Frigid Affair(22)

Chapter 9


Having a fifteen month old baby while living in the middle of nowhere was a trying task, especially without a companion to help with the daily chores. The first snow of the year had come early, and even though I thought I'd been prepared, I knew problems would arise. They always did.

My beautiful second floor deck had some soft boards, making me fear it wasn't safe for me to venture out on, especially with Ava and baby Christopher. Ever since he'd been crawling I'd had to put up a foam barrier? to prevent him from going through the railing. I'd also laid out a carpet and put safety bumpers throughout the space to prevent injury. The poor child could get a bruise on his face from falling on his butt. I certainly couldn't explain the amount of injuries he inflicted on himself.

Now that he was walking, more like running, he was into everything.

While he was taking his afternoon nap, I ventured onto the deck to assess the damage, hopefully figuring out a temporary fix so we could still get fresh air without coming into close contact with a wild animal. I’d always loved the deck, especially because it was on the second level. The picturesque views were an added bonus.

First I swept the area and pulled back the rug. Then I applied pressure to the area to see how flimsy it was without anything on it. Thankfully, only two boards were beginning to rot. I knew I had enough to repair the problem in the shed, but would have to put my snow gear on to make it across the yard?.

I snuck back in the house, making sure I didn't wake up Christopher. He'd given me a fit when it was time for his nap, and I knew without the proper amount of rest he'd been a terror.

I'd always respected single mothers, but once I had a child of my own I understood just how difficult it was to raise a child by myself. I didn't have friends or neighbors willing to take him to give me a break. Wherever I went, he had to go. Having an almost toddler while living in the middle of nowhere was a trying task, especially without a companion to help with the daily chores.

While gathering a large piece of plywood to use to cover the damaged spot, I heard something approaching from down the mountain. I turned to spot a large male figure heading in my direction on a snow mobile. Since I lived in the middle of nowhere, this was absurd to think they’d come out of nowhere. There had to be a reason for this visit.

I made it almost back to the stairs before he came to a stop and pulled off his helmet.

Easton.

It couldn’t be.

Not now.

Not when I’d carried his child and done it all on my own.

Not when the result of our one-night-stand was only yards away.

He was my secret to keep. This couldn’t be happening.



It had been two long years since I'd seen his face. With regard to my sleeping child inside the cabin, I hurried over to where he stood.

Since our last encounter, I’d learned more than I wanted to know about the stranger I’d let into my bed. "Easton. I didn't think I'd see you again."

He didn't seem like it was a happy reunion. His face contorted and I swore I sensed regret. "Yeah, to be honest I didn’t think I’d come back. I wasn't exactly straight forward with you before, Amantha. It's taken me two years to try to figure out how I let things go as far as they did. I took that trip for closure, but it only made my life more complicated."

I was astonished he'd come all this way to tell me I was some kind of mistake. If he was talking about me and not the crimes he and his friends had committed he was about to get an ear full. "You have a lot of nerve coming back here then. If it makes you feel any better, it was just a night of f*cking. Being with you meant nothing to me, so you can turn around and forget we ever met."



He remained where he was, shaking his head as if his body wouldn't let him leave. "You don't understand. You think I came all this way for nothing?"

I pointed at him. "You need to start explaining before I go back inside and lock my damn doors. I'm not in the mood to listen to this shit." I also wasn't taking the chance that he'd discover what was sleeping in the cabin. If this guy came to tell me I was a waste of time, or that he was wanted in fifty states, he surely wasn't going near my son. Blood or not, they had no ties to each other, especially now.

"Can we go inside and talk where it's warm?"

My eyes widened as I replied. "I'm perfectly capable out here alone."

I saw him scanning the yard, fearing he was seeing a few toddler toys scattered around the vicinity. "Fine." His hands went into the pockets of his heavy coat.? "Saying this is going to be harsh, but I know I can't move on with my life until I get it out. I should have said this the night we met, but the situation changed when I found you inside that burning house. I couldn’t let you die, Amantha. Everything that happened afterwards was unexpected."

"Stop speaking in riddles and spit it out. I'm sure there's nothing you can say that will hurt me. We had a one-night-stand? not a relationship. It was a fun night and then it ended."

"Like I said before," he interrupted. "It shouldn't have played out that way."

"In ten seconds I'm going inside and locking my doors. I know you and your friends stole from my neighbors. I know you’re not a fireman. I’ve done my homework, Easton."

"My name isn't Easton," he blurted out.