Chapter Six
“I swear he does crap like that just to tick me off.” Morgan huffed, clenching her fists as she walked back to the cabin.
The snow was so deep and dense it was hard to walk normal.
If she fell, at least she had the relief to know she was close enough that she’d probably just sit in the snow and he wouldn’t see a thing with the visibility so minimal.
Heck she’d be lucky to see her hand in front of her face with the way the wind whipped the big flakes every which way.
She stopped at the ice chest, grabbed a small roast to cut up for supper then trotted inside, kicked off her boots on the rubber mat and slapped the hunk on the butcher block counter top.
After throwing her coat to the floor along with the mittens and stocking cap, she found her sharpest knife to cut off small chunks of frozen meat and piled them in the stockpot.
A little salt the meat would be well on its way to tender.
Morgan added a couple solid pieces of wood to the stove to keep it hot, set to boil a tea kettle for cocoa and a pot of water for the potatoes.
The noodles had all been rolled out and cut to length and laid on the kitchen table to dry while she peeled potatoes to boil and mash.
An occasional glance out the window reassured her she wasn’t yet to be disturbed.
“Maybe he accidentally knocked himself in the head with the ax while he was cutting. No that’d be just my luck. Then I’d need to baby him yet again.”
She finished peeling the last potato, gathered the skins and dumped them in the trash next to the back door, peaking out again. Was she looking out for him because she was concerned?
“Heavens no, I just don’t want him in my operating space. He’s probably freezing about now, that snow is really coming down. Forget it Morgan, you don’t care what he does remember?”
She shook her head while she wiped her hands on the dish towel stuffed in her belt. She came here to be alone; worrying about where he was or what he was doing was the last thing she wanted on her mind. He was the uninvited guest and he could fend for himself.
“Yeah and that’s why I had to go on a search and rescue mission in the middle of the night to find his sorry butt.”
Checking the noodles one last time, she gathered the lot and threw them in the cast iron pot with the meat.
A little more seasoning and she covered the brew to boil again.
Poured over mashed potatoes, that’d make a great supper and probably lunch tomorrow as well.
She set the timer for the potatoes and meandered into the living room.
“Guess I’m glad he’s out there cutting more wood.
These are the last three pieces.” She threw the chunks on the fire and replaced the screen.
Was she being too hard on him? “Stop it Morgan, don’t start feeling sorry for him now.
” She tried her best to put Luke out of her mind while she made herself comfy on the couch to finish her book.
* * * *
Who knew chopping wood was such a stress reliever.
“I don’t think the bulk of my real stress has hit me yet.
” She’s about a buck twenty, full of spit and vinegar and that’s no exaggeration.
“Don’t I just love walking into a ball of fire?
” Luke had no clue where in the cabin she was but he’d been outside for hours, was darn near frozen to the bone and had to go in.
That is if she didn’t lock the doors on him.
Luke twisted the door handle ever so slowly in hopes to not evoke squeaks.
It was an old cabin so stranger things could happen and knowing her, the she-devil would hear a pin drop in a haystack.
He stepped carefully into the kitchen, not knowing where there may be creaky floor boards but stopped dead in his tracks.
There was an amazing smell coming from the cook stove.
Not seeing her in the general vicinity, he hurried to peel off his winter layers and approached the smell anxiously.
“Sweet! She cooked for me again.” His whispered words were exuberant but none-the-less, whispered.
He was a little surprised however that he hadn’t alerted her to his presence inside yet. Oh well, he supposed she’d get over it.
Luke lifted the lid off the boiling pot, only to elicit a loud growl from the depths of his less than full stomach.
“Must have worn off that breakfast already. Wonder if she’ll mind me eating.
” Of course that was a question that could answer itself so he made the wiser choice, replaced the lid after stirring the mixture a little and went in search of his little she-devil.
After a glance at the empty bedroom, his eyes landed on the precious site nestled so sweetly under a throw blanket at the end of the couch.
Reminiscing really wasn’t his thing but seeing her there reminded him of some of their best memories together.
He just didn’t understand what went wrong.
What made her leave? He needed answers. He needed her as well but could he get through to her?
Maybe a little extra sleep would help her wake up in a good mood? He could only hope.
Careful not to disturb her, he shuffled back to the kitchen where he’d noticed earlier a couple of the cabinet doors were loose. He could do some handy work while she slept. No harm in that right?
“Depends on who you ask I suppose. Bill would appreciate not having to trek up here to do it but miss independent is all about doing things herself. Well, too bad.”
Luke glanced back at the cook stove one more time and noticed the timer was about to go off.
He couldn’t have her waking up just yet.
He switched the dial to the off position and moved the pot of boiling potatoes to the wash basin to cool.
Once he had the doors fixed, he’d drain off and mash the potatoes.
She definitely wasn’t letting him near her bed but he could bring her some dinner to the couch.
“Time to woo her.” Carefully he thought to himself.