Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
After taking a quick shower, I redressed in the sweats Drew had left for me, this time rolling up the sleeves and the cuffs so they weren’t so big on me.
I felt better when I emerged from the bathroom, even after I heard someone in the kitchen. It was Tristan.
“Hi,” I said, hovering in the entrance.
“Hey there.” He was standing at the counter in front of a coffee maker. “Bet the shower felt good. The hot water helped my muscles this morning.”
For a moment, I visualized him emerging from the shower, also clad in a towel. Something told me that sight would be pretty arresting, too. Just because I wasn’t comfortable with men didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate a good-looking one.
“Yeah, it felt good. Um, where are the others?”
“They went for a walk with Zeus.”
“Out there?” I said before realizing how stupid it sounded. “I mean, how can they walk on all that ice?”
“Well, it’s easier on level ground. None of us are in a hurry to try to tackle a mountainside again anytime soon. Plus, Carter’s got these metal spikes that attach to your boots. He’s wearing one and Drew’s wearing the other, so hopefully, they don’t slide all the way down to New Mexico. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.” I wasn’t all that hungry, but the brew Tristan was making smelled good. Plus, the mug he handed me warmed my hands. It wasn’t exactly cold in the cabin, but it wasn’t what I’d call warm, either. “Carter’s the one who carried me?”
Tristan nodded.
By process of elimination, I knew that had to be the tall one’s name, but I needed to say something important, and I wasn’t quite sure how. “I’m really grateful,” I began. “If you three hadn’t come, I might still be under that mess.”
“Happy to help,” Tristan said graciously. “I know the trip up the slope wasn’t easy, but at least now you’ve got a roof over your head instead of a tree.”
“It’s definitely an improvement,” I admitted. “I called the cabin company, and they said there’s no way for them to come get me. So, I might have to stay here for a little while.”
Tristan took a sip of his own coffee. “We figured.”
“I’ll try to stay out of your way,” I added, hoping that Tristan and the others would feel the same way. “I know you came up here to work on something, and I don’t want to interfere.”
“You won’t. We were getting a bit stir crazy anyway. Maybe having a new face around will help us cut through the collective brain fog.”
“What are you three working on?” I asked, but I didn’t get an answer. The back door opened, and a cold blast filled the air. Drew and Carter came in and started pulling off their coats. Drew’s dark brown hair was smattered with snowflakes, as was the stocking cap Carter wore.
Zeus trotted over and greeted me like a long-lost friend. He turned in an excited circle, getting snow all over the floor. I managed to scratch his ears for a few seconds before Carter called him back and toweled him off.
Drew’s cheeks were rosy as he walked to the fridge. “Sleeping Beauty has awakened,” he observed.
“She’ll be staying for a while, since the roads are impassable at the moment,” Tristan said. Neither of the other two men looked surprised.
“I’ll stay out of your way,” I said to them, as I had to Tristan.
“No one said you were in the way.” Carter walked over to the counter and Tristan handed him another mug of coffee. The tall man’s cheeks were flushed, too, but it didn’t make him look cheerful, like it did with Drew. Carter looked like a leading man, and that was the kind of person I’d long since learned to be wary of.
“Well, I’m taking up someone’s bedroom. If you’d prefer, I can sleep on the—”
“Nope,” Drew interrupted. “No way you’re taking the couch. You can stay in my room as long as you’re here.”
“Thank you.” That was truly a relief. That way, at least I’d be behind a closed door. I couldn’t even imagine how I could possibly sleep in the living room, knowing that someone might walk through at any time.
Carter leaned his back against the counter and looked me over. He’d lost the smirk from earlier, but he still made me nervous. “You might have to fight Zeus for that bed, though. It’s his favorite.”
Tristan elaborated. “Our bedrooms are up a rather steep flight of stairs, and Zeus doesn’t go up there too often.”
“He doesn’t bother me.” I turned to Drew. “Where will you sleep?”
“On the couch.” He held up a hand to stop my protest. “I don’t mind.”
“Thank you,” I said again. “I appreciate it.”
And I truly did, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. In less than twenty-four hours, I’d gone from being in the perfect place to finish my screenplay to a place that filled me with dread.