And how do I be her king in this situation?
“I doubt there will be another.” She closed her eyes as if she were close to falling asleep. “You’re a spirit that fucks like a god. No one can compete with that.”
Spirit?
“No.” She yawned. “There’s no competition over there.”
I couldn’t watch anymore, but I didn’t know if I had the right to stop this either. And so like a chump, I waited for her to fall asleep.
The last thing she whispered was, “My snowman.”
Fuck. Her mind’s gone.
I couldn’t think of anything else to do. If I walked in on her, I’d have to explain why I was even on her property this late. And even with the explanation of wolves howling, it wouldn’t explain why I was there so late. Either way, she would eventually realize that I’d been stalking her.
I waited, hoping that she’d either get up and go inside her house or fall asleep right there in the snow.
She did the latter.
She passed out in that cold, white powder, snoring and whispering about mud and sapphires. It was good that she liked snowmen because I’d pretty much turned into one as I stood there.
By now, a sheet of snow covered me and her.
What is she thinking? She could’ve died out here? No. I should’ve just took her from the beginning. Who knows how much damage might’ve happened to her skin or body or. . .mental state?
Rushing, I took off my jacket and raced Faith’s way. I swept the snow off her. There was no need to worry about waking her. She was stiff and out of it as she continued to groan about mud.
Even if she woke up now, as I lifted her into my arms and covered that cold body with my jacket, I’d just tell her the truth. I didn’t care anymore about embarrassing myself or her. We had to get her warm and make sure she didn’t need medical attention.
She’s talking to a snowman and moaning. She absolutely needs medical attention.
With Faith safe in my arms, I ran to her house.
That bag Addie Mae gave me, buzzed against my chest.
Yes! I should call Addie Mae. She’ll want to make sure her daughter is okay. She’ll know what to do.
The sun rose in the sky right as I opened her front door and stepped inside her huge place. Within the house, the air froze more than outside.
I flipped on the light switch. The huge place illuminated in front of me. Mountain views dominated all the windows. There were polished bead-board walls and a high vaulted ceiling like a traditional log cabin, but that was where all tradition ended.
The whole space had an eclectic style—old hickory furniture mingled with everything else. Rich, dark fabrics draped the windows’ sides. Flower printed pillows rested on two couches that bordered. The couches, themselves, were covered in soft fabric that probably came from some high-end store.
Faith must’ve painted the beautiful image on the ceiling. A smiling sun gazed back at me. Blood red roses outlined the rays.
All this stuff and this beautiful women and kids? Brett, how wasn’t you happy? You were a blessed man.
A huge fireplace stood at the end of the room. On the mantle, three wood statues posed—one woman covered her eyes, the other placed her hands on her mouth, and the other had her fingers in her ears. Tons of red candles sat on each of them.
I’ll get a fire going in here and warm her up.
I placed her on the couch, took off my shirt, and put it on her naked body.
Where would she put blankets?
Her house was massive compared to the little rustic cabin I lived in deep in the mountains.
My spot was just furnished with a stove and few crude pieces of furniture. I’d worn bachelorhood like a pair of pants. It was primitive and compact. My place had a natural soul. It was out there hidden by trees and the rocky curves of earth.