Heart of the Wild by Rita Hestand

pump strictly for well water. Drinking water. This isn't a townhouse, and you're not a guest. As long as you are here, you'll do your share of the work. I don't have time to baby-sit a woman."
    He sounded rough and almost mad, as though he were at his last straw too. Why should he be mad? He had made her come with him, hadn't he? This was his idea, not hers!
    Still, nothing he said bothered her. If he could survive, so could she. She'd show him! That is until one thing hit her, and hit her hard. It was like cold, icy water splashing in a sleepy face. She glanced around the room frantically before her eyes landed on him again. Her eyes got big, wide, and expectant. She felt like a child, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
    All the way up here she had contemplated only one thing. There was only one thing to look forward to, one thing. But where was it?
    "Where's the bathroom?" she muttered thickly between gritted teeth.
    Despite his suddenly blackened mood, despite the fact that everything was beginning to look bleak, a rumble came from him, until it bubbled into what sounded like a strange, strangled, laugh.
    "There's a washtub outside for bathing, if you're wanting a bath. But you'll have to bring it in, fill it with heated water from the stove, and then empty it. As for the other, there's a pot under the bed, with a cover. Personally, I opt for the outhouse out back. But at least you have a choice. There are no walls, but you can pull the curtain around the bed when you need it. I'm sorry, honey, but it's the best I can offer. I haven't finished the place yet. You see, I wasn't expecting company for a while. Especially company like you. Since you're tired, I'd advise you to take a spit bath, and call it a night."
    "A what?" she asked, as though he had lit the last fuse, and she was about to blow.
    "A quick wash at the sink," he said, with a slight smile to his sober face.
    She glanced up at the curtain, hung similar to a bathtub curtain on a rod that circled the entire bed. It was thin material, but at least it was something.
    Still, the man had no bathroom, and in such weather, too. Why, one trip to the bathroom, if that's what he called it, would chill her to the bone. She never once expected such primitive conditions, not from a man so well acquainted with John Douglas.
    "I see," she said between gritted teeth again. This had to be some kind of test. Or a bad dream. He was standing there waiting for her to scream aloud, or tap her foot again or something. But instead, she just stood there. Every nerve in her body shook. A scream seemed inevitable, yet she controlled it somehow.
    "Are there any more surprises? I mean, aside from the fact that I'm stuck up here in the middle of nowhere, with you, with no bathroom, and a very untimely father. A wife or girlfriend, perhaps?"
    The smile faded from his handsome face. "No, neither."
    She might have laughed, but his expression changed so quickly, she nearly gasp. He looked almost…sad. "Don't tell me. She stole your heart. And left you because she couldn't handle these primitive conditions, I'll bet. Even you should know that a bathroom isn't a luxury any more."
    He turned on her again, his eyes narrowing into slits, "There aren't any women in my heart, Kasie. I don't need them. You pointed that out, a few years ago. Anyway, when and if I marry, it'll be for all the right reasons, with the right woman."
    His glance slid from her head to her toe, intimately.
    "Is there anything else I should know?"
    "Well, let's see. There are a couple of things about your father I should mention. He had a by-pass last year, and you've heard about him remarrying, other than that, no."
    Her jaw dropped.
    He smiled. "Look, I've got some stew and cornbread in the refrigerator. I'll light the stove for you, and you can heat it up while I make a few general repairs. Maybe a little food will put both of us in a better humor. I'll give you plenty of time to wash up and change for bed, so stop