Page 22 of First Bride to Fall
Instead of that, it was a notification.
Message failed.
That was just her luck. Maybe there was no cell service up here?
Nell pressed open the door and walked out into the small living room.
Grant turned from where he’d been working at the stove. “Good shower?”
“Uh-huh, the best.”
He studied her outfit, and his eyes twinkled. “A little large on you, huh?”
She shrugged. “Just a bit.”
Nell skip-hopped over to the sofa and set down her purse. She’d left her muddy boots in the bathroom along with her soiled clothing and was barefoot. A fire blazed in the woodstove, which had its door open, casting a cheery glow over the room as heavy rain pounded the tin roof. Heat radiated in her direction, and the scent of something cooking, too.
“I made us some lunch,” he announced.
She stared at him in surprise. “How sweet.”
“It’s pretty basic. Tomato soup and PB&Js.”
“That sounds fantastic,” she said, because it did. “Thank you.”
“Hop on over here and prop your leg up. I’ve got some frozen veggies in the freezer that we can use to ice it. Also…” He nodded at a bottle of ibuprofen by a full glass of water on the table. “You should probably take two of those. That will help with the pain and the swelling.”
Nell took a fresh look at the cabin, which she’d at first assessed as dreary. With a fire blazing and lunch about to be served, it looked homey instead.
She glanced back at the shower. “I left my clothes and boots in the bathroom.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “We can deal with those later.”
He pulled out a kitchen chair, and she sat at the table. “No cell service up here?”
His eyebrows rose.
“I tried to text my sisters. I didn’t want anyone to worry if I don’t make it back for work in the morning.”
“It’s doubtful you’ll be going in to work tomorrow,” he said. “One way or another.” He situated her leg on another chair after propping it on a sofa pillow. “With so much other damage in the area, clearing the roads up here won’t be a priority. You shouldn’t be on your feet anyway. You’ll need to rest this for at least twenty-four hours.” He placed a bag of frozen vegetables on her ankle, using it as an ice pack.
She laughed, seeing the vegetables were frozen peas. “My arch nemesis.”
“What? You don’t like peas?”
“Never could stand them.”
She pulled a face, and he laughed.
“They go really great with soup and sandwiches.”
She grinned. “I don’t know about that.”
“Hey, give them a chance. As for cell service,” he said. “We’re too far away from any towers, but I do get a cell connection through my internet. It’s satellite, though, so not really great in bad weather. When the storm lifts, things should reconnect. I’ll get you the login info later.”
He served them both a cup of soup, then carried those and their plates, which were already loaded with sandwiches, to the table.
“What kind of jelly?” she asked him.
