Chapter 3

Steve strode out to the kitchen to start breakfast. Crazy woman. She could have killed herself. He plunked the skillet on the burner and grabbed some eggs from the basket on the counter. When the storm lets up, Peter will check the pass. If it’s clear, we’ll get her to the hotel. If not, I’ll send her over to Peter’s house. He won’t mind taking in an attractive woman.

I live out here for a reason. I don’t want guests—even ones as interesting as her. Besides, she’ll be more comfortable at Peter’s. He has all the modern conveniences. A woman like her won’t be able to cope in a cabin that doesn’t even have central heat, let alone electricity.

****

Alex slid over to the side of the bed and dressed. This was the first chance she got to notice the room. There was a window on the opposite wall, but the window was covered with heavy, wooden shutters bolted shut, like you’d see in the eighteenth century to keep out wildlife. On the interior side of the room, was an open closet. She poked her head in. The left walls were covered with shelves, whereas the right side had hang-up rods and more shelves. It actually extended quite a ways back. A trace of cedar filled the air. The rest of the bedroom wall and adjoining wall were covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves loaded with all types of books. She quickly scanned the spines, nothing magical.

Alex scratched Mandy. “I guess we’d better go see what’s for chow.”

She stopped in the doorframe and looked around clockwise. Four large sash windows with shutters opened into the room and bracketed a river rock fireplace, flooding the room with diffused light. There wasn’t a sofa, but two brown leather chairs with ottomans and a small rectangular table were centered in front of the fireplace. A couple of books as well as a pewter Aladdin lamp filled the table. The lamp had a clear chimney that extended through a pale green glass shade. Almost the same make and model of kerosene lamp her grandmother had. Only her grandmother’s had a red glass shade and hung from the ceiling. Aladdin made lamps famous for the amount of light they put out as long as the mantel was in good condition. The room should be well lit up at night.

Most of the opposite wall was covered with bookshelves and books. A clothesline stretched between the shelves and the rough timber mantel. Her missing clothes were hanging up, but still sagged with moisture. Past the bookcase was a door, water heater, refrigerator, stove, and sink. He had his back to her as he moved pans around on the stove. She did a quick scan down his body. He couldn’t be carrying a wand, she would see it in his formfitting jeans. He might be normal after all. Why did she get such a strong reaction to him? She continued looking around the room, to a simple table and four chairs, with clean lines, which separated the spaces. Everything was on the older side but looked like it had been well cared for.

This wasn’t unlike some of the older wizarding families’ homes. Except now they would have a lead-lined room so they could use their electronics. Magic and electricity refused to co-operate; magic loved to fry nearby electronics. She had to keep replacing phones because of accidentally using magic nearby.

The only sounds in the room were the fire, the rattle of pans, and sizzling bacon. The storm must have died down. She edged over to the closest window and swiped some of the frost away. A glass-enclosed porch ran across the back of the cabin. That’s why she didn’t hear the wind. In general, the cabin appeared to be clean and neat. Maybe he was simply a normal man who liked to live out among the mountains instead of a crowded city.

“Bathroom?” she asked.

He pointed to the right.

She headed for the open doorway to her right, looked at the front door, and stopped.

The door was made out of heavy, wooden planks bound with black iron straps, a lot thicker than the average door. Two large, black, iron brackets were on the door as well as one on each side of the doorframe. A two-by-six plank rested in the brackets stretching from one side of the doorframe to the other as a brace. The deadbolt set in the door was inconsequential compared to the bar plank. It reminded her of the medieval castles in movies where there were doors like this that used the crossbar to keep the marauding hordes out. She glanced at the back door. It was exactly like the front. What could possibly be big enough to require this kind of protection? A large bear or elk? Yeah, right, a large bear.

She turned to the open doorway, went in, and reached for a door. “Where’s the door?”

“No door. Just pull the sheet across the opening,” he answered while he continued to cook.

“Great,” she mumbled. “I’m in a strange house, with a strange man, and there isn’t even a door on the bathroom. What kind of place is this?” She looked around the small space. At least it had all the usual fixtures, even if they were almost on top of each other. He appeared to have running water. A definite plus. Maybe she could manage being stuck here a while. She’d find some way to make it work. After all, he had taken her in and kept her from freezing to death.

She desperately tried to not make a sound while peeing, but it sounded like a waterfall in the tiny space. She shifted her seat which only made it a little quieter. She washed her hands, then took a quick look at herself in the bathroom mirror. Even with the faint light, one side of her hair looked like rats had invaded, balling up her brown strands into knotted clumps. She snatched a comb off the side of the sink and did a quick untangling. This at least made her look a little more presentable. After all, her hair was one of her better assets. She continued to stare at her reflection. She wasn’t too tall, short, thin, fat, ugly, or beautiful—absolutely average. Her whole life had been about being average. Even her magical powers were average. That’s why she was trying to live in the normal world with normal people. People with no magic. Her younger brother had the magical talent and her older sister had the looks to land a successful wizard husband. If she had to listen to her parents asking when she’d get married one more time, she’d scream. She placed the comb back on the sink. Being out here with a normal man, for a day or two, would give her the chance to make sure she wouldn’t use any magic. The number one rule in the wizarding world was that normals couldn’t know about magic.

“Hurry up in there. Your eggs are ready,” he called.

“This might be good for me after all,” she said to her reflection. She could hear the plates and dishes rattle as she pushed the curtain back across the rod. “How do you get by without doors?”

“Why do I need doors? So Mandy can’t watch? No one else is here.”

“You’re right. You wouldn’t need any.” She took a seat at the table. “I have to warn you—I’ll probably be really crabby when I withdraw from caffeine.” She admired the polished tabletop with the plain tan stoneware. It fit the rest of the space.

“Then make sure you keep tapering down on the tea. By the end of the week, you’ll be down to only one cup without having too many withdrawal symptoms. Just remember to keep drinking a lot of water.”

Most days she didn’t eat much breakfast, but this morning she devoured the eggs. Once finished, she was left with thinking about her situation. “How long is this current storm supposed to last?”

“The forecast was for between two to three days. Then another storm front is expected. The first break we get, I’ll make a trip to your car.”

She toyed with her fork. “I can walk out to my car. You don’t have to.” After all, she wasn’t completely helpless.

“Have you ever used snowshoes before?”

“No, but I got from my car to here without any.”

“And Mandy found you collapsed on my porch. Without snowshoes, it would take about twenty to thirty minutes each way. With snowshoes, I can probably make the trip in ten minutes. We won’t get a long break with these storms, and I don’t want either of us caught outside when one builds up again.” For the first time, he looked directly into her eyes.

She returned his gaze. “I see your point.” His eyes were a light steel gray with flecks of blue. They pulled her in with their intensity. “There has to be something I can do?” She stopped playing with her fork as she watched his eyes.

“Every morning and evening, I have to milk the cow. In the mornings, there are eggs to collect, the cow’s stall to clean, feed to be dispensed, and water bowls to change. Then there are dishes, cooking, washing, and cleaning to do. After everything is done then I usually sit down and enjoy a good book.”

“What about TV? Oh yeah—no electricity.” She again started playing with her fork while thinking. “I don’t know how to do the milking, but I should be able to help you with some of the other chores.” Again, she looked at him. “But, I’m lousy at cooking.”

“That’s okay. I enjoy cooking. I’ll be glad for your help with as much as you can manage. I have some spare boots that you can use, but they’ll be big. The morning chores still need doing. I didn’t want to leave you for very long in case you needed help, so I only got the milking done.”

“Show me where the boots are and we can get to work.” She got up and put their dishes in the sink.

“I’ll leave the boots inside the barn door. But I’d recommend putting on one of my flannel shirts instead of the sweatshirt.”

“How do you get to the animals in weather like this?” After adding some water to the dishes, she turned and leaned against the sink.

He pointed to the wall with the bookshelves. “Do you see the doorway next to the fridge? That door goes to the pantry where there’s another door leading directly into the barn. This makes life a lot easier during the winter. The animals are in a warm barn instead of being outside. I keep the chickens penned up, and during the summer I keep the cow in a tall fenced enclosure. I only have one cow and a limited number of chickens, which I can’t afford to lose to a predator. This makes it easy for me to get my milk and eggs.”

“By the way, I’m Alex Klein.” She moved closer and extended her hand.

He stood and gently enclosed her hand in his. “Glad to meet you, Alex. I’m Steven Davis, but my friends call me Steve.”

A charge tingled her fingers. Was he a wizard or not? She’d have to find out, at least figure out why she wanted to touch him so much. “Nice to meet you, Steve, and thanks for helping me out last night.”

“The least I could do for a damsel in distress.” He smiled and released her hand. He went to the bedroom, laid a shirt on the bed for her, then headed out to the barn.

She took a few minutes to do a quick search of the bedroom and closet, no wand or hidden books. She replaced the hoodie with the flannel shirt, then headed out of the bedroom. At least she was alive and safe. She looked around the cabin again, at the fireplace and the simple furnishings. Alive maybe, but living in the nineteenth century. Why would a normal person choose to live like this? He must have an interesting story.

Mandy had stayed at her side. Her brown eyes followed Alex’s movements, while her tail swished.

“What are you waiting for?” Alex asked.

Mandy walked toward the door, stopped, and looked back to Alex.

Was the dog actually waiting to show her the way? “Okay, girl. Lead on.”

Mandy walked the rest of the way to the door and stared at the handle.

“I’m coming. Hold your horses,” Alex said. “Are you reading my mind?”

Mandy barked.

“At least when I talk to you, I can say what I want. Do you mind?”

Mandy shook her head.

“I swear. It’s as if you understand me.” No more delaying, she had to face the barn. Would it be as old as the cabin? Maybe about to fall down? Just open the door. Alex followed Mandy through the door into the fully enclosed storage area that had shelves running along the wall next to the cabin. The shelves were piled with all kinds of canned goods and box mixes, anything that wouldn’t spoil. Not a single herb was hanging up. He had to be normal; what she felt must have been from static electricity. Three cans of soda stood out. She moved closer and ran her fingers down the cool surface. “I’ll have to save you for a special occasion.” She moved back to the other door across from the one she’d come through.

Mandy pawed at the concrete floor in front of this door. Alex shut the cabin’s door and opened the other one, which opened into a large barn. The scent of fresh hay and warm animals filled the place. She was surprised that the storage area and barn weren’t overly cold. He had to be heating the areas to keep them above freezing. Even out here with the animals, the barn was neat and organized. Nice. This man obviously took pride in his possessions.

Mandy bounded in and headed to the stall to take care of her business.

No wonder she didn’t smell wet dog in the cabin. By coming out to the barn, Mandy didn’t have to plow through the snow drifts. Alex had to give Steve credit, he took good care of his animals. She almost tripped over the boots he’d left by the door. She slipped the large rubber boots on and her feet swam in them. By only lifting them a little bit or else shuffling could she keep them on.

Steve was already at work trying to clean out a stall. The cow kept nudging his arm making his job twice as difficult. As he picked up a shovelful, the cow nudged his arm again, making him drop half of the shovel’s contents. Alex couldn’t help but break out in laughter at the cow’s antics.

At the sound of her laughter, the cow turned then started walking toward her. Her laughter immediately stopped and her eyes widened as the cow continued approaching her. Shit. Now what? What would this big animal do?

Steve looked up. “Alex, this is Anna Belle. Don’t worry, she’s extremely friendly. Maybe even too friendly. Scratch her behind her ears and she’ll be your friend for life.”

Alex relaxed some as the large animal strolled toward her. Anna Belle moved up against her. Alex took a step back. Anna Belle moved up again.

“Stay still and let her lean up against you. If you keep moving, she’ll keep following.” Steve snorted with laughter, then turned away.

“I’m not used to animals this big.”

He turned his head back in her direction. “You could really help by keeping her out there so I can finish cleaning her stall.”

She finally got the courage to reach up and scratch the cow. Anna Belle. He had named his cow. But then, so would she. After all, the cow acted like an over-sized dog. Anna Belle leaned so hard against her she almost got pushed over. In the time it took her to get used to the cow, Steve had finished with the stall.

He exited the stall carrying two metal buckets. “Here, take the water bucket. I’ll show you where the water is so you can take care of watering her from now on.” As they walked toward the cabin, Anna Belle followed them contentedly.

“Won’t she make a mess out here walking around?”

“I don’t care. I’ll simply clean it up if she does. She enjoys the chance to stretch her legs so I let her walk around the barn. When it isn’t snowing she can go to the outside pen.” He showed her the sink by the barn wall where she could dump, clean, and fill the water bucket. She carried a half-full bucket back to the stall while he carried the full feed bucket. Anna Belle continued following their every move.

Was the bucket filled with rocks instead of water? Her arm could pull out of the socket by the time she got to the stall. He carried buckets around like nothing. No wonder his shoulders were so wide, and his body was so large. If he did this all the time he would have to be in good shape. She sure wasn’t. What did she expect? Her day usually entailed sitting at a desk. She didn’t carry buckets of water or feed.

After Steve spread some fresh straw around for Anna Belle, he headed over to a door near the corner closest to the cabin. He removed a wooden peg and flipped the latch back. “You’re new, so don’t be surprised if some of the hens are skittish.” He pulled the door open and waited for Alex to go in first.

A long narrow room ran along the side of the barn. There were all colors and varieties of chickens: white, black, brown, and combinations of colors. Birds were sitting in boxes along the barn, perched on bars, or wandering around. Two all-white ones flew off to the farthest perch, but the others continued searching for food on the floor or sitting in their nesting boxes.

Steve showed her how to fill the feeder and waterer. “Why don’t you collect the eggs while I clean up the floor?” He handed her a wicker basket then started sweeping the floor and dumping it in a wheelbarrow he’d brought in with him.

Alex headed over to the boxes. First, she picked up the eggs from the empty slots, then she gathered the eggs from all the black birds who appeared to be the friendliest. She then went to the buff colored one. All the while, a brown hen with white speckles strutted around, following her. Several headed down to the feeder, so she emptied those boxes. Now this was a job she could do. She moved on down the line to the noisy red and black hen. It watched her every movement. She reached in under the bird and it pecked her arm. Thankfully she’d already had the egg in her hand when she yanked it back. She rubbed the back of her arm.

The two brown hens, sitting in the neighboring boxes, clucked loudly. They turned their heads to keep a beady eye glued to her hand. The second she headed toward them, they attacked. This time they nailed her good. “Shit,” she pulled her arm back and rubbed the sore spot. She tried the black and white striped birds. They also attacked. “What am I doing wrong?”

Steve stopped spreading the fresh hay and walked over. “You can’t show any fear. Just reach in. The eggs are ours, not theirs.” He removed the eggs from the black and white birds. The brown ones ruffled their feathers and continued to watch her, ignoring Steve. “If they keep defending their nest”—he shooed the birds away—“get them to move.” He placed the last eggs in her basket and went back to take care of the wheelbarrow. He made it look easy.

They left the henhouse, put away their tools, and he looked at Alex’s arm. “They got you good.” He got a paper towel and wiped off the places where they’d hit her hand hard enough to draw blood. “I’ve never seen anyone as skittish as you. They’re only chickens.” He showed her where to leave the boots in the barn, and they headed back inside.

The chores might have been finished, but she was exhausted. How did he do it every day? She’d used muscles she never knew existed—well, at least, she didn’t have them. At least he only had one cow and around a dozen chickens. Thankfully he kept the hay, straw, and various feeds inside the barn so they didn’t have to go out into the storm. She wanted to go back to the cabin, get cleaned up, and relax.

Before she even got a chance to do any of those things, Steve said, “We still have one more job to do.”