Page 2 of Home Town Advantage
The place will take several hours to heat up, but at least it’s moving in the right direction. Hopefully the pipes will remain in good shape until then.
I should go inside and build a fire. It will help move things along and will keep me warm while I wait. There’s always a pile of wood at the ready by the fireplace. That was one of my brother’s steadfast rules. Always have dry wood prepared. Yep, he was a Boy Scout through and through.
After securing the tools, I head back inside and remove my shoes. I was out back for a total of seven minutes and was wearing heavy snow boots, yet my toes are practically numb. I hope no one has to be outside in this weather. I don’t think they could survive more than twenty to thirty minutes.
Using my Girl Scout skills, I build a roaring fire in no time. As soon as it’s good to go, I turn on the sink. The water spits a bit, but it does eventually pour out as it’s supposed to. That bodes well for the pipes.
I check on a few things in the three bedrooms and the faucets in the two bathrooms. There’s not much here, but everything seems to be in working order.
I’m making my way back toward the fire when suddenly the front door bursts open with a loud thud, and a snow-covered male body collapses inside and to the floor, facedown.
I run to him and find him shaking uncontrollably. Falling to my knees, I ask, “Are you okay?” I poke his body with my finger when I don’t get an answer. “Sir, are you okay?”
I can hear the sound of teeth chattering. Slowly turning over, the man stutters out, “C…c…c…cold.”
Once he’s face up, I suck in a breath and yell out, “Vance? What are you doing here?”
“W…w…worried. Y…y…y…you…”
His eyelids flutter a few times before his eyeballs roll to the back of his head and he passes out. At least, I hope he’s only passed out.
After checking his pulse and confirming he’s alive, I notice he’s soaking wet. His overgrown, dark brown hair is covered in ice. I look out the door and don’t see his truck. How did he get here? What the hell was he doing out in this storm?
He’s not wearing gloves. His fingers are white. His body is cold. I’m not a doctor, but I know he’s in the early stages of hypothermia.
After closing the door, I try to shake him awake. “Vance! Vance! Wake up!”
His eyes blink open to a semi-conscious state. They’re glazed over, but open.
“Can you get over to the fire? I can’t carry you.” The guy is six feet five inches and must weigh nearly two hundred and fifty pounds. Three hundred while soaking wet like this.
He wordlessly crawls, more like rolls, inch by slow inch, toward the fire. He’s still shaking. I need to get him out of these wet clothes.
As soon as he gets close to the fire, he passes out again. At least he’s in front of the heat now.
It takes me a good fifteen minutes, but I peel his wet clothes off him until he’s in his boxer briefs. Fortunately, those are dry. He was only wearing a T-shirt under his jacket. Was he insane going out in this weather dressed like this?
I run around and grab as many blankets as I can find, and then lay his clothes close to the fire so they can dry. Unfortunately, there are no clothes in this cabin. Besides the few well-worn sweatshirts I kept for myself, we donated all my brother’s belongings after he passed.
Vance is unconscious but still shaking. His toes and fingers are starting to turn blue and feel like icicles. The fire is warm, but the temperature in here has only risen a few degrees. I know he’s in real danger.
Shit. I’ve never wished more that I hadn’t gone to Girl Scouts because I know what I have to do.
I look up to the ceiling and offer a silent apology to my brother before removing my clothes until I’m in only a bra and panties. Sliding under the blankets with Vance, I wrap him in my arms to give him as much of my body heat as I can.
Holy crap, he feels like a block of ice. His body temperature must be dangerously low.
I hold him tight to the warmth of my body and rub my hands all over him. He’s all muscle. He was always built, but never like this. Holy hell.
He starts mumbling, incoherently at first, but at some point, I can make out a few words.
“Not…think…I wanted to…”
Huh? I think he’s hallucinating.
I lay there in front of the fire with my arms wrapped around him, hoping to feel the iciness of his body begin to thaw. It takes a little time, but eventually it does. In fact, it gets so warm and cozy that eventually I doze off with him.
I’m awakenedby lips moving over my neck and something very long and hard between my legs. Blinking my eyes open, I see Vance’s piercing green ones staring at me.
