The momentmy eyes opened the following morning, I knew I was not at home. First, there was the bed, which was a twin, with a lumpy mattress. The cold air was not dry and dusty, but rather filled with damp and smelled like… clay? Maybe?
Then there was that fucking drip. All night. And the single measly light bulb in the cabin meant it was too dark for me to check it out. It wasn’t like the cabin was uninhabitable. But it hadn’t been cared for. The bed had sufficient blankets, the window closed properly and the fridge had nothing dirty or mouldy in it.
Still, there was nothing in the fridge at all. The blankets were old and scratchy and there were no curtains on the window. But I didn’t freeze, and I managed to stay dry. From what Abe and Wolf had told me about the area, it was a big plus. And all the things I could complain about would be solved with my first trip into town.
Apparently, I would be working for the grouch in the passenger seat. He had been introduced as Rafe. Mr. Tall Dark and Grouchy didn’t say more than five words between the pick-up spot and the cabin where I would be staying. Calvin was the one who told me I would be working for Rafe and he would be around sometime in the morning with supplies and to check if anything needs fixing.
The fucking plumbing needed fixing. Thinking about it, brought the incessant drip back to my attention.Drip drip drip.
Any attempt to go back to sleep disappeared, despite the fact it was still dark outside. A quick check of the burner phone I had, told me it was a little after five in the morning.
Giving up on sleep, I threw the blankets off and rummaged through my duffle bag. I found the thickest sweater I owned. I slipped it over the oversized T-shirt and sweats I used as pajamas. Thankfully, Archer had insisted on us getting thick thermal socks, which came in handy overnight. I shoved my feet into the sneakers I found in the bag and wandered around the small cabin.
I had checked out the bathroom the night before. Shower, toilet, and a basin beneath a mirror that had started to age at the edges. Still, it was enough for what I needed. I switched on the light to the cabin, and checked in the cupboard under the sink.
I smiled at the two boxes I found. A first aid kit and a small tool box. Maintenance may not be Mr. Grouchy’s thing, but he knew what was important.
Using the cellphone as a flash light, I slid into the cupboard. I found the leak straight away. Before I had a chance to hold up the phone, a big fat drop landed on my cheek.
“Fuck.”
I fumbled for the phone and shone the light over the offending pipe. It took me more than a few seconds to slide back out of the cupboard before I opened the small toolbox. The smallgrunt of frustration escaped before I even realized I was doing it. Of course, the toolbox did not have the correct sized wrench.
My body contorted in the cupboard in order to get the right angle for the wrench to at least be somewhat useful. I got a good grip on the pipe and lifted my head to see what I was doing as a loud bang sounded at the door.
My head lifted instinctively and I couldn’t help the cry that escaped. “Ouch. Dammit.”
The door swung open, inviting the cold wind into my sparse cabin. “What’s going on?”
Rafe’s deep voice held a mixture of concern and annoyance. It shouldn’t be possible to do both those things at the same time and yet he managed it.
I wiggled my body until I could look around the cupboard door. The scowl on his face gave me the motivation to be my most cheerful self. I plastered on a smile, and cocked my head at him. “Oh, hey. Just fixing this annoying leak. It kept me up most of the night.”
He stepped into the cabin, taking up all the space, while carrying a cooler box in one hand and a toolbox in the other. A tool box that was larger than the one he left in the cabin.
“I brought you some supplies.” He placed the cooler box on the small table in the corner. “If you move out of there, I can fix that leak for you.”
I frowned up at him, not wanting him to make it obvious I was checking him out. His dark hair was in serious need of a cut as it peaked out from his blue baseball cap. Dark eyes, not brown, not even black. They were like wet slate, not warm but mesmerising, all the same. He’d taken off that heavy jacket, in preparation to get under the sink, I presumed.
“No.” My eyes snagged on those forearms as he rolled up the sleeves of his flannel.Holy fucking arm porn.I shook my head and focused. “All I need is a bigger wrench.” I showed him thesmall wrench I was using. “Tell me you have one bigger than this.”
I froze as I replayed what I had said and waited for the earth to open up. My eyes widened and heat creeped into my cheeks. But no, the earth was not ready to swallow me whole.
“Oh.” He opened his tool box and pulled out a much bigger wrench. “I have the perfect size for you.”
My Grouchy’s scowl stayed pretty much in place. I knew he caught the innuendo because his eyes narrowed the slightest bit. But other than that he had no other reaction.
I got back to work while he shuffled around the cabin, quietly opening and closing the fridge.
“I don’t know what you eat so I brought a little of everything. The bread is fresh. Will last a few days.” He spoke as he walked around the room. “Mr. Henderson delivered it this morning. The vegetables are from my kitchen, they’ll be good for a little while too. The milk came in this morning as well.”
He clicked one of the top cupboards closed as I slid out from under the sink, he was putting my groceries away. Part of me expected him to question whether or not I could fix the plumbing. Instead, he made himself useful in some other way. “Thank you for that.” I was genuinely grateful. Not that I thought he would let me starve. But he didn’t seem like the caring type. “I know I have to be at the ranch at seven. Is it a far walk?”
His frown deepened. “Calvin or I will fetch you in the morning. If we can’t, then one of the ranch hands will be here. You good with ranch work, city girl?”
A part of me wanted to leave him to his misconception. Another part wanted to correct him on the spot. In the end, my pride won out. “Listen, Grouchy, I am not a city girl. Shovelling shit was part of my morning chores as a teenager. I’ve watched more horses being birthed than you likely have on your ranch at the moment. And the only reason why my daddy gave mean office is because I know numbers better than anyone else he knows, including himself. Working hard is not a thing I shy away from. But I prefer working indoors.”
The frown eased as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Is there anything else? Otherwise, I’ll wait in the car while you get done. Do what you need to and remember to eat something. It's going to be a long day.”
