Chapter Ten #2
Jack stirred, as though her thoughts had penetrated his and roused him. He nuzzled into her hair for about two seconds before his entire body tensed.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I consent.”
She’d hoped the joke might diffuse the situation and, if not prolong the moment, at least prevent it from an abrupt and painfully awkward end. Jack didn’t laugh, but he didn’t leap out of bed, either. Did that count as a win?
When it came to her dealings with Mr. Prickly, yeah, it did.
He slid his arm away but didn’t move otherwise. “What time is it?”
Snow still swirled outside, making the light an indistinguishable soft gray. “Eight, maybe?”
“Eight?” Jack sat up. “I never sleep that late.”
She reached for her phone and tapped the screen. “It’s actually quarter to nine.”
“Seriously?” Jack scrubbed a hand over his face. “Damn.”
“I think yesterday counts as both physically and emotionally exhausting.” Which was easier to admit than how warm and cozy the bed had been with Jack in it, or how perfectly their bodies fit together.
“Yeah.”
She liked that he’d own that sort of thing. So many guys—cis or trans—balked at the idea of emotional labor or emotional fatigue. “I’d offer to make you coffee, but until we get power back, I can’t pull it off.”
“I’ll go back out to the garage. Maybe there’s a spare gas can I missed last night. We’re going to need heat sooner rather than later.”
The small red light on the electric radiator caught her attention. “Wait.”
“What?” he asked.
She pointed. “I think main power is back on.”
Jack threw the covers back and stood. “It does seem warmer in here than it should be.”
“And yet not as warm as it could be.” Ellie pulled the covers back over her legs, not quite ready to face reality.
He crossed the room and held his hand over the radiator. “Yep. It’s warm.”
The compressor of her mini fridge kicked on, as though it wanted to add to the conversation. Ellie smiled. “I guess that means I can offer you coffee after all.”
“I’m going to take you up on that. Hopefully, the well pump is back on, too, and the pipes didn’t freeze. I need to pee even more than I need coffee.” Jack disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.
Ellie got up, adding slippers to the ensemble she slept in. She made it over to the coffee pot before Jack emerged, but no further.
“No water,” he said.
“No.” She didn’t pretend to be calm about it.
“Hopefully, it’s just the pressure tank needing to be reset. Give me one minute.” He pulled on his pants and boots and disappeared once more, this time into the main part of the house.
She stood there, coffee carafe in one hand and eyes locked on the faucet, as though she might will it to turn on. “Please,” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure whether the plea was directed at the faucet itself or the man trying to get it to work.
“Try now.” Jack’s voice, though muffled, carried from the basement.
She flipped the handle. Water and air splurged from the tap, but within a few seconds, flowed freely. “Victory,” she called.
She filled the pot and loaded the percolator before heading to the bathroom herself. By the time she emerged, Jack had tidied the bed and washed the couple of dishes they’d dirtied the night before.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“Felt like the least I could do.” He shrugged, almost sheepish. “After you let me stay with you.”
She laughed. “Well, I do my best not to be stubborn on principle. Besides, you brought some nice heat to the party.”
His eyes went wide, and she realized how suggestive the comment sounded.
“I mean, I was definitely cozier than I would have been by myself.” She dropped her head to one side. “And I wouldn’t have known how to fix the water tank.”
Jack nodded, all business now. “You should let me show you. It’s a simple thing but only if you know what to do. And it can happen anytime a house on a well loses power.”
She nodded, not feeling strongly about the well but appreciating the concern it seemed to represent. “So, coffee?”
“Yes, please.” Jack pulled out his phone and started tapping at the screen.
“Cream? Sugar?”
“Both, if you have them.”
It was an oddly pleasing thing to learn—to know for future reference—the way Jack took his coffee. Not that she would tell him as much. “You got it.”
She poured cups and they both stood, sipping and caffeinating and not speaking. Which, honestly, was probably exactly the way Jack liked it. The urge to tease him about it didn’t come, though. It turned out this was oddly pleasing, too. Easing into the day in companionable silence.
“I’m still going to head back to the garage. If I can get the generator running, we’ll have heat in the rest of the house and work lights wherever we want them.”
As tempting as it might be to spend the day cozied up with a movie—or with Jack—that was probably for the best. “I can go with you. I don’t want to be completely useless.”
Jack smirked, and Ellie tried to ignore how attractive it was. “You’re not useless. You’re going to keep feeding me.”
She laughed at the practicality. Leave it to a guy to consider warmed up soup a fair trade for manual labor. “I am happy with that exchange if you are.”
“More than.” Jack gave a decisive nod, as if to drive home the point.
Ellie lifted her chin. “Does that mean you want breakfast?”
“Are you offering?”
“Absolutely. I’m not a big breakfast person, though, so your options are pretty much cereal or toast.”
He seemed to consider. “Jam?”
“Cherry preserves.”
“Sold.”
Ellie grabbed the bread bag and fished out two slices. That was easy.