Chapter Five
What in the world does he think he’s doing?
“You’re not staying here.” Morgan followed Luke right up beside the couch, slapping his feet off the cushion before he could get too comfortable, hands flailing in front of her as she talked.
“I don’t care who you have to call but get on that radio of yours and call someone. Heck, call Uncle Bill seeing as how he’s probably the one that orchestrated this whole damn thing.” She was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace but stopped when she heard him chuckling.
“This really isn’t funny Luke. I mean it, you can’t stay.” Her high pitched voice cracking as both hands landed on her hips, signaling no argument.
“Well sorry to say sunshine, but that’s just too bad. I’m not going anywhere, at least until this blizzard isn’t a blizzard anymore. You’re stuck with me.”
Dammit he pisses me off. Stubborn and bullheaded. How am I going to get him out of this cabin? I could wait til he goes to use the outhouse and lock the doors and windows. No… because then he’d end up lost on the mountain again and we’d be back to square one.
Luke wiggled a finger at her, “oh I see what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Morgan crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him indignantly.
“You are so predictable. You were working it all through in that sexy little head there, trying to figure out a way to get me out of your cabin…no, don’t try denying it. I can read you like a book.” He raised his hand to silence her argument.
She was working it through but he wasn’t supposed to know what she was thinking. Damn it.
She walked back to the kitchen, letting go of some deeply held breaths as she served up two plates and sat down at the table. He followed her into the room.
“Can we please just eat and then you can leave me alone? I have work to do today.” He sat across the table from her but between every bite he took, his eyes returned to her. She was so disgusted she just wanted to be done. There may not be much daylight and the wood wouldn’t cut itself.
When she finished, Morgan grabbed the hot kettle from the stove and poured the boiling water into the sink with soap and washed her dishes. Luke placed his plate on the counter and before she could stop him, he’d leaned in and kissed her cheek then ran.
“You jerk!” She yelled after him throwing the dish towel in his wake. Seriously? She knew her face was red but she didn’t care anymore. They’d spent so much time together in the past and while she didn’t want him stirring up those old feelings, that one quick peck gave her heart a flutter. Traitor.
She finished cleaning up the kitchen and walked through the living room but Luke was nowhere in sight.
“Now where did he go? Forget it, I just don’t care.
” She went to her room and pulled out another set of long underwear, fleece-lined jeans and a long sleeve shirt and got herself ready for the blizzard.
“Maybe I got lucky and he walked right on out of here.”
* * * *
“One way or another, I will wear her down.” It was obvious she wasn’t happy to see him.
“But why? What in the hell did I do?”
She was the one that left years ago, from this very spot.
He’d been planning a surprise birthday party for her.
With the help of her best friend, they’d convinced Morgan to meet him at the cabin for a romantic getaway and he was going to ask her to marry him.
Only she’d never showed up. He called and called, probably twenty times a day until the phone company told him her number had been disconnected.
He’d carried that dang engagement ring in his pocket for months.
During Luke’s contemplation of winning over this woman he thought he knew so well, he’d gone outside while she was ignoring him and grabbed the ax. After noticing a huge stack of uncut logs from her kitchen window, he figured he needed something to do. What better way to take out his frustration.
He lined up three huge chunks and got to swinging.
Even with the blizzard like conditions, he could at least still see the wood and after cutting them into several fireplace appropriate pieces, he made a stack beside the porch at the back door.
On his upswing of cutting the next batch of logs, a voice came out of nowhere.
“What are you doing now?”
Morgan.
“I needed something to do. Looks like Bill didn’t get a chance to cut wood for you.” He tried not to look in the direction of the voice and continued swinging the axe.
Her voice continued to move closer and when he sneaked a peak, he could make out her features faintly through the driving snow.
She was such a little scrap of a thing, five feet and two inches if even that but she’d sure argue another inch or two out of anybody willing.
He’d always loved her height. She fit just right in the crook of his shoulder when he wrapped his arms around her.
He couldn’t see it now for all the winter Carharts but she had beautiful shiny dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders when it wasn’t up in a ponytail and eyes the color of smoky emeralds a person could melt into.
Unfortunately, she also had a temper bigger than the Rocky Mountains and she walked right up to him ready to prove it.
“Did you come out to help me sugar? That was mighty kind of you.” Luke couldn’t help but egg her on.
“No, I did not come out to help you. I was supposed to be doing this.”
She’s mad because I’m cutting wood? He smirked at her stance. She’d placed both hands on her hips and if the snow weren’t so deep he’d be able to see her foot tapping.
“Now what’s so funny? Do you think this is all a game?”
“I’m sorry okay? You just look too darn cute standing there.” She rolled her eyes and turned to walk away so he dropped the ax and ran around her, stopping her progression when he clasped her shoulders.
“No wait, seriously. I’m sorry. If you want me to stop chopping so you can finish I will but I was just trying to help. At least let me do this Morgan.” He raised his eyebrows; silently pleading with her then dropped his hands to his sides.
“Fine. I’m going back inside; I have other things to do.” Morgan turned from him heading toward the cabin. “Oh, Luke?”
She had faded slightly from his sight but he could still see the look she gave brooked no argument.
“Please keep your distance. Letting you do this doesn’t change anything.”
“Whatever you say, sugar.” Whatever you say. He smirked and once she was out of sight completely, he pulled down his facemask and picked up the ax.