Page 63 of Line of Resistance
“I guess Reggie wasn’t kidding about the warm water.” Nate whipped back the shower curtain and grabbed one of the towels from the rack, swinging it around her shoulders.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arms. “Better?”
Her teeth started to chatter. “No.”
She normally ignored the cold. Dealt with the chilly temperatures and snow because they were just a part of life in Alaska. But they were a hell of a lot easier to deal with when you had warm water. “How does she live like this?”
Eloise pinched the terrycloth towel tighter, pulling it as close as she could while Nate snagged the second one from the rack and wrapped it around her lower body, drying her off with quick swipes.
“She’s probably used to it.” He finished drying her lower half and lifted the towel to her hair, squeezing away the bulk of the dripping water before opening the door to the bedroom.
“What about you?” Eloise snuck a peek at his glistening skin. Mostly the glistening skin of his dick. The thing was huge. Big enough that pretending she could ignore it would probably just be ridiculous.
“I’m fine.” He glanced around the room. “Where did our clothes go?”
Eloise poked a finger from between the edges of the towel. “In the bathroom.” Nate shook his head. “Mine were in the bathroom, but yours were out here.” He leaned to look into the bathroom, scanning the space before turning back to her. “They’re all gone.”
There was a thump at the bedroom door and Nate barely had enough time to sling the towel in his hand across his front before Reggie barged in carrying a stack of blankets. “I tossed your clothes in the washing machine. Figured they could use a good cleaning.” She looked Eloise over. “I’ve probably got some things that will fit you.” She went to the closet and yanked open the door, reaching in to pull a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt free from the shelf inside. She dropped them to the bed. “My granddaughter comes to visit sometimes. Keeps some clothes here so she can pack light.”
Reggie sized Nate up, eyes appraising. “She’s brought boyfriends before, but none of them were half as big as you are, so even if they did leave something behind it wouldn’t fit you.” She crossed the room heading for the door, stabbing one thumb in the general direction of the bed as she went. “You’ll just have to make do with a blanket.”
The door closed behind her and Eloise stared at it, a little shocked at what just happened. “She came into the bathroom while we were showering?”
Nate raked one hand through his messy hair, looking completely unfazed that his normally perfect style was totally wrecked. “I’m going to suggest we lock the doors from now on.”
Eloise swallowed hard. “Do you think she would try to hurt us?”
Nate shook his head as he grabbed one of the blankets from the bed and wrapped it around his middle, tucking it tight. “No, but I do think she’s nosy as hell.”
* * *
“YOU TWO LOOK like you feel better.” Reggie stacked a few bowls on the small table in the kitchen. “You want to eat something?”
Eloise adjusted the towel wrapped around her head, trying to keep it from falling off. “Depends. Is it gonna be any warmer than that water?”
Reggie snorted. “Forgot to mention my version of warm water has probably changed a little over the years.” She ladled a giant scoop of what appeared to be stew into one of the bowls and handed it to Nate. “It’s good to take a cool shower anyway.” She reached up and gently slapped one hand against her wrinkled cheek. “Keeps the skin tight.”
Eloise inched closer to the table, drawn in by the savory scent of meat and vegetables. “Have you lived out here for a long time then?”
“Moved out here with my husband nearly thirty years ago.” Reggie scooped a healthy portion into the next bowl and passed it to Eloise. “He always wanted to move back to Alaska when we retired, so that’s what we did.” She added a smaller amount to the final bowl. “Course, I didn’t expect him to croak on me two years later, but that’s the way life goes I suppose.”
Eloise slid into the chair across from Nate. “At least he was happy for those two years. Right?”
Reggie gave her the first genuine smile she’d seen. “He was definitely happy. He loved it here.”
Eloise returned her smile. “My dad loved it here too. Said there was nowhere else he would want to live.” She waited until Reggie sat down before picking up her spoon to poked at the stew, her appetite suddenly dwindling.
“What about you? You like it here?” Reggie sat down next to Nate, scooping up a healthy bite and shoving it in. “You like it here?”
Eloise shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t used to. I didn’t mind it when I was a kid, but as I got older I felt like I’d be happier somewhere else, so when I graduated high school I moved away and went to college and got a job.”
Reggie pointed the tip of her spoon Eloise’s way. “But you came back.”
“I did.” She swallowed, expecting her throat to get tight. When it didn’t she continued. “I found out the grass wasn’t necessarily greener on the other side. When I was offered a better job here, I moved back. Glad I did, too. My dad got sick not long after.”
She didn’t talk about him much. It was too painful. Even years later, the loss of her father was difficult to navigate. But here, in this little cabin in the middle of nowhere, with two people who might understand how she felt, the loss didn’t feel quite as suffocating as it usually did.
“I think he was actually sick for longer than I realized, but he ignored his symptoms and focused on helping me move and get settled in instead. By the time he finally went in to be checked out it was too late. There wasn’t anything they could do.”
Nate’s hand slid across the table, wrapping around hers. “It’s not your fault.”