On A Night Like This

Chapter Four

-Jayce-

He took a sip of his tea and instantly felt calm as the hot liquid slid down his throat. He was so happy to be warm again and to be inside. Clearly, the outdoors were not his thing. He began to wonder about Dylan and why this hulking man was staying in a cabin in the middle of the forest, alone. It was definitely an odd situation.

He wanted to learn more about the man who had saved him, so he looked around the cabin first. In the corner, there was a small round table with one chair, and along the wall next to it was the bed. The wood stove wasn't too far from the bed - close enough to provide some heat, but far enough to avoid the risk of catching the blanket on fire. On the wall opposite the bed was the makeshift kitchen stove and some shelves and cabinets. The cabin wasn't anything fancy, but it did the job.

He opened one of the cabinets to find canned food and dehydrated meals. Another cabinet had first aid supplies, tools, and several tiny bottles, plastic tubing, and disposable gloves. He decided not to look in the other cabinets because he was beginning to feel like he was intruding. None of it made sense to him though. He didn't understand why someone would want to live in the middle of the forest with no other people around. Unless Dylan had something to hide. Maybe Dylan was a murderer and he should run now before Dylan got back.

He put his jacket on and went outside to check out the outhouse. It wasn't too far behind the cabin. He opened the door cautiously, afraid that some animal would jump out or an insect would fly at his face. It was definitely rustic, with the seat and square lid being made out of wood, but it was better than nothing. He was shivering again after just a few minutes outside, so any thoughts of running vanished. He'd have to take his chances with Dylan.

Back inside the cabin, he had almost finished his tea when the door opened again. Dylan shook snow out of his hair and off his shoulders. He could see his backpack over Dylan's shoulder.

"You have some explaining to do," Dylan said sternly. This time, there was no mistaking that Dylan was glaring at him.

He watched as Dylan set his pack on the ground. Had he done something wrong? He wasn't sure why the man was back to being angry.

Dylan sat down in the single chair next to the table. "Your tent and sleeping bag aren't rated for winter. Not even close. Who the hell brings a summer tent and sleeping bag on a backpacking trip in October? You've got no first aid in your pack, no matches or way to start a fire, no map, and not enough clothing for this time of year. What were you doing out here?" he growled, his voice cutting through the silence.

Jayce stared at his feet. He had begun to realize how unprepared he was when he got lost and it started snowing, but the way Dylan spoke made it seem like he'd done everything wrong. This was turning into yet another failure in his life.

"I've been having a rough few months," he began, not wanting to look at Dylan. "I got laid off from my job and my lease was ending, so I decided to get away for a while. I bought all the stuff and came up here. I was only going to stay a week."

"So you've never backpacked before."

He shook his head.

"Have you hiked in the North Cascades before?"

He shook his head again. "I've only done Rattlesnake Ledge," he confessed, looking up at Dylan.

Dylan's brows furrowed, the glare on his face radiating disbelief.

"You're telling me the only hike you've ever done is Rattlesnake Ledge? And then on a whim you decide to come up to the North Cascades just as winter is about to start?"

He didn't say anything. When Dylan put it that way, he realized just how stupid it had been.

"Do you watch the news?" Dylan asked, incredulous. "Hikers get lost or killed every year, and it's because they were unprepared or too ambitious. You're damn lucky I found you or you would be part of that statistic."