itches me to death though.”
“Want me to heat up some water for you?”
He shook his head. “I’ll just head to the stream. I need to clean up anyway.”
“You’ll freeze. Look, I need to clean up anyway, if you bring in the bigger tub, I’ll heat some water and start filling it up.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he smiled and laughed. “I’ll bring the tub in, but no way I’ll freeze outside with thoughts of you in it.”
My cheeks felt hot. Immediately. “Kyan, I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Abigail. Believe it.” He stared at me intently, his brows inching up slightly. He was dead serious. Holy crap.
Before I knew he’d left, he was back carrying the large wooden tub in from the porch. He positioned it in front of the fire. It would make filling it easier and keep me warm while I was in the water.
“Thanks.”
Tipping my chin up, he said, “You’re welcome, Abby Blue.”
An awkward silence filled the room. Ky cleared his throat. “Look, I’ll stay out for a while. I have an errand to run, so you’ll have the place to yourself for a bit. But I need you for an hour or so when I get back. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay. Sure.”
He nodded back and then turned and strode quickly out the door, slamming it behind him.
I filled the tub part of the way with water from Ky’s pump as a large pot of water hung over the fire. When it bubbled, I poured it into the tub, careful not to burn myself, as was usual for me. When I’d repeated the chore almost a half a dozen times alternating boiling pots of water, the tub was pretty full and irresistibly steamy. I didn’t waste any time getting into the water. This would probably be the last bath I would get for a while.
Thoughts of what lay ahead that night, wrestled around in my mind for front and center position. I knew Ky was going to find Stephens. He was going to contact Senn. Ky would make this happen, even if he didn’t want it to. He would do it for me.
I don’t know how long I sat relaxing my weary body with unrelaxing thoughts racing through my mind, but when I heard footsteps outside, I realized it had been awhile. The water was cold. I was shivering and it was too late to get out of the tub without being seen. I sank down into the water and hoped with everything in me that it wasn’t Ardis or Kyan. Ardis would be trouble and Ky didn’t need encouragement or heartache.
Three rapid taps came before the door was quickly pushed opened and Gray stepped inside. He shook snowflakes out of his hair. He had one arm out of his coat when he noticed me. I was clinging desperately to the side of the tub, hiding myself as best I could.
“Hey, Gray. Could you give me a minute?”
“Uh. Um. Yeah. I can go back outside. Sorry. So sorry. God.” He turned to go back out, but I stopped him.
“Gray. Just go into Ky’s room. It’s freezing.”
He grunted an “Okay,” and his boot steps trailed down the hallway. When I heard Kyan’s door close, I jumped up, grabbed my towel, and wrapped it tightly around me. I used my shirt to dry my legs and feet, before sprinting to my room to dress. Tugging on a bra and panties, I found a light brown sweater and an old, but soft pair of jeans. I squeezed the water out of my hair and ran a brush through it, leaving it down to dry.
I tapped on Ky’s door and yelled, “All clear,” as I passed by.
When Ky came back, I was bailing water out of the tub and Gray was dumping it off the porch for me. Ky’s hair was wet and I could tell he’d just washed his face. His eyelashes were clumped together. If he stood outside much longer, they might freeze that way.
“What’s going on?” He stepped inside and looked at me.
“Hey, just emptying the tub.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
He pressed his lips in a thin line and started to walk past me. “Nothing,” he muttered.
“Ky? What’s wrong?”
He snapped, “Nothing’s wrong. Okay?” Well, he was in a wonderful mood.
Gray helped me
“Want me to heat up some water for you?”
He shook his head. “I’ll just head to the stream. I need to clean up anyway.”
“You’ll freeze. Look, I need to clean up anyway, if you bring in the bigger tub, I’ll heat some water and start filling it up.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he smiled and laughed. “I’ll bring the tub in, but no way I’ll freeze outside with thoughts of you in it.”
My cheeks felt hot. Immediately. “Kyan, I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Abigail. Believe it.” He stared at me intently, his brows inching up slightly. He was dead serious. Holy crap.
Before I knew he’d left, he was back carrying the large wooden tub in from the porch. He positioned it in front of the fire. It would make filling it easier and keep me warm while I was in the water.
“Thanks.”
Tipping my chin up, he said, “You’re welcome, Abby Blue.”
An awkward silence filled the room. Ky cleared his throat. “Look, I’ll stay out for a while. I have an errand to run, so you’ll have the place to yourself for a bit. But I need you for an hour or so when I get back. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay. Sure.”
He nodded back and then turned and strode quickly out the door, slamming it behind him.
I filled the tub part of the way with water from Ky’s pump as a large pot of water hung over the fire. When it bubbled, I poured it into the tub, careful not to burn myself, as was usual for me. When I’d repeated the chore almost a half a dozen times alternating boiling pots of water, the tub was pretty full and irresistibly steamy. I didn’t waste any time getting into the water. This would probably be the last bath I would get for a while.
Thoughts of what lay ahead that night, wrestled around in my mind for front and center position. I knew Ky was going to find Stephens. He was going to contact Senn. Ky would make this happen, even if he didn’t want it to. He would do it for me.
I don’t know how long I sat relaxing my weary body with unrelaxing thoughts racing through my mind, but when I heard footsteps outside, I realized it had been awhile. The water was cold. I was shivering and it was too late to get out of the tub without being seen. I sank down into the water and hoped with everything in me that it wasn’t Ardis or Kyan. Ardis would be trouble and Ky didn’t need encouragement or heartache.
Three rapid taps came before the door was quickly pushed opened and Gray stepped inside. He shook snowflakes out of his hair. He had one arm out of his coat when he noticed me. I was clinging desperately to the side of the tub, hiding myself as best I could.
“Hey, Gray. Could you give me a minute?”
“Uh. Um. Yeah. I can go back outside. Sorry. So sorry. God.” He turned to go back out, but I stopped him.
“Gray. Just go into Ky’s room. It’s freezing.”
He grunted an “Okay,” and his boot steps trailed down the hallway. When I heard Kyan’s door close, I jumped up, grabbed my towel, and wrapped it tightly around me. I used my shirt to dry my legs and feet, before sprinting to my room to dress. Tugging on a bra and panties, I found a light brown sweater and an old, but soft pair of jeans. I squeezed the water out of my hair and ran a brush through it, leaving it down to dry.
I tapped on Ky’s door and yelled, “All clear,” as I passed by.
When Ky came back, I was bailing water out of the tub and Gray was dumping it off the porch for me. Ky’s hair was wet and I could tell he’d just washed his face. His eyelashes were clumped together. If he stood outside much longer, they might freeze that way.
“What’s going on?” He stepped inside and looked at me.
“Hey, just emptying the tub.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
He pressed his lips in a thin line and started to walk past me. “Nothing,” he muttered.
“Ky? What’s wrong?”
He snapped, “Nothing’s wrong. Okay?” Well, he was in a wonderful mood.
Gray helped me
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