Freeze

9

Warren managed to bring two loads of wood from the shed to the house without throwing out his back. The first load wasn’t so bad, but by the time he dragged the sled across the yard for the second time and transferred the firewood into the house, every muscle in his body seemed to be aching. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this sore. He guessed it was possible he’d never been this sore.

It just about made him wish he’d shelled out the money for a gas-powered furnace or a backup generator. They had the gas stove and the hot water heater and kept a decent supply of firewood, and he’d always thought that would be enough for emergency situations. He guessed it was. As long as you were willing to do plenty of work.

He left the sled in the snow drift by the back door, shut himself inside the house, and leaned against the wall until his body went from aching to merely throbbing.

“That you?”

Tess’s voice sounded a mile away, and Warren realized he was still wearing his hat. He took it off and hung it from a series of hooks mounted beside the back door.

“Who else would it be?” he called back.

Except, of course, he knew exactly who she might think he was: the stranger she was convinced was out there in the blizzard, stalking them, toying with them.

“It’s me,” he said.

He took off his boots and his snowsuit, shivering the whole time, rubbing at his body. His breath plumed out from between his lips and floated toward the ceiling.

He eyed the pile of wood he’d carried in. It would be enough for tonight and tomorrow, and maybe even tomorrow night, depending on how well it burned, but then he’d have to go for some more.

Maybe it will have stopped snowing by then. Or at least stopped blizzarding.

He could only hope.

He picked up two of the larger logs and carried them into the living room. He found Tess arranging blankets on a mattress in the middle of the floor.

Frowning, he put the logs on the floor a few feet from the hearth. He said, “What…is that the mattress from our bed?”

She nodded.

“How’d you get it in here?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not a muscleless blob.”

He moved to help her smooth out the topmost blanket, but she had already finished. “I know, but why did you bring it in here?”

“I thought it would be warmer. For…you know.”

“Our raucous lovemaking?”

She laughed. “Yeah, that. If you still want to.”

He moved to her and took her in his arms. “Just give my extremities a chance to warm up and I’ll be all over you like stink on a monkey.”

She laughed again. “Sadly, that might be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.” She kissed him once, playfully, and then again, more slowly, and parted his lips with the tip of her tongue.

When she pulled away, he said, “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“I am if you are.” She patted the front of his pants and grinned.

He took her hand and led her to the mattress. Although kneeling and crawling under the blankets pained just about every joint and muscle he had (hadn’t he always said they should have bought a couch with a pull-out bed?), he managed in the end. Tess crawled in after him and gave him another long kiss.

“Bub is watching,” she said.

And he was. From his doggy bed between the two chairs.

“Turn around and watch the fire,” Warren said.

Bub panted and grinned his old, familiar grin, but he didn’t turn around.

“Feel like putting on a show?”

Warren ran a hand through her hair and caressed her jaw the way she liked. “Do I ever.”

She unbuttoned his pants and her blouse, and they did.