by Jill Snow
She did as told.
“Now light a match and hold it under the kindling until it catches.”
Easy for him to say, she’d already wasted four of them trying to get the logs to light. She struck the match on the strip. Once, twice, third time it flared and she held it carefully under one of the little sticks. As the flames caught on the kindling she was overcome with an unfamiliar feeling of self-sufficiency. She’d done it, she’d started the fire! It was a little thing but for once she hadn’t just let someone else do things for her. She’d insisted on doing it herself and had succeeded.
“I did it!” She smiled over at him, but his face was stoic, his hand stroking Wookie’s long fur as he watched the tiny flames devour the kindling and eventually catch on the log.
“Newspaper works better,” he advised, his voice every bit as gruff.
Images of her articles going up in flames came to mind.
“Never pour gasoline onto the logs, though. It might seem easier to light, but it’ll blow up in your face.”
Good thing she hadn’t thought of that! The only gasoline she had was in the tank of her SUV. She could only imagine the sort of article that would arise from that kind of innovation.
Reporter Burns Off Own Eyebrows to Get Promotion.
Reporter in Hospital With Second Degree Burns For Being a Clueless Idiot.
Ethan reached for one of the logs and handed it to her. “Now that the fire is going, you can pile the logs on. Don’t put the wood in all at once. Let the fire get stronger first. And don’t put the logs directly on the flame or you’ll snuff it out. Position them against the other logs to leave gaps.”
She took the log from him leaning it on the first as it was smoking around the edges, flickering as it caught fire.
Ethan put Wookie on the ground gently and stood. “Looks like you got it. Good job.” He strode away without another word.
“Thank you,” Lily murmured as he walked away, but she wasn’t certain he heard. She turned back to the fire, pride swelling in her chest. She’d built a fire! She couldn’t wait to write the article. Maybe having a grouchy handyman for a neighbor wasn’t the worst stroke of luck, after all.
Chapter 7
Ethan swore under his breath as he examined the pipes leading from the trio of cabins. They joined near the woods in a hub attached to the hot water tank. And he knew of no animal with teeth so sharp that they would be able to saw through copper pipes. With no sign of rust or other natural wear, there could be only one explanation.
Someone had deliberately sawed through the pipe to make it impossible for Ruby to rent out these cabins. He didn’t for a moment believe that the old woman was to blame for sabotaging her own campground. She was clearly struggling, and this would have taken some serious elbow grease to accomplish. But who would want such a kind old woman to fail? From her stories, Pinecrest Lodge had been a fixture of the community for as long as anyone could remember.
The only people on the campground were him, Ruby, and Lily. He hadn’t done it, nor Ruby, and Lily would have taken one of these cabins for herself if she’d had the option. Not to mention, she’d only just arrived. When Ruby had disclosed this problem, she’d made it sound as though it had been going on for some time.
That left only one explanation. Someone outside the campground had ventured onto Ruby’s land in order to sabotage her business. Ludicrous! Everyone who Ethan had spoken with in town seemed on friendly terms with Ruby. Some pitied her situation -- widowed, with no children or grandchildren, and left to run a declining campground at her age -- but no one had an ill word to say about her. Or was someone hiding darker feelings?
He couldn’t find the solution to that predicament now, nor did he relish telling Ruby about her problem. But he had to tell her -- at the very least, because he didn’t have the supplies to solder pipe together. She would have to direct him to the nearest hardware store.
Still mulling over the situation, he strode in the direction of his cabin. He didn’t notice the lump of beige fur until he nearly tripped over Lily’s dog. The cheerful creature gave a little bark and sat on her hind legs, lifting one paw onto Ethan’s pants as if claiming him.
He sighed. “You’re going to get lost,” he muttered under his breath, even as he bent to lift the fur ball into his arms.
Wookie—or was the name Cookie?—tilted her squashed face up to his and cracked her mouth open as she wheezed. Her pink tongue hung out one side. With a snuffle, she wiggled in his arms until she was able to stretch up to lick the underside of his chin. Her tail wagged vigorously.
Her brown eyes looked up at him adoringly and he was reminded of earlier when he’d helped Lily light that fire. He wasn’t even sure why he’d picked the dog up then, but it had felt good to hold her. The dog knew nothing about him, didn’t even understand the concept of money, and yet she was happy to see him. It was … surprisingly nice. Not that he would admit it to her owner. Where was…
“Wookie!”
So he had remembered the name right.
He held out the dog, an offering. “I think this belongs to you,” he said with a wry twist of his mouth. It was the first semblance of a genuine smile he’d given in a long time.
Lily’s cheeks reddened as she plucked her pet from his arms and held her tight. “I’m sorry, she just ran off again. She seems to do that every time she smells you. Probably because you smell like cookies.”
He smelled like cookies? Maybe he’d been hanging around in Ruby’s kitchen too much. Since Lily muttered that last part under her breath, he didn’t think he was supposed to hear her so he didn’t respond other than to say, “It’s no trouble.”
Wookie squirmed in her owner’s arms as if trying to get back to him. The look of adoration on her face tugged at his heart strings. No! He hunched his shoulders. He didn’t have room in his life for anyone other than himself. That was what everyone else was out for, wasn’t it, so why not him, too?
Gruff, he looked away as he added, “As long as it doesn’t happen again.”
“It won’t,” Lily promised, her words quick. “Thank you again.”
Ethan remained rooted in the spot as she walked away, quietly chiding her pet for running off. Funny thing, he hadn’t really minded the interruption. He supposed Wookie wasn’t too much bother, and Lily was pretty to look at. Especially when she blushed. And truth be told, when he’d helped her start the fire, the look of triumph on her face had been worth the trouble. She might be totally unprepared for camping, but he admired the way she was willing to learn.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ethan turned toward his cabin to get his wallet and truck in preparation of driving into town. As he reached the front door, a shriek split the air.
Lily.
Without thinking, he bolted toward her cabin, expecting to find her cornered by a bear or the saboteur at gunpoint. He groped for a weapon he didn’t carry as he burst through the shield of white bark pine trees.
No one held Lily at gunpoint or stood poised over her for a killing blow. She crouched on the packed dirt near to where she’d parked the SUV, Wookie cradled to her chest as she stared at the door to her cabin in horror. Instinctively, he laid his hand on her shoulder to guide her behind the cover of the SUV. Get behind cover. It was a mantra that had served him well during his time with the Rangers. She stumbled, but dug in her heels. Wookie wiggled, trying to break free.
“Where is he?” Ethan asked, his voice terse. He fought against distant memories of gunfire and panicked shouting. He was in a peaceful Montana campground, where the only danger was of eating too many of Ruby’s delicious cookies and putting on some weight. His breathing quickened as he battled the past, angling his body to cover Lily’s.
Reaching around him, she pointed at the door of the cabin, where he saw nothing alarming. Was there an insurgent inside? He glanced into the vehicle next to him, expecting to find the rifle he’d carelessly left behind. It was foreign—not his vehicle. Besides he was in Montana, n
ot at war.
Calm down before you freak her out.
Although he’d been reluctant at first, at his sister’s behest, he had consulted a counselor to combat this sort of thing. He mostly had it beat. Mostly. He shut his eyes and took a long breath, grounding himself in the present, not the past.
When he opened his eyes, he searched for five things to see. The twigs of a bird’s nest in the tall branches of a pine tree, the tread marks of the SUV’s tires in the dirt, a cloud that looked a bit like a question mark, the glass in the window of the cabin had a small crack in the bottom left corner, the reflection of the sunlight off the hood of the silver SUV.
He found four things he could touch -- the grainy wood of the cabin, the gritty dirt underfoot, the cool siding of the car, Lily’s blond-streaked hair, undoubtedly soft.
He listened for three sounds -- the rustle of branches, the wheeze of Wookie’s breath, his slowing heartbeat in his ears.
He inhaled, searching for two scents -- the crisp scent of pine and a lemony scent coming from Lily.
Shutting his eyes, he focused on what his mouth tasted like at that moment. Coffee and the chocolate of the cookies he’d eaten on the way to the cabins.
By the time he finished grounding himself in the moment, he felt well enough to face the campground threat without resorting to war tactics. His senses hummed on heightened awareness as he surveyed the possibilities. What if the saboteur was trapped in that cabin? Ethan stepped forward, intending to sidle next to the window and peek inside to scout the way.
As he did, light glistened from the strands of a web in the corner of the doorway. Wait, was that… He took a step closer.
“Be careful. I think it’s poisonous.”
A spider? She’d put him on high alert for a spider. Here he was, thinking they were in mortal peril when he could squish the threat with his thumb if he so pleased. Now that he wasn’t on edge and fighting for his life, he found it pretty funny. He cocked an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder, amused. “It’s just a little spider.”
“It’s humongous!” Judging by the way Lily’s eyes widened and she tightened her arms around her poor squirming dog, she believed that.
The body of the spider might have been the size of a dime, if that. The legs spread wider, but it still wasn’t something worth making such a fuss.
“It’s probably poisonous, to be so big.”
Ethan chuckled as he turned. “Then I suggest you don’t eat it.”
Lily made a disgusted face. As she loosened her hold on her pet, Wookie wriggled out of her hold. The dog shook herself before trotting next to Ethan. She barked twice, for good measure, then sat in the dirt, her job complete.
“Gross! Why would I eat it?” Lily asked, revolted.
“Poisonous?” He raised his eyebrows. “Poison is something you bite. A venomous spider is one that bites you.”
She huffed and crossed her arms, drawing his attention to the way her sleeveless shirt hugged her body. “Really? You’re going to argue with me over semantics?”
He shrugged. “What else do you want me to do?”
“Kill it! Before it bites me.”
“It won’t.” He paused. “Or, at the very least, you won’t die if it does. It’s not venomous, just fat from eating all the mosquitoes around here. You should thank it.”
She looked as though she would rather set the cabin on fire.
“I don’t care if it can juggle and writes inspiration messages in its web in its free time. Kill it!”
He crossed his arms, standing his ground. Wookie rolled on her back in the dirt.
“No.”
“Fine.” She huffed and toed off one of her tennis shoes. “I’ll do it myself. Now that I know it’s not poisonous—”
“Venomous,” he corrected.
She glared at him as she approached. “Now that I know it isn’t going to kill me, I don’t have any reason to be afraid. Move and I’ll squish it myself.”
“No.”
Her mouth dropped open, but she couldn’t seem to think of a decent counter-argument to his refusal. He took advantage of the momentary bout of speechlessness.
“It hasn’t harmed you at all, nor will it. It doesn’t deserve to die.”
Far, far too many things in this world were killed in malice by people who believed they had the right. Crops burned, animals shot for sport, people killed because they stood on the wrong side of an argument. Sure, this was about a spider, but he’d killed enough in his lifetime to do it again without just cause.
Lily clicked her teeth together as she clenched her jaw. Her expression looked mulish. “I can’t keep walking under that thing afraid it will fall in my hair or down my shirt.” She pressed her hands to the neckline of her shirt as if afraid the spider would somersault over his head and plunge between her breasts.
Now there was an image. Ethan bit the edge of his tongue to hold back a laugh.
“I’ll move it,” he told her once he was able to force out a coherent sentence.
She narrowed her eyes. “What if it comes back?” The suspicious look on her face, as if she thought the spider was stalking her specifically, was irrational but cute.
He grinned. “Then I’ll move it again. It won’t hurt you, I promise.”
Chapter 8
Day One: Complete. Only six to go. Inwardly sighing to herself, Lily juggled her laptop on one knee and scratched Wookie with the other hand as she clicked on the Wi-Fi icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
No networks available.
She supposed it had been too much to ask that the campground had Wi-Fi. She dug her cell phone out of her purse and powered it up.
Nothing. A flickering bar of signal. No 4G or 3G network -- not even an edge network.
“Let’s hope Ruby has internet somewhere on this campground, or else I’m going to have to break rules so I can get the first article to Rob on time.” Her stomach growled at the prospect of real food rather than cold noodles three times a day.She didn’t even have a way to make coffee! The adrenaline from dealing with the spider earlier had long since worn off. If she had to go into town to upload the article, there might be a restaurant... No. She couldn’t go there, it was against the rules. Considering the killer article she’d just written describing every detail of her new fire-starting skills, she didn’t want to go against the rules. She wanted to see this thing through the right way.
She cracked a caffeine-deprived yawn as she packed up her laptop and slung the case over her shoulder. Wookie’s ears perked up as she realized they were venturing outside. Lily nodded. “Yes, girl. Come on, let’s go. But don’t go to Ethan’s cabin or next time you’ll have to stay inside.”
Wookie snorted, as if to say, why would I do that?
Ten minutes later, Ruby led her past a fridge door littered with compliance notifications from the Greendale Council. What was that about? Lily tried to crane her neck, but Ruby’s surprisingly quick pace and stream of chatter prevented her from being able to read them fully. If this campground had compliance violations against local by-laws…
Well, she was only here for a week and she’d seen for herself how run-down the campground had become. Ruby had probably hired Ethan as her handyman after she received those notices. He certainly seemed to be pulling his weight around here. He even took time out of his day to remove a spider from her cabin … even if he had teased her about it. She smiled, remembering the look on his face as he’d held the spider at the end of the stick and carried it into the trees. It was the first time she’d seen him do anything but scowl or look grumpy.
His smile was a bit dreamy…
“Lily?”
She mentally shook herself, reminding herself that she was not alone. Ruby stood in front of her, a curious look on her face as she gestured to an old computer.
“You can use this.”
Old? No. This thing was a dinosaur. Before the days of flat-screen monitors. As Ruby pushed the button to turn it on, the compute
r filled the room with white noise.
“I’ll give you some privacy. I’ll put on a pot of coffee in the kitchen, in case you’d like some.”
Lily nodded, speechless, as Ruby exited into the kitchen through the narrow doorway and shut Lily and Wookie into this tiny, cluttered room. There was barely enough space with the cardboard boxes piled haphazardly along the walls for Lily to wheel the chair far enough away from the desk to sit. Although she tried to stifle her curiosity as to the contents of the boxes, the whirring computer sounded as though it would take until the next millennium to fully boot. Part of that was undoubtedly because of the Windows: ME logo that fluttered to life on the black screen.
Great. Could this ancient machine even handle sending an email? She hoped so.
As it finished loading, she idly scratched the spot above Wookie’s tail that she loved so much. The dog’s foot thumped against the ground as she wheezed in bliss. The boxes drew Lily’s attention.
Those are private. Ruby is graciously allowing you into her home for this. Not wanting to disclose the true nature of her stay here, Lily had laughed off the question of why she needed a computer and kept the answer vague. “I need to send a few work emails this week. Never stops, not even when I’m on vacation!”
“Vacation, I wish,” Lily muttered into the small room. She turned her attention back to the screen. It still wasn’t finished loading.
She groaned. It was going to take forever to get this dinosaur up and running. Did it even have a USB port for her to transfer the file to upload? After glancing at the door, Lily decided to take matters into her own hands. She got down on her hands and knees and searched for the Ethernet cable to disconnect it from the computer tower and connect it directly to her laptop.
Instead, she found a cord and followed it to a phone jack in the wall. “Dial up? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Was her laptop old enough to still contain a dial up modem? She glanced at the screen on the monitor. Still loading. It seemed as though she had to try.
