Now, once again, we’re snuggled on the mattress in front of the fire as the clock creeps later and later. I don’t want to panic her, but we’re starting to run low on firewood. We can make it through tonight, possibly into tomorrow morning, but not much longer.
If the power doesn’t come back on, we’ll have to try hiking out.
But that’s a problem for tomorrow.
Tonight, I’m soaking up every minute of being with this woman.
Touching her. Tasting her. Talking to her.
Dozing off.
Waking up to put more wood on the fire.
Crawling back into bed with Aspen.
If she has any more nightmares, they don’t wake her, and she doesn’t tell me about them.
She does curl into me and rub my back and squeeze my ass and stroke my cock though.
By the time morning comes, I don’t know if I’ve slept or not, and I don’t care.
For the first time in years, I feel rested.
Bone-deep rested.
Happy.
But that’s before the sound of a chainsaw rips through the air.
It’s muffled—clearly outside—but that is definitely a chainsaw.
Aspen jolts straight upright at the noise. “What?” she gasps.
“Stay. I’ll check it out.”
I grab my pants and head for the window, where I’m equal parts surprised and not surprised by what I see.
It’s Davis, in front of a truck with a snowplow, tackling the tree that fell and blocked the driveway the other night. Even bundled up in a coat and stocking cap, it’s easy to tell it’s Davis.
One, takes a big stocking cap to cover his man bun, and two, that’s definitely his beard.
“Rescue’s here,” I say to Aspen as someone else knocks on the door.
She makes a noise, then ducks under the covers.
I pull on my shirt and head to the door, where I find—shit.
Cooper.
He’s in a big winter coat and snow boots too, though his head is bare.
“Little weather trouble out here?” he says with a grin that I don’t entirely trust.
I’ve been playing hide the sausage with a woman his girlfriend cares about, and it won’t take him long to figure that out.
“Little bit,” I say.
“Power should be back on—now.” He grins wider as a softpopsounds behind me, and then the overhead light blinks on.
