to close the door. Suddenly, a second man appeared entering the cabin on the heels of his companion.
The men turned and threw their bodies against the door, closing out the howling wind. With a quick move, the taller figure stood up straight spraying Faith with water. The smaller man stayed hunched over, desperately trying to dry himself with a soaked handkerchief.
As Faith began to yell at the men, Liz stood back and studied them. The larger one was young, no more than nineteen. His face was angular and strong, like a chiseled statue that an artist had worked on for years. His hair was long in the back, short in the front, and light brown in color. His eyes were as green as emeralds. He was smiling as Faith berated him for dampening her warm clothes. His sparkling white teeth were practically blinding.
Turning away slightly from Faith’s scolding, he bowed at the waist before offering Liz a kindly greeting. “Miss, I don’t know how to thank you for opening that door, but I promise you won’t regret it. We are not looking for trouble.”
His eyes moved back to Faith who was now standing by the bar, holding a broom in her clenched fist. “Although I think we may have found some.”
“Very funny,” Faith snarled. She looked like a warrior, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of danger.
He bowed to Faith as well. “I assure you, we are not bringing trouble with us, either.” His eyes lit up as he offered her a wink. “We’re apparently just the luckiest men on God’s green earth.”
Faith stood perfectly still. “Sir, we have a fire. We have cheese, bread, water—but nothing else,” she said firmly establishing the boundaries of their hospitality.
The stranger stepped forward; a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “That sounds like a deal. We appreciate it.”
Liz nodded at Faith. “Food, I think.”
With a disgusted look, Faith set down the broom and rolled her eyes before marching into the kitchen.
“And, this is?” Liz asked, turning to the other man. “Are you his servant?”
Rich, deep laughter filled the cabin. “I can be anything you want, if I may also get some food and drink.”
Liz smiled at him. Her heart felt lighter as she listened to the charming tone of the young man’s voice. “ Are you his servant, then?”
“Might as well be, considering I do all the work.”
Faith entered the room with a tray of food. “Work, you say? Well, we have quite a bit of work that needs doing around here, boy…if you need a job.”
Liz laughed. “You’re not a very nice hostess, Faith. These are our guests.”
“Paying guests?”
The taller man raised his glass in the air. “We’ll definitely pay. Of course, if I travel much further without the company of a beautiful girl like you, I think I’ll be paying a much heavier price.”
Faith rolled her eyes at his ridiculous declaration. “Don’t be silly, I think you and your friend make a lovely couple. Sit. Dry off. I’ll make plates up for you in the kitchen.”
“Let me help.”
Faith raised her eyebrows. “I must know the name of the man who wants to help a woman fetch a meal, because this is surely a first.”
“Charles Faire,” he replied. “My servant over there goes by the name of Jason.”
“Welcome, Charlie,” Faith said as she smirked while pointing to the kitchen. “After you.”
“No, I insist…wisdom before beauty,” he said with an impish grin.
Faith remained silent, and Liz shook her head in disbelief. She never thought it would happen. For the first time ever, her quick-witted friend had no stinging retort.
Jason headed toward her rocking chair by the fire. “May I?”
“Please,” Liz replied, stifling another giggle. “Sorry, I can’t believe that I’ve lived long enough to meet a male who is as full of himself as my friend is.”
“Funny to you,” he said. “But I have to listen to his over-indulged ego every minute of the day. I knew this would be a perfect place for
The men turned and threw their bodies against the door, closing out the howling wind. With a quick move, the taller figure stood up straight spraying Faith with water. The smaller man stayed hunched over, desperately trying to dry himself with a soaked handkerchief.
As Faith began to yell at the men, Liz stood back and studied them. The larger one was young, no more than nineteen. His face was angular and strong, like a chiseled statue that an artist had worked on for years. His hair was long in the back, short in the front, and light brown in color. His eyes were as green as emeralds. He was smiling as Faith berated him for dampening her warm clothes. His sparkling white teeth were practically blinding.
Turning away slightly from Faith’s scolding, he bowed at the waist before offering Liz a kindly greeting. “Miss, I don’t know how to thank you for opening that door, but I promise you won’t regret it. We are not looking for trouble.”
His eyes moved back to Faith who was now standing by the bar, holding a broom in her clenched fist. “Although I think we may have found some.”
“Very funny,” Faith snarled. She looked like a warrior, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of danger.
He bowed to Faith as well. “I assure you, we are not bringing trouble with us, either.” His eyes lit up as he offered her a wink. “We’re apparently just the luckiest men on God’s green earth.”
Faith stood perfectly still. “Sir, we have a fire. We have cheese, bread, water—but nothing else,” she said firmly establishing the boundaries of their hospitality.
The stranger stepped forward; a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “That sounds like a deal. We appreciate it.”
Liz nodded at Faith. “Food, I think.”
With a disgusted look, Faith set down the broom and rolled her eyes before marching into the kitchen.
“And, this is?” Liz asked, turning to the other man. “Are you his servant?”
Rich, deep laughter filled the cabin. “I can be anything you want, if I may also get some food and drink.”
Liz smiled at him. Her heart felt lighter as she listened to the charming tone of the young man’s voice. “ Are you his servant, then?”
“Might as well be, considering I do all the work.”
Faith entered the room with a tray of food. “Work, you say? Well, we have quite a bit of work that needs doing around here, boy…if you need a job.”
Liz laughed. “You’re not a very nice hostess, Faith. These are our guests.”
“Paying guests?”
The taller man raised his glass in the air. “We’ll definitely pay. Of course, if I travel much further without the company of a beautiful girl like you, I think I’ll be paying a much heavier price.”
Faith rolled her eyes at his ridiculous declaration. “Don’t be silly, I think you and your friend make a lovely couple. Sit. Dry off. I’ll make plates up for you in the kitchen.”
“Let me help.”
Faith raised her eyebrows. “I must know the name of the man who wants to help a woman fetch a meal, because this is surely a first.”
“Charles Faire,” he replied. “My servant over there goes by the name of Jason.”
“Welcome, Charlie,” Faith said as she smirked while pointing to the kitchen. “After you.”
“No, I insist…wisdom before beauty,” he said with an impish grin.
Faith remained silent, and Liz shook her head in disbelief. She never thought it would happen. For the first time ever, her quick-witted friend had no stinging retort.
Jason headed toward her rocking chair by the fire. “May I?”
“Please,” Liz replied, stifling another giggle. “Sorry, I can’t believe that I’ve lived long enough to meet a male who is as full of himself as my friend is.”
“Funny to you,” he said. “But I have to listen to his over-indulged ego every minute of the day. I knew this would be a perfect place for
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