Page 74 of Through the Fire
“No, thank you.” She rubbed her now warm and fed belly. “It was great, but I’m full.”
With a nod, he placed the bowls and spoons in the sink before setting Justice’s bowl on the floor. The dog sat in front of the bowl, staring at Wes with hopeful eyes and a string of drool hanging from his jowls.
“What’s he waiting for?” Wes asked.
“I make him wait to eat until I give him the release word,” she explained, joining him in the kitchen. “That way, he doesn’t just gulp down whatever rotting hot dog smells good to him before I can tell him no. Justice, okay.”
The dog dove into the bowl, eating even more quickly than Kit had. She grinned down at him. “You make me feel so delicate and dainty in comparison, Justice.” Without taking his face out of the bowl, he wagged his tail at the sound of his name. Still smiling, she met Wes’s gaze again. “Since you cooked, I’ll do the dishes.”
“No need.” He got that half-bashful, half-excited look that she was beginning to recognize.
“You have some high-tech, super-efficient gadget for washing dishes, don’t you?” she asked, not at all surprised when he nodded and opened one of the lower cupboards to reveal what appeared to be a normal—albeit small—dishwasher. After placing their dirty dishes into the appliance, including Justice’s well-licked bowl, he pushed a few buttons on the front.
She waited for it to start, but it was silent. When she glanced at Wes, he gave her a small smile. “It’s working,” he said, as if guessing her unasked question. “It’s just quiet.”
“Huh.” Skeptically, she examined the appliance again, looking for a light or some indication that his invention was more than a silver box filled with dirty dishes. “How long does it take?”
“Three minutes.”
Now she really doubted him. “That’s it?”
“Yes.” Instead of looking annoyed by her inability to believe in a silent, three-minute dishwasher, he appeared to be holding back his amusement. A low beep brought her attention back to the appliance, and she watched as Wes opened it.
Wordlessly, he pulled out a bowl and handed it to her. It felt warm and looked completely clean. “That’s amazing.” She held it up to eye the bowl more closely. “My last dishwasher took an hour. Is this one of the gadgets you have a patent on?”
“No.” He shrugged the compliment off, as if it were no big deal that he was a miracle-producing genius. “It’s still a work in progress. This small version works fine, but the standard-size units have a few bugs.”
Justice, obviously bored with the discussion, wandered back over to his place by the woodstove and stretched out on his side. That reminded Kit that they were going to be spending the night at Wes’s. The idea of sleeping in the same small space as him made her jittery and, at the same time, filled with anticipation.
“So…” She hesitated, glancing out the windows, even though all she could see were blackness and a few white flakes hitting the glass. “You don’t usually sleep up here, do you? I mean, the cabin is your actual residence, right?”
“Yes, but it’s not exactly… It’s not set up for…” Wes made a frustrated sound, and Kit could relate. He seemed as flustered as she was by the topic. For some reason, that calmed her nerves, and she almost laughed. They were two adults. They could talk about sleeping arrangements without getting tongue-tied—or at least they should be able to.
“Let’s make this easier,” she said. She was hugely relieved that no one she worked with was here. The teasing would’ve been infinite and unbearable. “Justice has picked his bed. Where would you like me to sleep? I’m fine with whatever—bed, couch, floor, chair. As long as we’re not sleeping outside, I’m grateful.”
Even though she’d tried to lay it out in a straightforward way, Wes still looked a little stiff and uncomfortable. “My cabin is very small, and there’s only one bed. There’s no couch over there, and it’s cold. I don’t want to leave you alone up here by yourself, so I thought I’d take the couch, and you could—if you like—take the bed.” He nodded toward the wall next to the kitchen, and Kit peered at the spot with interest. It didn’t look like anything but a section of wall but, knowing Wes, he’d most likely press a button and make a castle-like master bedroom appear, complete with housekeeper.
When he eyed her uncertainly, as if checking on her reaction, she gave a firm nod. “Sounds like a good plan, but you get the bed, and I’ll take the couch.” When he started to argue, she waved off his objections. “It’s silly to put you on the sofa. Your feet would hang off the end.”
He grudgingly agreed, and Kit relaxed. Not knowing where she was going to sleep, especially in relation to Wes, had made her tense. Now, with everything figured out, she didn’t have to worry about any surprises. She was also glad that they wouldn’t be staying in the tiny, dark, probably chilly cabin next door. The tower room was warm, and she was comfortable here.
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Sure.” She briefly considered asking him for a T-shirt to wear to bed, but that seemed too girlfriendy a thing to do. Instead, she started to strip off layers.
“Uhh…”
When she saw Wes’s startled expression, she flushed. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I’m stopping before I get to skin.”
True to her word, she left her long underwear on before returning to her spot on the couch. Wes had to clear his throat before the screen would obey his command to lower. Pulling a fuzzy fleece blanket off the back of the couch, Kit opened it and laid it over her legs.
Once she was settled, Wes handed her a tablet. “These are the movies I have.”
As she scrolled through the list, Kit blinked. “You have quite the extensive movie collection,” she said.
“Winter can get long.”
“True.” She fell silent as she skimmed the titles, growing more and more impressed with his choices. Looking at the kinds of movies he enjoyed made her feel as though she knew him a little better, and she liked what she was learning. “Oh, here we go. I haven’t seen this one yet.” She tapped on her selection and handed the tablet back to Wes.
