The Dividing Line (Book 1)

10 Ξ Danger (BWWM)

Whenever she took care of his wounds, her softness on his skin made his staff hard as a rock.

Cole always said he would never touch a nigg..., no that's not the right thing to say, a black girl. The problem with that promise was that anytime Cole caught a glimpse of her or sensed her nearby, he lost all faith in his ability to keep his hands to himself.

Her skin color fascinated him, tempting him to savor just a taste to see what it was like. Cole was so deep in thought that he didn't realize she had come to stand right in front of him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Angel asked again.

He stopped midway at a loss for some time. With a lifetime of preconceived notions battling one another in his head, her guest was far away from his body. Finally, after leaving him to place her harvest on the kitchen table, Angel went out to offer him a hand.

Because walking was a great form of exercise to build strength and endurance, she had originally believed it was a good thing to see him outside getting some fresh air. After finding him listless and confused, Angel wasn't so sure about that assumption.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she rushed to his side.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine."

Angel remained with him until they made it back inside the house.

The air was a bit frigid outside with snow still visible in all directions. A nice stroll was healthy, but standing outside for long periods, anyone could get sick. It was the end of winter, but that didn't mean a thing until warm temperatures thawed the ground.

Angel escorted Cole back inside the house where she got him some hot apple cider. They sat around the fire and talked for a while.

After dinner, Scrabble and a few card games rounded out their day. Though the house was typically nice and toasty, for some reason, it was quite nippy that particular night. Over the years, she had prepared for frigid nights such as this by sewing thick quilts to compensate for winter nights up in the hills. On nights when a bitter chill overpowered the blazing fire, Angel had previously prepared other ways to handle the cold atmosphere.

"I think tonight it'll be a lot colder than it has been. With that being the case, I believe it'll be best if we share the bedroom tonight," she stated after shivering violently.

"I don't think..." He attempted to intervene.

"The blankets in the room are more suited for this type of weather, and I had a heater installed in there a few years back," she started, shivering again.

Cole came to acknowledge that Angel had indeed been his savior. She found him, tended his wounds, and nursed him back to health. Because of her efforts, his body got around like it was back to eighty or eighty-five percent of his former strength. He knew it wouldn't be long before he was able to do everything for himself without a hint of pain. The more Cole thought about his recovery and  Angel's acceptance of him, the more he grew to trust her opinions concerning his care.

Angel's house was ten miles from town and approximately three miles from her nearest neighbor. There was no need to worry about anyone venturing out in the middle of nowhere to look for him. Furthermore, he'd already learned that she only drove into town to pick up supplies occasionally. So it was safe to say he would most likely find peace with her as long as she allowed it.

Every day he reminded himself that when his "Brothers" abandoned him to die, she spared his life. The more he thought about it; she could have left him out there to die. Most people don't like to get involved, but she was different. She spared his life.