Page 18 of Stranded with the Billionaire
“I told you already, I hate camping and everything about nature,” Jake glared at her.
“Suck it up,” she replied without any sympathy. “You were starting the fire wrong anyways. Get the bat and I’ll get us a blazing fire in that little stove on which you can cook dinner to your hearts content.”
“Fine,” Jake stopped and stared at her. “Stay still.”
“What?” Sterling paused. Her hand coming automatically halfway to her head before stopping. She turned fearful eyes to Jake. “Is he in my hair? Please say he’s not in my hair!”
Adjusting his hold on the blanket, Jake carefully stood on the cot. He slowly maneuvered himself until in the right position and then pounced at a corner of the ceiling. “Aha!”
“Did you get him?” Sterling used the desk to get back on her feet.
“Get the door before he bites me or something,” Jake ordered as he stepped off the cot.
She limped to the door, flinging it open. The hinges squeaked in protest. “I’ll shut the door behind you so that he doesn’t fly back inside.”
“What am I supposed to do? Let him take revenge on me for evicting him?” Jake stood in the doorway. “I’m not going to be outside, letting him attack me as soon as he’s free.”
“He won’t attack you. He’ll just fly away,” Sterling certainly hoped so. The last thing she wanted was for the bat to return inside the shack.
“How do you know? We’re throwing him out into the cold to die,” Jake said sarcastically. “I’d be upset if someone did that to me.”
“First of all, he doesn’t reason like a human. He’s probably going to be happy to get free,” Sterling retorted. “Secondly, maybe he has another little cozy home he can go to. Someplace he doesn’t have to share. Or maybe he’s got a relative he can room with until we leave. Whatever, it’s his problem.”
“I’m not going outside,” Jake reiterated.
“Fine,” Sterling grabbed the door, leaving it open just a small piece. “Put your hands and the bat outside and when you let him go, pull your hands in quick and I’ll shut the door.”
“Don’t smash my fingers. I need them,” he warned.
“I’ll try not to,” Sterling rolled her eyes. He needed them for all those data reports he liked to study and type up.
“Ready?” he asked. At Sterling’s nod, he released the bat and pulled his hands back into the tiny cabin, leaving the blanket in the snow outside. They waited for a moment. “Do you think he’s gone?”
“Well I don’t hear any minute knocks on the door,” Sterling looked at Jake. “Are you going to get the blanket?”
“Not for a little while. I’d rather wait until he’s gone,” Jake said firmly. “I thought you were going to start a fire since you know all about building one.”
“I am,” Sterling smoothly remarked. She limped over to the stove.
“Your knee is getting worse,” Jake remarked with a frown.
“How’s the ribs?” she pulled out all the large chunks of wood that he’d placed in the tiny stove and began building a proper little pyramid with small sticks, paper and shavings. Lighting a match, the kindling caught. Sterling gently blew on the flames until they grew then added more sticks.
“Sore,” Jake retrieved the can opener from the ground with a grimace. “They’re worse when I have to bend over or stretch.”
Sterling frowned as she added a couple larger pieces and then shut the door of the stove. “Should we tape your ribs?”
“I thought they don’t do that anymore,” Jake questioned as he perused what was available in the meager supply of canned and dry goods.
“I’m not sure,” she shrugged. “The stove is all yours, chef.”
“Excellent,” Jake selected a can, opening it. “Don’t expect gourmet. I’ll be lucky if I don’t burn anything on that stove.”
Sterling sat down on the cot, holding her frozen hands toward the fledgling heat of the stove. “I’m so hungry right now, I wouldn’t care if it was burnt.”
“We should probably pack your knee in ice,” Jake commented as he looked around the small space. “There are no plates.”
“I guess we eat it out of the pan?” Sterling suggested. She didn’t feel like moving to put ice on her leg. Hours of walking had exhausted her.
