s amazing what some food and love can do for a man.” She winked at her. “What does Sean think of him?”
“Oh, they get along great. Tango likes to watch TV with him and greets him when he comes home.”
Maggie helped her bring the items in and put them away, then she left to get her home prepared. Tango was in his bed in the living room, happily chewing on his new bone. Taylor took a small box she had gotten at the store, rummaged around and found a couple more flashlights and put them in the box along with the batteries. She also added a can opener, the box of plastic ware, the plates, a lighter she found, and a roll of paper towels.
She grabbed Sean’s car keys and drove carefully to the closest gas station with Tango who seemed to like car rides and filled the gas tank. She also bought several candy bars and two gallons of iced tea. Can’t go wrong with chocolate, she thought.
Then she drove home. The snow was coming down harder and accumulating on the road. Just as she pulled in and stopped the car, Sean called her.
“Hey, did you make it to the store okay?”
“Yep, Maggie took us since she needed some stuff too. Tango and I went and filled up your gas tank and just got home. It’s really coming down.”
“Yeah, we might be in for a lot of snow. They’re predicating 5 to 8 inches now.”
“Seriously? Have you ever had this much before here?”
“Not since I’ve lived here four years. Keep warm. I’ll be home later.”
“Okay. Bye.” She hung up, grabbed her small bag of goodies and they rushed into the house as fast as her legs would take her. She laughed at Tango, he was a lot faster than she was.
Forty-nine
She stood in the cold on the front porch and watched the snow come down and spread a blanket of white on the ground and in the trees. It was beautiful to watch. The snowflakes were big and floated down. The world seemed peaceful and quiet. The branches had begun to hang lower with the accumulating snow.
As a child, she had wished and wished for snow to get out of school, as most kids do, but it had rarely happened. Her mother was glad she did not get to stay home as she was busy going shopping or running errands, or whatever she did all day. Taylor only knew that she rarely stayed home all day. From what she had learned later from the fights, some of those times had been with a man not her father. Or men. She never asked and did not want to know.
When her parents got divorced, she split her time between them. She liked staying with her father and remembered one time in particular where she had cried and begged him to let her stay longer. He had kissed her good-bye and told her she had to go to school, so she couldn’t stay. That had become a regular occurrence until she finally realized she was going to have to go home, no matter what, to her mother. She felt for a long time that neither parent really wanted her. She was a part-time child to them and she wanted desperately to be a full time kid.
They both seemed caught up in their own lives and she was given attention only when she was with one of them. Her father paid more attention than her mother, but even he was distant sometimes and she got the feeling he was waiting for her to go back to her mom’s. Maybe it had been a childish imagination. But she felt like he was seeing someone that he was careful not let her know about.
When Richard had come along in high school and professed his love for her, she had fallen for it. She had needed someone to love her, but she was too young to understand that he didn’t love her. He just said the words and she had finally given into his demand for sex. She had really thought she needed to just to keep him.
She thought about Sean. There was no comparison really. He didn’t pressure her for sex but he kissed her and was kind and attentive. She really liked kissing him. Sometimes she felt like he was the one doing all the giving. She could cook, but there was more to life than that, she was discovering. She was filled with self-doubt sometimes. She knew it was probably silly, but it was how she felt. It was new territory for her.
Taylor liked staying home she had learned. She liked spending the time watching TV with Sean, cooking, playing with Tango. She did miss the kitchen life but she was now undecided if she wanted to ever go back and work the numerous hours and days. She had so little time for herself when she left early to prep the kitchen and got home so late. This was much more relaxing. Maybe she could just cook lunch times. That would be nice. Once she got her strength back. She knew she was stronger, just not strong enough.
She tried to remember what the deepest snow she had ever experienced. Four inches was the deepest snow she could ever remember and that was only once. This storm might be much worse.
She pondered about what she would do or how she would feel if she were staying at a hotel and the power went out. She would be alone in the dark. The hotel would probably try to accommodate guests with some type of food offerings. She shrugged. Who knew? She did not have to worry, Sean would be home and even if they did not talk much, she would know he was there. Not talk much. That made her snicker. They talked a lot. He told her about his day, she talked to him about restaurant life, her day, her grandparents, her interests. They talked about anything and she enjoyed the evenings with him and now, Tango. She wondered what he really did before she came. Did he work more? Go out on dates a lot? Watch TV?
She shivered and had just decided to go back into the house when movement across the road caught her eye. She peered through the falling snow and tried to determine what it was. She heard a soft pitiful cry.
She stepped off the front porch and started down the driveway, trying to locate the sound and movement. She briefly considered getting Tango but he didn’t like the snow and she did not know what was making the noise. What if it went after Tango?
As she neared the road, she heard a pitiful cry.
She cautiously crossed the road to the edge of the wooded area. Once again a small noise and what sounded like a struggle. She spotted a small deer with little white dots on its brown back, trying desperately to get up, but it kept falling down. There was something on its legs but she could not see what it was.
She quietly moved towards the injured animal, talking in a soft, soothing tone. The deer panicked and then fell, breathing heavily and then laid quietly. Taylor got close enough to see that the deer was tangled in some barb wire that had one of its front legs pinned to the other leg. The deer was bleeding on both legs but not badly.
Taylor was not sure she could pull the wire without hurting the little deer more. She went back to the house and got a pair of wire cutters from Sean’s tool box and a pair of gloves. She thought briefly that her tennis shoes were not very adequate for the weather, but she did not have any boots here. Tango looked at her as if asking if he should come, and she petted his shoulder and told him to stay.
She made her way back across the street. Even though it was not deep, the snow made her legs tire quickly. Taylor bent down, a bad idea, she knew, and carefully tried to cut the wire. The deer panicked and jerked and Taylor fell into the thickening snow.
Fifty
The little deer was panting hard and looked at her with wide, frightened eyes. “It’s okay. I’m just going to help you. Lie still until I can get this off.” She rolled her eyes at herself. Like the deer would understand her. But maybe the tone she used would help.
She managed to get to her knees and once again worked on the wire. This time the deer was either too exhausted or understood she was helping and did not move. Taylor’s fingers were numb from the cold even with the gloves on but she was finally able to cut the deer loose enough that the little thing was able to get up and get out of the rest of it herself. The deer looked back at Taylor with soft eyes and then fled into the woods.
Taylor was sure that look meant thank you. She smiled as she disappeared. Taylor whispered, “I hope you’re going to be okay, little one.”
Now that it was over, Taylor felt the cold wet clothes, the snow, the cold air. She started to shiver. She tried to crawl over to a tree and stand up but her legs would not support her enough to get under her so she could stand. Damn her legs. Just when she needed them the most. Her teeth started chattering. She tried several more times to stand, chiding herself that she had to get up or freeze to death. Even her side was starting to ache.
Remembering her phone, she pulled it out of her now damp pocket and pressed Sean’s number. It seemed like an eternity before he answered. “Hey, Taylor. I’m on my way home.”
She was shivering so hard now she could barely get out the words, “S-S-Sean. I, I’mm soo c-c-cold.”
Sean became alarmed, “Where are you? What’s wrong?”
"Ac-c-ross the r-r-road. I fell. In the s-s-snow.”
“Hang on; I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Make that 5 minutes. Can you sit up next to a tree? Try to get as much of your body out of the snow as possible. And don’t go to sleep on me. Stay on the phone with me.”
Every so often he would call her name. It was getting hard to talk and answer him. Her teeth were chattering.
Sean felt sick. He drove as fast as he could without losing control of the truck on the snowy road. He was grateful he had four wheel drive on the truck. He kept calling her name. He needed to know she was still awake and okay. Please, hold on, Taylor.
She leaned against the tree and hugged her knees, head down. After what seemed like a very long time, she heard Sean calling her name as he ran through the snow and dropped to his knees next to her. He looked her over quickly. She was shivering hard but she threw her arms around him and he lifted her up.
He carried her past his truck parked in the driveway, into the warm house, and up the stairs into his room. Tango followed them upstairs to find out what was going on.
Sean told him, “It’s fine, Tango, go lay down.” Tango turned and went back downstairs.
Sean pulled off her wet coat and began pulling her shirt over her head.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Getting these wet clothes off. We need to get you warm.” He unfastened her jeans. Her whole body was covered with goose bumps, but maybe he would attribute it to being so cold. It was more than being so cold, she knew. It was so sensual, having him undress her. If she hadn’t been so cold, she knew she would be burning up with fire.
“Step out of your jeans and get under the covers. I’ll be right back.”
She gratefully slid under the covers clad only in her dark green polka dot cotton bra and panties and pulled the covers up over her head. At least she hadn’t worn the royal blue lace. When she felt more weight she peeked out to see him putting the comforter from her bed on too. She ducked back under.
You’ll be warm soon
.
She felt Sean get into the bed with her and pull her over to hold her. She quickly realized he had no shirt on as he pressed her up against him. His hands felt good rubbing on her cold skin. She couldn’t stop the sigh from escaping her lips. His warm skin felt heavenly.
When she put her icy hand on his side, she felt him flinch. “You are really cold, woman.” She started to take her hand away but he pulled her back, “Its okay.”
She was very aware of his warm body pressed tightly to hers. Not just for the warmth, but his soft, muscled body was amazing. She wondered how he felt having a half-naked, cold woman practically on top of him.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that she was shivering, Sean was sure he would not have been able to stop from making love to her. If he hadn’t needed to get her warm fast, he could not lay here like this with her. It was asking too much of a guy. He tried to think of anything but their bodies in close contact with lots of skin exposed.
They lay quietly until she had finally stopped shivering.
Sean asked her, “Why were you sitting in the snow? Or should I not ask?”
She looked at him, “I heard a noise and it was a tiny deer. She was all tangled up in barb wire and couldn’t get up. She panicked and pulled me off balance and down I went. I got her free and she ran off into the woods. I think she knew I was trying to help her. Oh no. Your wire cutters. I dropped them in the snow.”
He shook his head at her and smiled. “You really do attract trouble. Don’t worry about the cutters.”
She scrunched her face at him. “I have never had issues like this before. I actually had a normal, quiet life. Why? Are you ready to throw me out?” Her voice wavered just a little at the last part.
“Are you crazy? Lose my very own personal chef?” He grinned at her and she laughed. “You are feeling warmer.”
Too warm, she thought. Burning up. But it was not the blankets.
Sean asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, what are you in the mood for?”
“How about I cook some spaghetti? You’ve been doing all the cooking recently. Of course, it will be boxed pasta.”
“I like making pasta. I can do it.”
She went to her room, got dressed, and joined him in the kitchen. He was taking a jar of sauce out of the cupboard. She knew she should have thrown that jar away when she first got here. She gasped and had a look of mock horror on her face. She grabbed the jar out of his hand, “You cannot eat that.”
He laughed, “I’ve eaten it before. It’s not nearly as good as what you can do, but it hasn’t killed me.” He made a grab for the sauce but she snatched it back. He tried to get it, but she hugged it to her chest and shook her head no. They tussled over it for a couple of minutes and he gave up, laughing.
Taylor had him get a pot and the ingredients for a sauce and had him making it while she started making the pasta. He watched her roll out the dough and cut it into very thin strips.
“Wouldn’t that be easier with that gadget that I saw on that show?”
She eyed him, “Yes, but you don’t have the right equipment.”
He snickered, “I assure you I have all the right equipment.” He watched her blush and ignore him.
“By the way, how did you know the deer was a female? Did you look?”
“No. I just know. She was sweet and gentle, unlike a boy deer would be, I’m sure.”
“And how do you know a boy deer wouldn’t be sweet and gentle?”
She titled her head to the side, trying to think of an answer. She said the first thing that came to mind. “I guess because boy deer are more aggressive and have antlers and all they think about is food and sex.” She felt a certain satisfaction when she saw the raised eyebrows and look of half surprise, half shock on his face. About time she got him off balance, she thought.
He gave her a frown that he didn’t mean and they both knew it. “Are you suggesting that all males of any species only think about food and sex?”
She cocked her head. Just go with the simple, straightforward truth, she decided. “Yep.”
Sean asked slowly, “So, you’re saying all I think about is food and sex?”
She eyed him, “You’re definitely male so it has to apply.”
He stared at her until she looked away. The sex part was true but he didn’t think the food part was. And the sex part was only because of her. Better let it go, for now. Besides, it was torture enough without dwelling on it.
After they ate, he gave her some medicine for her aching side. She pulled herself up the stairs with him at her side. He had been behind her, but she thought it too awkward to have her butt in his face so had asked him to go up beside her.
When she was half way up, she slowed way down, so he put his arm around her waist and helped her up the rest of the steps. As she changed into a short tank top and pajama bottoms, she heard a loud cracking and thudding sound. She went down to Sean’s room.
When Sean heard her coming, his worst fear and biggest hope was coming true. If she stayed, which he wanted, he knew she wasn’t ready so he had to exercise a lot of self-control, which was hard with her laying all soft and warm in his bed. It was not the first time she had slept with him and it was getting harder and harder to keep his hands to himself. Still, he liked having her next to him or at least in the same bed. She usually started out sleeping farther away but by morning, she was all soft and warm and sleeping partly on him. It was hard not to get overwhelmed by it, but he’d rather fight his body’s reactions than not have her here.
A tad nervous, she asked, “What was that?”
He said more calmly than he felt, “Tree coming down from the weight of the snow.”
“Is there going to be any more?” She said uneasily.
“Probably. Dead branches and trees can’t take the weight of the snow.”
“Will a tree fall on the house?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“There is no tree close enough and the ones near the house are healthy and strong.”
Another crack and loud thump.
She tried to crawl gracefully over him, but she landed on top of him. “Sorry.”
She quickly scooted off him and sat on the bed, facing him. “l have been meaning to ask you, why is this side of the bed against the wall?”
“I never thought about it. I guess when I was kid my room was so small, the bed had to be this way to fit and I just got used to it. Thanks for pointing out my childhood idiosyncrasy.” He laughed when he spoke the last sentence.
She giggled, “No problem.”
“I’ll move it tomorrow.”
Move it, for her? Was he expecting this to be a common occurrence? She was only here because of the loud and disturbing noises. Right?
“What are you thinking about?” He asked softly.
She decided not answer, but said instead, “Do you have to go to work tomorrow?”
“Yes, until things get really bad. There are always a few people who think they can go out and be fine. Those are the ones that need help usually and we have to go out whether we like it or not. It will be a busy day.”
“It’s too bad you can’t drive around in a tank. Then you could plow through the snow. Or maybe one of those machines from that sci-fi movie that were tall and had long legs and the cabin was up in the air. They were used on a frozen world. I don’t remember what they were called. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“I think so. A tank would be interesting but I think I’d probably do more property damage than would be acceptable. I’d make a terrible driver, especially if I am in a hurry.” He glanced at the clock. He wanted to tell her to crawl in but he didn’t dare. Instead he said, “It’s getting late. You should get some sleep.”
Another loud crack and thump. She scrambled under the covers, pulling them up to her chin.
Well, at least she was close to him. She was waiting for the right moment to tell him she wanted him to make love to her, but she was still supposed to take it easy and she was tired right now. Soon. She just hoped he didn’t reject her.
As usual, she woke up around 1:30 in the morning. She found she was lying with her head on his shoulder, her arm across his chest. His arm was around her waist; the other hand rested on her arm. He seemed to be sleeping, so she decided not to move.
She couldn’t help but giggle. She didn’t want to wake the sleeping giant. Or the grumpy one.
“Why are you giggling?”
“Oh, did I wake you? I was just thinking I’d better not wake you. You might get grumpy again.”
He hadn’t moved and his eyes were still closed. She hadn’t woke him up since he was already awake and was having a hard time sleeping. “One day, I’m going to show you what grumpy really is.”
“Ohhh, so you admit you can be grumpy.”
He chuckled, “I haven’t shown you grumpy yet, but I can if you want. Now go back to sleep.”
She said perkily, “Okay, we’ve made more progress towards recovery. ‘Night.”
Instead of moving like he thought she would, she shifted her arm and rested her head more on his chest. Now how was he supposed to get any sleep?