Page 6 of The Mountain Man's Determined Bride
“But why? What in the hell did I do?”
She was the one that left years ago, from this very spot. He’d been planning a surprise birthday party for her. With the help of her best friend, they’d convinced Morgan to meet him at the cabin for a romantic getaway and he was going to ask her to marry him. Only she’d never showed up. He called and called, probably twenty times a day until the phone company told him her number had been disconnected. He’d carried that dang engagement ring in his pocket for months.
During Luke’s contemplation of winning over this woman he thought he knew so well, he’d gone outside while she was ignoring him and grabbed the ax. After noticing a huge stack of uncut logs from her kitchen window, he figured he needed something to do. What better way to take out his frustration.
He lined up three huge chunks and got to swinging. Even with the blizzard like conditions, he could at least still see the wood and after cutting them into several fireplace appropriate pieces, he made a stack beside the porch at the back door. On his upswing of cutting the next batch of logs, a voice came out of nowhere.
“What are you doing now?”
Morgan.
“I needed something to do. Looks like Bill didn’t get a chance to cut wood for you.” He tried not to look in the direction of the voice and continued swinging the axe.
Her voice continued to move closer and when he sneaked a peak, he could make out her features faintly through the driving snow. She was such a little scrap of a thing, five feet and two inches if even that but she’d sure argue another inch or two out of anybody willing. He’d always loved her height. She fit just right in the crook of his shoulder when he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn’t see it now for all the winter Carharts but she had beautiful shiny dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders when it wasn’t up in a ponytail and eyes the color of smoky emeralds a person could melt into.
Unfortunately, she also had a temper bigger than the Rocky Mountains and she walked right up to him ready to prove it.
“Did you come out to help me sugar? That was mighty kind of you.” Luke couldn’t help but egg her on.
“No, I did not come out to help you.Iwas supposed to be doing this.”
She’s mad because I’m cutting wood?He smirked at her stance. She’d placed both hands on her hips and if the snow weren’t so deep he’d be able to see her foot tapping.
“Nowwhat’s so funny? Do you think this is all a game?”
“I’m sorry okay? You just look too darn cute standing there.” She rolled her eyes and turned to walk away so he dropped the ax and ran around her, stopping her progression when he clasped her shoulders.
“No wait, seriously. I’m sorry. If you want me to stop chopping so you can finish I will but I was just trying to help. At least let me do this Morgan.” He raised his eyebrows; silently pleading with her then dropped his hands to his sides.
“Fine. I’m going back inside; I have other things to do.” Morgan turned from him heading toward the cabin. “Oh, Luke?”
She had faded slightly from his sight but he could still see the look she gave brooked no argument.
“Please keep your distance. Letting you do this doesn’t change anything.”
“Whatever you say, sugar.”Whatever you say.He smirked and once she was out of sight completely, he pulled down his facemask and picked up the ax.
Chapter Six
“I swear he does crap like that just to tick me off.” Morgan huffed, clenching her fists as she walked back to the cabin. The snow was so deep and dense it was hard to walk normal. If she fell, at least she had the relief to know she was close enough that she’d probably just sit in the snow andhewouldn’t see a thing with the visibility so minimal. Heck she’d be lucky to see her hand in front of her face with the way the wind whipped the big flakes every which way.
She stopped at the ice chest, grabbed a small roast to cut up for supper then trotted inside, kicked off her boots on the rubber mat and slapped the hunk on the butcher block counter top. After throwing her coat to the floor along with the mittens and stocking cap, she found her sharpest knife to cut off small chunks of frozen meat and piled them in the stockpot. A little salt & pepper and some water and she left them to boil for a while. By the time her homemade noodles had time to dry out; the meat would be well on its way to tender.
Morgan added a couple solid pieces of wood to the stove to keep it hot, set to boil a tea kettle for cocoa and a pot of water for the potatoes. The noodles had all been rolled out and cut to length and laid on the kitchen table to dry while she peeled potatoes to boil and mash. An occasional glance out the window reassured her she wasn’t yet to be disturbed.
“Maybe he accidentally knocked himself in the head with the ax while he was cutting. No that’d be just my luck. Then I’d need to baby him yet again.”
She finished peeling the last potato, gathered the skins and dumped them in the trash next to the back door, peaking out again. Was she looking out for him because she was concerned?
“Heavens no, I just don’t want him in my operating space. He’s probably freezing about now, that snow is really coming down. Forget it Morgan, you don’t care what he does remember?”
She shook her head while she wiped her hands on the dish towel stuffed in her belt. She came here to be alone; worrying about where he was or what he was doing was the last thing she wanted on her mind. He was the uninvited guest and he could fend for himself.
“Yeah and that’s why I had to go on a search and rescue mission in the middle of the night to find his sorry butt.”
Checking the noodles one last time, she gathered the lot and threw them in the cast iron pot with the meat. A little more seasoning and she covered the brew to boil again. Poured over mashed potatoes, that’d make a great supper and probably lunch tomorrow as well. She set the timer for the potatoes and meandered into the living room.
“Guess I’m glad he’s out there cutting more wood. These are the last three pieces.” She threw the chunks on the fire and replaced the screen. Was she being too hard on him? “Stop it Morgan, don’t start feeling sorry for him now.” She tried her best to put Luke out of her mind while she made herself comfy on the couch to finish her book.