Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
WADE
Three crazy days passed by in a blink. Only minutes after I made it back to my cabin after my little encounter with Dani in the storage room at the barn, we’d gotten a call to a car accident that had our entire team, and two other teams from nearby towns, tied up well into the night.
By some fucking miracle, but for the grace of God, as my mother would surely say, no one had actually died in that nasty car accident.
Because it happened on an icy curve, the two cars originally involved ballooned to four as other vehicles came around the corner too fast and hit that same icy patch on the road.
Everyone in every car ended up at the hospital, but we’d already gotten the update that they were all on the mend.
After collapsing into bed well past three in the morning, I’d woken at six for a planned trip with Jackson and Walker to pick up a ton of supplies for the rescue program and the first responder team.
Walker was new around here, and Jackson wanted to make sure we all spent time with him to help him mesh with the crew.
So far, he fit in seamlessly. He was a damn hard worker and didn’t hesitate to step up when asked. And so it had gone, for the next three days straight. Just now, I was striding back to my cabin after another emergency call, this one far more minor.
It was late, I was cold, and an icy rain was falling.
As I walked past the lodge, the festive lights hanging everywhere failed to cheer me.
I was exhausted and cranky, and I hadn’t had a chance to see Dani except for brief, passing interactions in the last few days.
She was never far from my thoughts, but I was starting to wonder if I had played my cards too soon.
I couldn’t exactly say why, but with Christmas coming, I wanted something to shift with her.
Stopping on my porch, I gave my raincoat a shake before pushing my door open.
I was so tired I hadn’t even registered that my lights were on.
I didn’t make a habit of leaving the lights on and wondered what the hell I’d been thinking when I left.
When I looked up, I found Dani standing over in the small kitchen area.
My boots came to a stop as I stared at her, utterly disarmed by her unexpected presence.
I didn’t realize I’d left the door open behind me until she hurried across the room.
She quickly shut it and immediately started fussing over me.
Getting past my shock, I watched, bemused, as she tugged off my wet raincoat and looked down at my boots before letting out a sigh.
“You’re soaking wet. Were you using your hood?” she asked, gesturing vaguely in the direction of my head.
I ran my hand over my head, finding my hair was quite damp. I shrugged. “Wasn’t thinking.”
As she turned to hang up my raincoat on the hooks by the door, I leaned over to unlace my leather boots. My fingers just wouldn’t cooperate, likely due to the cold, damp weather I’d been operating in for the last few hours. Next thing I knew, Dani was swatting my hands out of the way.
“You’re practically on the verge of hypothermia.” She knelt down and took care of my boots. “Are you going to fall over kicking those off?” she asked as she straightened in front of me.
With her hands on her hips and her brown curls pulled into a messy bun, my heart gave a decisive kick. She was so damn cute.
Leaning forward, I let my forehead fall into the curve where her shoulder met her neck and breathed her in. She was warm, and she smelled like cinnamon and sugar.
“Did you make cookies today?” I asked, my voice muffled in her shoulder.
She giggled, the sound sending joy spinning around my heart. “I did. Can you guess what kind?”
“Something with cinnamon.”
She giggled again, putting her hands on my shoulders and pushing me back. “Babe, you’re heavy and I really think you need to get in the shower and warm up. Like, now.”
I lifted my head, fighting back the urge to comment on the fact she’d just called me babe.
The truth was, I was the kind of cold you feel in your bones.
Dealing with the icy rain coming down at a steady clip while our team worked on the heels of the last three days of exhaustion had tipped me over the edge.
I stepped back and discovered I was coordinated enough to toe my boots off. Kicking them to the side, I met her gaze. “Shower then,” I said as I peeled off my damp shirt and let it drop on the floor, along with the rest of my clothes, on the way to the bathroom.
Like all of the studio cabins, I had a sweet bathroom, which had a massive tub and a marble tiled shower with enough room for two people.
There was an overhead rain shower and jets along the walls.
I stuck my hand in to check the water. I sure as hell didn’t need to step into a lukewarm shower right now. I was aiming for steaming hot.
I heard a squeak and glanced over my shoulder to see Dani standing in the doorway, with all of the clothes I’d left behind in her arms. “I was just putting these in the hamper,” she said hurriedly. She all but flung them into the hamper right inside the door.
“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” I drawled. “You can join me if you’d like.”
My girl crossed her arms and shook her head. “You need to get warmed up. I’ll make some hot cocoa.” She scurried away.
With the water finally hot, I climbed in, calling in the direction of the door, “Are you planning to let me know what the hell you’re doing here?”
I savored the hot water pounding down on me. Most nights when I came home like this, I would linger in the shower. I had no reason not to. Tonight, however, once I was warm all the way through, I stepped out.
Curiosity was simmering. Moments later, after scrubbing my hair dry with a towel, I glanced up to see Dani had been in while I was showering. A pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, along with boxer briefs and socks, were sitting on the shelf above where the towels were.
I silently chuckled to myself. For crying out loud.
I didn’t need socks, and I sure as hell didn’t need boxers, but Dani left them out for me, so I definitely put them on.
Once my sweatpants and T-shirt were on, I headed into the main room of the studio-style cabin. I found Dani opening the small oven.
“Damn, it smells good in here. Whatcha making?” I slipped into a chair at the small round table.
Dani closed the oven and turned quickly to fetch a mug sitting on the counter beside the stove.
She set it down in front of me. “Hot cocoa with that marshmallow vodka you like. I’m not actually making anything.
I brought over some of that leftover potato leek casserole you like.
I made it for lunch today for the staff.
When I heard you guys had to go out in this awful weather, I figured you could use something warm when you got home. ”
She was standing at the counter, an oven mitt in one hand and her other hand twirling a lock of her hair that had fallen loose around her fingers. Her foot was tapping lightly on the floor.
Dani was nervous. I badly wanted to push.
With her showing up uninvited and unannounced in my cabin after three days of hardly talking to me, I was a little bit confused.
Not to cast too much blame in that regard.
The last few days had been so packed, I practically had to schedule time to breathe and eat.
“Well, thank you. Of course I’m starving,” I finally replied, before pausing to take a sip of the hot cocoa.
It was fucking perfect. Dani’s hot cocoa was a special kind of heaven.
That marshmallow vodka was out of this world with it.
It slid nice and smooth down my throat. After a few swallows, I leaned back in my chair and sighed, closing my eyes with a groan.
Opening them again, I said, “Fucking delicious. Sit down. You’re making me nervous just looking at you. ”
Her hand stopped twirling her hair. “I’m making you nervous?” she squeaked.
“Uh-huh,” I drawled. “Stand if you like. How long until the food is ready?”
Dani glanced at the clock mounted above the stove. “Two minutes.”
“Maybe you should have something to drink.” I gestured to the mug sitting on the counter.
Dani’s hand dropped from her hair before she lifted the mug and took a gulp. I followed suit, my eyes on her the entire time. Damn. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of looking at her.
And now, old memories that had faded around the edges were sharp and clear. I knew exactly how she felt against me. I knew the soft sounds she made. I knew how strong she was. I never did understand men who wanted a docile, polite woman. They didn’t know what the hell they were missing.
Dani had a temper. Not a nasty temper, but a passionate one. Everything with her was fierce—the good, and the bad. Her loyalty.
“Are you warm now?” she asked as she set her mug down.
“Yup. The hot shower took care of that.”
Dani nodded, turning away to check the oven again before turning it off.
She was strung tight. I could feel the tension emanating from across the room.
Seeing as I had already pushed my point days ago, I decided to stay quiet.
She had yet to answer why the hell she was here, but I could wait.
I was also starving, and my body’s need for food overrode just about everything else.
When Dani set down a bowl of the casserole in front of me, my stomach let out a hearty growl and I gave over my focus. I had to admit it was awesome to come home tired, cold, and wet, and have Dani here to fuss over me and make me dinner.
I knew she would argue the point that she hadn’t made me dinner, specifically. But Dani’s cooking was divine. Her leftovers were good enough to be served in five-star restaurants as far as I was concerned.
We ate quietly. Once the edge was knocked off my hunger, I let the sense of comfort in this moment wash over me.
Before I had crushed so hard on Dani back in high school, we’d been friends.
I missed just hanging out with her. In the lead-up to those hot and heavy make out sessions we had in high school, we’d gotten closer and closer.
She used to be the person I turned to for just about anything.
Then, she broke my heart, or at least I thought she had.
A shaft of regret sliced through me. Not regret for anything I’d done, specifically, or Dani, for that matter. Rather, regret for life and the cards it sometimes dealt.
Dani stood, glancing over her shoulder to ask, “Do you want me to put the dishes in the dishwasher?”
“Sure thing. I just wait until it’s full and then run it,” I offered. “You don’t have to clean up though.”
Dani’s eyes caught mine as she looked my way. Her gaze was pointed.
“I know, I know. You’d die before you left the kitchen messy,” I teased as I stood up with my empty bowl.
I set the bowl in the rack beside hers as she rinsed the silverware before putting it in the small basket. When she closed the dishwasher and turned, I rested my hands on beside her hips on the counter.
“Okay, Dani girl, how about you tell me why you’re spoiling me tonight?”
When I met her eyes, I saw uncertainty flicker for just a moment. But she lifted her chin slightly, that pretty pink blooming on her cheeks.
“I thought about what you said. I’m here.”