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We finished the dinner in silence. After I took our bowls and put them into the sink, I helped her stand up.
“I think I’m going to try and walk up the steps and shower. Maybe the hot water will lessen the pain some.”
“Kaylee, there’s no power. The pump on the well can’t bring any water up to the house, and not to mention the water heater is off.”
Her lower lip jutted out into a pout. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. “Then what do we do?”
“Do you have any board games?”
Her eyes seemed to light up at that, or maybe it was simply the candlelight flickering in her eyes. “Ty, you don’t have to stay.”
I handed her more ibuprofen and a bottle of water. “I honestly am stuck. I went outside before you woke up to go get more firewood. It’s really bad out there. I could hardly find my way to the barn to get the wood and back to the house, it’s snowing so hard.”
“Yikes. What happens if you can’t leave in the morning?” she asked, chewing nervously on her lip.
“It’ll be fine. Tanner or Brock will get the plow out and make a path. Don’t worry.”
She nodded, then said, “I’m going to go find some warmer clothes. I don’t have anything for you to wear. I’m sorry.”
“No worries, I’ll be fine. I’ve got some sweatpants in my truck. I’ll run out and get them. You might want to make any calls you need to, especially before your phone dies. If the cell coverage is even working. It’s hit or miss when it snows this heavy. Maybe to Lincoln, or to Channing—let him know you’re all right. My signal wasn’t working earlier, so I had to use your phone and saw you had some missed calls, but it’s working now.”
Kaylee stood there for a moment just staring at me before she finally spoke. “Right. I’ll do that.”
Then she walked out of the kitchen, and I closed my eyes and internally cursed myself. Why did I have to bring up Channing? Probably because he’d called her earlier while she was asleep. My phone wasn’t working, so I borrowed hers, and when I’d glanced down at it, I’d seen his name.
Dick. Asshole jerk.
I used to like the guy until I saw him kissing Kaylee and walking into her house. The thought of him with her made my stomach roll with nausea.
After using a bottle of water to rinse out the two bowls, I stacked them in the dishwasher, then put on my jacket to head out to my truck. When I got to the front door, I heard Kaylee talking to someone, and my curiosity got the better of me. I quietly made my way up the steps. It was freezing upstairs.
“I’m fine, honestly. No need to bring the fire truck, but it’s sweet of you to offer to come warm me up.”
Rolling my eyes, I made a silent gagging motion. I hated the thought of that asshole being in her bed. Warming her up. Inside her. My fists balled at my sides.
“No, it’s painful to sit or stand, but walking seems to be okay. I’m going to stay down in the living room tonight where the fire is. Yes, I’ve got plenty of firewood.”
It wasn’t lost on me that she hadn’t mentioned I was there.
“No, Ty started it for me a few hours ago. He stopped by to make sure I had enough.”
Still no mention of me actually still being there. Interesting . . .
“Honestly, Channing, I’m fine. I don’t need you hauling out the fire department simply for me. It’s dangerous on the roads, anyway. Besides, I’m not helpless.”
Even I could hear the frustration in her voice. Kaylee didn’t like to feel useless, or be made to feel weak, and I admired that about her. She could own up to her weaknesses when she wanted to, which wasn’t often, yet she wasn’t prideful either.
“Let me go ahead and let you go; I don’t want to use up all my battery. I’m going to shut off my phone, so if you try to call or text, you’ll know why I’m not answering.”
Turning, I quickly headed down the steps to the front door, seeing as she was getting off the phone. Once I stepped outside, I sucked in a breath, then coughed.
“Holy crap, it’s freezing out here,” I said out loud.
I carefully made my way down what had once been the steps, but they were covered with so much snow I couldn’t see them. The snow was now already halfway up my tires. I opened the back door and smiled when I saw my gym bag.
“Thank you, God.”
Now I had a change of clothes and a sweatshirt I could wear. I grabbed the bag and trekked back up toward the house. I looked to my left and couldn’t see anything but white, everywhere. Thank God I didn’t park that far away from her front porch. We were in a whiteout, and I made a mental note to check the weather on my phone.
