Chapter Thirty-Two
The following day started much as the previous one had, with the exception that Leigh didn’t find herself in a man’s arms. The hour was earlier, having gotten all her necessary beauty rest. She tip-toed to the window and looked out. The storm was still dropping buckets of snow, but the wind was calmer, and she was sure the temperature wasn’t as extreme. If all went well, they would be rescued today.
She went to her satellite phone and was relieved when she saw she had a signal but decided to wait a little while to make any calls. Enrique was healing; he needed sleep just as much as she did. She set about making herself some breakfast when she heard rustling on the couch. A moment later, his dark head popped over the edge to rest on the back.
“Please make me whatever you’re having. I don’t know how our servicemen survive on those things. I’m starving!” He folded his blanket and placed it on his usual cushion. Then, he added two more pieces of wood to the fire before taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Leigh placed the MRE she had just finished preparing in front of him. “Here, start on this. I’m not hangry yet. I can wait a few more minutes.”
“This smells delicious!” Enrique lifted the package to read the label. “Maple Pecan, good choice.” Diving in with the spoon she had already dipped inside, he asked, “Hangry?”
“Yeah, you know, so hungry you’re angry. A hungry grouch is hangry.” Looking over at his confused face, she queried, “You seriously have never heard that before? Curtis used to call me that all the time. ‘Here, Angel, better feed that hangry before it gets the better of you.’ he would say every time I got snippy. Like I couldn’t be annoyed with my big brother unless I was hungry.” She smiled at the fond memory.
“Did you often get annoyed with him?”
“You know my brother. He’s nearly impossible to be annoyed with. He is the chillest guy I have ever known.”
“So, he was right, and you pretty much only get snippy when you’re hungry?” Enrique was soaking up these little facts about her and storing them away for later.
“Yes, and no. I’m usually hungry when I get snippy with him because he is a saint and very hard to get angry with. People like you, on the other hand, who learn my buttons and push them on purpose, I get snippy with quite easily. Although, after being raised by my brother, I pretty much only lose my cool when I’m tired or hungry.” She chuckled, seeing the look of trepidation on Enrique’s face. “No, that was not a segway into another intense conversation about your treatment of other humans. It is way too early in the morning, and I need to make some phone calls. The day is young, and that conversation can wait at least another hour. Even if help were on the way right this minute, which I doubt considering this is still pretty much a whiteout, they wouldn’t get here for at least three more hours. You have time before your interrogation begins.” Her mischievous grin bordered on evil. She was going to enjoy every minute that he squirmed under her microscope.
After breakfast was finished, Leigh called Curtis, feeling the warmth of his love fill her when he answered the phone.
“Angel! It’s about time. I haven’t let this phone out of my sight in almost two days. How are you? I need a status report.”
“We’re fine. Enrique has a concussion, but it doesn’t seem to be too serious, and banged up ribs. Lots of cuts and bruises, but otherwise seems whole. I’m right as rain. We finally got some heat going yesterday, and we are doing well. How are you, and what is happening with this storm? From my vantage point, it still looks like a whiteout.”
“You’re right. The worst of the storm has passed, but the snow is still falling, and roads are closed. No one is moving just yet, and emergency workers are doing the best they can. Now that I know you’re safe, I will tell the men not to hurry to mark you as a level two emergency. There is plenty of firewood and food, correct?” Curtis asked, seeking to verify her safety with specific details of her supplies as he was prone to do .
“Yes, worry wart. I inventoried everything when we arrived. We have enough to be comfortable for a few more days. The wood is stockpiled; I just have to dig it out of twenty feet of snow, which will be easier now that the wind isn’t as fierce. We are okay,” she assured him once again.
“Okay, I will contact Chris and Anderson to let them know your status. As soon as I hear specifics on your rescue, I will let you know. How’s morale? You two getting along well enough?”
That was her brother, always a worrier when it came to her. “We are fine. This has done us some good. I’m learning all of his secrets and what makes him tick. Soon, I will be able to push his buttons as effectively as he does mine.”
Curtis could hear the smile in her voice, but red flags were flying high. “That’s wonderful. Mind if I check in with my buddy before I go?”
“Oh, sure. I love you; talk soon.” Handing the phone to Enrique, she said, “He wants to talk to you.” She walked into the living room and folded her blanket before sitting on the couch and staring into the flames.
“Hey man, how’s it going?” Enrique asked good-naturedly after pressing the receiver to his ear.
“Hey, glad to hear you’re gonna make it. It would have been bad form to die on my sister’s watch. We’ll talk about all of that at another time. What did she mean when she said you were telling her all your secrets? I certainly hope your concussion hasn’t loosened your tongue to the point that you are placing her in danger she isn’t even aware of.” His voice was conversational, but there was an underlying warning.
“No worries on that front. Minor concussion, you know how hard this skull is. Outside of a massive headache and decent bump, I’m in full control of my faculties. Your sister’s honor and well-being are safe in my hands,” Enrique assured his friend.
“Glad to hear it. Keep it that way. We may be best friends, but I will still have something to say if you put her in danger. And that includes the danger she was in when she had to ski down the out-of-bounds to save your sorry hide.”
“Understood. Stay safe.” Enrique disconnected the line and, after checking the battery level, left the phone on so they could receive the call with details of their rescue. He placed it on the mantle above the fireplace before taking his usual seat at the end of the couch.
“Well, I’m assuming he gave you some kind of warning. What was it?” Leigh asked a little defensively.
Chuckling at her annoyance, Enrique replied, “He did. You know each other very well. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t putting you in any more danger and assured me I would be answering to him for the danger I had already caused. Speaking of which, I truly am sorry for all of this…”
“I don’t want to hear another apology. What I want to know is why?” Leigh saw the hesitation in his eyes an instant before a veil of detachment fell over his face that she had never seen before. Whatever it was that put him on that black slope was big. She wasn’t leaving here until she knew what it was. She deserved that much. “If that question is too hard for the moment, then describe to me how you treat those around you on a daily basis. I need to know moving forward that you are not going to treat me like a doormat to scuff your boots on.”
A smile lifted the corner of his lips at her wording.
“Tell me what the smile is for. It seems like a pleasant thought. That might be a good place to start this conversation,” Leigh suggested, trying to soften the situation but refusing to back down.
“When you said, ‘Wipe your boots,’ I thought of my older brother Julio. He just retired from the Marines and is home now, hopefully for good. The only time I have seen him not in boots was when he was in his dress uniform. I don’t even own a pair of boots. Hannah was always telling us to wipe our feet when we came in, and we always forgot, so Anthony instituted a no-shoes-in-the-house rule because she was so exhausted from having to clean up after all of us boys. That didn’t last long either; we learned how to clean and help around the house pretty quickly. Those were good times.”
“You have boots if you go on outdoor adventures with my brother. He doesn’t allow anyone who doesn’t have broken-in hiking boots to participate,” Leigh corrected.
“Oh, well, in that regard, yes. I was imagining regular footwear.” Enrique looked up and noticed Leigh’s triumphant smile. “What?”
“I wanted to know how you reacted when corrected over something trivial. If you were an arrogant jerk through and through, that would have rubbed you wrong, and you would have responded rudely. I know the type well. They are never wrong.”
“I’m not a jerk to everyone all the time, but I do have my moments. No one is going to put me up for sainthood like your brother.”
“Care to elaborate on that?”
Enrique knew she wasn’t going to move on without answers. If he wanted to explore what was between them, he had to open himself up and let her in. It wouldn’t be easy, but he hoped it was worth it.