Come Winter
an excerpt

Emily pulled her coat closer around her, shivering against the cold air. The sun was still up but sliding down to the horizon rather quickly. She reached for her bedroll, unrolled it and wrapped her blanket around her.
“You’re not going to last long in this weather if you’re already fretting the cold so much,” Jake chuckled at her as he tossed another piece of wood on the fire.
“I don’t want to last long in this weather,” she countered. “I want to sleep in a warm bed and take a hot bath.”
“Are you mad at me because I told Caleb I didn’t want to go to town?”
“Furious,” she replied, her teeth chattering, but she managed to flash him a weak smile to show she didn’t mean it.
“There’s just enough coffee for one pot. Do we drink it tonight or have it with breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Doesn’t matter to me, Jake. I don’t feel like poking my hand out into the cold to grab anything anyway.” Her stomach growled in protest.
“I’m going out again to see if I can rustle up something to cook. We’re down to our last tin of beans, too. Might have to make a decision on that as well.”
She nodded and pushed the blanket up over her nose. She watched as Jake picked up the rifle and walked away from the fire, keeping an eye on him until he disappeared behind some rocks and scrub. Sighing, she leaned more into the rock against her back and closed her eyes. She didn’t think she fell asleep, but she must have… She thought she heard Caleb saying her name. It sounded farther away at first, then closer. Next thing she knew, she was being kissed. It was a nice, warm kiss, too, and she returned it, not opening her eyes until the person kissing her had pulled away.
“Do you kiss everyone who happens to come by that way?” Caleb asked. He was crouched in front her with his face close to hers.
“Not a fair question, you kissed first.” She smiled at him, but her face quickly clouded over, her eyes narrowing.
“Yep, you just remembered you’re sore at me.” Caleb tugged at the blanket around her. “You look like you’re all wrapped up for Christmas. Are you that cold?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied forcefully, annoyed at his repeat of Jake’s remark. “It’s cold out here, and it’s only going to get colder.”
“Then we best get you to Cheyenne so you can warm up,” Caleb laughed. “Where’s Jake?”
“Hunting,” Emily answered in the midst of a yawn. “He hasn’t found anything all day, though.”
Caleb turned slightly to pull his saddlebags closer and opened the flap on one side. “We can call him back. I’ve got food for tonight, hell, probably enough to take us into Cheyenne,” he explained, pulling out wrapped packages. “Had more to bring, but I could only fit so much. Hope the eggs didn’t break,” he added, carefully hefting one of the bundles.
“Eggs?” Emily’s curiosity got the better of her, and she drew the blanket down from her shoulders and leaned closer to Caleb to peek over his shoulder. She held a fist to her belly to keep her stomach from growling too loudly.
“Yeah, but those are for breakfast. There’s some roast and potatoes here to warm up for dinner. Even got something special for later on.” He turned to look at her, his eyes twinkling. “If we don’t call Jake back right away, I could treat you to something special right now. That is, if you decide you’re not so mad at me. I could warm you right up.”
Her smile returned quickly, and she leaned in for another kiss. Caleb did the same, but just as their lips touched, Emily’s eyes opened wide, and she pulled back. “You shaved!” She leaned closer again and took a sniff. “And you took a bath! You left Jake and me out here in the middle of no where to sleep in the cold while you reached civilization to shave and take a bath.” She pushed herself away from him and back against the rock, dramatically pulling the blanket around her with a huff.
“I didn’t take a bath,” Caleb protested. “I did shave and wash up a little, I’ll admit that.”
“Was the water warm?” Emily asked.
“Well, yeah, it was. You might even say it was hot,” he began. “But—“
“I don’t want to hear anymore about it!” She snapped the blanket over her nose.
“Did I miss something?” Jake asked, and the two older adults realized he’d come back into camp without them knowing it.
“Hey, Jake.” Caleb stood up and shook the young man’s hand. “I see your sister managed to keep her sunny frame of mind while I was gone. How’d you weather through?”
“We’re running low on supplies, Caleb. It sure is nice to see you brought provisions back with you.”
“Yeah, well, I found the list your sister stowed in my saddlebags. Thought I’d go ahead and pick up what we need until we get to Cheyenne.” He reached down and gathered up some of the packages. “Would you help me with dinner? I don’t think your sister is speaking to me, at least not in a civil tongue.”