He came toward her, tossing his shirt on the bed. Caleb wrapped his arms low on her hips, holding her close. “What happened to you?” he asked. “You can’t keep the truth locked up forever.” Caleb wiped the moisture from her eyelashes.
He spoke slowly, his words filled with kindness. Caleb was right, of course. She couldn’t expect them to open up while she closed off her darkest secrets. It was embarrassing to tell the truth.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
She swallowed hard. “You know I’ve never been with a man. That wasn’t entirely by choice. Since I was young, I was told I was fat and would never amount to anything. That brainwashing really took its toll on me.” Opal looked down, feeling shame. “Before I came here, I tried to take my life, to end everything. I really believed that death was the answer, the only way to escape the pain and depression.”
He used a curled finger to tilt her head up. “Thank God you didn’t go through with it because you’ve saved us, Opal. You’re everything to us—you have no idea. Both of us were barely hanging on. Even though we had each other, we were empty and lonely. You changed all that.”
She smiled at him, a tear slipped from her eye.
“And I couldn’t have chosen a better women to get lost in our forest. You’re gorgeous, baby. Perfect. Neither of us can get enough of you.”
He kissed her forehead, then her lips, a soft promise. She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes and listening to the strong beat of his heart. “I don’t need warm baths, just you,” she said. “Don’t worry about the batteries.”
“It’s more than just hot water. We need the batteries for just about everything, but I promise I’ll be in bed with you tonight. Damon will be here to take care of you.”
“Okay.” She reluctantly agreed, but still didn’t have a good feeling.
****
Caleb had found a treasure in Opal. Their beautiful, young virgin was a godsend. He sure as hell enjoyed spoiling her. It seemed they’d been waiting for her their entire lives. Now that they had her, they’d never let her go.
Since she’d finally opened up to him, they could move forward. He’d continue to show her how important she was, and just how beautiful he found her. All her insecurities needed to be laid to rest.
After dressing in multiple layers of thermal clothing, he packed a backpack with emergency supplies and loaded up the snowmobile. He strapped on a container of extra gas and secured a rifle to his load.
“I’m heading out. Lock up until I get back. Keep the fire stoked,” he said.
“I know,” said Damon. “You’ve told me ten times already. I’ll take good care of Opal.”
He knew his brother was capable. Caleb was just stalling, worrying about leaving them alone while he took a run to town. There were plenty of daylight hours yet, so it would be an easy ride to where he was going. The drive home may be a bit more precarious.
“Be careful,” said Opal. She grabbed a handful of his overcoat. If felt good to have a woman waiting for him when he returned. He had purpose, something to look forward to in life. Soon she’d be pregnant with their child. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, not wanting to indulge himself too much. It would be all too easy to succumb to Opal and push his trip too late into the night.
“Promise, I’ll be safe,” he said. “Damon can break out the trunk of board games if you get too antsy.”
He left the cabin, the cool breeze hitting his bare cheeks. The day was clear, so he was anxious to get going. If he never had to leave his property, he’d be a happy man, but they were reliant on supplies from town on occasion. He’d be sure to pick up some nice things for Opal. They weren’t used to having a woman in the house, and they weren’t prepared for her sudden appearance.
After getting comfortable in his seat and pulling his coat closed tight, he revved the engine and took off toward the path. It wasn’t much of a path now, but he knew the direction well. He’d been using the trail since he was a kid, and they’d expanded it once they returned back from the city as adults.
He’d been through a lot with Damon. They’d been thrust into city life as teens when all they’d known was rural living. Their parents had been their rocks, their mentors, and then it was just the two of them. They manned up because they had no choice, but returning back to the family cabin was a given.
The past few years had provided a new problem. The fucking loneliness. It wasn’t natural for a man to live life without a woman. That constant craving for sex, family, and love was overpowering. He’d started to give up on his own happiness, but he couldn’t stand to see Damon suffer. His younger brother yearned for that connection only a woman could provide. But not just any woman would do, so they were still alone until Opal showed up.