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Sirens sounded in the distance, and Poppy could hear shouting nearby.
“You okay in there?” A female voice was to her right.
“What’s your name?” A male voice sounded to her left.
She reached out with her right arm, but she couldn’t reach Jon, couldn’t touch him. “Please, help Jon.” Poppy let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. Blood and tears made seeing anything damn near impossible, and the pain made it hard to think straight. Another sob tore through her, and she tried once more to reach for Jon.
“God, Johnny, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please be okay.” Then darkness took her away.
Poppy wiped the tear that started making a slow trail down her cheek. Blake’s comforting presence seeped into her, and she absorbed the sensation.
“I’m so sorry, Poppy.” He rubbed her back, the rhythmic up-and-down motion further helping to ease her pain.
“Well, it is getting easier every day, and I’m hoping it’ll get better since I’m here.” Poppy wiped at the last tear and forced a smile on her face. She looked at Blake and saw a pained look on his.
“I’m going to make you whole again, Poppy.”
“It’s not your job to do that, Blake.”
They stared at each other for a suspended moment, then he gave a nod and stood. “Okay, well I’ve got some breakfast made when you’re ready.”
He shut the door on his way out, and Poppy sat on the bed and went back to staring out the French doors. The snow continued in a flurry of motion, and she was struck by the beauty of it.
If only she could be one of those snowflakes with the wind taking her far, far away.Chapter 5“Breakfast was delicious, Blake.” Poppy leaned back in her seat and smiled at him. The sunlight poured through the bay window and cast a golden glow across Blake. The thermal Henley he wore was snug against his broad chest, and Poppy could make out the twin mounds of his pecs. She looked away quickly. After finishing her coffee, she stood and walked over to him.
“Here, let me do the dishes.” She reached out to grab his plate, but his hand atop hers stopped her. She lifted her eyes to his and waited. For a moment, she was struck by how handsome he was. Guilt immediately consumed her.
“Forget about the dishes. How ‘bout I take you to the waterfall?”
“Really?” Genuine excitement filled her. “Like an actual waterfall?”
His chuckle was deep and low, and it did funny things to her belly, things she didn’t really want to think about.
“It’s not much of a waterfall this time of year, but it’s still a beautiful sight.” He stood, and she took a step back. “It’s breathtaking this time of year, and if you want to see it, we should go before the storm hits.”
“A storm is supposed to hit?”
He scooped up his plate and took hers out of her hand. “Yeah. We’re supposed to get a few feet starting tomorrow night, and it’ll continue until Sunday evening.” He set the dishes in the sink and turned around. Blake leaned against the counter and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. He hadn’t shaved yesterday, and the extra days’ worth of growth looked really good on him. “First, I’ll show you the office so you’re familiar with it come Monday, but then we can head up the mountain.” He grinned.
“Okay.” She headed back to her room to change into warmer clothes and freshen up then met Blake in the kitchen. He was already dressed, with his coat on and his car keys in hand.
Once in the SUV, they headed into town. They didn’t really speak, but that was okay, because a comfortable atmosphere filled the vehicle. They pulled into the small parking lot of the wildlife preserve, and Blake cut the engine.
The first thing Poppy noticed inside the building were the framed samples of different flora and fauna that lined the walls. A small desk was off to the right with stacks of paperwork littered atop it. A standard, gray filing cabinet stood next to that.
“So, that’ll be your desk.” Blake pointed to where her gaze was already. “As you can see, we are in desperate need of some help.” It was cute the way his cheeks turned pink after he said it.
Noise sounded down the hallway, and Blake gestured for her to follow. A door stood to the left, which was closed, and Blake told her that was where most of their records were kept.
“You guys don’t keep anything in the computer?” He continued to lead her down the narrow hallway and stopped in front of the only other door.
“We do, but internet connection out here is spotty, if we can even get it. Besides, we’re kind of old school around here. Maggie likes to have actual hardcopies of our findings, but we still have to input our data into the system. That’s where you come in.”
