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“That sounds good. I’ll get the bread and meat and make us some sandwiches. If you’re hungry?”
He pushed the blankets off and got up, holding out a hand for her. She took it and pulled herself up, trying not to pay attention to how his hand felt holding hers.
“I’m definitely hungry. Although, if we have sandwiches all day, plus the sandwich that I had last night, I’m probably going to be ready for something other than sandwiches tomorrow.”
“Me too, although if we spend too much more time here, I guess I’ll just be happy for anything to eat, because we probably have enough to last us today, but not anymore.”
“Hopefully Sally remembers that she only provided enough food for two days. And doesn’t leave us stranded out here any longer than that.”
They laughed a little together before he went outside.
She started putting the sandwiches together, thinking while she did so. She’d never been to a gala, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t go. That she couldn’t learn. She could. It would be a great experience, and who knew, maybe she’d learn something new, or it would open a door to something else.
She tried to focus on those thoughts and not on the nervousness she felt. She didn’t want to embarrass him, cause him any trouble, or make things more difficult for him. And she was afraid that was what she was going to do.
The two sides warred in her head as he came back in with an armful of wood, then went back out for another one after telling her that the roads were clear and it looked like the snow stopped.
Good news. Really good news, except... She didn’t really mind being stranded with him. He admitted almost as much to her, too.
She had both sandwiches ready by the time he came in with another load of firewood. After ducking back outside to wash his hands in the snow, he came back in and she handed him a sandwich.
Bowing her head, she said a short prayer, thanking God that they were fine last night, that they were able to start a fire, that there was food, and that she’d been stuck with someone who had a good head on his shoulders, instead of someone who would have panicked. All things that she’d been silently thanking God for in short bullet prayers since she’d woken up.
“You can just say that out loud for both of us, or if you want me to?” His words interrupted her.
“I didn’t want to push on you if it wasn’t something you did.” She looked at her sandwich and then looked back up at him. “I know we’re stuck here in a shack, and there are a lot of things that we could say went wrong, but I’m just so grateful for all the things that went right. Having food, being able to start a fire, the fact that the cat had the rest of her kittens without any more trouble, and you. I’m thankful for you. It would have been terrible to be stuck here with someone who complained the entire time or even worse to be stuck with someone who was scared to death and panicked.”
“I could say the exact same thing. I’ve been thinking over and over this morning how grateful I am that it was you that I was stuck with. I can think of a lot of people, male and female, who wouldn’t have been nearly as reasonable and...fun. It’s been fun.”
She laughed. “I was thinking the same thing, I think we talked about that a little bit last night, and this morning too. On the one hand, I want to get out of here. I haven’t been without my phone for such a long time in forever. It’s...a little bit of withdrawal. I want to make sure everyone is okay, and I want them to know that I’m okay. But beyond that, I feel like I could stay here for a really long time and be perfectly happy.”
“There’s just a total lack of pressure or any kind of worry or fear. I’m not even concerned about people coming to get us. Someone will be here eventually.”
“If I were you, I might be a little concerned about whether or not I’m going to make it to my gala.”
“The thought has crossed my mind, but I know we’re not going to be here that long. I also know that I have people in charge of making sure everything is ready. The only thing I have to do is show up and take charge of the silent auction. I’ve done it so much that I’m not worried about it at all.”
They ate their sandwiches, then he added more wood to the fire and she fed the cat. As far as she could tell, the kittens were doing well and the mama seemed fine. He walked over after he was done fueling the fire and crouched down beside her.
“She’s purring just as loud as she can. You couldn’t tell that she was in such distress yesterday.”
“And the kitten seems to be fine too. I guess that’s one more thing to be thankful for.”
He nodded, and the look he gave her was a little bit thoughtful, even though there was a smile tripping up his lips.
They walked over to the stove, sitting down in front of it and sharing blankets and talking about different things, nothing deep or personal like they had the night before. It seemed like in the daylight, they agreed to keep the topics superficial.
They heard the snowplow going back and forth several times, and Eleanor had to admit that she was disappointed when a rumbling noise seemed to stop in front of the shack and then come up the driveway.
“Sounds like our rescuers are here.” Franklin tilted his head and then heaved out a sigh. “I suppose we should get up and greet them. Is that what you do when you’ve been abducted and are being kept in a shack? Is it polite to greet newcomers?”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever learned the etiquette on that situation exactly,” Eleanor said, and the smile they shared was rather bittersweet. She understood that he was just as reluctant as she was to admit that their time was over. But it was probably for the best. He had a gala to attend, and so did she.
Not to mention, she had a dress to buy.
With that thought, she scrambled up beside him and awaited their rescue.
