Chapter 7: Chapter 7

ANNABELLE

“Hello?” the voice on the other end said after the third ring, her tone filled with uncertainty.

“Hey, Mom. It’s me,” I replied, hearing her heavy sigh of relief.

“Annabelle! Where have you been, sweetheart? I tried reaching you, but your phone went straight to voicemail. I’ve been worried sick. Where are you? Whose phone is this?”

“I’m okay, Mom. I promise. I just ran into a bit of a snag,” I said, glancing back at Blake who had shifted slightly in his sleep, causing the bed to creak.

“A snag?” she probed.

“I’m kind of stuck on the mountain,” I admitted, bracing myself for her reaction. “There was a freak snowstorm, and I got caught in it while climbing.”

“Annabelle Eunice Clark, what on earth possessed you to go climbing? I’ve told you countless times to go to a facility or somewhere safe. You should at least have someone with you.”

Her voice trailed off in a frustrated rant. I stayed silent, letting her vent. I knew I had been reckless, and I deserved this. Then again, no one could have predicted the storm.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I said softly, hoping to calm her down. “I just had to clear my head. This story I’ve been working on was really starting to get to me. It’s not adding up. I thought if I got outside and got my blood pumping, I might be able to work it out.”

She sighed. “I suppose you can’t help it. Are you at least somewhere safe? Do you have food and heat? Do you want me to call the fire station? They could send a rescue team.”

I laughed. I definitely inherited my worry streak from my mother.

“I’m safe, Mom. I’m staying in a cabin up here. There’s food and a fire. No phone or Wi-Fi, unfortunately, but it’s kind of refreshing.”

“Fine. Just be safe, sweetie. I want to hear from you as soon as it’s safe to come down,” she said, still sounding worried.

“Of course. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m okay. I promise I haven’t been kidnapped,” I joked.

“That’s not helping. That’s exactly what someone who’s been kidnapped would say,” she retorted.

“You sure? They’d probably be too scared to say anything,” I replied, a small smile on my face.

She laughed. “Fair point.”

“I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I’m okay and that I love him too,” I added.

“I will, sweetie.”

“I better go,” I said, not really wanting to end the call. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

“We’ll see you soon, sweetheart,” she replied.

“Bye, Mom,” I said.

“Bye, sweetie. Be safe,” she said, tugging at my heartstrings.

“Always,” I replied as we hung up.

I stared at the phone for a few quiet minutes, glad my parents knew I was okay. I grinned, shaking my head. My mom had probably been ready to call out a search party when she hadn’t been able to reach me.

“Your mom sounds nice,” said a groggy voice, startling me.

I turned to see that Blake was awake.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he apologized.

“It’s okay. She is,” I said, setting down the phone and moving closer to him. “How are you feeling?”

“Nothing hurts, so I can’t complain,” he said with a small smile.

“That’s good,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “Killian will be back soon. He’s bringing us more supplies from his place.”

“Good,” he said. “Don’t know what I’d do without him. Or you for that matter. Not many people would go out of their way to help a stranger, and here I’ve met two.”

“I’m just glad I could help,” I replied.

“Thank you, Annabelle,” he said, my name rolling off his tongue.

I couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through me at the sound.

“Are you close with your family?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” I said.

Blake nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. “Must be nice,” he said with a hint of sadness.

“Are you close with your family?” I ventured. “Do they know you’re here? I’m sure they’re worried about you.”

Blake’s expression remained unreadable.

“If you don’t want to answer, that’s okay,” I said quickly. “You don’t owe me any explanations. This isn’t a quid pro quo or anything.”

“No, it’s okay,” he insisted, shaking his head and offering a small, sad smile. “My family and I aren’t close. I doubt they’ve even noticed I’m gone.”

A frown crept onto my face. His words were like a punch to the gut. They made me appreciate my own family more, reminding me that not everyone is as fortunate as I was.

“Come on. I bet they miss you,” I said, watching as a dry laugh escaped from Blake.

“Maybe,” he replied as the door swung open and Killian walked in.

“Damn! It’s freezing out there,” he declared, dropping the large bag he was carrying on the table. “Next time I leave, I’m not coming back till spring.”

“If I’d known you were bringing so much stuff, I would’ve helped,” I said, feeling guilty.

“And who would’ve stayed with lover boy here?” he retorted, winking at me.

My cheeks warmed, and I looked away from Blake, unable to meet his questioning glance.

“Playing Cupid, Killian?” Blake asked, an amused tone in his sleepy voice.

“Blakey boy! You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Killian asked, ignoring Blake’s comment and moving toward him.

“Considering my leg is numb and painless, I’d say I’m feeling great,” Blake replied.

“Don’t worry, the numbness will fade. I’ve got some painkillers to help over the next few days and some antibiotics just to ensure there’s no infection,” Killian reassured him, sounding every bit the doctor he was.

“Thanks, Killian,” Blake said, his gratitude evident.

“Of course. A friend in need is a friend indeed, right?” Killian said, starting to pull out cans of food from the bag. “I brought food and some other things. Annabelle said you were running low.”

“Thank you so much, Killian,” I said, coming to help put the supplies away.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, smiling at me before turning to Blake. “You know, Blake, I offered to take her to my place, but she chose to stay here in case you needed anything. She’s a keeper, don’t you think?” Killian chuckled, clearly up to something.

I felt Blake look at me and focused hard on stacking the cans in the cabinets. I didn’t want things to get any more awkward between us, which was impossible with Killian trying to play matchmaker.

“I’ll get some more firewood,” I said quickly, grabbing Blake’s big coat and heading out the door, ignoring Killian’s playful smile as he pointed out that the stack by the fire was full.

Outside, I took a relieved breath of cold air, shuffling over to the wood pile and wondering if Blake would agree with Killian’s words.