Oh Snowy Night

Bear immediately hops off the bed. Unfortunately, so does Faith. “No, if it’s King, I should be there because he was expecting me.” She looks around. “Where are my clothes?”

I wish I’d burned them because then she’d have to stay in the bedroom under the comforter. Although, as she waddles around the room wrapped in the blanket, it strikes me that there’s a very real possibility that she would walk out into the living room clad only in the blanket with her just fucked looking hair and her very thoroughly kissed lips on full display. It should be acceptable to lock your woman up in a tower room. Not that I have a tower room, but I could build one. The fact that I have to share her with the rest of the world seems wrong. I live out in the woods far away from the rest of civilization for a reason and that’s because I don’t like people. Faith should also not like people. She should only like me, Bear, and Smittens. We are the only ones she needs. I haven’t put a lot of thought into what that means, but I feel like it’s true.

The minute that King sees her, he’s going to want her. I know she has that effect on people. In fact, by keeping her to myself I’m probably doing the rest of the world a favor.

“You should stay here. It could be dangerous out there,” I warn.

Her eyes widen. “Really? Then I don’t think you should go out there by yourself either. Do you have a baseball bat around here? I can’t believe King is dangerous. I should’ve known, though, because what decent guy offers you free room and board in exchange for a few biscuits?” she mutters under her breath as she searches the room for a weapon. Meanwhile, the pounding continues.

I grab some clothes off the top of the dresser and toss them onto the bed. “If you’re coming out, then get dressed. And forget the bat. King’s dangerous but not in this situation.”

I leave before she drops the blanket because I know if I see her nude, the man at my front door will try to ram his fist through it. He might succeed, too. Bear beats me to the entrance and starts barking. Between the knocking and the howling, it sounds like a whole damn circus in here. I jerk open the door.

“Took you long enough,” scowls my neighbor. He shoves me aside and drags a woman with him. They look a little alike.

“Who’s this?” I stare at the stranger.

“I’m the female cop,” the woman says with a smirk.

“She’s not a cop,” King interrupts.

“Right. I’m pretending to be one.”

I look from the woman to King and back. “Come again.”

She sighs, a deep, heavy put-upon sigh. “Can we skip the introductions and get down to business? It’s past my bedtime. I should be sleeping right now but instead I had to stand outside for ten hours while stubborn here tried to kick your door down. I told him it wasn’t happening and he should call you but he said you’d ignore it.”

“I would.”

The woman rolls her eyes. “Men. God, and you wonder why we all run away from you. Look, do you have a girl here or not?”

“He better not,” says Faith. “I’m the only female in this house. Well, except for Smittens.”

We whirl around to see my woman clutching my way too big sweatpants to her waist. The tiny cat is sitting at Faith’s feet, licking a paw. The sweatshirt that fits me just fine is falling off her shoulder. Bear growls and I do, too. The woman in front of me throws her hand up in front of King’s eyes. “Turn around,” she orders.

To my huge surprise, he does as she says. The woman rushes over to Faith. “I didn’t really believe you were here. Are you okay?” She pulls the sweatshirt up so that Faith’s bare shoulder is covered. “I’m here to get you out of here. King’s got a pickup and a shotgun. No lumberjack can keep you here.” The woman sends me an angry glare that has Bear whimpering.

Faith pulls out of the woman’s grasp. “I’m not going anywhere. I mean, if I owe something to King for holding a room for me, of course I’ll pay it. Not in food, though, because I can’t cook but I could come over–”

“No.” The word bursts out of me, causing King to spin around. Bear starts barking up a storm at my outburst.

“I’m staying anyway. You can’t make me leave.” Faith slides over to my side.

Smittens jumps onto Bear’s back and hisses at King.

“I think you’re outnumbered,” I tell him.

He blows out an exasperated breath. “I’m here to make sure that you’re okay,” he says to Faith. “If you would’ve answered your phone, I wouldn’t have had to interrupt.”