BC Hydro. British Columbia, undoubtedly. “They’re the power people?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Never paid an electricity bill, eh?”
“Uh…no.”
I could’ve sworn he muttered,little rich kidunder his breath. Likely, he didn’t expect me to hear. I puffed out my chest. “Not so little. I’m taller than you.” Not by more than a few inches, but I’d take whatever advantage I could.
He arched an eyebrow.
We both had lanky frames.
Without a response, he put the lamp on top of the mantelpiece. He grabbed a small rectangular box, then he made his way over to the wood stove. He opened the top, struck a match along the side of the box, then dropped it into the stove. “I filled it with wood yesterday, so this will last for a while.” He pointed to the fireplace. “I’ve got that stocked as well, and I can light it later. For the moment, I’m hungry. You want some beans?”
“Beans?” I blinked.
“Brown beans in maple syrup-flavored sauce. Good source of protein and doesn’t taste too bad either. I can also toast somebread and give you that with a bit of honey butter. I don’t want to use any more wood than I have to.”
“What does that mean?” I moved closer to the wood stove and extended my hands.
The room was already getting chilly.
“Do you have wool socks?”
“Uh…no.”
“Wool sweater? Turtleneck? Long underwear?”
“That would be a negative.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll see what I can scrounge. Your dad hasn’t left much up here. I suppose I can lend you stuff.” He padded off toward the bedroom.
I continued to hold my hands near the stove.Clearly, you didn’t think this through. You should’ve headed south. Down to, I dunno, California or Mexico.Although those places sounded toasty and warm, I would’ve had to go to the States to get there. Given I wasn’t even driving my own vehicle and only had a small bag packed, I likely would’ve had trouble at the border.You should’ve at least packed properly. Or stayed in a motel.I pursed my lips. My credit card did have a high limit—but using it meant my father would know where I was.
Because of course he paid the bill. I’d never held a real job in my life. Which, at twenty-three, made me a little pathetic.
Marco returned. He tossed a pile of clothes my way.
I caught them.
He stalked off again and returned a few moments later with two pillows and a pile of blankets, including an old-fashioned quilt.
I arched an eyebrow.
“Well, the warmth won’t make it as far as the bedroom, so that room will be frozen. The pipes are insulated, and I’ve got the bathroom sink dripping—don’t turn it off entirely, okay? There are jugs of water in the bathroom that you can use to flushthe toilet. The old-fashioned pump in the kitchen sink works admirably to get water for cooking and dishes. Like I said, don’t turn it off entirely. Nothing like dealing with a burst pipe in the middle of nowhere.”
“So you admit we’re in the middle of nowhere?”
“Duh.” He dropped the pile of blankets on the floor near the stove. “To warm them up. We’ll appreciate it when we get into bed.”
“Bed?” I glanced around.
“The couch has a pullout double bed. It’ll be tight with the two of us. Unless you want to sleep on the floor.”
“No, bed sounds nice.”
“I thought so.” He headed over to the kitchen area.
This great room was just one massive space with vaulted ceilings. The kitchen lay against one wall, while the rest of the space was dominated by the large sectional sofa and a recliner.
