10. Noah
Chapter ten
Noah
I take a second, holding my hands out. My fingers hurt. They hurt so bad that they feel like they might snap. I can’t believe I’m standing here. I honestly thought we were going to die out there. I had given up, but she was the one that pushed us on.
The snow had been coming down so hard it was almost a whiteout. I was convinced I was completely off the right path to the cabin. I was certain I had gotten her killed. Part of me was pissed that I didn’t stop and try to build an emergency shelter.
I am so glad she didn’t let me. Staying out there all night would have been a mistake.
I look at Mia, realizing she’s still wearing her coat and boots. Her lips are tinged blue. I know she’s not thinking straight. She’s on the verge of hypothermia.
“You need to take off your clothes,” I tell her, my voice firm. “They’re wet, and you’re freezing.”
“I—I don’t think I can move,” she whispers.
She fumbles with her clothes, her fingers clumsy and uncooperative. I can see how bad things are .
“Let me,” I tell her.
She nods, not having the strength to argue. I kneel and start with her boots, pulling them off gently. Her socks are soaked and ice-cold from trudging through the snow.
I peel off one and then the next. Her feet are white, and her skin is wrinkled. With the glow of the fire, I get a look at her toes. Thankfully, I don’t see any frostbite. Another hour and it would have set in.
“Keep looking at the fire,” I instruct her when I see that she’s drifting. She needs to stay conscious. She sways, reaching down to grab my shoulder.
I stand up and unzip her coat. It’s stiff with cold. I am glad it is a good-quality coat. Anything less, and I would be peeling this off a corpse. Her sweater is damp and clinging to her. With slow movements, I pull it over her head. She’s wearing a long-sleeve shirt underneath. Unfortunately, it’s a little damp as well.
“Mia, I need to take this off. Trust me, you’re going to get a lot warmer with the heat from the fire on your skin and not going through your damp clothing.”
She looks at me with no sign of fear. “Okay. ”
I gently remove her shirt, trying not to alarm her. She’s still shivering, but I notice a touch of color returning to her cheeks. She’s watching the fire again, the flames reflected in her half-lidded eyes.
“Pants,” I tell her. “I promise; this is just me trying to get you warm.”
“I know. I get it. I know I have to get out of my wet clothes.”
“Stay here. I’m going to get some blankets. I’m assuming there is a bed here.”
I grab the flashlight and quickly scan the cabin. To my surprise, there is a tiny bedroom at the back. I pull the blanket from the bed. It’s a heavy wool coverlet that is perfect to get her warm. These places always have emergency supplies—a survival necessity of sorts. I see a shelf with more blankets neatly folded. I grab them as well.
She is sitting on the floor in front of the woodstove when I return, fighting with her pants.
“I got some blankets.”
“I can’t get my pants off,” she says.
“Let me. ”
I sit next to her, tugging off the pants. They are meant to repel water and have an insulated lining, but they were no match for hours in an Alaskan blizzard.
She doesn’t protest, as she is too cold and weak to argue. Once she’s down to her underwear, I wrap her in a blanket and pull her close to the stove.
“Let me get some wood on the fire,” I tell her. “It’s going to warm up fast.”
“You have to get your clothes off,” she says, her teeth chattering.
“I will.”
I add another log, the heat from the blaze nearly singeing my eyebrows. That is a good thing. I get to my feet and quickly take my coat off. My sweater is damp as well. I peel it off, tossing it on the floor before sitting down and taking off my boots. I strip down to my boxers and stand in front of the wood stove.
“Damn, that feels good,” I groan with pleasure.
I don’t hear her say anything and look down to make sure she’s still conscious. She’s staring into the flames, but she’s awake .
I sit close to her, rubbing her arms to get the blood flowing. “You’re going to be okay,” I say, trying to reassure her. “You’ll be warm in no time.”
She nods weakly, her eyes half-closed. I shrug off my own blanket and pull hers away. “This is strictly about survival,” I tell her.
“What?”
I pull her nearly naked body against mine and wrap us both up in her blanket. I can feel the chill from her body seep into mine.
“Thank you,” Mia whispers, her voice weak but grateful.
“For what?”
“You know what. You saved me.”
I laugh. “I don’t know about that. I think we saved each other. I was very ready to give up out there. I think I knew that once we laid down, we were going to fall asleep, and that would be it.”
“That’s dark.”
“But true,” I reply softly, my breaths steadying in rhythm with the soft crackle from the fire. I tighten my hold around her, feeling her gradually grow warmer against me. “The cold does things to your mind. Makes you see things... feel things you never thought possible.”
She’s silent for a moment. I wonder if she’s drifted off to sleep. It’s fine if she has. I know she’s out of danger now. Sleep would do us both good. But then she turns to face me, her eyes reflecting the warmth of the flames.
“I saw something too,” she murmurs, a hint of vulnerability seeping into her voice.
“You saw something?”
“It’s silly,” she sighs.
“What did you see?”
“It wasn’t what I saw; it was a glimpse of the future. Without me in it.”
I nod with understanding. She thought we were going to die. Her worries weren’t unfounded.
“But we’re going to have a future. We’re safe. We made it.”
The fire continues to blaze, and warmth soon fills the cabin. Outside, the storm still rages, but here, we’re safe. She’s warming up, but it will take time for her to recover fully—for me as well. I keep the fire stoked and make sure she has plenty of blankets .
“Noah,” she says softly, her voice stronger now. “I really am sorry. For everything.”
I shake my head. “You need to stop apologizing. We’re in this together. Shit happens. We’re moving on.”
She smiles weakly. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You would have made it,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “You’re stronger than you think.”
She looks at me for a long moment, then nods. “Maybe. But I’m glad I didn’t have to find out.”
We sit just enjoying the warmth and the fact that we’re alive. It feels like a different world. Safe, secure, and warm.
“Hungry?” I ask her.
“Famished.”
“Do you think there’s any food in this place?” I ask hopefully.
“We already busted out his window. I don’t think rummaging through his cupboards is going too far.”
I chuckle, nodding my agreement. Carefully disentangling myself from Mia, I rise and am suddenly reminded that I’m in my underwear with a beautiful woman. I don’t care. I put another log on the stove and walked to the tiny kitchen. It’s nothing more than a couple of cabinets. No fridge. No oven.
I open one cabinet and find an assortment of canned food. I reach for a can of stew and then decide to heat two. A single granola bar after the exertion we put forward is not nearly enough.
I do a little more rummaging and find a cast iron pot. I quickly open the cans, dump them in, and carry the pot to the stove.
“Looks like we’re having beef stew,” I tell her. “I hope you’re not a vegetarian. Although, I can’t say this is actual meat in here.”
“I’m not a vegetarian,” she smiles.
I look down at her, still sitting on the floor about two feet in front of the stove. Her hair is almost dry, hanging around her face. She’s still a little pale, but for some reason, I find her more beautiful than when I first saw her. She is stunning.
“Is everything okay?” she asks quietly.
“Yes, fine. I should hang up these clothes.”
“I’ll do it,” she says, getting to her feet with the blanket hanging around her shoulders and open in the front .
I can’t help but look. When I was undressing her, it was all about keeping her alive. I ignored what I was unwrapping. But now, well, hell, I am looking at a woman I suddenly find very attractive. My eyes scan every inch of exposed skin. The black lace bra with the matching panties makes her look like she’s ready to climb on stage and dance.
I give myself a mental shake. This is not the time for that.
“I’m going to get a spoon,” I murmur and quickly go back to the kitchen.
Returning to the stove, I find Mia hanging our clothes on a retractable clothesline. The fire casts shadows across her figure, highlighting every curve. Our gazes meet for a moment, and there’s an unspoken understanding between us. Survival has created an unexpected bond. One that I have a feeling is going to last a long time.
When I first met her, I thought she was a pain in the ass. Now, I am rethinking my initial assessment. She is a resilient woman. She isn’t the spoiled, obnoxious woman I thought. That’s what happens when you judge a book by its cover .
It doesn’t take long for the stew to heat. I carry it back, scoop some into bowls, and return to sit on the floor next to Mia.
“Thank you,” she smiles.
“A gourmet meal,” I say with a grin.
She laughs. “I would probably eat one of those logs at this point.”
We both dig in. The stew is too hot and nearly burns my tongue, but I can’t stop. I’m hungry, and it feels good to have the warmth spread through my body.
“I don’t know what brand that is, but I’m pretty sure that’s the best stew I’ve ever had,” she grins.
“I think there might be another can,” I offer.
“No. I’m good. I’m warm and full, and I feel safe.”
“Me too,” I nod. I reach for her bowl and take it back to the kitchen.
“We should get some rest,” I tell her. “Tomorrow, we can figure out our next steps.”
She nods, looking more alert and a little stronger. “Thank you, Noah. For everything.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, feeling a warmth in my chest that has nothing to do with the hot meal. “I’ll sleep out here. You can take the bed. ”
“No way,” she shakes her head. “I’m not leaving this fire.”
I laugh. “You’re right. Let me push the couch closer, and you can sleep on it.”
“Why don’t we both sleep on the floor?” she suggests. “We can make a bed. We’ll stay warmer if we’re close.”
“Okay. I’ll grab the mattress and bring it out here. Hopefully, Eric won’t mind.”
“We’ll worry about Eric tomorrow,” she chuckles. Even in her current situation, she has not lost her sense of humor.
With her agreement, I haul the mattress off the bed and lay it on the floor. She pushes the couch out of the way to make room for both of us.
I grab some pillows and stand back while she makes us a bed.
I feel like this is one hell of a reward after the last twenty-four hours.