SHIVER (9 page)

“It’s supposed to stop snowing sometime this afternoon. They’ll get the plows out here hopefully tomorrow or the next day.” Until then, it looked as though she was stuck playing nursemaid.

Why didn’t the reality of that upset her as much as it had earlier?

Aidan sighed with relief once he was back in the bed. The trip to the bathroom and then the literal trip
in
the bathroom had taken what strength he’d had. The fever had zapped him of everything it seemed. He was shaky, tired, and his head pounded like an Inuit drummer calling for the sun. He watched through narrowed lids as Raven tended to him. Her actions were fast and choppy like she was nervous.

He hadn’t dreamt that he’d had his hands on her, his lips. That she had moaned his name, kissed him, grabbed his hips. She still desired him. He smiled inwardly. He hadn’t felt good about himself for a long time. Life had sucked for a long time.

Whether Raven wanted to admit it or not, she still cared. Her body’s response didn’t lie like the words coming out of her mouth. The same mouth that had kissed him, bit him.

She propped a pillow under his leg and covered him with a light blanket. He was still only wearing boxers. She kept stealing glances at his bare chest so he folded the blanket down, letting it rest over his hips as he leaned against the headboard. She set the tray across his lap and then moved back.

“Thank you,” he said. “I can’t remember a time when I’ve been so hungry.” He looked over Raven’s body until she blushed. Satisfaction rose inside him, warming him. He glanced at the tray of food wishing he could take a taste of her instead. A bowl of hearty stew with a side of crusty bread, lathered in butter, and canned peaches filled the plate. “Let Fiona know how much I appreciate her.”

“You’ll be able to tell her yourself, later.”

He tried the stew. Full-favored with chunks of moose meat. Must be leftovers from the roast the other day.

Raven busied herself straightening up the room while he spooned in the stew. There wasn’t much to clean so she soon didn’t have anything to do. She took a seat in the rocker and curled her feet up under her. A yawn surprised her. He wondered how much sleep she’d gotten while caring for him the last few days.

She caught him watching her. “Eva should be here to check on you soon.”

He grimaced. “The demon nurse from hell?”

She cracked a laugh. “You called that right. But she does know her stuff.” Raven leaned her head back against the chair.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“I’m fine.” She yawned again.

“No, you’re not.” He spooned more of the stew into his mouth and chewed.

“Don’t worry about me.” She scowled at him.

He set the spoon down. “Does it bother you that I think about you? That I’ve thought about you many times over the years?” His voice lowered. “Wondered how you were?”

“Don’t do that.” She stiffened. “If you thought about me like you say, why didn’t you ever call?” She clamped her mouth shut, lips tightening into a line, as though she couldn’t believe she’d just asked that.

“You told me to never contact you again. Made me promise, remember?” He looked down at his stew, his appetite waning. “After your dad died, you had every right to hate me. I thought I was doing what you wanted.”

“You were. You did.” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “It was what I wanted.”

“Is it still?”

Her eyes met his, large and dark, and swimming with secrets. Would she be honest with him? She
had
missed him, he knew it. The way she’d responded to him told the tale, but was it enough with what lay between them? She opened her mouth to answer and then promptly closed it. The demon nurse from hell entered the room looking sweet in pink. What he wouldn’t give to know what Raven had been about to say at that moment.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Eva said as she sailed into the room, tossing her coat over the end of the bed and a bag on the floor. “And it looks as though the fever has gone.” She turned to Raven. “Good job, told you sponge baths would do the trick.” She regarded Aidan. “About time you started to cooperate.”

Like this had been his fault. He set aside the meal, finding himself full after only eating half of what was on the tray. Eva took his vitals, checked his blood pressure, and removed his bandages, all in the space of a few minutes. The little Napoleonite didn’t waste time. She was efficient, if not compassionate, in her ministrations.

“Hmm,” she hummed, while regarding his leg.

“What?” he asked, trying to see what she did.

“The swelling has gone down. I still want an x-ray as soon as we can get you to Fairbanks.” She narrowed a look at him. “Don’t go thinking you can get up and do cartwheels now.”

He hadn’t been thinking cartwheels, but getting out of this room was at the top of his list. Cabin fever had already started to wander in. The last few days, he’d only seen Eva, Raven, Fiona, and a little of Fox. He hadn’t seen anything of Lynx, who was obviously avoiding him. The coward. Aidan had hoped to sneak into town, clean up his dad’s messy life, and sneak right back out. Avoiding everyone.

So much for that.

Now he needed to make the best of it, and maybe in the process, make some amends. He looked at Raven, and smiled. She’d fallen asleep curled up in the rocking chair. She looked so innocent, her hair tied back into a lose braid, wisps falling around her face. Her smooth skin was stained with dark crescents under darker lashes, highlighted by sharp cheekbones. She’d been beautiful as a child and a young woman. Now she was breathtaking.

“So what’s the story between you two?” Eva asked as she rewrapped his bandages.

“She hasn’t told you?”

“Would I be asking if she’d given me anything to go on? And before you tell me that it’s none of my business, remember who your pain pill supplier is.”

“We were really good friends once.”

“Right. If I were to guess, I’d say you guys were high school sweethearts. I wouldn’t be surprised if you two hooked up. Am I right?”

Aidan shrugged. Not agreeing or disagreeing. Not that it did any good as Eva continued.

“Of course, I’m right. I’ve watched you moon over her the last few days. Now, Raven, she plays things close to the chest. A lot like her brother, that one. But there has been more spark in her since you’ve returned.”

“She’s probably thinking of scenarios to get rid of me.”

“Oh, I’m sure of it. But at least she’s showing some fire.” Eva finished and gathered her supplies. “I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow unless you have a setback.” She pointed a sharp finger at him. “Don’t do that, got it? I want a good night’s sleep.” She rubbed her belly. “This little tyke does enough kicking to keep me up. I don’t need you adding to it. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” She turned to leave.

“Before you go, could you cover Raven up with a blanket?”

Eva’s smile turned soft. She grabbed the afghan that was folded on the other side of the bed and covered Raven with it. “Doubt she’ll get a lot of rest in that position.” She shrugged, turned to Aidan and pointed again. “No cartwheels.”

“Wouldn’t think of it.”

“Good patient.” Eva indicated the bag she’d dropped next to the side of the bed when she’d entered. “There are some clothes in there that ought to fit you. I assumed your clothes are stuck out at your father’s place. Can’t have you running around naked, though I’m sure some wouldn’t mind.” She gave his bare chest a long glance, and then she was gone, closing the door behind her.

Aidan lay on the bed, weak but aching to do something besides sleep. He picked up a notepad next to the phone on the nightstand and rooted around in the top drawer until he found a pencil. He hadn’t been able to write or draw since his dad’s death. His therapist had told him that he needed to work through it. Like he didn’t know that. He was paying her a hundred and fifty dollars an hour for ‘work through it.’ Many times he’d tried. The exercise had ended in frustration, a few broken pencils and one smashed drawing board. For months now, he hadn’t even bothered to pick up a pencil.

But this afternoon, with the weak light coming through the window, the snow softly falling outside and Raven slightly snoring, he began to draw.

Raven woke cramped, her legs and back aching. She straightened in the hard, wooden chair, her bones creaking in the silent room. Sleeping like this had to stop. She glanced over at the soft bed with longing. But sleeping with Aidan couldn’t happen again. She stood and stretched, yawning as she studied him. He was fast asleep. Dark lashes created deep shadows, making the smudges under his eyes even darker. He looked…strained. As if his body was going through motions needed to function, and that was all.

The clock on the bedside said five. But was it evening or morning? There was no telling with the sun hibernating.

She needed to see to Fox. It seemed like she hadn’t spent any quality time with her son in days, not with Aidan taking up all her time. She walked over to the bed and lightly laid her hand against his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. No fever. She made sure his covers were tucked around him, then grabbed the leftover tray from his lunch and quietly left the room.

A soft light at the end of the hallway guided her to the main living space. She nodded to the few guests sitting around visiting. Must be five in the evening. Fiona would probably get a few extra reservations from this snow storm for the weekend. The snow machine trails in and around Chatanika were legendary.

She made her way into the kitchen and found her younger sister, Chickadee. She hadn’t seen her in days, either. Hadn’t even thought of her. Showed where her head had been. She’d neglected her son and forgotten her baby sister. Aidan definitely had to leave. She needed to get back to her life.

“Hey, Dee. What’ve you been up to?” she asked.

“I’ve been buried in mountains of snow at Shawnee’s place. Her dad finally dug us out and brought me home.” She flipped her black straight-as-rain hair, like a shampoo model, over her shoulder. “I thought
I
was having fun, but I heard you’re the one having all the excitement.”

Raven set the tray on the counter and took a seat at the table. “Excitement that I could have happily done without.”

“Is he as hot as Mom says?”

Raven arched her brows. “Mom thinks Aidan’s hot?”

“Okay.” She rolled her eyes. “Mom said dashing, but I interpreted that to mean hot.” She leaned forward. “So, is he hot?”

“It doesn’t matter, because he’s my age and
you
are only fifteen.”

“Yeah, but there aren’t any men around here. I’m bored.” She pouted.

“Don’t let Mom hear you say that.”

Chickadee looked around, fear flashing for a moment in her dark eyes. The kid ought to be scared. ‘Bored’ was a dirty word around these parts. If Fiona heard any of her children utter the word, it was bound to get them saddled with cleaning toilets, or worse.

Fiona breezed into the kitchen. “There’s my girls. Just who I needed to see.”

Raven and Chickadee looked at each other. Chickadee’s expression clearly wondering if the word ‘bored’ had brought her mother like a homing pigeon.

Fiona narrowed her eyes, planted her hands on her hips, and addressed Chickadee. “What’s going on?”