“It’s morning, and the storm’s stopped,” he explained. “I need to go check the horses. I won’t be long.”
Rose shuffled to sitting. She rubbed one eye with the heel of her hand and yawned. “I’ll get dressed and help?—”
He shook his head. “There’s no need. Stay in here where it is a little warmer. We’ll have a long trek back; there’s no point in both of us getting wet and cold. Please.” He could see she was about to protest. “I won’t be long.”
“Okay.”
“Keep an eye on the pot and push it to the back of the stove when it boils. There’s some instant coffee if you want to brave it.”
She stretched her arms over her head, curling her fingers into the lats on the bunk above her as she stretched. “Is there tea?”
It hadn’t occurred to him that she might want something other than coffee, and he made a mental note to thank Jack or whoever restocked the cabin for providing a mixed box of different flavored teabags along with the coffee. “There’s a box in the tote on the table.”
“Yay.” He moved back to allow her to swing her legs out. “Shoo, then. If we’re going to attempt to leave, I’ll clean up in here a little too.”
Call him an idiot. It would be fitting for sure, because he shouldn’t be all kinds of comfortable with her, but he was. He lowered to press a kiss to her forehead. “See you in a bit.” He hurried from the cabin, pulling the door shut behind him.
His eyes widened as the snow piled high, level with the stoop. He gripped the railing and carefully pushed and stepped off, sinking almost to knees, the next step to the snow higher.
Well crap, we may not be leaving at all today.
Trying to get down the trail would be too dangerous, especially with a novice rider like Rose in toe. Making his way carefully to the shed made the decision for him. Risking their lives and the horses wasn’t an option. “Morning,” he called to Trudy and Bluey.
The wind cut off as he rounded the side of the shed where the horses huddled together. Caleb cupped his hands and blew on them. “It’s positively tropical in here, isn’t it?”
Trudy nickered and stomped her feet as if telling him to hurry his ass up and fetch their grain.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” He scooped up the feed and dropped it into the buckets hanging inside the stall. “I’m just gonna send a text, then I’ll scoop out your shit and figure out the water situation.” The horses ignored him as they munched on their breakfast. He fished for his phone. “You guys could have replied, you know. I’m the minion who’s making sure your bellies are full.”
Caleb: No way we can get back. Snow is too deep. Will try it tomorrow.
With the text sent, he placed his phone on top of a barrel and searched for the axe Jack had mentioned. If breaking the ice in the water feeders didn’t work, then he was either going to have to lead the horses to the springs or melt snow for them. They needed water, period.
“Don’t you go kicking me now, girl.” He laid a hand on Trudy’s rump as he eased himself into the stall. “I’m just here to get you a drink.” Keeping one eye on the horses, he studied the automatic waterer. He decided the business end of the axe was too big and might damage the waterer, so he flipped it over and used the end of the handle to smack the ice. It didn’t shatter on the first try, but spider vein cracks spread from side to side, so he did it twice more before the ice broke.
He bit back a curse as he fished the ice out with his hands, and sighed in relief when the water dribbled into the feeder. “Your body heat must have kept it from freezing completely.” Trudy shoved him aside and stuck her nose into the waterer, sucking and slurping up water as Bluey jostled for position next to her. “You, Ma’am, are a hog.” He left them to it and went to restock their hay after replacing the axe on its hook on the wall next to the door.
He cut the cords on a haybale and brought double the amount he thought the horses would need, filling both nets and piling the rest on the floor of the stall. He paused to scratch under chins and give nose pets. “Stay cuddled up, you two. I’ll be back later to check on you.”
The last thing he wanted to do was go back into the snow, and he braced himself for the wind as he tugged the door shut behind him. “Damn, it’s fucking cold. I’m not built for this shit. No wonder I preferred working in the desert.”
Halfway back to the cabin, a distant sound that seemed to grow closer by the second registered, and he tilted his head toward it. There were some sounds that he’d recognize in his sleep, and a Blackhawk was one of them. He hurried across the yard, and instead of messing with the snow-buried steps, he hauled himself over the railing and onto the stoop. “Hey, I think rescue is on its way. I hear an incoming helo.” He braced against the door to get it to close and stomped the snow off his boots.
“You really think they came out in this?” Rose placed her mug on the table and got to her feet. She picked up a towel and used it to lift the saucepan from the stove.
“Yeah.” He gratefully took the mug from her. “Thanks.”
She nodded to the mug and replaced the pot on the stove. “I only put one spoon of coffee in there.”
He wrapped his hands around the mug. His cold fingers ached as heat warmed them. “It’s fine; I’ll survive on instant.”
“Coffee snob.”
“Damn straight.” Was it bad that he didn’t want this interlude they had to end? He didn’t care if it was. He knew reality would be waiting for them once they made it back to the compound.
“I wish we had a little more time.”
“Me too.” It cost him nothing to admit it. Silence fell between them as they waited for whoever was on the helo to arrive. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts.
