Read Online Sleep With Me (Be With Me) by Jamie DeBree - Free Book Online
Authors: Jamie DeBree
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scattered branches and rocks. Her shoulders were slumped and she looked exhausted, clearly pushing herself to keep up. The sky was growing lighter by the minute, and he could see the cut lines of her muscles as she moved, a beautifully graceful sight.
She stopped, looking up at him with a curious expression.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Everything’s fine. You holding up okay?”
Kat nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’m tired, but I’ll be okay. Not to sound like a five-year old, but do you think we’re getting closer?”
“Absolutely.” He pointed to his left. “The cabin we saw should be just over there. We’ll stop there and see if anyone’s home. I didn’t see a boat, but maybe it’s in a smaller cove somewhere. We’ll ask.”
“Well let’s go then,” she said, moving closer. “Anything that will get me back to civilization and a hot shower is just fine with me.”
David chuckled as she caught up. “Come on then. Not too much further.”
She walked beside him as they zigzagged down a gentle slope and out onto a rocky beach. Just as he’d thought, the cabin - or what was left of it - sat on tall stilts overlooking the water. The back of the structure stood strong, but the front and sides were torn apart, wood and plaster hanging loose and gaping holes in the roof. Kat stopped to survey the damage.
“This is why you wouldn’t let me come down here last night.” Tilting her head, she looked thoughtfully at him. “Thank you.”
He gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment. “Let’s see if there’s anything salvageable inside. It seems unlikely since I’m sure this isn’t the first storm to hit the place, but we’ve got a little time to poke around.”
When they reached the stilts, David threw his weight against each in turn, checking for any signs of instability. None of them moved or swayed though, and he decided it was safe enough to go up. They found a ladder made of thick branches and rope secured to one of the back posts, and used that to climb up and under the wrap-around railing.
“Maybe you should wait below,” David said as he stepped off the ladder. The platform was tilted slightly, with holes every few feet. Kat climbed up beside him and shook her head.
“No way. You don’t get to have all the fun.” She moved toward a beaten down wall half-standing and mostly torn to shreds, stopping at an empty window frame to peer inside.
“Be careful where you step,” David warned as Kat stepped over the sill into what appeared to be the main living quarters. “Any of this wood could be rotten - you’d fall right through.”
“I will.”
He watched Kat gingerly poke the floor beams with a toe before taking each step as she moved toward a big steamer trunk against the back wall. He followed, looking around the space for anything that looked remotely usable. Most of the furniture was still there, bolted to the floor with the upholstery long gone. He wondered how long the place had been abandoned.
“Ha!” Kat cried, and he turned her way to see her holding up several items of clothing. “They were in the trunk...and still dry!” She pulled a long-sleeved shirt over her head, the arms dangling well past her fingers. Fumbling with the extra fabric, she wiggled her way into a pair of light pants and tied the drawstring waist to hold them up. Rolling her sleeves, she left them on her forearm and then turned around, arms outstretched.
“Like it?” she asked, smiling.
He shrugged. “It’s okay. Seems like a pity to cover all that lovely skin of yours up though.”
She laughed. “Sorry, but I’m tired of running around in nothing but a swimsuit, so you’re going to have to live. There’s more - did you want dry things?”
He thought about it and then declined. “I think I’ll pass. My clothes are dry, and the sun’s coming up so I’ll be okay. Are you ready to go? We should find some food.”
“Sure.” Kat carefully retraced her
She stopped, looking up at him with a curious expression.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Everything’s fine. You holding up okay?”
Kat nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’m tired, but I’ll be okay. Not to sound like a five-year old, but do you think we’re getting closer?”
“Absolutely.” He pointed to his left. “The cabin we saw should be just over there. We’ll stop there and see if anyone’s home. I didn’t see a boat, but maybe it’s in a smaller cove somewhere. We’ll ask.”
“Well let’s go then,” she said, moving closer. “Anything that will get me back to civilization and a hot shower is just fine with me.”
David chuckled as she caught up. “Come on then. Not too much further.”
She walked beside him as they zigzagged down a gentle slope and out onto a rocky beach. Just as he’d thought, the cabin - or what was left of it - sat on tall stilts overlooking the water. The back of the structure stood strong, but the front and sides were torn apart, wood and plaster hanging loose and gaping holes in the roof. Kat stopped to survey the damage.
“This is why you wouldn’t let me come down here last night.” Tilting her head, she looked thoughtfully at him. “Thank you.”
He gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment. “Let’s see if there’s anything salvageable inside. It seems unlikely since I’m sure this isn’t the first storm to hit the place, but we’ve got a little time to poke around.”
When they reached the stilts, David threw his weight against each in turn, checking for any signs of instability. None of them moved or swayed though, and he decided it was safe enough to go up. They found a ladder made of thick branches and rope secured to one of the back posts, and used that to climb up and under the wrap-around railing.
“Maybe you should wait below,” David said as he stepped off the ladder. The platform was tilted slightly, with holes every few feet. Kat climbed up beside him and shook her head.
“No way. You don’t get to have all the fun.” She moved toward a beaten down wall half-standing and mostly torn to shreds, stopping at an empty window frame to peer inside.
“Be careful where you step,” David warned as Kat stepped over the sill into what appeared to be the main living quarters. “Any of this wood could be rotten - you’d fall right through.”
“I will.”
He watched Kat gingerly poke the floor beams with a toe before taking each step as she moved toward a big steamer trunk against the back wall. He followed, looking around the space for anything that looked remotely usable. Most of the furniture was still there, bolted to the floor with the upholstery long gone. He wondered how long the place had been abandoned.
“Ha!” Kat cried, and he turned her way to see her holding up several items of clothing. “They were in the trunk...and still dry!” She pulled a long-sleeved shirt over her head, the arms dangling well past her fingers. Fumbling with the extra fabric, she wiggled her way into a pair of light pants and tied the drawstring waist to hold them up. Rolling her sleeves, she left them on her forearm and then turned around, arms outstretched.
“Like it?” she asked, smiling.
He shrugged. “It’s okay. Seems like a pity to cover all that lovely skin of yours up though.”
She laughed. “Sorry, but I’m tired of running around in nothing but a swimsuit, so you’re going to have to live. There’s more - did you want dry things?”
He thought about it and then declined. “I think I’ll pass. My clothes are dry, and the sun’s coming up so I’ll be okay. Are you ready to go? We should find some food.”
“Sure.” Kat carefully retraced her
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