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I’m sure that I look like a drowned rat by the time that I make it to the front door, and I sigh as I knock. Then I wait. When no one answers, I wonder if they can hear me over the storm, so I knock again.
I’m just about to turn and head back to the car when the door opens and my mouth drops open.
“Yeah, of course this is your place,” I grumble as I push the dripping wet hair out of my face and stare up at Heath Winters.
ChapterFour
Heath
I must be dreaming. That’s the only way to explain Caroline standing on my front porch, soaking wet.
I had just been missing her and thinking about her, like always, when she knocked on my door. I hadn’t heard it over the torrential rain, but I’m glad I heard her the second time.
“Yeah, I live here,” I answer her. “Why don’t you come in out of the rain?”
I step aside but she hesitates.
“Charlotte is in the car,” she says, pointing over her shoulder to her idling car.
“She can come in, too. You shouldn’t be driving in this weather anyway.”
She bites her lip, debating, and I wait her out.
“Alright,” she says before she turns and runs back to her car.
She’s back with Charlotte and her backpack a few minutes later and I smile at the little girl as Caroline sets her on her feet.
“Hi, Mr. Heath,” Charlotte says with a smile, running over and wrapping her little arms around my leg. “We were camping.”
“I heard. I’m sorry that you got rained on,” I tell her and she nods.
“It’s okay. We’re going to try later.”
“Well, let me get you some towels and you can get dry.”
Caroline is still hanging out by the front door and I give her a smile before I head to get them some towels. I come back out and can’t help but laugh when I see Charlotte digging through her little backpack. She’s got a worn stuffed bunny under one arm and a bag of marshmallows under the other.
“Look what we have, Mr. Heath!” Charlotte says excitedly, and I have a feeling that I’ll be building a fire so that we can make s’mores at some point tonight.
“Yum! Did you want to make s’mores?”
Charlotte nods, jumping up and down and I wrap a towel around her shoulders before I pass the other one to Caroline.
“You two dry off and I’ll get a fire started.”
I think I have some dry firewood in the back room, so I head out there. I grab a few logs and rummage around until I find the sticks to roast the marshmallows.
“Do you need any of the stuff out of your car?” I ask Caroline as I crouch down near the fireplace.
“That depends. Do you know how long it’s supposed to rain like this?”
“Uh, I think it might be all weekend, actually.”
Caroline’s shoulders sag and I try to give her a friendly smile.
“You both are welcome to stay here for as long as you want.”
“Thanks,” Caroline says, taking a few more steps into the cabin.
