Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“I always think of everything.”
“Well, if you’re thinking of everything.” She jumped down from the bench she’d been sitting on. “How about you teach me how to chop that wood?”
If it hadn’t been for the snow, he would have gladly had her butt naked. However, he didn’t want her to catch her death with cold, so the clothes were essential, as well as the scarf, and he couldn’t forget the hat he’d made her wear.
“Be my guest,” he said. “Come here.”
She removed the gloves he’d forced her to wear, and she came walking toward him.
Gripping her waist, he pulled her in close and put the axe in her hand.
“You’ve got to hold it firmly within your grip, and then lift it up and bring it straight back down. You must use force, otherwise you’re going to get it stuck.” He took the axe from her, giving her a demonstration. “You see.”
“I’ve got it.” She grabbed a log, placing it on the stand. “I’m ready.”
He didn’t know if this was a big mistake giving her the axe. Massimo stayed close as she lifted the axe, and he watched as she brought it down, and she did so with the right amount of force to slice the plank of wood in two.
She let out a whoop and spun around toward him. “See what I did there?”
“You’re a natural.”
“Can I go again?”
“Go ahead.”
He watched as she grabbed another piece of wood, putting it in place, and with one swoop of the axe, it sliced through the wood.
“I had no idea this could be so much fun.”
Massimo fell in love with her even more.
She did several more slices, and then he took over as she went back into the cabin to get them a hot chocolate. This time, he had a little test for her. Prior to leaving the cabin to cut wood, he’d left his keys on the kitchen counter for her to take. If she was going to leave him, now was her chance. She wouldn’t get very far, as he’d disconnected the necessary cables to start his car.
He’d known she would go for a hot chocolate break. Elsie never drank hot chocolate any other time of the year. It was her one treat of the whole year. A month of drinking hot chocolate.
Slicing through several pieces of wood, he waited, and Elsie came out of the cabin carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. He put the axe down, and Elsie handed him a mug.
“I appreciate you putting your keys in the way of temptation,” she said, holding them out on her finger. “But I don’t need them.”
“You’re not pissed?” Massimo asked.
She pursed her lips and glanced past his shoulder.
He waited.
“No, I’m not. I get it.”
“You do?”
“I left without warning, and now, in the last couple of days, it was like before I went. You had no warning that I was going to run like that.” She shrugged. “It makes sense for you to be concerned that I’m … lying.”
Massimo looked at her and shook his head. “It’s not about that.”
“Yeah, it is. I didn’t give you any warning. It’s not like I told you Isabella chose every moment she had to draw in that blade of doubt. You were out, and I’d hear you in the background. I knew you were dealing with business, and she was part of it. I got jealous.”
“Isabella wasn’t and has never been part of any business dealings, babe. She’d turn up, but trust me, she was never a welcome guest, and I had nothing to do with her. Sure, she’d try to talk to me, to get me to … I don’t know, get closer to her. I have a wife, Elsie. If I didn’t want to marry you, I wouldn’t have.”
Elsie glanced down into her hot chocolate. “You’re right. I just … I don’t know. I think I panicked. It’s … not being wanted is easier to handle than being wanted.”
He stared at her and saw the tears glistening in her eyes.
“Elsie—”
“Time and time again, I dealt with rejection. I mean, people would come to the home, and they tried to make it look like normal visits, but we all knew it was to check us all out, to see if there was someone they wanted. Sometimes someone would get picked, other times, no one was there. Rejection becomes like a second skin. It’s easier to deal with.”
And again, he was reminded of how different her life was.
“I would never reject you,” he said.
“I know that now, but … it’s easier, right. I’m not trying to make excuses, but one day, I hope you can trust me.”
“I do,” he said. “I know you’re not going to take off again.”
Elsie smiled and went to him. He held his arms open for her and was careful not to spill his hot chocolate.