He laughed, “I would have run away for sure, that was just a lot of talk,” he said, shaking his head. “Besides, I think it was much better because we waited.”
“You’re not going to make me wait three years again, are you?” she asked, a pouty look on her face. “I’m not sure I have that much patience this time.”
He laughed, “You’ll be lucky if you get three minutes before I’m ready again,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “We have a lot of time to make up for.”
Maddie gave him a little slap. “Stop teasing me,” she said. “We just…”
He flipped her onto her back, then slid his hand down between her legs. “I wasn’t teasing,” he said, then covered her mouth with his, and there was nothing more said for a long time.
***Maddie***
Maddie woke to the smell of coffee the next morning and rolled over, expecting Walker’s side of the bed to be empty, but he was still there, snoring softly. Remembering Betty, sheslipped out of bed, put her clothes back on, and left the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her. She found the other woman in the kitchen, a fresh pot of coffee on the stove, and the baby sitting on the floor playing with a set of plastic measuring cups.
“Oh, I hope we didn’t wake you,” Betty said when she saw Maddie in the doorway. “We were trying to be quiet.”
“It was the smell of the coffee that did it,” she said. “No worries, I’m a bit of a morning person.”
“I’ll get you a cup. I was just trying to find something to make for breakfast,” Betty said, pouring her a cup. “It’s the least I can do after you saved me last night. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“It was mostly Walker, but you're welcome,” she said, crouching down next to the baby and making faces at him. “It’s a miracle that you weren’t hurt worse. How’s your head this morning?”
“It’s a little sore, but I’ll live,” Betty said, sitting down at the table. “It’s all a bit of a blur, first my brakes locked up, then I saw you coming…I swear I thought we were flying for a bit there…but I guess that’s not right…I mean, we ended up on the road…I just…”
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Sometimes our brains have a way of letting us remember just enough,” she said. “You and Carter made it out alive, that’s all that counts.”
“I guess you’re right,” Betty said, getting up again. “Okay, back to breakfast. There’s oatmeal, some more of that canned milk, and a big can of peaches. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a gourmet meal,” she said, standing up again, a pang of longing for Justin making her a little breathless. “Then we’ll see if we can get out of here. I need to get home; people are going to be worrying about me.”
“I’ve got a little cell service if you want to use my phone,” Betty said, holding it out to her. “I already texted my parents so they wouldn’t worry about us.”
She took the phone, tapped in a quick message to Mrs. Mathews, then gave it back. “Thanks,” she said. “Let me help with breakfast.”
They were just cleaning up the last of the breakfast dishes and discussing their options when they heard the whine of an engine coming up the road. “Hey, it looks like we’re saved,” she said, pointing out the window over the sink. “There’s someone coming up the road. I hope it’s not the owners of the cabin, they might not be very happy to see us in here.”
“They’ll understand, we were desperate,” Walker said, heading for the door. “You two stay inside, and I’ll handle this. I want to tell them about the broken window before they see it.”
After putting on his coat and boots, Walker stepped out onto the porch and stood waiting for the big four-wheel drive to reach them, his breath making little clouds in the air. When the vehicle finally came fully into view, there was an emblem on the side for the local police department and the same cop they’d talked to the night before behind the wheel.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, grabbing her coat and joining Walker on the porch.
“I got worried about you kids last night,” the deputy said when he jumped out of the truck. “I saw that wrecked car back a way, looks like it was for good reason. Are you all okay?”
“We’re fine, we weren’t in the accident,” Walker said, stepping back to let the deputy into the cabin. “Come in and get out of the cold.”
As soon as they stepped inside, Betty came out of the kitchen holding Carter in her arms. “That’s my car down the road; I lost control in the storm,” she said. “Walker and Maddie saved us.They got us out of the storm and into this cabin. We would have died if they hadn’t been there.”
“Well, how about that, here I was expecting something bad and you’re all cozy and safe,” the deputy said. “That sure is a relief. I don’t suppose you’ve got any more coffee? It’s been a long night.”
“You bet,” she said, “and some oatmeal if you’re hungry.”
“I could eat,” the deputy said. “Then we’ll see about getting you folks out of here. Betty, your car is already being towed back into town. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get the car out of here. There’s a good three feet of snow out there; you may have to come back and get it.”
As it turned out, with a lot of digging and a little pulling, they were able to get the car back on the main road and head home. She was anxious to see Justin, but it only reminded her that she still had to tell Walker about him, and she found herself putting it off, not wanting to spoil the mood. Another day wouldn’t hurt, she told herself as they drove through the snow-covered landscape. She’d waited three years; twenty-four hours more wouldn’t make that big of a difference.
Walker kissed her so thoroughly before she got out of the car when they got home that she stumbled on the way to the door, but managed to get inside. Mrs. Mathews was waiting for her, a big smile on her face, Justin in her arms when she opened the door, and she couldn’t help the big grin that spread across her face.
CHAPTER 17
