Chapter Six
Ellie woke slowly,the warmth of his body still lingering beneath the thin blanket.For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was.
Just the weight of his arm draped over her waist, the soft sound of his breathing behind her, the scent of pine smoke and skin and something unmistakably Dasher in the air.Her chest ached with a quiet tenderness.
Then memory hit all at once.The blizzard, the old cabin, the firelight, his mouth on hers, their bodies tangling in the dark.And God help her, the way she’d said she’d never stopped loving him and meant every word.
Ellie kept her eyes closed and soaked in the warmth, the illusion, just a little longer.She hadn’t felt this close to him in years.Not just physically, but emotionally.Like something old and stubborn had finally given way.
But the illusion didn’t last.The bed shifted behind her.The warmth disappeared.
She opened her eyes and turned to see Dasher already on his feet, pulling on his jeans and shirt with brisk efficiency.His shoulders were tense, his movements stiff.He didn’t look at her as he grabbed his flannel from the floor and yanked it on.
“Morning,” she said softly.
He nodded without meeting her gaze.“Yeah.Morning.”
Something inside her went cold.
Ellie sat up slowly, the blanket clutched to her chest.“How’s the weather?”
“Storm’s cleared.”His voice was low, clipped.“Sky’s bright.Roads should be passable soon.”
“Oh.”She tried to keep her voice light, like her heart wasn’t sinking with every word.“That’s good.”
He busied himself near the fireplace, kicking at the embers like they’d personally offended him.The silence stretched between them like a canyon.
Ellie swallowed.“Dash?”
“Hmm?”
“About last night...”Ellie began.
“It was cold,” he interrupted quickly.“We were stranded.Tense situation.We—”
“Don’t,” she said quietly, a warning in her voice.“Don’t reduce it to that.”
He turned, finally meeting her eyes, but his expression was unreadable.Guarded.As if a wall had slammed down between them overnight.
