Chapter 8
The man. Had moved. A tree.
She’d seen the size of it yesterday, and while it might not have been the hugest tree, it was also not a little one. The thought of him hefting it out of the road made her press her thighs together, genuinely sorry she’d missed seeing it happen.
Chase was back outside changing the tire. She’d protested that he needed to warm up and should change it later, but he declared he was already plenty warm and would rather get it out of the way.
Harper raided the cupboards and found a can of evaporated milk and a few packets of cocoa.
As the milk and cocoa heated on the stove, she rooted around and found half a package of dark chocolate chips and a bottle of vanilla.
She added a few handfuls of the chocolate and a generous dollop of vanilla, whisking it all together until it was heated through and smooth.
She was pouring it into mugs when a blast of chilly air heralded Chase’s return. He lifted his head, scenting the air like a dog on the trail of a rabbit.
“Do I smell chocolate?” he asked, his eyes hopeful.
She smiled as she held out a mug. “I found cocoa!”
He inhaled before taking a healthy swallow. His eyes flared wide. “This is amazing.”
Harper shrugged. “Just packaged cocoa with some chocolate chips and vanilla.”
“It’s like swallowing heaven.”
She couldn’t help laughing at that. “I suspect it tastes extra delicious because you were outside in that bitter cold.”
His eyes narrowed as he considered. “You may be right. But it’s still damn delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” There was no reason for her to blush, so why was it happening, dangit? She grabbed a cloth to wipe up nonexistent cocoa spills.
When she turned back to Chase, he was looking at her strangely. “What?”
His mouth curved into a small, mysterious smile. “Nothing. What should we do today?” He tilted his head back toward the living room. “Movie marathon?”
Movies, yes, good. That would mean she only had to sit in the same room and watch something on the TV instead of trying to make conversation all day long with the man she couldn’t stop thinking about in more and more intimate terms.
“Fantastic, yes, let’s do that.”
Chase busied himself building a fire in the fireplace while Harper perused the movie selection on the streaming channels. This might be a somewhat remote fishing cabin, but he liked having some of the comforts of home even here.
“Ooh, how about Lord of the Rings? I haven’t done a rewatch in a while.”
How did he not know Harper was a Lord of the Rings fan? She just kept getting more perfect.
“Absolutely, I love Lord of the Rings.”
“Me too! Should I see if there’s any popcorn?”
He waved a hand at her as he stood from the fire that was already beginning to warm the space. “Take a load off. The owners usually keep some in the pantry. I’ll check.”
As Harper pulled up the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, he popped a few bags of popcorn and poured them into a bowl. “Need any more cocoa yet?”
“Nah, I’m good for now.”
Bearing the popcorn bowl, he grabbed napkins and made his way to the couch, setting the bowl down between them as a buffer.
As the first movie began, he reached for some popcorn, an electric sizzle shooting up his arm when his hand brushed against Harper’s.
With effort he managed not to jerk away, shifting his hand away and grabbing a handful.
His throat was dry after that inconsequential touch, and he had to down a healthy swallow of cocoa before he ate any popcorn.
Their hands brushed more and more frequently as the level in the bowl got lower.
Finally he stopped reaching for any, leaving the rest of it to Harper as he got up to rummage for something else to eat, taking the opportunity to clear his head.
“Is everything okay?” Harper had paused the movie.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You don’t have to stop watching on my account. I could practically recite it line by line at this point.”
Harper grinned at him. “I’m sure you could. I remember you and Jackson replaying the Battle of Helm’s Deep more than a few times.”
He laughed as he dipped his head, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d never claimed he wasn’t a nerd. In fact, he was proud of the fact, even if his teammates liked to bust his chops about it. Chase didn’t care.
“Can I get you anything while I’m up?”
“What do we have?” she asked, leaning against the arm of the couch.
Rummaging through the cupboards, he listed off a few items.
“How about soup and crackers?” she suggested.
“You got it.” Chase chose a thick beef stew and put it on to heat in a pan and got out a box of crackers, putting some on a small plate. “Do you want more cocoa? Some tea?”
“Tea would be nice.”
He searched through the boxes in the cupboard and selected the orange spice, favorite. After heating water in the microwave, he poured some into the mug with the teabag and carried it over to her along with the sugar and a spoon.
The stew was beginning to bubble, and he stirred until it was heated through. He poured some into two bowls, put them on a baking tray with two spoons, and carried it over to the seating area.
Harper picked up a bowl and wrapped her hands around it, as if absorbing its warmth.
“Are you cold?”
She looked at him in surprise before glancing down to her hands. “No, just enjoying how nice and toasty the bowl feels.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for getting dinner.”
Uncharacteristically embarrassed, he turned his gaze to the TV and reached for the remote. “You’re welcome. Should we start the movie back up?”
Halfway through The Two Towers, they took a break. Harper scurried off to the bedroom to dig her slippers out of her suitcase while Chase added another log to the fire.
She came padding out, her giant yellow slippers leading the way, and he couldn’t help laughing. “Big Bird?”
“Of course. Sesame Street is the best.”
“Can’t argue with that. I just wasn’t expecting those.” His grin lingered as she clomped into the kitchen and rooted around until she found the package of Oreos, bringing them back to the couch and sitting far too close beside him.
Holding out the package, she offered him one.
“I shouldn’t. I try not to eat too much sugar during the hockey season, and I already had the cocoa.”
She nudged him with one shoulder as she cajoled, “C’mon, you know you want some. Also, these are extenuating circumstances, so the food doesn’t count. You know you’re tempted.”
He certainly was tempted, but not by the cookies. Well, not only by the cookies. He took two and shoved an entire cookie into his mouth in one bite, relieved when she laughed and sat back against the couch.
This was going to be a long evening. Why had he pushed for the Extended Editions?