Chapter 9
CELESTE
I'm breathless when the snow machine slides to a stop in front of the cabin. I'm chilled, but also, I feel alive in a way that I hadn't before now. My heart is beating so loud I fear that Leo can hear it and knows exactly why.
"Go on inside and get yourself warmed up." His voice is gruff once more, and I can already feel a shift in him. Like the closeness we shared is slipping away, and I'm afraid it's going to be lost if I don't do something to stop it.
He helps me off the seat with a gentle hand and waits until I walk up to the door of the cabin, before disappearing around the corner. His gaze stays focused straight ahead.
I can see what he's trying to do. Push me away, return to the loneliness that existed before I arrived.
But I'm more stubborn than he knows. It's going to take more than a grumpy soldier to scare me away.
Inside, I dig my hand into the inside pocket of my winter coat.
My fingers find the cool metal handle of the one thing I take with me everywhere.
It's something I keep close, because it was a gift from my dad.
"Always be prepared the best way you can.
" It's been a talisman for me, a tangible reminder of the man who raised me and taught me all he could before a sudden heart attack stole him away.
Something neither of us could have prepared for.
It's not hard to find the materials I need to craft one more present. The cabin has the basics, and Leo wouldn't expect anything fancy anyway. He's not that kind of guy. Fancy doesn't matter. Thoughtful, though, that matters.
It's ready. All I have to do is wait for Leo to come back.