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I walked over to the fridge and grabbed one of her snack packs that contained broccoli, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. After peeling off the plastic on top, I set it on the counter and nodded toward it. “Eat that. Dinner should be done soon.” The wind howled outside, and I winced. “I need to go check the generators and get fires going.”
Tightness settled around her eyes. I didn’t like it. “Will we lose power?”
I shrugged. “Probably.” I brushed my fingers down her cheek. “But I’ll keep you safe and warm. I promise.”
The generators were down in the basement, so after making sure she properly administered insulin to herself, I jogged down the stairs. Checking the gas tanks on both, I scowled and heaved a tired sigh. They didn’t have gas, and I hadn’t refilled the gas can for them since the last time I’d used them. If it was just me stuck here in this house, I wouldn’t be worried about it. But I had Everlee to worry about, too.
I just couldn’t ever get it right. God!
Cursing myself, I headed back up the stairs and closed the basement door before walking into the kitchen to check on the food. Turning the burners off, I looked at Everlee. “Well, no generators,” I told her.
She winced. “My insulin…” She had some unused vials in the fridge which needed to be kept cold. I knew she was probably worried about the cost of replacing them, but I wasn’t. If I had to get her new vials once the blizzard passed, then that was what I would do.
I walked over and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’ll be fine,” I assured her. “And if they go bad before we get power back, I’ll head into town as soon as possible and get more. Don’t worry.” I kissed the side of her head. “I’m going to get fires going in the fireplaces.”
I left the room once more and braved the weather outside to bring in wood from beside the house. I could barely see a thing, but I knew this property like the back of my hand and could tread through it by muscle memory alone. Once I had enough wood for a couple of days, I quickly shut the door and then quickly worked on mopping up the melted snow that had pummeled its way inside through the open door when I was bringing wood in.
Everlee joined me in the bedroom as I was getting the fire going. I smiled up at her, hoping to ease her nerves. This blizzard would be a first for her, but once she made it through this one, any other ones would be like eating cake.
“Need any help?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “The only thing I need you to do is rest, sweetheart. You hit your head pretty hard.”
She sighed, her hands fluttering at her sides. “I feel useless.”
I chuckled. “You’re not useless, Ever. If you want to help,” I pointed at the chair in the corner of our room, “sit there and look pretty for me.”
Her cheeks flushed with warmth, and I bit back my chuckle. Once the flames were high and the wood was caught up, I closed the metal grates in front of it and then dragged the mattress off the bed, placing it near the fire but not too close. Then, I grabbed an extra comforter, draping it over the mattress as well.
“You still hungry?” I asked Ever once I was done.
She nodded and stood from the chair. I grabbed her hand in mine and led her back into the kitchen, where I made two bowls of stew. She moaned in delight with her first bite, and I did my best to hide my body’s reaction to the sound.
She had no single clue what she was capable of doing to me.
“Good?” I asked, smiling at her.
She nodded. “This is delicious.”
We were almost done eating when all of the power cut out. Everlee squeaked in surprise, and I quickly reached over, settling my hand on her thigh. Once she was a little calmer, I lit a candle and set it between us. “The temperature will drop fast,” I warned her, “so hurry and eat so you can get dressed in something warmer. We’ll go sit in the bedroom on the mattress.”
Once she was done eating, I put both of our bowls in the sink and led her through the dark house. Once we were in our room, she relaxed. The flames of the fire cast an orange glow over the room, allowing her to see better. I set the candle in the bathroom, and she quickly grabbed a long-sleeve shirt and a pair of sweatpants before disappearing into our bathroom to change.
I used the privacy of the closet, quickly stripping out of my jeans and tugging on a pair of black sweats. When I emerged from the closet, she was just coming out of the bathroom.
“Come on,” I coaxed, pulling the blankets back. She settled onto the mattress, and I quickly laid down behind her, curling my arms around her. A soft sigh left her lips, and I pressed my lips gently to the back of her head.
“Get some rest,” I said softly. “You need it.”
Her hands curled over my forearm, and I hid my smile in her hair.
I loved being the one that could comfort her.
CHAPTER 14
Tripp
The blizzard was still roaring outside when I got up in the middle of the night to feed the fire. The room was cooler than I wanted it to be, and I shivered when the cool air hit my skin. It felt downright freezing after being wrapped around Everlee under the blankets for hours, though I knew the temperature in the room probably wasn’t cooler than sixty degrees.
