Page 7

Zeke held up his hand. “I’m going to have to stop you right there, ma’am. I meant no disrespect.”

She snorted.

“What I meant was that you don’t have a country bone in your body.”

“So what?” she snapped. Her voice grew slightly shrill.

He dragged a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s just get the ATV and head out. It’s late, and no amount of explaining myself will fix this.”

The woman made another disgruntled noise, but he’d already turned his back and was heading straight for where he kept the recreational vehicles and tractors.

He’d had a little bit of time before they arrived, and he’d been able to dig out some boxes of clothes he’d been planning on taking to the thrift store. They were probably musty as all get out, but this woman had lost everything. She couldn’t turn up her nose at free clothing.

Then again, with her attitude, perhaps it wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility.

The only confirmation he got that she was following him was the shuffling footsteps behind him. He probably should have taken a look at her shoes to see if she needed something more practical. She’d definitely need something better than the pajamas she wore. Otherwise, she’d be going into town looking like she’d just left a slumber party.

Zeke stopped beside the ATV he had ready and waited for her. When she was close enough, he motioned for her to take the seat in the back. She gave him one dark look and then climbed onto the vehicle. As soon as he started the engine, they were off.

Ms. Birch sat back as far from him as humanly possible, and the only reason he knew this was because he couldn’t feel her at all.

Not a whisper of her breath, not the warmth from her body, not her leg brushing against his. She couldn’t possibly be comfortable in whatever contorted position she’d taken, but it wasn’t for him to judge.

The drive to the cabin was uneventful, and by the time they’d arrived, the clouds were beginning to clear in the sky, revealing a portion of the moon. Zeke shut off the engine, then grabbed the box he’d strapped to the back and headed toward the door. The light was still on inside and he hadn’t bothered to lock the door.

Zeke placed the box on the small kitchen table and immediately made his way to the bedroom. The bedding would need to be changed, and he had to gather some of his things along with a tent.

Grabbing onto the sheets, he yanked them hard, tossing them to the floor. Then he moved to the closet and pulled out a fresh set of bedding.

“What are you doing?”

He glanced up, finding Ms. Birch in the doorway. “I assume that’s a rhetorical question.”

She frowned at him, watching him as he moved to put a new fitted sheet on the bed. “No, I’m legitimately wondering what you’re doing. It’s the middle of the night.”

“And these sheets need to be changed.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do,” he said. There was no way he was going to allow a stranger to sleep in the bed that he’d been occupying.

She moved forward, heaving a sigh. “To make it clear, there was no need. It would have been just fine to change the bedding in the morning. Sleeping on dusty sheets isn’t going to hurt me.”

He slowed, his eyes jumping up to meet hers. “They’re not dusty. They’ve been used recently.”

Ms. Birch stopped after tugging one corner of the fitted sheet over the edge of the bed. “If someone is staying here, why would you offer for me to take it?”

“No one is staying here anymore.”

The confusion in her gaze was almost what he would have called adorable. She was trying to make sense of it, but he wasn’t about to clue her in. Someone like her wouldn’t understand his need to escape the house on the hill.

Zeke completed making the bed and pulled the comforter over the top of the sheets. “I’ve got to get a few things and then I’ll be out of your hair. There’s a box of clothing on the kitchen table, and you’ll find the fridge is stocked with anything you might immediately need. If you have any questions—”

“They can wait until morning, I assure you.”

He nodded. “Right. Then just give me a few moments and I’ll be out of here.”

It didn’t take long to gather the tent, bedroll, and various objects he’d need while setting up a campsite. It wouldn’t be great putting everything together in the dark, but at least the storm had passed.