“Thank you, but I’m good. I have everything I need up there. You know I don’t do well with lots of people around me.”
“Well, the offer is there.”
I smiled at Bryan as I replied. “I know.”
I knew the real reason he was offering: Ember. She would be around later, I was sure of it, if the weather wasn’t too bad.
And I couldn’t see her. Not today. Not ever. I had made that promise to Elliott, and I wasn’t going to break it now.
It was already dark,and I truly needed to get this wood chopped before the snow really came down. There was a good chance that I would lose electricity at some point tonight, and I would need the wood for heat and cooking while it was out. I carried a load over to my wood storage that was sheltered from the elements and headed back to my chopping block.
Just then, a movement caught my eye. I looked up towards the end of my drive and saw a figure walking towards me. Whoever it was had not come prepared to be in a snowstorm like this, so I had to guess that their car had broken down and had come to ask for help. Not that there would be much I could do tonight, but I might be able to get them to town on my snowmobile.
As the figure got closer, I could see it was a woman. I couldn’t believe that someone would be so stupid to come out at this time of day, knowing how bad the weather was going to be. She continued to walk closer, and I was sure that I knew her from somewhere.
That feeling only grew when I heard her speak. I was positive I recognised her voice, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think where.
“Sorry to bother you, but my car broke down on me in the layby a mile or so back. I was wondering if you had a phone so I could call for help?”
A mile or so? It was more like five miles back. I was surprised she had even made it this far without collapsing from the cold, especially as she was so ill-prepared for walking through the snow. I brought down the axe to rest in the lump of wood I was currently chopping and stepped forward.
“Sure. Come in and I’ll make you a hot drink. You can warm up while we sort out what to do.”
It wasn’t until she stood right in front of me, looked up, and smiled that I realised who it was.
Ember. The woman I loved, but had promised her brother I would never touch.
CHAPTER 3
Ember
I had walkedfor what seemed like miles. I could hardly feel my hands, feet, or legs at this point. However, something inside made me push on. I needed to get to that house, or I wouldn’t survive the temperatures out here.
Perhaps I should have stayed in my car, but with no heat and no way of contacting anyone, would I have been any better off?
As I started the long trudge down the driveway, I could see the house coming closer with every step I made. It was only as I got closer that I saw someone outside chopping wood.
There was something oddly familiar about him. Whoever he was, I knew he would think I was stupid for being out here in this weather, but all I needed was to use his phone and get some help.
As I heard him offer for me to come in and use his phone, along with something hot to drink, I almost stopped in my tracks. I was sure I had heard that voice before, but a very long time ago. But it couldn’t be.
It wasn’t until he stepped towards me and our eyes met that it all became apparent.
“Emmy, is that you?”
As soon as I saw his face, I knew this was a mistake. Of all the houses I could have walked up to, it had to be Hunter’s.
No matter how far away I was from civilisation, I couldn’t stay here. Especially not today. It was bad enough that my fiancé was cheating on me, but with it being Elliott’s birthday, my day just seemed to be a mess.
Now I was standing next to my brother’s so-called best friend, who couldn’t even be bothered to turn up for his funeral. I still remembered every moment of that day.
I walkedout of our house to see the hearse with Elliott’s coffin in the back, covered by a flag. He was being given a full military funeral. My mother was being held by my dad, tears running down her face. I looked around to find Hunter, but couldn’t see him anywhere.
Where was he? I needed him with me. I needed to feel his comfort, holding me. Elliott was like a brother to him, so why wasn’t he here?
I walked over to my parents as they got into the car. “Where’s Hunter? I thought he would be here.”
A sad look came over my father’s face. “He’s not coming. He blames himself for what happened and couldn’t face seeing us all in pain. I tried to talk him around and tell him that we didn’t blame him, but he wouldn’t budge. Hopefully, he will have changed his mind and will meet us at the church.”
