Chapter Five
Ariella
I had trouble sleeping. At first, it had been the cold air and being in an unfamiliar place. While it might have been my home, it wasn’t warm and cozy. My fingers and toes were chilled beneath the thick blankets, and I'd dug out every extra comforter and quilt that I could find in the linen closet.
Halfway through the night, I threw the rest of the wood into the fire, stoking it to keep the cabin warm. Sometime later, I no longer needed the blankets and had fallen asleep to the blazing hearth.
I stirred awake, hearing the crunch of tires outside and an engine idle. What time was it?
"Ariella." He knocked briskly.
"Just a second," I said from the bed. The covers were tangled, and half of the blankets were on the floor. The room was stuffy.
I pushed myself out of bed and didn't flinch like I'd expected as my bare feet touched the wood floor. The cabin was warmer than the previous night. I unlocked the door and pulled it open. A blast of cold air smacked me in the face and forced me to take a step back.
"Holy hell, it's hot in here," Jaxson said. He hurried toward the wood-burning stove and pointed at the bare spot where firewood had been stacked the previous night. "Did you burn the entire lot?"
"Was I not supposed to?" We were in the forest and there had to be more lying around.
"It has got to be a hundred degrees in here." Sweat licked his forehead, and he removed his hat and gloves. His eyes moved over my body, reminding me I slept in my clothes from the previous night. I didn't have any extra clothes in my knapsack. My belongings were in the car's trunk, abandoned halfway down the mountain.
He had to be exaggerating. "It's not that hot."
He stepped further inside the cabin, pointing at a thermometer gauge affixed to the wall. "Look at this," Jaxson said.
I didn't want to look at it and see that he was right. "It's hard to tell, given there's no electricity."
Jaxson snorted under his breath and stalked toward the front window and yanked open the curtains. "Now you can see, and you don't need a flashlight."
He was getting under my skin. It hadn't been his fault about the cabin, but it didn't help my mood. I slipped on my heels, not the most sensible in this weather, but my boots were back in the vehicle. Grumbling under my breath, I grabbed my coat from the hook near the door. "I want you to take me to your buddy, the one who sold me the cabin." I grabbed my keys and purse and yanked the door open and turned back. "What are you waiting for?" I asked.
He let out a heavy sigh before following me out the door. I stomped through the snow, partially because I was wearing heels and also because I was pissed. My feet were freezing. I pulled my jacket closed so that he wouldn't see my discomfort. Suckered into thinking I'd gotten a great deal on a home when, in reality, I'd been played like a fool. I was going to give it to his friend, the lashing that he deserved!
I waited outside his truck. The engine was on, but the doors were locked.
Another minute and he was at the truck, unlocking the doors and letting me inside. "Thanks," I said, climbing inside the warmth of the cabin.
"Hi," a small voice squeaked from the backseat. My eyes widened and my head shot around to see who was in the truck.
"See, Daddy didn't take too long," Jaxson said to the toddler in the backseat. "Ariella, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Isabella."
"Hi, Isabella," I said, giving her a forced smile. She was cute, with her daddy's eyes and deep mahogany hair. I didn't want to smile. I wasn't happy. Anger bubbled through me as I attempted to buckle my seatbelt. My hands trembled.
Isabella’s smile beamed, oblivious to the tension in the car between us.
"Are you taking me to Mason's house?" I asked.
"He's at work right now," Jaxson said. He rested his hands on the steering wheel but didn't put the truck into reverse. We sat in the driveway, in front of the cabin, awkwardly.
I knew why I was pissed. It had everything to do with his friend. But why did Jaxson seem unsettled? "So, take me to his work." That was the easiest solution. I'd give him a piece of my mind, and perhaps I could get the house stuff sorted. Though I wasn't sure how it would get fixed. Even if he gave me back the money and took possession of the property, I had nowhere else to live. A hotel would be costly, and another property at that price was unheard of. I should have known the price was too good to be true, but I was eager to move and optimistic. I was a sucker.
Isabella began making clicking sounds with her tongue in the truck's backseat. Her feet swung, and every so often, the tips of her toes would hit my seat.
Jaxson spun around, his hand falling onto her leg. "No kicking the seat, Izzie." He was gentle but firm with his daughter. The way he paid her attention warmed my heart.
Inwardly, I groaned. I didn't want to notice him in that way. Yes, he was gorgeous and probably had an impressive body under his jacket and jeans, but I was newly divorced. I wasn't looking for love or even a fling. Besides, he had a daughter which no doubt complicated matters further, not to mention my past.
He huffed under his breath before he finally put the truck into reverse. "Fine. If you want me to take you to Mason, I'll drive you there."