Chapter 14
The dogs disappeared into a shelter tucked into the corner of the porch. Declan ushered Sydney through the door, their soaked and mud-coated shoes abandoned outside.
The cabin was pitch-dark except for the faint glow of embers through the glass of the airtight stove.
Sydney cursed softly. “Of course. The mudslide took out the power lines to the cabin.”
“We need to stoke the fire and we need to find out what there is for food that we can borrow while we’re here.” Declan rubbed his hands together and blew on them. “Which do you want to do?”
“The fire is yours. I know how to deal with the damper on my firebox, but not all of them are the same and I don’t want to smoke us out.”
He nodded and headed to the black cast-iron stove set into the far wall.
Sydney turned on the flashlight app on her phone. “I’ll look for flashlights, as well.”
“Check the top of the fridge, if you can reach. That’s a common place to keep the spares.”
“Is that a jab about my height, buster?” Sydney teased as she went into the kitchen, flicking the kitchen light out of habit. She poked quickly in the fridge to keep the cold in before checking the cupboards. There were jars of jam, rice, pasta, and a half-loaf of bread that wasn’t too stale.
The coffee in the pot on the counter, though, she poured down the drain with a shudder.
She kept trying to break the old-timers of the habit, but had failed to convince them she knew what she was talking about.
She’d once found actual mold growing on the surface of the liquid, but chances were as soon as she was gone, the man had used a spoon to scoop the evidence into the wastebasket then reheated and drank the rest.
Waste not, want not, could go a little too far at times.
She’d just spotted an oversized flashlight tucked beside the fridge when the crackle of wood catching fire in the stove reached her ears. She propped the sturdy light source up against a bowl, lighting up the entire counter, then crossed her fingers.
Water flowed easily from the tap, and she quickly filled a stovetop-friendly kettle to make them tea.
The wind howled so hard that the entire cabin shook, but they were safe. And given a little time, they’d be toasty warm.
A shiver took her from top to bottom just as big hands landed on her shoulders. Declan tucked her back against his warm body. “It’s okay. We’ll be all right.”
Sydney pivoted on the spot. “Not worried about that, honestly. Just cold.”
He nodded, lifting a hand that held a thick Hudson’s Bay blanket with its distinctive rainbow stripes. “Wrap up for now.” He eyed the kettle. “I hoped he was on a spring-water system. No problems with pressure?”
“Ran clear and cold,” she told him.
A hum of approval rang out. “Gravity fed. Good to know we have all the running water we want, just no heater.”
“Thus the kettle.”
Declan eyed her for a moment. “The fire is going, so I thought before I dry out, I’d take a look around and make sure everything is secure for the night.”
She hesitated. “Is it safe?”
“I’ll keep away from the hillside, and I won’t stay in the barn any longer than I have to.
” He tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted so she was looking up at him.
His smile was so faint others might think he wasn’t showing any emotion, but she saw it.
Saw that he was more relaxed now than he’d been the entire drive up the mountain.
She dipped her chin. “Okay. Get back here quickly so I don’t have to go out there after you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He brushed his lips over hers, a soft, quiet caress. One hand pressed to her lower back and kept her near as he sweetly nuzzled and kissed.
When he finally pulled away, she was a little light-headed.
Declan stopped at the door and grabbed a rain slicker that hung there as well as what had to be Ted Nagy’s ten gallon hat. He tucked the brim down tight, took a breath as if bracing himself, then opened the door and stepped into the gale.
Sydney moved around the little cabin, taking stock of the rest of their supplies. There were a surprising amount of blankets in the hall closet as well as towels folded neatly on a shelf above the bathroom door.
She carried a supply of towels to the door and went looking for dry clothing that might fit Declan.
Red and orange flames were flickering over the freshly stocked wood she’d placed in the stove when the door opened, and with a swirl and a scream, cold air ushered Declan into the room.
“Everything’s fine,” he assured her immediately. “I fed the dogs, and they bunked down in the barn with the rest of the animals.”
He took the towel she offered then began to strip right then and there.
It was tempting to watch the floor show, but it somehow didn’t seem right. Thoughts of her grandfather’s interference and the fears Sydney carried were too big and loud to let her slide off into mindless pleasure.
So she busied herself pouring him a cup of tea and adding a spoonful of sugar, making sure he had a prime spot to sit.
Big solid feet clad in grey woolen socks landed beside her and then he sat, easing across the floor until he leaned on the couch, arm right up against hers. He reached his hands toward the fire and wiggled his fingers. “It’s the middle of August, and it feels like snow on the air.”
“Oh Lord, no.”
He snorted. “No, not at this elevation. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we find that the tips of the Rockies are painted white when we get far enough back to see them.”
She passed him the mug of tea, and he wrapped his hands around it gratefully. “We won’t see them for a while, though, will we?”
“Not if we want to drive out,” he said. “Once the storm runs its course, we can hike down to an accessible point to get picked up. Either that, or we have to get a helicopter in.”
“I don’t think either of us is important enough to need a helicopter rescue,” she said dryly.
“Speak for yourself.” He stared into his teacup, lips twitching slightly as he hid his gaze from hers. “I’m damn near royalty. At least that’s what my horses tell me.”
Unexpectedly, amusement bubbled up. Sydney shifted closer until their sides connected, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Glad if I have to be trapped in the storm it’s with you.”
He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “Ditto.”
Sydney stared at the fire for a moment, sipping tea and letting herself think.
The quiet around them grew. The only sound was the ticking of the metal as the fire heated the stove.
It wasn’t awkward or painful or confusing.
The heat curling from the fireplace was soft fingers offering peace and contentment and acceptance.
But in her core, that knot of discontent remained. The ugly worries were not going to simply go away if she ignored them.
Physician, heal thyself. It wasn’t possible, she knew that.
There were times when if you wanted an injury to heal, you had to first exorcize the source of the infection. Clean it up, no matter how painful the process.
“My head is a mess right now,” Sydney confessed quietly. “On the inside,” she added when he leaned over with concern to examine her closer.
“Messes on the outside I sometimes know how to deal with. Messes on the inside?” He cupped her cheek with his big hand. “I can be a good listener. Don’t know how much advice I can give, but I can listen.”
“Maybe when we get to the part where it’s called for, instead of giving advice, we can just toss out ideas.” Sydney rubbed her face against his hand, suddenly reminded of the kittens demanding to be petted.
“That I can do.”
The next minute she found herself airborne then settled into his lap with the blanket cocooned around her shoulders and his gaze intense on hers.
“You asked about the bridal shower? Well, turns out the fantastic helper my grandpa sent me is also my brother’s ex-girlfriend.”
Declan was silent for a minute before declaring, “The hell? Your brother doesn’t live anywhere near Heart Falls.”
His confused expression made Sydney snicker in spite of the tension in her gut.
“I knew my grandfather was the meddlesome sort, but I didn’t know the extent of it.
Seems my brother might be in line for a great career opportunity, so Grandpa kindly removed the distraction of a steady girlfriend.
But he did it in a nice way,” she pointed out quickly.
“Offered her up like a cherry on a sundae to me to help at the clinic. So I win, because I get a great helper, and Lexie wins, because she gets a great job. And Michael wins because now he can take the opportunity when it’s presented without being torn about leaving behind someone who means a lot to him. ”
“That’s dirty.” Declan’s opinion was very clear in that moment. “We’re not talking teenagers, are we? Because you’re the youngest, so this is someone in their late thirties or early forties, yes?”
“Definitely adults.” Sydney took a deep breath. “And as infuriating as I find it, I don’t have a leg to stand on because I’ve been taken in just as hard by him.”
This time Declan didn’t say anything. Just waited, concern creasing his brow.
Oh boy. “My grandfather owns the clinic.”
“Your clinic?”
“Heart Falls Family Care. Yes, the one that I run, and that Lexie works at. We get paid for services through the usual Alberta health care system, but there are still costs related to setting up a medical practice. There’s the usual time lag between output of costs and getting payment.
Grandpa Nate has been footing that bill, which means he’s the head of the clinic, and we’re staff.
I draw a salary, same as the other employees. ”
Declan nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ve no idea how things like that run other than we’ve got a pretty damn good situation here in Alberta.” He tugged on a lock of hair falling past Sydney’s cheek. “What does this have to do with not having a leg to stand on?”
The worst part was not screwing up the courage to tell him this, but realizing it was only the first part of what she needed to share.