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“I’m sure it was hard,” Daphne said, not sure exactly what the woman had dealt with, but it felt like the right thing to say at that moment.
“Look at me acting all maudlin and getting emotional…” Jill smiled and patted her hand. “You eat up, sweetie, and then you can get all tucked in. I’ll blabber along while you fill that tummy. You are much too skinny and look like you could use a good meal.”
Daphne was in the middle of taking a bite and nearly moaned aloud at the explosion of flavors in her mouth. The carrots were soft and flavorful, and the piece of meat fell apart the second she started to chew. It was heady, thick, and savory, tasting just as good as it smelled.
“Omigosh…” she breathed, looking at the woman in shock. “It’s so good.”
“Farm fresh,” Jill chuckled, nodding. “Life’s different out here. We hunt, we grow our own food, and you’ll find most everything tastes better than going to some restaurant in town. Eat up, sweetie, and you can have seconds if you want it.”
Thirty minutes later, two bowls of stew and two rolls later, Daphne was nearly sloshing as Jill walked her to the cabin once more. The woman helped her pull out the couch, revealing the bed and pointed at the loft above.
“The headroom was really low on this building, so we’ve got just a few storage bins up there. If you need blankets, pillows, or anything else – it’s up there.”
“Are you sure I can’t pay you for letting me stay here for the night?”
“I’m hoping you’ll stay a little longer than just this evening,” Jill smiled. “It’s so nice to have girls around to talk to, and Lena is flying up from Texas in a few days. It will be like a big slumber party, but we each get our own places to stay.”
Daphne chuckled, feeling herself relax, and she smiled at the woman.
“I’m not any good at painting nails, but I’ve got my cosmetology license in Texas… so if someone needs a cut or color – I’m your girl,” she volunteered.
If they could give her a roof over her head for a day or two, she would happily volunteer her time and give back to them.Maybe there was something to what Jill was saying,she thought.
“Get some rest, Sweetie,” Jill smiled. “Breakfast is at seven or so at the main cabin.”
“Will do.”
As the woman left, Daphne looked around her in wonder and amazement. The cabin was breathtaking despite its small size. There was a line of shelves that ran from one end of the room to the other where a small, narrow refrigerator stood. A small fireplace was in the corner and wasn’t burning, but it would be handy if things got much colder. The kitchenette consisted of one small counter, the tiniest stovetop she’d ever seen, and a sink. Peering in the cabinets, she saw two of every dish, a skillet, and a coffee maker.
“Oh, you come here,” she breathed aloud, pulling it out of the cabinet for her to use in the morning, setting it down, and then plucking out the basket full of K-Cups right behind it. “You and I are going to be besties while I’m here for the time being.”
Walking around the edge of the countertop where the wall ended, she saw a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and full-sized walk-in shower that was open to the rest of the cabin except for a curtain that you pulled closed. That curtain separated the bathroom from everything else. It was weird, and she’d never showered in a place as nice as this.
Her apartment in Texas had been an older, run-down place she rented that was barely three hundred bucks a month. It was normal to run out of hot water, to see a bug or two, and the mustard yellow tub was nothing like this cobblestone flooring before her that had a drain in the center of the room.
Everything here was designed for space, usage, comfort, and beauty, and she loved it. She never imagined such a tiny cabin could feel so much like a home – but it managed to give off that feeling.
Climbing up a couple of rungs, she pulled down a folded comforter that was really fluffy, making her wonder if it was filled with feathers. Grabbing the sheets, she stepped down and turned to look at the full-size pull-out bed sticking out of the sofa. Space-wise, it was a perfect way to really get the most out of every inch of space.
She couldn’t wait to wake up and see the landscape around the cabin and she was already imagining what it would be like in the morning. Would there be fog, deer in the yard, frost everywhere?
Making the bed quickly, she double-checked the doorknob to make sure it was locked and then climbed into bed. It was so quiet, so peaceful, and she felt everything in her just relaxing in this space. Closing her eyes, she nuzzled the pillow and sighed heavily.
One day turned into two…
Two days turned into a week…
Christina, or Chris, was amazing and a fount of knowledge. She was staying here temporarily to work hands-on with the cows that they kept on hand to provide meat and milk products for the farm. Lena and Gideon arrived the same day and were as different as night and day.
Lena was a quiet little thing with the biggest smile that almost seemed to take over her entire face. The woman was a recovering addict, and Daphne would have never guessed that in a million years. Jill had pulled her aside and told her to keep all sorts of pills put away – just in case.
Gideon was a massive lunk of a guy who seemed to inhabit the entire room as his frame swallowed the crutches he had shoved under his arms. He was a moody thing, grumbly and frowning but only until Christina walked into the room – then both transformed.
Christina got extremely quiet and wouldn’t look up, but Gideon started smiling, trying to hold conversations with people, and was always watching her. Something was going on there, and they were obviously trying to hide it – the problem was there was no way to conceal anything here.
Daphne had thought Gideon was in the far cabin by the chicken coop – only to find that he and Christina were staying together. When Jill told her that, her eyebrows had hit her hairline in shock before calming down slightly. Maybe Christina liked big, buff, macho guys and maybe that dude went for the brainy type?
Then the unthinkable happened: Ortega showed up.
