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Authors: Michelle M. Pillow
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and snow banks. She wished that he had continued to touch her, knowing that it was better he hadn’t. How could she allow this man to get involved with her crazy life? How could he understand the circumstances around her impending marriage to Paul? She didn’t even understand it at times.
Morning came slowly and she was up shortly after dawn. Her head swam with the haze of little sleep and she could feel her frustrated emotions surfacing. Remembering Everest’s remark about her ill-chosen attire, she dug through her bags until she found a pullover sweater and a pair of blue jeans. The outfit was more suited for the territory. Putting her dress shoes into one of the suitcases, she pulled out a pair of hiking boots. She had just bought them for the trip and they felt uncomfortably stiff against her feet.
Pulling her hair back into a makeshift bun she wished she could take a shower. She imagined she could still smell his aroma on her body and tried to cover the memory by spraying a strong perfume on her clothes. Then, out of spite, she sprayed a few squirts on his bed, hoping it would torture him in the nights to come, just as his scent had tortured her. She applied a small amount of makeup and made his bed.
Everest’s bedroom was as sparsely decorated as the rest of his home. All the furniture was made of wood and looked to be of fine craftsmanship. The walls, the ceiling, the floors—all of it was wood. The home was too large to call a cabin and too woodsy to call a mansion. Chloe decided she thought it was more like a one-man lodge.
Tiredly, Chloe wondered if it was too early to leave the bedroom. She couldn’t hear anyone stirring. Finally, after little debate she decided she would try to make some coffee. Under the circumstances, she hardly doubted Everest would mind her poking around the kitchen.
She pulled open the door to the bedroom and made her way into the living room directly outside of it. She had expected to see Everest asleep on the floor but was surprised to find that he was already gone and his blankets were neatly folded on a chair. The neatness was something she was quickly coming to associate with the mountain man. His house was immaculate.
Across the room a light shone from the kitchen, so she made her way to it. Inside the kitchen was empty. The coffeepot was half full and a clean cup was set beside it. She took the hint and helped herself. The coffee was plain but good. It was not of the exotic flavors she had grown used to in New York. She sighed. Things were so much simpler in the mountains.
After peeking outside, she saw that she was alone in the house. Both the jeep and Everest’s old pickup were gone. Taking her time, she slowly wandered about his home. The layout was quite simple. There was the living room where they had sat in front of the fireplace, a small den, a large bathroom, the kitchen and the two bedrooms. Everything was beautifully unrefined. There was also a locked room off the kitchen. Chloe wondered why a man living alone in the mountains would feel the need to lock anything.
Hearing an engine roaring outside she rushed to the window. It was Everest in his pickup. Chloe went to the front door and held it open. Snow had begun to fall, blanketing the front porch like little diamonds. She shivered as the cool breeze filtered through the holes in her knit sweater.
Everest climbed out of the truck. Chloe felt her breath catch. He stared at her for a brief moment before jogging to the door. She stepped out of his way. He stopped to stomp his feet on the porch, shaking the snow off of his boots. She backed up and watched as he closed the door behind him.
“Where’s Grandpa?” Chloe asked lightly, belying the twittering of her stomach and the fact that she was unnerved being completely alone with him.
“I think you’d better sit down.” Everest motioned to the fireplace as he took off his coat. He detected the heavy scent of her perfume on the air. The smell was out of
Morning came slowly and she was up shortly after dawn. Her head swam with the haze of little sleep and she could feel her frustrated emotions surfacing. Remembering Everest’s remark about her ill-chosen attire, she dug through her bags until she found a pullover sweater and a pair of blue jeans. The outfit was more suited for the territory. Putting her dress shoes into one of the suitcases, she pulled out a pair of hiking boots. She had just bought them for the trip and they felt uncomfortably stiff against her feet.
Pulling her hair back into a makeshift bun she wished she could take a shower. She imagined she could still smell his aroma on her body and tried to cover the memory by spraying a strong perfume on her clothes. Then, out of spite, she sprayed a few squirts on his bed, hoping it would torture him in the nights to come, just as his scent had tortured her. She applied a small amount of makeup and made his bed.
Everest’s bedroom was as sparsely decorated as the rest of his home. All the furniture was made of wood and looked to be of fine craftsmanship. The walls, the ceiling, the floors—all of it was wood. The home was too large to call a cabin and too woodsy to call a mansion. Chloe decided she thought it was more like a one-man lodge.
Tiredly, Chloe wondered if it was too early to leave the bedroom. She couldn’t hear anyone stirring. Finally, after little debate she decided she would try to make some coffee. Under the circumstances, she hardly doubted Everest would mind her poking around the kitchen.
She pulled open the door to the bedroom and made her way into the living room directly outside of it. She had expected to see Everest asleep on the floor but was surprised to find that he was already gone and his blankets were neatly folded on a chair. The neatness was something she was quickly coming to associate with the mountain man. His house was immaculate.
Across the room a light shone from the kitchen, so she made her way to it. Inside the kitchen was empty. The coffeepot was half full and a clean cup was set beside it. She took the hint and helped herself. The coffee was plain but good. It was not of the exotic flavors she had grown used to in New York. She sighed. Things were so much simpler in the mountains.
After peeking outside, she saw that she was alone in the house. Both the jeep and Everest’s old pickup were gone. Taking her time, she slowly wandered about his home. The layout was quite simple. There was the living room where they had sat in front of the fireplace, a small den, a large bathroom, the kitchen and the two bedrooms. Everything was beautifully unrefined. There was also a locked room off the kitchen. Chloe wondered why a man living alone in the mountains would feel the need to lock anything.
Hearing an engine roaring outside she rushed to the window. It was Everest in his pickup. Chloe went to the front door and held it open. Snow had begun to fall, blanketing the front porch like little diamonds. She shivered as the cool breeze filtered through the holes in her knit sweater.
Everest climbed out of the truck. Chloe felt her breath catch. He stared at her for a brief moment before jogging to the door. She stepped out of his way. He stopped to stomp his feet on the porch, shaking the snow off of his boots. She backed up and watched as he closed the door behind him.
“Where’s Grandpa?” Chloe asked lightly, belying the twittering of her stomach and the fact that she was unnerved being completely alone with him.
“I think you’d better sit down.” Everest motioned to the fireplace as he took off his coat. He detected the heavy scent of her perfume on the air. The smell was out of
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