Into the Cold

Amelia imagined it was Dale holding her, trying to slow her pounding heart. It was his arms wrapped around her. It was his breath that she could feel fanning her hair.

Her relationship with Dale had begun with admiration and companionship after her father’s death. She had been so distraught, returning from college to find he’d been sick for months and hadn’t told her.

In less than a week after her graduation, he’d died, leaving her alone in the world.

It had been Dale, her father’s lawyer, who’d saved her from her grief. He’d explained how her father had wanted her to finish school and not shackle herself to a sick and dying man.

Amelia had inherited the gas drilling company her father started, and soon she and Dale were spending more and more time together trying to make sure that the board didn’t take over and cut her out of decisions.

Working so closely, she soon realized she was in love with him.

Dale had tried his best to convince Amelia that he was too old for her, being ten years her senior, that she would be happier married to a younger man, but she’d loved him too much to listen to such nonsense. He was the one she wanted and after a year, he’d asked her to marry him, though they had yet to set a date even after two years.

Dale had done his best to make her happy, trying to ensure that she wanted for nothing, but in this he fell a little short. He worked too hard and too long for her liking, often missing dinners and holiday celebrations. After the first six months she’d begun to wonder if she’d made a mistake with the engagement, but she’d still loved him too much to throw the idea of a life together away.

Thinking of Dale made her heart ache with pain. The shock he would feel when he heard about the crash would be terrible, and his doctor had spoken to him several times about easing back his stress load and enjoying life. Her disappearance would do nothing to help him.

Amelia felt tears in her eyes as she thought about how he would take the news, envisioning him pacing his office, hair mussed, tie hanging loosely around his neck. She wouldn’t be there to soothe him, to assure him that everything would be okay.

Caleb stirred in her arms, pulling her closer to him and bringing her mind back to the present. Who was this man, this stranger? Why did he live alone in the wilderness? Was he running from something? Was he a criminal?

Amelia shook her head at that last question, if he were a danger, he wouldn’t have bothered to save her. He could have left her to freeze to death, instead he had brought her to a place that was warm and secure from the animals. If he had intended to harm her, he’d had plenty of opportunity before now, and he seemed genuinely ashamed of his erection.

The one thing she did know for sure, he was horny. How long had it been since he’d been with someone?

Caleb slowly awoke, his head resting against Amelia’s. Carefully, he lifted himself and looked down at her. She was looking back, the pain still written across her face.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“My shoulder,” she said, trying to keep the agony she was feeling out of her voice.

“I’ll repin it for you,” he offered, taking his arm off of her. “Let’s get up okay?”

“Okay,” she said, struggling to move.

With a gentle push from Caleb she was able to get to her feet.

“Thank you,” she sighed, sinking into a chair. Raising her hand to the stove, she didn’t feel any heat radiating from it.

“Damn,” she cursed, angry at herself for failing to keep the fire going. “I should have put more wood in.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Caleb soothed, moving towards her with her arm wrappings. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Ow, ow, ow,” Amelia cried as he folded her arm to her chest and pinned it tightly in place.

“I’m sorry,” Caleb breathed, the knowledge that this time her injuries were his fault. “I should have known better than to go out onto the ice so early.”

When Amelia’s arm was finally secure, he moved to the stove and after thoroughly sweeping out the ashes laid a new fire. As its warmth began to fill the small cabin Caleb brewed more willow bark tea and mixed up a batch of flat bread.

Placing a steaming cup in front of Amelia, Caleb sat across from her with his own placing the plate of bread between them.

“I am so sorry about yesterday,” he said, watching her taking small sips. “I should have been more careful. Fuck,” he exclaimed, slamming his hand down, “I should never have gone out there.”

“It’s okay,” Amelia replied softly, slightly frightened but the gesture. “You’re alive. I’m alive. It could have been a lot worse than hurting my shoulder again.”

Seeing the sense in her words, Caleb settled into silence pulling a slice of bread to pieces not even bothering to eat any of it.

As the tea seeped into her system, easing the aches in her body, Amelia looked around seeing the clothes they’d abandoned the night before on the floor.

Lifting a shirt, she found that the parts of the fabric that hadn’t been exposed to the oven were still wet.

“These are still damp,” Amelia said, holding the shirt up to the heat of the stove.

“I have some rope out in the shed that should serve as a nice clothes line,” Caleb said glad for something to do besides sulk.

“I can do it,” she replied, wanting to be useful. “If you string it up, I’ll hang the clothes.”

“Not with your shoulder,” he responded, strapping on his revolver.

“My shoulder’s not too bad,” she said, turning her left side away from him.

“No,” Caleb said, startling her as he stepped to stand in front of her.

“We both know you hurt it,” he continued, shrugging on a sweater. “Pulling me across the ice, up the hill and getting us both undressed and wrapped in blankets didn’t do you any favors. I want you to keep your arm immobilized for at least another week.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Amelia asked, knowing he was right.

“Yeah,” he said, moving to the door, “drink your tea and have some bread.”

Knowing there was no use arguing, her shoulder hurt just sitting still, she took a piece of flat bread from the plate and nibbled at it. The texture was both dry and chewy at the same time, her mind trying to decide which was worse. Dipping it into her tea helped, a little, and by the time Caleb returned with the rope she’d managed to eat two.

“Should we wash them first?” she asked, indicating the clothes as he scooped them off the floor.

“No,” Caleb replied, draping each piece across the cord. “If our clothes are too clean, the animals will move away from the area and my trapping will go to shit.”

Every time she tried to help, Caleb told her to sit still.

“If you don’t sit still,” he finally said exasperated, “I’m gonna take some of this rope and tie you to the chair.”

Amelia opened her mouth to reply hotly, but she could see by the look on Caleb’s face that he’d meant it.

“Sorry,” he apologized, kneeling in front of her. “I just don’t want you to hurt yourself any worse.

“Life out here is tough enough with two good arms,” he continued, looking up at her through his shaggy mane of hair. “I need you to listen to me and do what I say.”

“I did that yesterday,” Amelia replied hotly, angered at being treated like a child.

Caleb fell back on his heels, his mouth dropping open.