Chapter 10
Wyatt
The storm was sure leaving its mark, and even in a short lull in the onslaught the effects were already there. I wrestled with the front door of the cabin, wanting to get a look at the damage while the wind was off doing something else.
“Are you sure you should be doing that?” Taylor sounded dubious.
I grunted hard, and the door finally gave way with a loud crack. Both of us gasped as I was met with a solid wall of snow reaching the entire height of the doorway. Michael Keaton rushed to my side and whined, sniffing at the snow.
“Doesn’t look like we’ll be going anywhere, anytime soon,” I murmured. “This’ll take a while to dig through.”
Taylor hobbled closer, holding onto the back of the couch for support. She stared at the snowy barricade in open shock.
“How long do you think we’re going to be stuck like this?”
My answer didn’t matter. She wasn’t waiting for it.
Taylor held up her phone, moving it around to see if she could find a sweet spot. That a signal would just magically jump into her device. The look on her face told me everything I needed to know — there was none.
“It’ll be okay,” I tried to reassure her. “These mountain storms can be unpredictable, but they blow over eventually. Besides, I’ve been through worse.”
I tried to put on a brave face for her, even though I felt a pang of anxiety deep inside. I wasn’t quite sure whether it was entirely about us being held hostage by the endless storm, or if some of it was about what would happen once it finally did come to an end.
Why did it suck to see her so determined to get her cell phone back online?
Michael Keaton, always eager to lend a helping paw, started digging in the wall of snow at the door. His overzealous attempts were causing an avalanche into the cabin and I quickly pulled him back.
“Thanks, boy, but we’ll get to this a little later. Go keep Taylor company.” I shooed him off and promptly clamped the front door back in place. It needed a kick or two before finally groaning into the closed position.
“Like a glove.” I smiled at Taylor, but her consternation didn’t waver.
Michael Keaton jumped up against her leg, nearly sending her toppling over, and Taylor fell against the back of the couch. I rushed over to steady her, gripping her by the waist.
“Are you okay?” Our eyes locked, and I was in no way ready for the sea of emotions that passed through that one look.
The bluest of eyes, filled with a flurry of unanswerable questions, were aimed right at me, geared to strike me down.
Taylor put her hand on my shoulder, her fingertips grazing my neck, sending a jolt of lightning shooting through me.
“I’m fine,” she murmured. “He was just being playful.”
“He’s a well-meaning oaf.” I laughed softly, letting go of her. When that was the last thing I wanted to do.
Oh, boy, was I in trouble…
“Seeing as though we can’t go anywhere,” Taylor said, a smirk on her lips, “we might as well get started with another session.”
It could’ve been just a reminder of the physio I’d promised, but it could also be a suggestion for further closeness. I wasn’t sure how to read her. The woman was an enigma, for all her straightforwardness.
Or maybe I’d just lost my ability to pick up on hints anymore. What with being a hermit for so many years.
I gave her a nod and went into the living room to get the space ready.
A chair in the middle of the floor for her to sit, close enough to the fire but with enough room for movement.
As I settled Taylor into the chair I felt a sense of admiration for her determination.
I knew she was in a lot of pain, but she moved through it with no complaints.
Surprising for a pampered city girl.
I guided her through the movements, careful not to push too hard. The tension in her muscles, the way she focused on each flex and extension, it was all so captivating. Her determination was… inspiring.
She looked down at me, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you… for taking such good care of me.”
It was so sincere that I almost forgot what I was doing. I averted my eyes, staring at her bare leg in my hands instead. My heart skipped a beat.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, feeling a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with the fire. “I’m happy to see you’re making good progress. You’ll be skipping out of here once the storm’s over.”
Taylor laughed, the sound of it ringing through me and causing goosebumps to shoot up all over.
“Skipping? I bet you’ll have me doing cartwheels out of here.”
I continued to guide her through the exercises, our eyes occasionally meeting, and in those moments time stood still. I wished it would stay that way. That it would leave us alone so we could get to the bottom of whatever was happening between us.
No communication with the outside world, nowhere to be but here.
Michael Keaton shimmied closer to Taylor’s side, forcing her to take his head on her lap.
“He really likes you,” I remarked, my tone warm. “And believe me, he doesn’t automatically warm up to everyone.”
Taylor gave a smug smile, scratching him tentatively behind the ears. “Well, that’s a relief. I’m honored to have his approval.”
“You’re not exactly a dog person, are you?” I grinned, sitting back on my knees.
She laughed, dipping her head shyly as though she’d just been caught out. The way her eyes sparkled with humor nearly stole my breath away.
“I adapt quickly,” she quipped. “I mean, I’ve already memorized the names of several tools. Who would’ve thought I’d turn into a mountain girl overnight?”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “It’s going to take a little more than that, but you’re doing okay.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Taylor winced as I moved her injured leg through a series of flexes.
Right on cue, Michael Keaton licked her hand to comfort her. My good boy. She glanced at him and smiled, then her expression grew thoughtful.
“So, the extensive t-shirt collection, the very specific name…” Taylor looked at me, a soft smile on her lips. “What’s the deal with Batman?”
I had a feeling it was coming and took a breath, returning my attention to the physio exercises. Being on my knees in front of her, with the feeling that she had all the power in this situation, didn’t help.
“I’m just a fan.” I shrugged, hoping it would be enough, but knowing better.
“I’m a fan of Ben & Jerry’s,” she chided, one eyebrow raised. “I’m not naming my first-born Rocky Road, if you get my meaning.”
“I should hope not.” I chuckled softly. “That would be a cause for concern.”
“Wyatt…”
She wasn’t going to force me, but she was going to offer a concerted nudge. That felt about right, with what I’d come to know about Taylor.
“Fine.” I kept my eyes down. Waited for her to say something else, but she didn’t. She was waiting for me to do the saying of things.
“He’s more than just a comic book hero to me. Bruce Wayne, the man behind the mask, his story… it resonates with me. Loss, pain, all of it shaped him into who he eventually became. Instead of breaking him, it was the driving force behind him trying to make the world better.”
Taylor nodded, her demeanor solemn. “His parents, I know.”
“I guess his story just reminds me that the broken don’t have to stay that way. That’s all.”
“And Batman Returns is your favorite, I’m assuming?” She smiled. It was a smile of comfort, not amusement, and I appreciated that about her.
“Damn straight. Nobody comes close to the incomparable Michael Keaton,” I replied without missing a beat.
“Or Her Royal Highness Michelle Pfeiffer in that-”
“Black cat suit!” we both said at the same time, devolving into the wry laughter of women who’ve found a common perv point.
The moment of levity helped stave off the cold anxiety that had been gradually building. I hadn’t been this vulnerable with anyone in so long, and it wasn’t lost on me how easy she made it. I couldn’t remember a time when sharing a part of myself with someone felt this comfortable. And comforting.
“I think it’s beautiful.” Taylor’s voice was low, her eyes fixed on me. While I, barely holding on, pretended to be entirely too focused on flexing her knee.
“What is?” I asked, painfully aware of what her soft skin felt like beneath my warm fingertips.
The sudden urge to run them up her leg, up higher to find her warmth, took over me. I had to bite my lips together to stop myself from giving in to it. My hands floated down to rotate her ankle. It was safer there. More distance between me and the place I ached to visit.
“What’s beautiful?” I repeated when Taylor made no move to respond.
When I looked up, she blinked quickly, shaking her head as if to bring herself out of her thoughts. The slight flush on her cheeks told me all I needed to know about what those thoughts could have possibly been about. It made me feel less alone in my battle with self-restraint.
She cleared her throat. “The broken who still find hope and purpose. They’re more beautiful for the fact, if you think about it.”
In the hushed cabin, in the middle of nowhere, with a storm ravaging the world outside, something shifted between us. Taylor reached out and touched my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine.
I met her gaze, and it was like she was looking right through me with those bluest of eyes.
Whatever force drove me to bare one of the deepest parts of myself to her was now working a different task. Drawing us closer.
Her face… toward my face.
She leaned in, and I didn’t pull away. My hands were still on her leg, not moving. I was barely breathing, but whatever air I pulled to keep from keeling over mingled with hers. The spark, the attraction I’d been feeling over the past few days, intensified. A spark became a flame.
I still couldn’t name it, but I didn’t care to. All that mattered was what it felt like: a fusion of longing, understanding, and a hunger that had been building since the moment she opened her eyes in my bed.
The storm outside seemed to echo within, a tempest of emotions that I’d be a fool to ignore. My lips tingled with it. Wanted to put an end to the anticipation and just know once and for all what Taylor tasted like.
The charged atmosphere between us crackled, ready to ignite. I could almost feel her lips on mine when the reverie was suddenly shattered by a burst of static noise from my CB radio.
We both jumped in alarm, and I scrambled to my feet while trying to hide my fluster. For days I’d been waiting for some sign of life from the outside world, but my heart sank with disappointment when I crossed the room to reach for the radio.
What I would’ve given to preserve our little bubble for just a few days more…
My fingers fumbled with the controls as I adjusted the volume, finally managing to clear the static long enough to make out another voice. It was distorted, but still recognizable as Jack from town.
‘Comms in… back up…’ More static. A few more turns of the dials and the stilted voice returned. ‘Cell towers… two more days…’
I turned to Taylor with a smile that was meant to portray victory, but the look on her face mirrored the dejection I felt. She didn’t even try to check her phone for bars.