I dropped my bag on the floor and leaned my rifle against the wall. "I brought supplies. I said, turning toward the door. "I'll go get the rest of them." She grabbed my arm as I turned. "No, not now." She said, her eyes fixed on mine. "Get them tomorrow." I nodded and took my coat off, hanging it on the hook next to hers.
The fire roared in the hearth, and I could see steam rising off my denim-covered knees as I rubbed my hands together to get warm. The wooden rocking chair was handcrafted from the same wood as the floor and walls, and I glanced around the tiny room to admire the crafsmanship. "My grandfather built this." She said. "Our family would come up every summer for a month and spend days just exploring and playing. She looked around the room with a satisfied smile. "I always wanted to live here, to retire here with my..." She looked at me, her voice cutting off and her cheeks flushing. I smiled at her. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you" I said. "When I came upstairs from that bunker and you weren't there, I didn't know what to do." She listened intently, her magnificent eyes fixed on mine. "I knew you had to be alive, because the jeep was gone. So I made my way to the storage unit as fast as I could." I stared into the fire for a moment, remembering poor little Oliver. "I found a little boy whose parents tried to..." I choked, the guilt of my inability to keep him safe weighing on my heart. "We saw your jeep on the freeway, but when I couldn't find you I feared the worst. It's crazy out there. The whole world is gone."
Tracy stood and walked to the small kitchen area, opening a cupboard and retrieving two thick ceramic mugs. "Sounds like you need hot chocolate." She said with a smile. How did she do it? How could she face such horrible circumstances with such a positive outlook? Her confidence was inspiring and attractive, and I wanted to taste her lips again. She glanced at me from the kitchen as she poured water from a water bottle into a black kettle. Her smile teased me and I felt my skin buckle as goose bumps raced across my arms to the back of my neck.
She put on a pair of thick red oven mitts and grabbed a long metal pole that sat in the tools next to the fireplace. As she ran it through the ring of the kettle it made a grating, scraping sound and she positioned it in the middle, adjusting it for perfect balance. Using two hands she squatted in front of the fireplace and leaned over the flames, hooking the bar on two metal y-shapes poles on either side of the firebox. It sat perfectly and I immediately heard the rushing sound of water reacting to the intense heat.
"Would you throw another log on?" She asked, pointing to the stack of wood piled high in the corner. I stood and walked around behind the chair, retrieving a triangular section from the pile and joining her at the hearth. As I laid it gently on the fire I could feel her looking at me. The fire was warm and my wet clothes were drying rapidly. I turned to face her and placed my hand on her elbow, guiding her to a standing position in front of the fire. I pulled her close and kissed her, the goosebumps flashing across my entire body as wave after wave of anticipation was fulfilled between our lips.
"You must be exhausted." She said, pulling away and blushing a bit. "Let's go to sleep, I can give you the tour in the morning." I felt a wave of nervous excitement and she looked at me and punched my arm. "You're sleeping on the couch of course." I shrugged, smiling.
is this the last chapter:?
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