“It was probably further away than it seemed.” Why this sudden urge to comfort her?
A moment later they rounded a corner in the trail and Eli pulled back on the reins. “Whoa.”
Up ahead, a tree was down, completely blocking the road. The char marks on the trunk left no doubt as to what had happened.
Miss Lassiter leaned forward, trying to get a better view through the driving rain. “Do you see any way around it?”
He could tell from her tone that she already knew the answer. “Afraid not.”
She sighed as she settled back in her seat. “What now?”
What now indeed? Under other circumstances he might have tried to find a way to hitch the horse to the trunk and move the blamed thing, at least enough to allow the buggy through. Or left the carriage behind and rode out on the horse alone to find help. But between the worsening storm and his throbbing ankle there was no way he could make the attempt now. They needed a fallback plan. And there was only one option.
“Now we go back to that cabin and wait out the storm.” He used his most decisive tone. “Once the weather clears I’ll find a way to get us out of here.” To add to their problems, he had no idea what kind of shelter that miserable looking cabin was going to afford them when they arrived. He fervently hoped it was more solid than it appeared, but with the luck he was having lately he wouldn’t be surprised if it leaked like a sieve.
It took a bit of maneuvering to get the buggy turned around on the narrow, overgrown road. By the time they were headed back toward the cabin, Eli could feel the tenseness in his shoulders and jaw. Hearing her sneeze only added to his worries about what the rest of this day might hold. What a mess!
She shifted on the seat, glancing his way from the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry I got us into this fix. I suppose I should have thought this whole thing through a little better.”
He agreed, but it would be churlish to say so. Besides, he could have put an end to this as soon as he discovered what she was about. He’d examine his reasons for not doing so later. “I don’t think there is any value to be had in either assigning or assuming blame.” He tried to ease his foot into a more comfortable position. “Our efforts would be better focused on trying to find shelter from this rain.”
It didn’t take long to make their way back to the cabin, but this time they were headed against the wind. Spray from the rain peppered their faces, dampened their clothes. Eli pulled the buggy up as close to the door as possible. Not that it mattered. A person could only get so wet.
Before he could even set the brake, Miss Lassiter had scrambled down and raced around to his side of the buggy.
The woman was already soaking wet.
“Come along, let me help you inside.”
He held onto the frame of the buggy again as he climbed down, but then gingerly placed his arm around her shoulder. There was no time for another argument over the proprieties.
He did his best to help her open the door of the cabin, taking out some of his frustration on the stubborn hinges. Once inside, it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust. There were four windows with shutters, one set on each wall. Since most of the shutters were broken or askew, enough daylight had pushed through so that it wasn’t entirely gloomy.
It might have been better had it not revealed quite so much.
A thick coat of dust covered everything. ‘Everything’ being a generous term. Very little furniture remained. And it wasn’t just dust—leaves and other debris from outside had made their way inside, as well.
The cabin consisted of one large open area, with an alcove to their right—probably for sleeping—and a fireplace to their left. Fortunately, the roof seemed relatively sound. There was one steady drip in the alcove area and one near what must be the back door. Other than that, the place appeared dry.
He glanced his companion’s way, expecting to see dismay, and perhaps something stronger. Instead she was looking around with interest, seeming pleased by what she saw. “God was definitely looking out for us,” she said cheerily. “We ought to be able to wait out the storm in relative comfort here.”
A sudden rustling from across the room snagged his attention. Before he could do more than stiffen, a squirrel shot out of a far corner. His companion, who’d merely shrugged her shoulders at the sight of that snake earlier, jumped. The animal, tail flickering in agitation, disappeared through a half-shuttered window, apparently preferring the rain to their company.
Miss Lassiter gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry. Hope I didn’t jar you. The squirrel startled me.”
“I’m fine.” He released her shoulder and braced his arm against the wall. To be honest her reaction made him feel slightly better about his own reaction to the snake.
A few other skittering noises came from the vicinity of the alcove, but he told himself they were caused by the wind coming in, not mice or other vermin.
Besides, there were more pressing things to worry about at the moment. Like, was that a working fireplace? A fire would go a long way to helping them dry out.
“Will you be all right for a few minutes?” she asked, reclaiming his attention.
Eli eyed her suspiciously. “Of course. But where do you think you’re going?”
“I need to unhitch and tether the horse. And while I’m out there I intend to fetch whatever I can find in the buggy that we can use to make us more comfortable in here.”
All things he should be taking care of. “That can all wait until the storm—
She held a hand up, palm out. “I can’t get any wetter than I already am. And it would be cruel to leave the horse standing out there for who knows how long hitched to the buggy. Besides, we can’t risk him getting spooked by the storm and running off.”
She was right, of course. But that didn’t make him like it any better. “At least take this.” He pulled his hat off. “That scrap you’ve got on your head is no protection in this weather.” And from the looks of it, it probably wouldn’t ever be fit for use again.
She nodded and untied the ribbon that secured the soggy bit of frippery. He placed his more sensible hat on her head and found himself brushing the hair off her forehead to tuck it under the brim. The wisps tickled his fingers, as if even her hair was prone to playfulness.
He moved back and studied the picture she made in his too-big-for-her coat and hat. They swallowed her up, making her look like a child playing dress up. But she was covered except for the bottom half of her skirt.
As if reading his thoughts she gave him a reassuring smile. “Thanks, this is much better. And don’t worry, I shouldn’t be long.”
He watched her head back out into the weather, feeling frustrated at his enforced uselessness. Then he looked around, taking stock of their temporary shelter. The least he could do was get to work doing what he could to make the place as comfortable as possible. Even though he was certain that thanks to Miss Lassiter, this would be one of the most uncomfortable afternoons he’d spent in quite some time.
Arms full, Sadie shoved the door of the cabin open with her shoulder. The load was bulky and awkward to manage but she hadn’t cared for the idea of making a second trip to the buggy in this weather.
Stepping inside, she found Mr. Reynolds sitting on the low hearth, working on cleaning out the fireplace. Even with damp clothes and smudges on his sleeve, the always-dapper banker was still quite handsome.
He looked up and caught her staring so she looked away, setting the hamper and the covered bucket of honey just inside the door.
“I feel sorry for the mare,” she said to cover her embarrassment. “She’s a good horse and deserves a nice dry barn to wait out the storm in.”
“Hopefully