Page 43 of Cabin Fever Baby
He sat up. “Hell.”
The snow was still raging, and the clouds over the lake seemed to be even more ominous today somehow. I grabbed the oversized cardigan I wore like a robe more often than not. My emotional support sweater, if you will. It was a ratty oatmeal color, but I loved it. “I’m going to grab my phone. I think it’s downstairs.”
“Grab some cookies,” he called after me.
I shook my head as I hurried down the hall. I grabbed both of our phones and stuffed them in my pocket, then I made a pit stop in the kitchen for a couple cookies and a blueberry muffin from the cupboard stash. The coffee maker lured me, but I didn’t want to wait for it to brew.
Instead, I snagged two of the canned coffees from my grocery run. I lived on the stupid things when I was on the road. I should be sick of them, but the quick shot of espresso and chocolate-infused coffee was my lifeblood at this point. I squirreled allof it in my oversized pockets and rushed back upstairs. It was freaking chilly.
When I got back to my room, Hudson was stoking a fire. His ridiculously muscled body on display save for another pair of the body-skimming boxer briefs. This time, The Grinch was grinning from his tight little butt cheek.
I couldn’t stop the giggle.
He turned and the cartoon face was right over his bulge in the front which made me laugh all the more. He looked down, then he shrugged. “Blame my brother for the boxers. Callum’s wife is obsessed with this brand and gave all of us a membership for boxers of the month.”
I crossed the room to him and slid my fingers over the material. “It is pretty soft. I’m pretty sure I hear the commercials on the podcasts I listen to.”
He snickered. “Probably where she heard it. She’s obsessed with some true crime podcast by a local dude.”
“Guess I’ll have to look it up. I tend to listen to music—” I swallowed hard. Music articles and podcasts were my life. Just like a lot of people. “Documentaries.”
He frowned. “Nothing wrong with that. I’m lucky I get to see recaps of hockey games these days.”
“Oh, yeah?” He mentioned he enjoyed hockey too. “Rangers’ fan?”
“Actually, I ended up adopting the Kings since I moved to Chicago. Even if they’re hot garbage these days. Well, until a rookie got pushed up from the AHL team when Burns got hurt. This kid is phenomenal. Rio something.”
My heart kicked. Rio, my little brother.
He hadn’t mentioned he was a Kings fan too.
I opened my mouth to say something—anything.Oh, hey that’s my little brother!So easy.
But then my pocket rang.
“Oh, hey, that’s mine,” he said with a grin. He dipped his hand into my pocket and made sure to rummage around. “Cookies in there too?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Your phone is ringing.”
“Nah, it’s a text. My brother is an asshole. Changed his text tone to an old telephone ringtone so I want to murder him every time he sends me a text.” He glanced down at the screen. “Shit. Finn is stuck in San Francisco and not sure he can get out this way. The flights are all cancelled.”
That didn’t bode well for my traveling family either. I unearthed my phone and saw the extensive chat history of my siblings.
Q:
had to put my bike on a truck out to you, O.
Kent:
I’m stuck in fucking Kentucky working on a house. I was supposed to fly out tomorrow, but all the flights are cancelled.
Q:
Yeah, I’m stuck in an airport. Hell, I don’t even know where I am.
River:
Look at your ticket, idiot.