She recalled the winter before last, when an ice storm had closed the mountain road for days. People in remote areas were stranded without electricity because of downed lines. In some cases, it had taken weeks for the service to be restored and the communities returned to normal. The storm raging outside now was predicted to be much worse and longer lasting than that one.
Lilly sat down on the opposite sofa and pulled the throw over her legs and feet, very glad that Tierney had thought of the extra socks. She’d hung the wet ones over the back of one of the barstools to dry. The legs of her trousers were still damp, but she could live with that so long as her feet were dry and reasonably warm.
“What did you set the thermostat on?” she asked.
“Sixty.”
“Hmm.”
“I realize it’s not exactly toasty,” he said. “You should put on that other turtleneck for extra insulation. Keep in your body heat.”
She nodded but made no move to get up. “What do you think the outdoor temperature is?”
“Windchill is subzero,” he replied without hesitation.
“Then I’m not going to complain about sixty.” She glanced at the fireplace. “A fire would be nice though.”
“It would. But I honestly think—”
“No, no, you’re right about conserving the fuel. I was just wishing out loud. I love the ambience of a fireplace.”
“Me too.”
“Makes any room seem cozier.”
“Yeah.”
After a moment, she asked, “Are you hungry?”
“My stomach’s still queasy. But if you’re hungry, don’t be polite. Eat something.”
“I’m not really hungry either.”
“Don’t think you have to sit up with me,” he said. “I can keep myself awake
. If you’re tired or sleepy—”
“I’m really not.”
No way would she go to sleep and risk his slipping into unconsciousness and possibly a coma. He needed to stay awake for a few more hours before it would be safe for him to sleep. Besides, her nap that afternoon had been long enough to keep her from being sleepy now.
She’d been talking to fill the silence. Now that they’d stopped, the only sounds were those of the wind, tree limbs knocking against the eaves, and the sleet pattering on the roof. Their eyes drifted around the room, which had been stripped of everything except the furniture. There was little to look at, so eventually they looked at each other. When their gazes connected, the emptiness of the room closed in around them, creating a taut intimacy.
Lilly was the first to look away. She noticed her cell phone lying on the coffee table between them. “If Dutch got my message, he’ll be working out a way to get someone up here.”
“I shouldn’t have said what I did. About the two of you staying here together.”
With a gesture she indicated that an apology was unnecessary.
“I’d just like to know how involved you still are with him, Lilly.”
She thought of contesting his need to know but then decided to lay the issue to rest once and for all. Apparently he was going to continue bringing it up until she did. “I called Dutch tonight because he’s the chief of police, not because of any lingering personal involvement. Our marriage is over, but he wouldn’t leave me to freeze to death any more than I would turn my back on him in a life-or-death situation. If it’s at all possible, he’ll rescue us.”
“He’d rush to your rescue,” Tierney said. “I doubt he’d rush to mine.”
“Why do you think that?”
“He doesn’t like me.”