“Hungry?” the stranger asks me.
“Yeah,” I croak. Slowly, I sit up and then struggle to my feet. The man moves close to me, and I can tell by the way he watches me that he will not let me fall. I rein in enough strength to get up but have to use only my good foot to help as the other injured ankle hurts too much to try. I limp two steps before he puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me.
His touch is hot and branding even through the thick jacket I have on. My eyes jerk to his and they are so blue, it’s almost like they could glow in the dark.
His hand curls around my shoulder and he moves toward me. “What are you trying to do?”
I try not to blush, because I know I’ve lain here for how many ever days and don’t remember getting up to go to the bathroom, but my clothes are dry. Did he take me to the bathroom while I was out of it? “Uh, I need to use the little girls’ room.”
He smirks at my choice of words and bends at the waist, easily picking me up in his arms before walking to the edge of the cave, but still blocked from the snow. When he stops, he gestures to a makeshift toilet he made out of tree limbs and rocks. Instantly, I know I’ve been to this spot before.
He puts me down on my foot, but still holds me securely so I only have to stand on the one. He reaches for the front of my jacket and I do nothing but stare at his huge hands as they work at the zipper. Once it’s open, he reaches for the button of my pants. I cover his hand with my own. “We’ve done this before, haven’t we?”
He doesn’t smile, smirk, or try to embarrass me. “Yes, a few times actually. I’ve been forcing liquids into you, so I didn’t really have a choice.”
Little puffs of clouds blow out of his mouth with each breath. I can only stare at him as if his eyes have put me into a trance.
When he tilts his head to the side, I snap out of it. “I can take it from here.”
He seems to weigh my words carefully. “I’ll help you get seated, then give you a few minutes.”
Reluctantly, I nod and try to get through this without any further embarrassment.
When he carries me back into the cave, he sits me up close to the fire before going back to working on the meat.
“I’m Ray,” he says quietly.
He hands me a plate from my own gear. I don’t care he went through everything I had in the tent—he’s handing me food! Cooked, warm food!
I take a bite of the tender meat and it’s either the best food I’ve ever eaten or I’m starving. “I’m Keri.”
He doesn’t acknowledge that he heard me, but I’m learning that Ray is a man of very few words. It doesn’t pass my notice that he is enjoying watching me and is kind about letting me have all that I want.
“Is this deer?” I ask him.
He nods as he takes a bite and chews.
“How’d you find deer so late in the season?”
“Just got lucky,” he says.
Outside the cave the snow is falling heavily again, and it’s so thick it looks like a white haze curtain. “How long do you think this blizzard will last?”
“It’s still coming down strong. Probably through the night and into the morning.”
I nod, taking in what he’s saying. Another day, and I imagine walking out of here is going to be impossible. At least for me. “Hey, Ray?”
“Yeah, honey?” he asks. The endearment shocks me a little, especially coming from this big, gruff man.
“I’m not going to be able to walk out of here, am I?”
He looks at me curiously, no doubt wondering where my mind’s at. “No, you’re not.”
“So, uh, are going to have to leave me and go get help?” I hate the thought of being left on this mountain alone again, but I know there aren’t a lot of choices.
“No.” He shakes his head side to side as he strokes his hands through his beard.
I pull another piece of meat off with my fingers and then drop it on the plate. Suddenly I’ve lost my appetite. “So how am I getting out of here?”
“I’m going to carry you. Eat up. You need your strength.” He points at my plate.
“Carry me? There’s no way you can carry me off this mountain!” I exclaim in shock. Surely the man realizes that I’m a little on the heavier side, especially if he’s been carrying me around the last few days to use the bathroom.
He just smirks. “I can carry you. I won’t leave you, Keri. Not like your Arney.”