Over the River and Through the Woods

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I finally managed to stand. After peeling off the rest of my clothes, I released the drain in the tub, letting the water run out. Eyeing a bottle of shampoo in the corner, I poured a generous amount in my hand. It was so cold I was surprised it wasn't frozen. I lathered my hair before vigorously rubbing it over the rest of my body, trying to get my blood flowing, again. When I finally turned the water off, I realized my dilemma. The room was still chilly and I was completely wet, with no dry clothes. I was shaking, again, by the time I finished wringing out my clothes and hanging them over the shower rod.

As far choosing a cabin to break into, I felt like we were fairly lucky from what I'd seen so far. The place seemed to be well furnished and cared for. The thick, plush towels hanging on the rack beside the tub attested to that fact. Drying off with one, I wrapped it tightly around my body, tucking it in at the top of my chest, before grabbing the second one and twisting it around my head. Opening the door, I was greeted immediately by the flickering flames of a roaring fire in the fireplace.

"Micah?" I called, not seeing him anywhere.

"I'm upstairs. Be right down." His voice carried through the cabin and I heard his boots clunking down the stairs. "I was finding a quilt for you to cuddle up—." He stopped speaking as he came into the room, his eyes drifting over me as he swallowed hard. Suddenly I felt self-conscious.

"Sorry about the towels." I apologized. "My clothes were wet and I didn't have anything else."

"You're fine," he replied, moving toward the fire and holding the blanket in front of it. "I can see you're still shivering, though. Let's put this around you and get you warmed up. My bag got wet outside and some of our stuff is damp. That's why I didn't bring any clothes to you. I was going to dry them first."

I moved toward the fire, anxious to feel its warmth, and held my hands close to it. "No worries. I know you've been busy trying to help me. Thank you."

He smiled, making my heart flutter. "You're welcome. Let's wrap you in this." Draping the blanket over me, I couldn't contain the sigh that escaped me when it touched my skin.

"This feels like heaven."

"Would you like me to drag that recliner a little closer, so you can lay in it?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I think I'll just sit right here on the floor in front of the flames for right now. I want to be as close as I can."

"Just be careful to keep the blanket away from it. I don't want you getting that hot!"

"Okay," I replied, laughing as I sat down on the thick rug and tucked the blanket beneath my feet. "Did you happen to find any Band-Aids in your search of the house? I wanted to fix that gash on your head." I stared up at him as he shrugged out of his coat.

"I didn't make it that far, yet; but I'll look."

"I can go look. You don't have to do everything. Come sit down and rest for awhile. You've had a rough day, too."

"You're the one who almost froze to death. I'd appreciate it if you'd stay right where you are. I can go look for medical supplies. Hopefully they have something for a headache, too."

"Are you sure you're all right? What if you have an internal head injury or a concussion?" Fear laced through me. I couldn't let anything bad happen to him. "Did you check to see if we have any cell service?"

"I did. There's nothing. But don't worry, I'm fine. I just think some of the aches from the accident are catching up with me, not to mention our very long, treacherous hike."