Read Online A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr - Free Book Online

you end up in the doorway of the john like that?”
    “I don’t have the first idea. I was so glad there was an outhouse for once and I wouldn’t have to squat behind a bush. I was going to make it quick, but I was so tired I could hardly move, and that’s the last thing I remember till I woke up.” She coughed. “I didn’t think I was so tired I’d fall asleep on the way.”
    “You didn’t fall asleep,” he said. “You lost consciousness. Hypothermia. Like I said—half frozen.”
    “Hmm. Well, I have to pee now,” she said. “And I’m feeling really, really hot in here.”
    So, she’d been half-frozen before she made the trek out of her VW. He stared at her for a minute, then went over by the stove where he had her wet clothes draped over one of his two chairs to dry out. He felt them, then he went to one of the two trunks, opened it and pulled out a flannel shirt of his own. He took it to her and said, “Here, just put this on.” Next he reached behind the woodstove and picked up a navy blue porcelain pot with white dots that was probably fifty years old if it was a day. When he turned back to her, she was sitting up and buttoning the flannel shirt. “Use this.”
    “For what?”
    “To pee in.”
    “I don’t think so,” she said. “Maybe, if you’ll give me my jeans and boots, I’ll just step outside…” Then she coughed again, several times.
    “No, you can’t do that. And you better not get sick. I don’t have time to deal with a sick person.”
    “I’m not sick, just a little dry in the throat. I could use a drink of water, but not until I take a trip out to the—”
    “Let’s be clear,” Ian said gruffly. “I’m not letting you back outside. Not for a few more hours at least.” The kettle whistled. He shut off the propane stove and shrugged into his jacket. “ I’ll step outside. You do your thing. Then you’ll have a cup of tea and go back to sleep.”
    She just stared up at him with eyes that were dull green and very wide. She wiggled a little in discomfort. “Do you have any…tissue?”
    He sighed deeply, letting his eyes fall closed impatiently. After handing her the pot, he went to one of his cupboards and pulled out a new roll of toilet tissue. Then he went out the door, hoping it wouldn’t take her very long to do her business. He shivered out there for five minutes and then he tentatively knocked on his own front door. He was answered by a round of hard coughing and he didn’t wait for further invitation.
    She was leaning back on the couch looking flushed, her skinny bare legs sticking out from beneath the huge shirt, holding the pan possessively on her lap. She looked up at him and said, “What should I do with this?”
    “I’ll take care of it,” he said. She didn’t move. “Let me have it now.” Reluctantly, she gave it up. “I’ll be right back.” And again he left her, this time to pour the contents down the outhouse hole. And as he was returning he thought, she’s sick. No question about it. She’s been sleeping in her damn car—who knew for how long?—and got weakened. She must have had a bug in her that was ready to strike, and that bad chill just added to her troubles.
    He said nothing as he came in the cabin. He put the pot back behind the stove for her use if she needed it. He washed his hands, made her a cup of tea, and while it steeped, he poured a cup of water and brought her three aspirins.
    “Huh?” she said. “What’s this?”
    “I think you have a fever. Might be from damn near freezing to death, might be from something else. First we try aspirin.”
    “Yeah,” she said, taking them in her small hand. “Thanks.”
    While Marcie took the aspirin with water, he fixed up the tea. They traded, water cup for mug of tea. He stayed across the room at his table while she sipped the tea. When she was almost done, he said, “Okay, here’s the deal. I have to work this morning. I’ll be gone till noon or so—depends how long it