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These were his friends, his acquaintances; he had something in common with most of them – or there was a connection between each somehow. If there wasn’t a connection, they forged one.
Just like Gideon marrying Christina… and he found out late this afternoon that Daphne had married Max during a bedside hospital ceremony.
Jake had mentioned marriage once before in front of Lena – and she’d turned him down flat, but ithadbeen a poor conversation when they’d first met. It was actually pretty wretched, and he was glad Houghton hadn’t pushed things between them, or she might have bolted.
No, Lena was a person who had to find her own way, and when she was ready, then it would be her move.
He just had to be patient.
He heard her moving around just as his cell phone glowed nearby on the counter.
“Jake?” came Lena’s voice from above where she slept. “Did you just get a text message?”
“I think so – were you sending me nudes?”
“No,” she laughed as her head appeared over the edge of the loft, and he wiggled his fingers at her. “Houghton just texted – there’s a blizzard on the way, and he went to get Max tonight from the hospital… instead of tomorrow.”
“A blizzard?” he said, sitting up.
“Yeah,” she replied, coming down the ladder in obvious concern. “We’re all getting up right now. I guess it’s bearing down on us. He said to make sure the generator comes on, check the food stores here in the cabin…”
“Wood,” he guessed, standing up and fastening his jeans that he’d gone to sleep in for her sake. It was too darn chilly sometimes in just his shorts, and his girl was modest.
“I’ll help you,” she began, yanking on a sweatshirt over her t-shirt and not bothering to change. “We can do this together and…”
“I’ll be fine.”
“If you hurt yourself, there is no going to the hospital if the roads are impassable…”
“Lena…”
“Jake!” she snapped, interrupting him. “Don’t argue with me. We can do this quickly if we work together. Help me carry goods from the house, and we’ve got to help Daphne. She’s alone, and I don’t know how long it is going to take Houghton to come back. Even when he does, Max cannot help her. Gideon’s got Chris and…”
“Hey,” he said simply, grabbing her shoulder to slow the panic building within her that was obvious to see. “You’re right,” he agreed. “Let’s go, and we’ll work together.”
Lena looked so stunned at his words – and then nodded, pulling on her gloves, hat, and jacket almost as quickly as he was doing. As they opened the front door to the cabin, he could see the lights on in the distance as everyone was starting to prep as quickly as possible.
“Let’s do this,” he said grimly, wondering what they were in for when the blizzard hit.
* * *
Hours later, Jake knew.
It was a chaotic mess as the snow started falling and the wind picked up. He was stringing the last of the ropes from the furthest cabin to the next one at Jill’s request when he heard a horn honking.
Houghton was backing up to one of the cabins, driving through the field recklessly, before helping Max into the cabin with Daphne. The older man looked like he was giving her ‘what for’ as he pointed, shook his head, pointed into the cabin, and then leaned in toward her face… and she leaned back, nodding while looking alarmed.
He saw Lena in the distance, carrying bags of canned goods to Chris and Gideon’s cabin, and felt something primal within him take over as he realized that it was getting harder and harder to see in the distance as the wind picked up and the snow got heavier. The sun was coming up, only serving to blind them all as it reflected against the large flakes coming down thickly.
“Nuh-uh,” he yelled loudly. “Lena! Keep a hand on the rope and get back to our cabin. You’re done…right now!”
She kept going as if she didn’t hear him – and he cursed angrily. Tying the rope off quickly, he trudged through the snow grateful his toes were numb in his boots and could only imagine how cold she was. This was just a testament to her drive, her capacity for caring, and her willingness to be a part of this team… but that washiswoman, first and foremost.
And he was going to take care of her, protect her.
“LENA!” he hollered, trying to get her attention and saw her look up finally as he took the bag from her, putting her hand on the rope. “No more fooling around, Lumberjack,” he yelled over the howling wind. “Keep your hand on the rope over here – we’re done.”
Turning, he set the bag down on Gideon’s deck – banged on the door – and turned back towards Lena, cursing her gray jacket.
