Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
The sun had fully set by the time Amber arrived at the Collier cabin.
“You were right,” she told Sawyer as they approached it. “It’s dark out here.”
“That’s why I left the truck on so the headlights can give us a little something.” He shook his head. “It’s not much, though.”
As they kept walking to the porch, Amber tried to reach for her suitcase as Sawyer carried it.
“I got it,” he said.
Again, she thought of arguing just like at the diner, but that hunch came right back to the forefront of her mind: Sawyer was a man you didn’t argue with.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said.
The old wooden porch creaked as they stepped up onto it.
“Hold on.” Sawyer clicked on the LED flashlight he’d retrieved from his truck’s glove compartment and swept the bright beam across the porch’s puncheons. “Looks steady enough but let me go first. Walk where I walk.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He went cautiously but made it to the front door without incident.
“How do you get in here?” he asked.
“The extra key is right up there, Sir,” she replied, stepping beside him and reaching up for the dusty old porchlight fixture that hung on the wall just to the right of the door.
“Hold on, little girl,” he said quickly. “It’s springtime and all the bugs and critters are waking up. Don’t reach back there without looking first.”
Amber gasped. She hated creepy-crawlies. “Thank you, Sir. Are there a lot of them around here?”
He chuckled. “You might say that. But no more than anywhere else, I suppose.”
She gulped at the sudden chill that traced her spine and watched as Sawyer shone the light on the fixture and craned his neck to examine it. Finally, he brought his hand up, grabbed the rectangular plastic box that sat hidden behind it, and pulled out the key.
As he unlocked the door, he said, “Don’t put that key back there. There’s no reason to, now. You keep it with you so someone can’t find it and get in. Are there any other spare keys hidden around her?”
She thought of telling him he was kind of bossy but decided it was better to hold that comment to herself.
Besides, it wasn’t bothering her. Had he not warned her, she might have reached her hand right into a spider’s web or grabbed a scorpion! And he was right about the key. She needed to be safe, and that’s what he was doing—keeping her safe.
She felt a warmth start in the pit of her stomach before spreading outward.
Was this what it felt like to have a Daddy?
Maybe one day she would know firsthand. The way things were already shaping up in Big Cedar, she didn’t doubt it one bit. The universe seemed to be smiling on her.
Right now, though, her immediate concern was getting situated in that old cabin.
Sawyer had to jiggle the door a bit once it was unlocked, but he got it open quickly and stepped inside, going first. Amber knew the gesture wasn’t born out of ungentlemanly behavior. Far from it.
He was going first to make sure it was safe.
She stood behind him and peered around his strong left arm. It felt wonderful to be so close to him, the warmth radiating off his taut body.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed as the flashlight beam swept the floor to reveal dust and grime covering the hardwood.
As the light moved up, it revealed more dust covering tarps that were draped over items, making them appear as awaiting monsters in the dark.
“There we are,” Sawyer said, as the light shone on a switch on the wall. He walked to it and flipped it, but nothing happened.
“I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?” Amber probed.
“No. This cabin has sat vacant for so long. Here, let me check something. Either stay here or stay close to me.”
His boots thudded heavily atop the floor as he left the living room and into the attached kitchen. Amber stayed right with him. Even though the place wasn’t huge, and even in the darkness she would still be able to see him thanks to that flashlight he held, she didn’t want to be far away from him.
What if there were creepy-crawlies inside and not just on the porch? What if there was even a snake?
The mere thought made her heart speed up.
Sawyer opened the old fridge—one that looked to have been in place since the 1990s or even earlier—and opened it. A light came on followed by a shot of cool air.
“Man, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore. These things were built to last. But it’s on, which means we do have electricity. So the dark is just the bulbs. This place has been vacant so long, we need to replace them,” he explained.
“I’ll go back to the general store and get some lightbulbs tomorrow,” she said. It would eat into some of her money, but she couldn’t get by without them. Then she remembered something that made her smile. “Wait! The Colliers told me they set up a credit account at the store, so I can buy things I need to fix this place up!”
She was speaking more to herself than to Sawyer. She hadn’t shared that she only had a little over sixty dollars to her name and wasn’t about to, either. He’d already done so much for her! It was appreciated, too, but she didn’t want him to try and give her money.
For whatever reason, he seemed to be protective of her. She loved it…but she didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness.
Apparently, he wasn’t done yet, because he said, “You can’t walk to the store. I’ll drive you.”
“Thank you, Sir. But I would be fine in the daylight. I need the exercise.” She offered a weak smile even though he probably couldn’t see it as dark as it was.
“I’m driving you. End of story.”
She nearly asked what made him think she wouldn’t just walk there without telling him but decided against it.
“As for tonight, you should stay at my place.” He stepped closer and said, “Don’t worry. It’s safe. You’ll have your own room. If you feel better, I could even sleep outside in a tent.”
“Outside?” she questioned with a laugh.
“Wouldn’t be the first time nor the last.” He was so close that she could see his smile. “Sometimes I think I’m happier outside than with a roof over my head, anyway.’
She smiled back. “That won’t be necessary. I’d feel safe. But I’m really okay here, Sir.”
Suddenly the space lost what little light it had, and after a moment she realized he’d clicked off the flashlight.
“Oh,” she said.
“Uh-huh. Pitch black.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Well, I guess it’s not really safe for me here without lights.”
“You’re coming to my place.”
It wasn’t lost on Amber that it wasn’t a question.
Not much seemed to be with Sawyer Greystone.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said.
He led the way back to her suitcase, picked it up, and then ushered her outside. She was a bundle of nerves as she got back in his Bronco. She’d been through so much that day and exhaustion had been threatening to overtake her.
Now, however, she was wide awake.
The idea of extending her time with the handsome, kinda bossy, but super sweet man just had that effect on her.