Chapter Text
Though Tim Bradford had been forced to take the time away from work, when he drove up to the cozy, wooden cabin standing as the only structure in a small clearing among the trees, he felt a sense of tranquility settle over him. For the first time in weeks, the constant buzz in his head began to quiet, replaced by the soft murmur of rain tapping against the cabin’s roof and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. He referred to the printed instructions on how to unlock the door to the rental and walked into the charming space. The large windows at the front of the cabin framed the view of the trees perfectly, its surface a patchwork of dark ripples as the rain continued to fall. He navigated through the house into the bedroom where he set down his duffle bag on the mattress. After making quick work of unpacking his changes of clothes, laptop, and sketchbooks, he took in and let out a deep breath. The place was quiet and peaceful. No distractions. No phone calls. Just him and nature. With a project deadline fast approaching, he took his sketchbook and went into the small living room area with a couch, a lounger, and a fireplace. As the whole point of the trip was to unplug and find inspiration, he sat down in the lounger and stared at a blank page in his sketchbook hoping for inspiration.
Suddenly, the front door opened and in walked a woman with long, brown hair that was hanging heavily because it was wet.
“Who are you?” He asked as he sat up straighter.
“I’m Lucy. Who are you?”
His eyes darted from her wet hair, to the camera hanging around her neck, to the heavy bag slung over her shoulder. Her clothes were soaked through, and her boots were covered in mud, leaving footprints on the wooden floor. “I’m-I’m Tim. What do you think you’re doing here?”
“I should be asking you that. I’m staying in this cabin for the next couple of days. Alone.”
“No, my boss booked me this cabin where I’m staying for the next couple of days alone.” He got to his feet and abandoned his sketch book as he walked towards her, giving her a scrutinizing gaze. “I can show you the booking confirmation he emailed me.”
“Yeah, I have a booking confirmation, too.” She pulled her phone out of her jean pocket and opened the email before showing him the screen. “You must have the wrong cabin.”
His eyes grew wide as he read the words on her device. Same address. Same reserved dates. “I think there’s been some kind of mistake, because I got the exact same email.”
“Seriously?” She did not necessarily believe him.
To prove himself, he went into the bedroom where he had left the printed instructions for the cabin rental and returned to her with them in hand. “See? I’m supposed to be here, too.” He frowned when he noticed how she took a few more steps inside, leaving mud in her wake. “Seriously? You’re making a mess.”
After rolling her eyes, she kicked off her boots to avoid tracking anymore mud and crossed her arms as she considered a solution. “What are we supposed to do? I’m here to take pictures for a project I’m working on.”
“The owners left a phone number at the bottom of the email. Why don’t we give them a call to figure this out?”
“Fine, but I’ve been driving for hours, and I’m hungry. The owners said they left the fridge fully stocked, so I’m going to find something to cook.” She dropped her bag from her shoulder and carefully set her camera on top of it then took the few paces over to the small kitchenette where she opened the small pantry, the cabinets, and the refrigerator to survey her options for a quick meal. “How do you feel about a box of mac and cheese?”
“Whatever,” he replied, mildly frustrated with her presence. Tim saw how she abandoned her belongings in the middle of the floor, made a trail of dirt in the entryway, and then left half of the cabinet doors open in the kitchen while making a very simple dish. Certain he wanted their booking snafu straightened out as quickly as possible, he dialed the cabin owners’ number, but between the rain outside, and the remoteness of the area, the call could not be placed. “I’m not getting a lot of reception.”
“That’s sorta the whole point of a place like this- to unplug and connect with nature,” she stated the obvious then refocused on the pot of water on the stovetop.
In search of at least one bar, he walked around the space waving his phone around until he was successful in the kitchen. Smirking at the small victory, he tried calling the owners again.
Angela Lopez Evers, the cabin’s owner, picked up after a few rings. “Hello, this is Angela.”
“Hi, I’m Tim Bradford, your renter at your cabin property for the next few days,” he greeted, trying to mask the annoyance in his voice. “It seems there’s been a little mix-up. I’m here at your cabin, and this other woman says she has the place booked for the next few days, which isn’t possible, because I’m supposed to be here. Alone.”
Angela furrowed her brow and flew to her laptop. “I’m so sorry about that! Let me look into this.”
While listening to the sound of keyboard clicks on the other end of the line, he studied Lucy as she gathered up her long, brown hair into a messy bun. She had warm, golden skin, generous curves, kind, brown almond eyes, and pink lips curled in an easy smile. He would have considered her pretty if she had not brought such disorder to the previously peaceful space in the handful of minutes since her arrival.
“Crap,” Angela muttered.
“What?” He asked.
“Okay, this sounds kind of bad, but…I did confirm a booking request made by your boss, a Wade Grey, two days ago, and it seems there was a glitch, because my husband confirmed a booking request made by a Lucy Chen…also two days ago. The website we use must not have been working right. I’m so sorry.”
“Do you have another cabin available for one of us to stay in?”
Angela sighed apologetically. “Unfortunately, this is the only cabin we have in this area. We sold our other one, and we were planning to remodel the one you’re staying in to sell it.”
Lucy dumped the pasta in the newly boiling water and glanced to see Tim’s furrowed brow. “What’s going on?”
He looked at her, unamused, “We were double booked, and there isn’t another cabin available in the area, which means this getaway is over for one of us.”
She pointed to the window showing yet another lightning strike light up the otherwise grey, cloudy skies outside. “Have you taken a look outside? The storm is so bad, and it’s getting worse by the second. I could hardly drive up here. There’s no way I can leave yet.”
For a moment, he peered out the window where he saw the bad weather and the two cars parked in the front. One was his truck, and the other was a small, old, orange sedan. “I’m surprised that clunker of yours can even run.”
“Do not speak ill of my baby. Even your precious truck probably can’t make it in this.”
“She’s right,” Angela chimed in.
Tim pressed the speakerphone button so that Lucy could be part of the discussion while she strained the pasta.
Angela looked at the information on her weather app as her lips turned down. “She’s right. This is just the beginning of a bad storm that’s rolling in. It’s not safe for anyone to be on the road right now. I hate to ask, but would you two be willing to share the cabin until the weather clears? I’ll offer a full refund for the trouble.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his jaw tight. Sharing was not in his nature, let alone with a complete stranger who seemed to wreak havoc wherever she went. He glanced over at Lucy, who was now seated at the kitchen table and taking the first bite of her neon-orange mac and cheese as if they had not just received news that they were stranded together. “I don’t think that’s going to work,” he said curtly.
Angela hesitated. “I understand, but there aren’t many options with this storm going on. The roads are dangerous, and honestly, I’d feel terrible if something happened to either of you while trying to leave in this weather.”
“Want some mac and cheese?” Lucy offered and pointed to the second bowl she set out on the table.
He pursed his lips. “Aren’t you the least bit concerned about this whole situation?”
“Sure I am. I’m a woman stuck in a cabin alone with a strange guy. That’s the beginning of every scary movie.” She saw him tense as his eyes turned vulnerable as if he was eager to launch into some plea assuring her he was harmless, but she did not even need to hear it when his expression communicated everything she needed to hear. “I’m kidding. Look, I’m not exactly happy about this, but there’s nothing we can do other than wait it out together, so take a seat and have some mac and cheese.” She pushed the bowl closer to the other chair at the table.
“I’m really sorry. I can call some friends in the area to figure something out for one of you to move cabins when the weather clears up,” Angela promised.
“Thank you. We appreciate it,” Lucy said.
“We’ll call you when the rain lets up,” Tim added.
“Okay, again, I’m really sorry for the mix-up. Bye,” Angela responded before ending the call.
Tim blew out a breath as he stowed his phone in his pocket, then he scratched the back of his head. He surveyed what he could see of the cabin and poked around until he found a mop and dragged it over the mud on the floor. He picked up her bag to clean up some more, then he heard her giggle. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re a clean freak,” she pointed out between chuckles.
“There’s nothing wrong with liking order,” he defended himself.
“Fine, I promise to try to be a little tidier.” She saw his eyes dart to the kitchen counter that she left in disarray after cooking. “Starting now,” she guaranteed.
Taking her at her word, he gave her a terse nod and joined her at the kitchen table to eat the food she made.
“So,” she said to strike up a conversation with him and get to know the stranger she was stuck with, “what brings you out here?”
“My boss forced this little retreat on me. He thinks I’m getting burnt out and thought a few days away from the city would help me with this big project we’re working on.”
“What kind of project?”
“Designing a new community center. I’m an architect.”
“An architect? That’s pretty cool. So, what’s so special about this community center that you were sent out here?”
“It’s sort of a passion project for my boss’ wife, so everything about this design has to be perfect, and she wants it to be different than anything we’ve ever done, which means I need to think differently than I ever have, so here we are. How about you?”
“I’m a nature photographer. I go to different places and take pictures that get turned into coffee table books and sometimes my favorite ones become art installations.”
“Sounds like you travel a lot.”
“Depends on what inspires me. A friend of mine rented a cabin out here and told me the forest is just beautiful, so I had to check it out, and here I am.” She eyed the rainfall outside and noted, “But I can’t exactly go out there and get work done in this kind of downpour.”
“And I can’t imagine I’ll get much work done with you around.”
She could not help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’ll clean up the kitchen, okay?” As a sign of good faith, she stood up and went to the sink. “I’ll try to stay out of your way as much as I can if that helps.”
“I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but there isn’t exactly a lot of room in here.” He gestured to the living area and the set of stairs that led to the loft style sleeping area.
“We’ll make do. It’s probably only for one night.”
“Yeah, it’s just one night.” He said that more to reassure himself that the odd arrangement he had found himself in would be temporary. Tim observed her quietly as he continued to eat until he noticed how she shivered. She must have been cold. Acting quickly, he went over to the fireplace to bring some warmth to the room. The flames brought a gentle glow to the space that made the cabin even of cozier, yet when he looked over at her and her silent smile of appreciation for such a gesture, the expression warmed him up more than the fire.
“Thank you,” she murmured when he sidled up next to her to dry the pasta strainer. He only shrugged, which made him endearing for the first time since they met. Tim’s silent kindness was something she appreciated; perhaps there was more to him than his gruff and particular nature, Lucy thought.
Once the kitchen was cleaned up, he took one more hopeful glance out the window in the kitchen, but the storm raged on as the sun slipped out of the sky. The warmth from the crackling fireplace barely masked the chill settling between them as they faced the inevitable conversation. “So,” he said, breaking the silence, “about sleeping arrangements.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, there aren’t two beds in here?”
“Nope,” he replied as evenly as he could.
“Since you got here first, I guess that means you’ve already claimed the bed.”
He sighed, the faintest flicker of guilt crossing his features. “You should take it. I’ll sleep out here.”
Softening from yet another kind gesture of his, she grinned. “Wow, chivalry isn’t dead after all.”
“I’ll set up the couch for me.” He walked past her to locate the linen closet with spare sheets.
She watched him pull the old bedding out and start unceremoniously unfolding it onto the couch. At first, giving him the chance to make his own bed, she put the fire out in the fireplace. Then, she returned her attention to him and frowned as he struggled to wrestle the fitted sheet over the lumpy cushions. “Let me help.”
“I don’t need your help. I know how to put a sheet on,” he snapped, though his fumbling hands suggested otherwise.
Rolling her eyes, she went over to him and tugged at another corner of the sheet. As they worked together to make the couch as comfortable as possible, she noticed how the rain outside intensified, the sound growing louder, the wind picking up as if the storm itself were trying to shake the cabin off its foundation. The sound of the rain falling in torrents was comforting, oddly cathartic, but it also served as a reminder of just how isolated they were. It was just the two of them stuck inside with nothing but the storm and the trees to keep them company. “Did you expect this to be so…remote?” Lucy asked, folding the corners of the sheet with precision. She was trying to make conversation, trying to ease the tension that seemed to hang thickly between them. “I mean, it’s beautiful here, but I didn’t exactly expect a monsoon to come with it.”
He peered out the window toward the darkened forest. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I never could’ve pictured I would be so far out in the middle of nowhere.”
She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t call it ‘nowhere.’ It’s…somewhere. Just a little off the beaten path.”
Her different perspective eased some of the tension in his shoulders as he looked outside again. “I guess you’re right.”
They were able to successfully set up the bedding only because they worked together, since Tim struggled while her hands were able to smooth and straighten with ease, and she barely resisted from making any sort of sound to point out that he did, in fact, need her help. Lucy regarded their work, then, she pressed her hand down to flatten a wrinkle, and a loud, metallic ping echoed through the room. She jerked her hand back as she scowled. “What the-?” She muttered, inspecting her palm before crouching to examine the couch.
He leaned over to check out the cause of the sound, too, not noticing how he was invading her space.
“There’s a spring sticking out,” she noted, pointing to a jagged piece of metal protruding from the cushion. “And not just sticking out. You’d be impaled by morning.”
He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Perfect. Just perfect.”
She turned her head and only then realized their proximity. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, guarded, indiscernible, and illuminated by firelight, and then Tim took a step back and cleared his throat. Lucy straightened and glided her fingers over the side of her still drying jeans. “Well, that’s not going to work. Looks like we’re back to square one.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll figure something out.”
“Like what?” she asked, crossing her arms. “The floor? Because that’s your only other option, and it’s all hardwood. That sounds like hell on your back.”
Glancing up at the lofted bed, his shoulders stiffened as realization dawned. Lucy followed his gaze, and her own expression mirrored his dread. “No way,” he said firmly.
“It’s the only option,” she resigned.
He crossed his arms and shook his head. “We barely know each other. Sharing a bed? That’s…no, that’s not happening.”
“I don’t like it, either,” she responded, feeling a faint flush creeping up her neck. “But it’s just one night. We’re adults. We’ll survive.”
Very unsure, he shifted his weight on his other foot and took stock of his limited options knowing all he could do was share the bed. “Fine,” he said at last, exhaling a long breath. “I really hope you don’t snore.”
“I don’t,” she assured him and ascended the stairs to where the bed was located, and he followed close behind. The two of them stood there staring at the bed, awkwardly eyeing each other, unsure of what to do next. The storm outside was getting louder, the wind howling through the trees as the rain beat harder against the windows. The lights flickered, and then in an instant, the power cut out entirely. It was as if the world had gone dark, and for a moment, the only sound was the relentless storm, the pattering rain, and the creaking of the cabin as it settled. “Well, this is…” Lucy began, but her words trailed off, swallowed by the darkness. It was suddenly even more strange being in a completely dark space with only the storm for company, and a man she hardly knew standing just a few feet away from her. She used her phone as a flashlight until she found a candle on the bedside table to light with a lighter in the drawer.
Tim grabbed a candle on the other nightstand and lit it, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that the placement of the candles might indicate that the power had a tendency of going out. The glow of the small flames under their faces seemed to soften the harshness of the storm outside, and though it barely lit the room, it somehow made everything feel a little less intense and a little more comfortable. “Guess we’ll just have to make do,” he said, his voice so quiet it was barely audible over the downpour outside. Once, he set the candle on the nightstand, he turned back toward the bed, steeling himself for the weirdness of the night.
She nodded and her eyes tracked over him in the candlelight; his set jaw seemed to be softer, and so was the shade of his blue eyes. His perfectly coiffed dirty blonde hair looked to be more of an amber color, his sun kissed skin was hard to make out in the dark, and his muscular form seemed a bit different with shadows being cast over him, yet there was a sense of familiarity when she looked at him even if they hardly knew each other. “Yeah. Guess so,” she agreed. There was a moment of silence between them due to the slight awkwardness. Neither one of them seemed eager to make the first move, but Lucy eventually did. She tentatively lowered herself on the edge of the bed and sighed.
Tim moved to sit on the opposite side of the mattress, his back straight, as if trying to keep a physical barrier between them, even though the bed was so small.
She let out a quiet sigh, trying to shift away from the awkwardness. “This is…ridiculous,” she muttered, more to herself than to him. She made it a point to pull back the comforter and loose sheet to slide underneath to prompt Tim to do the same, which he did a few seconds later. She plugged her phone in and noticed that she had reception again, so out of curiosity, Lucy checked the weather forecast, which gave her pause “So,” she said after a moment, her voice soft but strained. “The storm doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.”
He turned his head toward her, his brows furrowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she said, showing him the screen, “it’s supposed to rain like this for at least the next two days. Maybe longer.”
He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Great. Just great, so it’s not just one night.”
She tried for a small smile, though her unease was clear. “Guess it’s not just one night…Look on the bright side. At least we’ll really get to know each other.”
“That’s not exactly comforting,” he muttered, shifting onto his side, his back to her.
With a sigh, she set her phone on the nightstand then moved to lay on her back. As she stared at the ceiling listening to the sound of rain drumming steadily against the roof, she quietly spoke, “For what it’s worth, I think we’ll manage.”
“You really think the storm will last a few more days?”
She turned her head toward him, though his back was still to her. “Yeah, that’s what the radar shows, anyway. Stuck here with me for the foreseeable future. Lucky you.”
He sighed. “This wasn’t exactly how I planned to spend my first time off in a while.”
“Me neither,” she admitted as she smoothed a hand over her head. “But hey, it could be worse. We could be stuck with actual terrible people.”
He turned his head slightly, glancing at her over his shoulder. “You mean you don’t think you qualify as terrible?”
She smirked, her tone light. “Not even close. I’m great. You, on the other hand…”
His lips twitched. “Gee, thanks,” he said and looked away from her again while trying not to be so charmed and amused by her.
She giggled, her whole body shaking in a way that helped her relax slightly. For a while, she silently gazed at the back of his head until her smile faltered when she noticed how tense the muscles in his back were. “You’re not scared, are you?” She asked, breaking the quiet.
He grinned. “Scared?” he repeated just as quietly. “Of the dark? Or of you?”
“Of either. Or both,” she replied teasingly.
He chuckled under his breath, shifting again so his back was flat against the mattress. “I’m not scared of the dark…or you.”
She slightly twisted to face him. “I’m not scared, either,” she murmured, and he locked eyes with her. A shiver went down her spine at the softness in the hue of his irises that was so unlike the coldness in his eyes when she entered the cabin. For some reason, maybe it was the candles’ glow, the thudding of the rain fading into the background, or recognizing that the man mere inches away from her was kind even if slightly rough around the edges, but she was not so ill at ease as she had been before. Suddenly, the lights turned back on, and both of them blew out laughs that the power had been restored as if a sign from the universe that they would be alright.
Tim got out of bed to switch off the lights and returned under the covers with a soft half smile. “Good night, Lucy,” he said lowly.
“Good night, Tim,” she replied just as quietly as her lips curled upwards. She blew out the candle on her bedside table and settled in for a night in the dark with a practical stranger sharing her bed, but she found that the idea no longer unnerved her as it had just hours before. The rain outside continued its steady rhythm, but the sound began to feel soothing, like a lullaby meant to calm rather than isolate. Lucy lay still for a moment and let herself sink into the unfamiliar but oddly peaceful atmosphere. Her mind wandered to Tim, lying just inches away, his presence both grounding and inexplicably magnetic. She could hear his steady breathing, feel the faint shift of the mattress with every rise and fall of his chest. It was strange to feel so aware of someone she had only just met, who initially was a stranger that had irritated her with his stiff demeanor, yet her perspective of him was changing by the second. She twisted her head slightly, though she could not see much in the dim light of the room. Her imagination filled in the details of him: the strong line of his jaw, the quiet confidence in the way he moved, and the surprising softness that had crept into his voice once the moon hung in the sky. She felt a smile stretch her lips. She had not expected anything that had transpired throughout the day including the storm, the double booked cabin, and certainly not the quiet draw she felt toward him. It was too early to call it anything more than curiosity, but still, it stirred something in her.
He heard the water droplets tapping on the window, shut his eyes, and let the tension in his body melt away. Whatever the next day would bring, whether it was more rain, more awkward silences, or something else entirely, he was, as he had told her, not afraid, since surprisingly, the inside of the cabin felt safe and almost cozy. Tim was not accustomed to the sensation, but he liked it.
Lucy pushed as many thoughts down to finally quiet her mind enough to sleep, but one stubborn one that lingered was how she probably would have been perpetually uncomfortable with anyone else, but not him like he was somehow special. She focused on his breathing beside her mingled with the steady rhythm of the rain, and finally, she drifted off.
