Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Quickly, I find bread, butter, and a small piece of cheese and fix myself a sandwich, which I take back to my room to eat.
I find my jeans and unfold the piece of floral cloth and the tiny photo inside. It’s the only thing I brought with me. I bring the cloth to my nose and inhale. It doesn’t smell of Hallie anymore, but I imagine that it does by looking at the picture and then closing my eyes with the image of her in my mind.
My heart is in two pieces: one that beats to keep me alive, the other that is held captive with all the love I used to feel trapped inside.
There’s only one way to make it whole again. I must be patient and brave. As brave as Finn thinks I am. It’s the only way to get through.
I wrap the photo again and slide it to the back of the drawer in the dresser, praying that nobody will bother to search it out.
Only then do I snuggle beneath the warm blanket and find the peace to sleep.
4
FINN
DISARMED
I usually wake to the sounds of the forest. The gratitude I feel for these peaceful surroundings makes it easy for me to count my blessings. But this morning, I wake earlier than usual and breathe in the lingering smell of smoke that settles around the cabin overnight. The faint scent of coffee that overlays it is an indication that West is already up, starting the day in his usual way.
My immediate thought this morning is Skye.
I sit quickly, anxious to see how she is. Did she sleep well? Is she comfortable in the room we prepared for her, or is she scared and hesitant about what it will be like to live with us? I tried to make her room as welcoming as I could, but she must be nervous about being in an unfamiliar place with three unfamiliar men.
I dress quickly and step out into the hall, mindful of the familiar creaks of the wooden floorboards that could so easily wake someone who is sleeping lightly. As I predicted, West is brewing himself coffee so black, thick, and potent that you could stand a spoon in it. To my surprise, next to him and exaggerating his bulk is our new, petite house guest. She stands at the open fridge door, scanning its contents. Dressed in a nightshirt that I assume West picked out for her, Skye looks cozy yet exposed.
No one speaks.
West nods at me in greeting, and I do the same in return. We sit at the table while Skye busies herself.
In low voices, we exchange words. "How long has she been up?"
West lifts his shoulders and wrinkles his forehead. He doesn't know. Skye approaches, lowering hunks of bread spread with thick butter and jelly in front of us both. West likes a cooked breakfast, and I'm more of a cereal man, but neither of us objects.
"Thanks, Skye. How did you sleep?"
West almost chokes on his bread, coughing at its dryness. Swigging a huge mouthful of his coffee, he swallows hard and interjects.
"For Christ's sake, man. She's not a house guest."
Skye blinks. She drops her chin to her chest, crestfallen almost. When she clenches her hands into fists and inhales steadily before lifting her chin, it reminds me of last night, the tension and dejection followed by a determination to be brave.
She has grit.
"Have you eaten, Skye?" I won’t let West intimidate me out of being a decent human being. She has to eat, for Christ's sake. She might not be our guest, but she’s our responsibility. And she has just spent her first night with us.
She nods, and West shakes his head as if I’m a lost cause. It says more about him than it does about me, but I understand. It deviates from his expectations. Too much kindness crosses his fierce boundaries of restraint and control, and there is no place for it under the conditions of her contract.
It's what we agreed on and the only way I could convince Jack and West to go ahead with the arrangement.
We eat quickly, and I gulp down the coffee Skye pours me with milk and sugar, just how I like it. West shoves his chair back when we're done, scraping it loudly on the hardwood floor. "Jack is at the pack and load. Let's go!" He's right. It's time to get out there and join the crew.
"Can I come out with you?" Skye's voice sounds almost desperate. Is she frightened of staying here alone? I wouldn't blame her. The lodge is isolated, and the forest feels alive and strange if a person isn't used to it.
"Get dressed quickly, and we'll meet you out front." I wait for West to object, but he doesn't. Perhaps, he'll have her lugging logs around the yard if she really is only here to work and serve our needs.