Chapter 5
WYNDHAM
A small furry something under my armpit nuzzled me awake.
“That tickles.”
The other something jumped on my chest, and I almost screamed. What in the freaking heck was that? But then I recalled the second kitten that had been placed in the bed during the night.
But before I opened my eyes, I sniffed, because the most sumptuous aromas were drifting into the room.
First, I scented coffee, which smelled strong enough that a spoon would stand up by itself when I stirred it.
That was just how I liked it. Following on the heels of the coffee aroma was that of bacon.
I imagined it sizzling and crackling in the pan, and my mouth watered.
If Ambrose was cooking, and I assumed he was unless he had a partner who’d slipped into the cabin in the middle of the night, he was more delectable than any bacon, and I briefly wondered if he cooked naked.
Coffee and bacon were the best way to wake up after a near-death experience and a sprained ankle. And I’d award extra points if I glimpsed my host’s bare butt.
After disentangling myself from the kittens, I heaved myself up.
I was reluctant to put weight on my foot, but the pain had subsided a little since last night.
With one hand on the bedpost, I got myself into a standing position and tested my ankle.
The discomfort was bearable, but I wouldn’t be running marathons anytime soon.
When I glanced at the kittens, they’d burrowed back under the covers. “Good morning. I hope you slept well, but please don’t poop or pee in the bed.”
I’d have to get Ambrose to deal with their toileting because I wasn’t about to take them outside, not that they’d do anything out there in the cold. But I’d caught sight of a barn last night, so perhaps they could do their business there.
Limping into the main room, I found Ambrose at the stove with a spatula in one hand and a Christmas-themed apron tied around his hips.
Sadly, he wasn’t naked, but wearing jeans and a different plaid shirt than last night.
Watching him cook fueled the idea that he could pose for a magazine or get paid for an advertisement for eggs or bacon. Maybe coffee.
“Morning.” He glanced over his shoulder and licked his lips. He must have had butter or bacon fat on them. “How’s your ankle?”
“Better than last night, but it’s still not great.”
“I’ve got some more ibuprofen for you.”
I thanked him, and he pointed to the small dining table where a bottle of pills sat next to a glass of water. Making my way to the table, I eased myself onto a chair and downed a pill, followed by sips of water.
“Hope you’re hungry.”
“Starved.”
His face did something weird, and I hoped he wasn’t going to be sick. Having two invalids in an isolated cabin wasn’t ideal. The kittens couldn’t go for help or look after us. I mentioned my two furry friends, and he told me they’d already done their business. Not in the house I hoped.
I glanced around the cabin. It appeared larger in the morning sun, and the Christmas tree lights had been turned off.
Through the kitchen window everything was blanketed in white.
It was beautiful as long as you weren’t driving in it, traipsing over it with an injured leg, or looking for help with no access to a phone.
“I got your things from the car when I found the second kitten. There wasn’t much.
Did you have an overnight bag? If so, that’s what I brought.
” He nodded toward a corner where my bag and hideous Christmas sweater sat.
Gods, I’d be happy if that sweater was buried under the snow and not be found until the spring.
“And I charged your phone.”
Great, I could make a call and get a tow truck, but the snow didn’t give me hope they’d come out here.
“How bad is the car?”
“It’s in the ditch as you said.” He ducked his head and peered outside. “But the storm’s passed, and a tow truck should make it out here this afternoon.”
A pang of disappointment gripped my chest. That was what I wanted, to get the ride to a garage and me home.
But the news didn’t excite me. But he said should when referring to the tow truck, and should carried a lot of weight.
The truck might not make it. I held on to that while I figured out why I was disappointed.
I yanked the phone off the charger and pressed the power button. Nothing, not even a bleak beep. I tried again, but it wouldn’t turn on.
“It’s dead.” It might have been damaged in the crash, though it had been on before I got out of the car last night.
“Sorry about that.”
Huh. He didn’t sound in the least bit sorry. What was up with that?
“The phone died because it was commiserating with me after the accident.”
But it hadn’t turned out badly for me, because I was sitting in a warm kitchen about to eat breakfast and I’d become the proud papa of two little kitties.
“Breakfast’s ready.”
At the sound of his voice, the black kitten strolled into the room and wove between his legs.
“Hey, you already ate.”
I hadn’t thanked him for finding the second kitten. “That was kind of you to go out in that treacherous weather.”
“It was nothing.” He shrugged. “And it was worth it. You have a boy and a girl.”
His hands trembled just a tad before he continued dishing out the food. “I couldn’t allow you to feel guilty.”
Oh, so he had heard what I said. Hmmm, he must have excellent hearing.
He brought two plates to the table laden with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms, and toast. If this was what he ate every morning, he must’ve been a lumberjack, because this amount of food would fuel him chopping down trees.
I thanked him, and he sat opposite me. I tucked into the eggs, and Ambrose asked where I’d been headed last night. I jerked my head at that damned sweater.
“The office Christmas party.”
“Sounds like fun.”
My head snapped up because there was laughter hidden behind those three words. “Not at all. I don’t want to think about it, because though I missed this one, next year’s party is already looming on the calendar.”
I filled him in on my job and how hazardous events where alcohol was served were for the HR head. Ambrose nodded, and I wondered if he’d ever worked in the corporate world. But he didn’t offer up any hints of his background. And so I asked him because I’d given him my story.
“I do a little of everything out here. It’s peaceful and far from other people, which suits me just fine.”
That told me nothing, but perhaps that was his intention.
“I’m a city person, but I can see the appeal of being away from the city lights and noise.”
Ambrose’s eyes locked on mine, and I couldn’t look away. It was as though he had some strange power over me, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t tear my gaze from his.
The second kitten emerged, and Ambrose swiveled his head, breaking whatever that was between us. The pair played with the blanket where Number One was supposed to have slept. They tumbled over one another and pounced on a dust ball. They were adorable, and they were coming home with me.
“I’m on vacation until the new year as of today.” That was the only thing newsworthy about me other than the accident.
It got his attention, and he turned toward me. “Two weeks. Mmmm, anything could happen in fourteen days.”
My hand gripping the fork froze. It was such an odd thing to say, and I thought back to the movies where the creepy guy kidnapped the unsuspecting traveler.
“You might find yourself falling in love.” He paused and continued, “with the peace and quiet of the woods.”
Maybe. I doubted it, though.
As we chatted, I observed his hands and how expressive they were when he talked. When he poured me more coffee, his shirt pulled across his shoulders. Yum, was the word that popped into my head.
“Once the snow clears, I’ll drive you into the closest town, which is about twenty miles from here. There’s a garage with tow service.”
I thanked him. He smiled, and his face lit up. Gods, I was in trouble because my length responded when his lips parted.
“Looks like you’re going to be stuck here a while longer.”
“Huh?” I’d been picturing him lowering his pants and shoving me onto the bed.
“It’s snowing again. The storm has done an about turn.”
I should have been frustrated, but instead, I experienced relief.
“Sorry I have to impose on you a little longer.” I gulped, thinking how I could do that imposing.
“It’s a pleasure.”