“Well, this storm front is supposed to last for a week, so you might as well settle in.” His tone cut deep at the edges.
“A week?” she shouted.
“You wanted to come with me.”
“No way in hell am I staying here with you for a week.”
“Oh for Christ’s sake, Red. Calm your tits.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know what? You’re excused,” he growled through blade thin lips. All pretense of calm vanished. Every ounce of composure fled the building. His eyes narrowed into a hard squint. “Get out!”
Her mouth fell open with a loud gasp. Appalled by the direct command, her face screwed into a severe case of pissed off.
“I mean it, Carrie Ann. Don’t fucking come back in here till you can at least talk decent to me.” Anger spiked, painting his cheeks crimson. He jutted an index finger in her face. “I just endured the longest night of my fucking life for too many reasons to list. Go! Try coming back when you can be a little more civil…and not to mention grateful!”
His voice was cold, flat and furious, chilling her to the bone. Ever muscle in her body quaked. She planted her feet to the floor, huffily crossing one arm over the other. Summer, looking every bit as angry, matching her tenacity with equal resolve. He gripped her upper arm, forcefully escorting her to the door in a heated rush.
She squirmed and twisted attempting to jerk free, but his hold was unyielding. “What the…”
Summer swung to door open with a loud bang and shoved her beyond the threshold. “Come find me when you calm down.”
Daggers shot from her eyes. He responded with a cold hard stare of his own. Giving a quick snap of her head, she angled her chin upward in defiance and stormed toward the cabin.
The thunderous boom of the door slamming behind her nearly jolted her out of her shoes. Carrie Ann stomped off, punishing the ground beneath her feet. Puddles of water splashed in her wake, soaking her jeans from the knees down.
The sound of rain falling on the roof echoed in the forest and the smell of wet earth surrounded her labored breathing. Cool points of rain struck her face. She heard the door swing open, but she picked up her pace refusing to turn back.
“And don’t go wandering off!” Apprehension vibrated his harsh warning. “I mean it, Carrie Ann! There’s bears up here! Don’t go past the tree line!”
A blur of yellow brushed her left side, nudging her palm with a wet nose.
“Do you hear me?”
Never breaking stride, she thrust her hand straight above her head, flipping him a one fingered signal of I got it.
“Aspen, c’mere girl,” he called.
Carrie Ann glanced down at her fury friend. Droplets of water repelled from her golden blond fur as she bopped alongside her. Aspen tentatively took a quick look back at the barn, but remained by her side. She heard Summer mutter traitor before shutting the door.
Rain slipped through the air in a delicate threadbare curtain. The dampness brought relief to the inferno brewing inside. Making her way past the cabin, puddles sloshed beneath her feet. A dark void shrouded her memory, but Carrie Ann was too stubborn and too angry to notice the sickening feeling free falling somewhere beneath her ribcage.
She paused to palm the wetness from her face, peering out over the vast meadow and beyond. Hidden mountains and trees turned emerald green from the storm cradled by the gorge. Every direction she turned, the majestic beauty stretched as far as the thunder clouds would allow. Lush, tall grass and colorful flowers of golden, lavender and blue, bent over, weighed down by the summer showers. The sheer enormity breathtaking.
Carrie Ann wasn’t sure how long she stood, breathing in the calm tranquility. She was soaked to the bone. Droplets fell from her nose and hair and her sweater sagged from saturation. Aspen turned circles, tail in mouth, floundering into a stumble. The pup gave a quick shiver the length of her body, shedding excess water.
Rain fell harder now. The sound amplified into a pounding fury on the red tin roof. She scooped up Aspen, holding her close to her chest for warmth, which earned her several puppy kisses as she jogged back to the cabin.
Kicking out of her boots at the back door, she headed straight for the shower, puppy in tow. After a long hot shower, she towel dried both their hair and fell into bed. Exhaustion forced her mind to settle.
*
Summer’s voice pulled her from a deep sleep. “You need to eat.”
A dull light broke through the blackness consuming her room. Lifting her head from the pillow, a tall wide silhouette took up most of the doorway. Carrie Ann jolted upright, momentarily lost in the darkness. She’d totally lost track of time and where she was. “Summer?”
“Yes, it’s me.” He pushed the door open a bit wider, illuminating her bed from the light in the hallway. “Come on, you need to eat something.”
“Wait. I’m…I’m not dressed. I’ll be out in a minute,” she said pulling the cover higher. Aspen half leaped, half tumbled, down from the bed dashing through the open door.
“I’ve already seen you naked,” he stated matter-of-factly. The tender sensual hum in his tone made every hormone in her body sizzle. “And I really don’t want my dog sleeping in bed with you.”
Carrie Ann groaned. The last thing she needed was another mutiny from down below or a scolding. “Whatever. It’s not like I’m trying to—”
“Let me try this again. Red,” he drew out her name mockingly. “Can you please keep Aspen off the bed and couches? I’m training her to sleep in her own dog bed. I know she’s adorable, but in a few months she’ll be full grown. Now, if you insist, throw some clothes on and come eat.”
A grin flicked at the corners of her mouth. She totally softened. God, sometimes he knew exactly how to handle her. “Okay.”
After slipping into a pair of black leggings and a powder blue V-neck T, she splashed some cold water on her face and made her way to the kitchen. Summer stood in front of the stove, barefoot, in a fresh white t-shirt and ancient black sweatpants sporting his red and yellow USC logo. The distinctive sizzle and smell of a fat juicy hamburger made her mouth water. Or at least that’s what she told herself, standing there holding her breath, examining the well exercised muscles of his back, flexing beneath the cotton fabric as he worked. The look of him, so relaxed and comfortable, tapped into some of her deepest most genuine memories. Though his wide shoulders still narrowed at the waist, his lean physique had filled out handsomely, seasoned with maturity. They young man she’d known so many years ago had become a man. And time had been very, very good to him.
Carrie Ann quietly cleared her throat.
He turned, blessing her with a potent dose of charisma wrapped into a warm soft smile. Summer walked toward her, ambling around the end of the kitchen island. She inconspicuously drew a breath of air through her nose, reveling in the fresh clean scent of male as he reached for a stool behind her, encouraging her to sit.
“Are you hungry?”
She gnawed on her lip, giving a small nod. A feeling of utter awkwardness married with an old acquainted comfort, easing her nerves a bit.
He took his time wandering over her face, registering her mood. Stepping back into the kitchen, he flipped the switch on a sleek chrome blender. The high-spinning powerful motor devoured its contents, blending them into a vibrant green smoothie.
“I see you still love to blend,” she half shouted over the loud noise. The puppy, already immune to the racket, barely lifted her head from her dog bed sitting in the corner.
“Some things never change.” His whiskey-rich eyes held to her features. “Like you. Sitting in my kitchen with no make-up and your hair all wavy. You haven’t changed a bit.”
Avoiding an oncoming compliment, she interrupted with a turned up nose, “What’s in that?”
“This is for hangovers, so I’m not sure it will help. But it certainly can’t hurt.” He poured the creamy concoction into a glass.