The roar of the thunder was like a tonic for Brad. A month nestled in his mountain cabin was just what the writing doctor ordered. From the rate he was going, he figured he'd be at least a month ahead of schedule for his new Felicia James novel. Felicia was a female detective he'd created, and his publisher was breathing down his neck to get the third book in the series to them. They'd be thrilled with an early delivery.
Between the music and the storm, Brad never even heard the knocking on the back door. When he was in a writing zone like he was now, he didn't hear much of anything. So, the slap against his bedroom window nearly gave him a heart attack. Brad looked through the glass and shook his head in a bit of a double-take. Outside his window was the drenched face of a young blond woman. She motioned for him to go to his back door, and Brad jumped up from his desk to comply.
When he opened the door, he was shocked to discover that the woman was completely naked and shivering uncontrollably from the cold, pelting rain. Once he regained his composure, he ushered her inside and escorted her to the fire. He ran into the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels to give to her. She was so cold, she was still unable to talk and just nodded her thanks as she wrapped herself in one of the towels and squatted in front of the fire.
Brad hustled into the kitchen and started banging pots around. He came back in a few minutes with a steaming mug of cocoa and a piping hot bowl of chicken soup on a tray, complete with napkin, utensils and a single flower in a small vase. She looked up at him and smiled at the courtesy. Brad set the tray on the footstool for the ottoman, and the young woman quickly clasped both hands around the mug and sipped the warm liquid. She closed her eyes as it slid down her throat, warming her insides.
After a few minutes, Brad asked, "Can I get you anything else?"
She smiled at him and clutched her towel around her. Her shivering was slowly subsiding. "No, thank you. This is perfect." She took another sip of the chocolate and began started on the soup.
Brad settled back into the sofa and watched her eat and drink. He was glad to see some color return to her thin cheeks. Her sleek tan legs were curled under her, and he noticed that the goose bumps were disappearing. "I'm Brad, by the way."
She looked up and replied, "Emily."
"Nice to meet you, Emily. May I ask ..."
"What a crazy naked girl is doing banging on your window on a night like this?" she asked, finishing his question.
He chuckled. "Well, now that you mention it."
She rolled her eyes and said, "It was so stupid! I drove up to Miller's Pass. There's a wide spot in the stream that I discovered on a hike. No one ever goes there, so when I need some peace, I go there to skinny dip and lay in the sun. There's a huge rock on one side, and I stretch out on it. The combination of the hot rock underneath and the warm sun from above is the perfect antidote for the freezing water in the small pond.
"I drove up there earlier today because it's been a rough week. Work sucks, and I just got dumped by this loser I shouldn't have gone out with in the first place. I hadn't been sleeping much, so when I hit the rock, I went out hard! I didn't even know the storm was approaching until I started getting blasted with rain and wind. By the time I woke up and got my bearings, the stream was already rushing so wildly I was afraid to go across to get my car ... or my clothes." She sighed. "So, I headed off into the woods, hoping I'd find a ranger station ... something. Let me tell you, this is one big empty forest!"
Brad laughed. "Yes it is. The closest building is the ranger station at Faulkner's Point, and that's 15 miles away."
"Great!" she said, exasperated.
"It's no big deal. I've got enough food for six months ... enough firewood to last for weeks. I've got a bathroom, a bed, and you can wear some of my clothes. Once the storm clears, I'll drive you to your car."
"I hope it didn't get flooded," she said, concerned.
"If it did, we'll deal with that too. Let me show you to the bathroom." They both got up, and Emily followed Brad into his bedroom. "I'm pretty independent here. I've got pure well water that feeds everything and electricity. If it goes out, I have a generator in the shed that'll keep us going for about a week." He showed her where the soap, shampoo, etc. were located, backed out and closed the door to give her some privacy.
Emily stood under the steamy water for about 10 minutes before soaping up and finishing her shower. Brad told her to pick out anything from his closet. She chose a red plaid flannel shirt, rolled up the sleeves, brushed out her hair and walked back into the main room, beaming and feeling like a new woman.
"This is an amazing place, Brad. Do you use it a lot?"
"Off and on," he answered from the kitchen. "I come here to clear my head as well. I'm a writer, and this place gives me the peace I need get my work done."
"A writer ... really? What do you write?"
He walked out of the kitchen with a couple of mugs topped with whipped cream. "It's Irish coffee. Let me know if it's too strong." Emily was sitting by the fire again, so Brad set her cup on the coffee table.
"You're being way too nice to me," she said with smile. For a moment, Brad was frozen looking at her soft, wet blond hair spilling down her shoulders and her wide contented smile.
"No ... it's no bother. I'm actually glad to have a break and some company. I've got some chili simmering on the stove if you like it spicy."
"That sounds great."
He settled into the sofa and said, "You asked about the writing. I write novels ... detective fiction. You know, the kind of books you buy in paperback, read in a week, and toss into the recycle bin."
"I doubt that. It must be so cool being a writer. What have you written?"
"Take a look if you want. Mine are on the top shelf," Brad said, indicating the floor to ceiling bookshelf in the corner.
Emily jumped up to peruse the books. "Oh my God! You wrote this?" As Emily stood on tiptoes to reach a brown leather book, Brad's eyes were riveted to the back of her trim legs and the lower edge of her tan ass cheeks as they peaked out from the shirt tail. "I've read this! I loved it!"
