At sundown, Rose dug out a candle, and they talked and laughed and cried in a lavender-scented haze until the candle burnt itself out. Neither of them wanted the evening to end, the conversation being so welcome and humanizing, but candles were scarce, and the periods of silence grew more frequent.
The clock on the wall indicated it was well after midnight, so when Kyle struggled to stifle an extended yawn, Rose directed him to Anthony’s bedroom, where he’d gotten some clothes earlier in the day. The room had been empty for over a year, Rose explained, but she had left it as it was when Anthony joined the service so that he would still have his room to come home to when he was on leave. In flickering candlelight, Kyle took a look around, noticing an assortment of posters on the walls ranging from the Swedish bikini team, to fighter jets, to Nickelback concert shots, along with a large marine logo painted on the wall across from the bed. On the desk was a framed picture of a young girl, who Rose identified as Anthony’s fiancée. Other than the fact it was far too tidy, the room looked like the bedroom of a typical teenage boy.
Kyle wished Rose a goodnight and hurried to climb between the sheets in the chilly room, nestling deep under the covers, ready for a night of much needed sleep.
CHAPTER 27
North Central Wyoming
Sunday, October 23rd
With blankets piled deep in the cold room, and a bed that was soft and comfortable, Kyle slept through the entire night for the first time on his journey. When he awoke the room was bright with filtered sunlight, and he could see clear, blue sky through the cracks of the blinds. Kyle heard Rose cooking in the kitchen, and the smell of food filled his senses as he lay in bed pondering his good fortune in going from nearly freezing to death to enjoying five-star accommodations. He crawled out of bed, put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, and walked out to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” he said with an energy he hadn’t felt in weeks, the abundance of sleep and food having done his body good. “It smells wonderful.”
Rose jumped before turning. “Oh! You surprised me,” she said, pressing her hand to her chest. “I’m not used to having company. Good morning to you too. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up, but figured you needed your rest.”
Kyle glanced at the clock on the wall. It showed 9:35 A.M. “Guess I still had some sleep to catch up on. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well.”
Rose smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. You need your strength. I hope you don’t mind venison for breakfast. I ran out of bacon seven weeks ago and haven’t come across any pigs to butcher.”
“Venison is great. Can I help with anything?”
“No, I’m good. Just sit down. It’s almost ready.”
Kyle sat down at the table and glanced out the window. With the sun’s intensity and the reflection off the snow, the scene was beautiful but nearly blinding. The thermometer showed 39º, and streams of water ran off the roof. “Looks like things are warming up.”
Rose nodded. “I figured it would. Usually it’s mid-November before we’re done with fall. Too bad we don’t have a weatherman to tell us how the rest of the week shapes up.”
Kyle watched Rose as she finished preparing breakfast. This morning she wore a snug pair of Wranglers and a bright red sweater that clung to her nicely. Yesterday she had been a mother of twenty year olds. Today she looked like a well-put-together professional. Rose set a plate of food in front of him, and he caught the soft scent of perfume. As she walked back into the kitchen, he noticed the sway of her hips and that her legs were slender and long and joined just right with the pleasant curve of her rear end.
“Did I forget something?” Rose asked, looking at Kyle, a friendly grin on her face.
“What was that?” Kyle asked calmly, trying to bluff as he looked away but knowing he’d been caught.
“I wondered if I’d forgotten something. You don’t seem interested in your food.”
“Um…no. It’s fine,” he replied. “Do you have any salt and pepper?” he asked in a further attempt to bluff.
“They’re on the table, right in the middle.”
Kyle instantly spotted the large salt and pepper shakers, the only items on the table besides his plate. He looked back at Rose and wondered how red his freshly shaved cheeks were turning. “Thanks,” he said, feeling foolish. “Guess I missed them.” He picked up the salt, shook some on his food, and started to eat.
Rose returned to the table with her plate and sat down across from him. “Was there anything else you wanted?” she asked in an innocent voice.
Kyle inhaled some eggs and started to cough. “Pardon me?” he choked out. He had heard what she said but wasn’t sure how she intended it.
“I just wondered if there was anything else you wanted, you know, for breakfast?” she said. Her head was tipped forward, and she looked up at him with big, blue eyes and a smile that made his heart skip.
“This is good,” he answered. “I’ve eaten more in the last twenty-four hours than I have in a long time. You’ve been really good to me.” He noticed her eyes for the first time, large and bright, a pretty shade of blue, with eyelashes that might stir a breeze if she blinked too fast. Kyle caught himself staring at Rose again, and turned back to his breakfast, concentrating on cutting his meat.
Thinking back over the last two months, he wondered how long it had been since he’d talked with an attractive woman around his age. His time in Houston had been busy with work, and since September 2nd, he’d met only a few women: Donovan’s wife, the wife in the family that had driven him that second day of walking, the occasional housewife at farms he’d stopped at, and a walker here and there. Most of the people he’d met, let alone the women, had been scared, tired, hungry, and dirty. Many of these ladies would likely have been attractive, but conditions were such that hygiene and beauty routines weren’t a priority, if even a possibility. It was survival that was the priority that topped everyone’s list.
Kyle had last seen Jennifer in August, and now here it was going on November. It had been a long time since that part of his brain had stirred, and he was surprised it still functioned.
“Is the food alright?” Rose asked.
“Huh? Oh, the food? It’s good. It’s really good. If you keep feeding me like this I’m going to gain back all the weight I’ve lost.”
“Okay….you just don’t seem to be eating much.”
“Sorry. Just lost in thought.” Kyle looked away and wondered if Rose knew how much she was distracting him. There wasn’t anything blatant in her manner or words, but there was something there that made him feel like she was toying with him.
Kyle took a few bites, and switched gears. “So, do you think your husband is alright?”
“Bruce? Oh, I don’t know. He probably is. It’s hard to say. He had a big project in Miami that he’d been working on for a year, so he got an apartment out that way. I’ve never been to it, but I’m guessing it would be safe. Of course, everyone you talk to seems to have a story about how bad things are in the cities, so I can’t say for sure.”
“You don’t seem to be too upset by it. Don’t you worry about him?”
“He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. We haven’t been that close for the last few years. Neither one of us was happy in the other’s world, me in the city, him out here. He’s spent a lot of time away, and I think not all of it alone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a touchy subject.”