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It took about forty minutes from the crash site to get to the cabin through the off-roads, and as I slowed outside of it, finally able to hear something other than the howling wind around us, I checked on her.
“You alright?”
“Cold!”
Stopping outside the shed, I hopped off and fished out the keys from my pocket, holding them out to her. “Head inside, and I’ll be there in a second.”
She gave me a look before taking the keys and hurrying to the door. I pulled the shed doors open and then drove the sled inside, grabbing my bag and hers before shutting the doors, locking them, and heading to the house.
Pausing at the door, I took a deep breath. I needed to find a way to get through to her. Otherwise, the rest of the night was going to be miserable if she kept on the way she was.
And frankly, I’d much rather get the chance to know her better because obviously, when I was a stupid boy, I didn’t appreciate her for the woman she truly was.
june
It wasn’t much betterinside the cabin either, and I wished I had taken my scarf out of my bag before climbing on the snowmobile. Bringing my hands to my cheeks, I rubbed them as vigorously as my cold, stiff arms could manage before pulling my phone out to use as a flashlight.
After a quick search of the room, I determined there was no overhead light and, instead, found a gas-fueled lantern on the table. Next to it was a box of matches, so I slipped off my gloves and fumbled with it before managing to get one lit. As I held the match to the wick, it lit for a second before dying. So I tried again. And again.
And then Evan came into the cabin.
“Here, let me.” He stepped beside me, reaching for the matches just as I pulled away from him and elbowed him right in the stomach. Doubling over with a groan, he braced himself on the table.
“Shit, sorry!” And I meant it. I didn’t like the guy, but I didn’t mean to abuse him.
“It’s fine …” He breathed out, his eyes still closed for a second. After composing himself, he rose and took the matches from me, flicking one on with ease, and then he twisted a knob on the lantern and lit the wick. Twisting the knob again, he adjusted the light and nodded.
“You didn’t turn the gas on,” he explained as he set the box down. “I’ll get a fire going too to warm it up in here.”
“Is there no electricity at all?”
“Only one,” he pointed over his shoulder, “for the fridge and the water tank in the bathroom. My dad installed it and hooked it up to a generator. He tried to do lights but found the generator he purchased wasn’t big enough for all that, plus I think he secretly likened himself to a mountain man when he was out here.”
“Right.” Evan move through the room, looking over the fireplace with a groan. “My brother didn’t refill the wood before he left.” He rose from his crouch and walked back toward the door with a sigh. “Sorry, this is going to take a few minutes. There’s a blanket in the bedroom if you’re freezing.” My eyes followed where he pointed to before I turned back to him.
“And where are you going?”
He looked amused when he said, “to chop wood?”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise before I looked back over at the fireplace. “You don’t just bring in kindling to use?”
“Nah, not when there are all these trees around us.” He adjusted his hat and replaced his gloves before pulling the door open. “Be back soon.”
As soon as the door closed, a foreboding sense of unease fell over me. Evander Butler was easily my least favorite person in the world, but I also didn’t love the idea of him being outside chopping wood in the dark. With a sigh, I grabbed my gloves and the lantern before heading out after him.
The snow was still falling in thick drifts, but every so often, lightning lit the sky, bringing another burst of thunder with it. When the noise died, I followed the sounds of rummaging around the cabin to find Evan setting up his wood.
“Here, let me light this for you.” I stepped in front of the stump he was using and held the lantern out while using my body to shield the wind from blowing it out.
“Thanks,” Evan said with a grin before resting the first piece of wood on it and stepping back. He pulled his arms back and braced himself before swinging it with ease, snapping the wood in half.
Fuck, I hated that he’d only gotten hotter since high school. Couldn’t he have a receding hairline and a beer belly?
But no. Like the rest of his brothers, the Butlers were beautiful and would be right through to old age.
“So, I was a dick to you in high school.” His ax came down again with a snap, but it was his words that made me jump.
“That’s putting it mildly,” I retorted with dry sarcasm. He walked close to me again, putting another piece of wood on the stump before backing up once more.
