She hated to disappoint them, but there wasn’t anything she could do. “It will probably last a few more hours at least.”
Braun began to unwind a bright red-and-white knitted scarf—one of his own creations. “So we relax for a few hours and leave later in the afternoon?”
“My guess is that by the time it blows over, it’ll be too late in the day to start out. I don’t want to try the trek down the mountain in the dark.”
“But the snowmobiles have headlights.”
“Even so, the trail will be snow-covered, and I’d hate for us to make a wrong turn.” One wrong turn could be deadly. They could go over a cliff, fall into a ravine, hit a boulder, lose their way, and any number of other things.
The crease in Max’s brow hadn’t gone away. “Then you suggest we stay overnight?”
“We’ll be just fine here for the night. The place is warm, and we have food and water.” When she’d opened the cupboard earlier, she’d found canned food, canned coffee grounds, some packages of dried meals, and plenty of matches and lighters. They could melt snow for water and had plenty of wood for fuel. What more did they need?
Braun draped his scarf on a hook near the door, then began to shed his coat. “If we stay, we’ll miss our flight tomorrow.”
Max straightened and peered out the window that was now frosting over on the inside. “Our flight is the least of my concerns.”
“Your father will not be happy,” Braun said.
“He is already unhappy.”
Emberly wanted to ask Max why his father was unhappy. Because he’d stayed at the ranch longer than originally planned?“If we leave at sunrise tomorrow, we should be back well before noon. There may still be time to catch your flight in Denver.”
“We shall not worry about it.” Max’s tone held a finality that told her he intended to make the most of the delay. He tucked the blanket around her more securely and then gently touched her chin. “I am able to spend extra time with you. I cannot complain about that in the least.”
His caress sent a shaft of warmth through her. “All the more chance to beat you and Winzig in Rummy.”
Winzig had been a good sport about playing cards with them over the past week, and now he offered her a smile as he took off his coat.
“Victory will not be yours quite so readily this time.” Max’s shoulders seemed to relax, and the furrow faded from his brow. “I have improved and have become a staunch competitor.”
“We’ll see about that.” A part of her was actually glad they were snowed in together. She’d been given a little more time with him, and she intended to enjoy every moment.
13
“I insist on sleeping on the couch.” Emberly flopped down onto the couch, put up her feet, and crossed her arms.
The oil lantern hanging from the rafter cast a warm glow over the room and over the men, who were still sitting at the table and now staring at her. Winzig had joined her and Max in their games, and Braun had spent the evening creating origami creatures from paper he’d found in the kitchen hutch, apparently another one of his many hobbies.
“It makes sense for the three of you to share a room,” she insisted. “And the couch is perfectly comfortable.”
“’Tis not as comfortable as the bed.” Max stood and began gathering the playing cards.
“It’s one night. And I’ll be fine.”
He shook his head, his frustration palpable.
Braun finished folding the last wing on what appeared to be a swan. “At least she will stay warmer if she sleeps near the stove.”
The stove had pumped out heat all afternoon and evening. At times, it had even grown too toasty. They still had plenty of wood inside to see them through the night, but Braun was right that the back bedroom would be chillier, even with using the blankets in the chest.
“Very well.” Max finished stacking the deck. “Perhaps it is the best solution to allow Emberly to be near the source of heat.”
The stovepipe rattled, and a whistle of wind made its way under the front door in spite of a rolled-up rug to keep out the draft.
Emberly was praying they would only have to stay one night, but with the way the storm was still raging, she was beginning to worry they might be stuck longer.
The last time she’d gone out with Max to check on the snowfall, they’d barely made it to the edge of the porch with the force of the blowing snow. The steps had been covered in drifts, so they hadn’t ventured down. But from what they could tell, at least eight to twelve inches of fresh powder had fallen since the afternoon.
