Chapter Eight: Keeping Warm
"Ahem."
Startled, Purdey and Gambit jumped apart as MacGyver appeared out of the woods. He carried Purdey's handbag carefully; it had been braced open with sticks and was brimming with water, leaking only slightly at the seams.
He glanced again at the ring on Purdey's left hand, and now noted one on Gambit's as well, and frowned slightly. He wasn't against workplace romances per se; only against any romance in which either or both parties was already married. But he should give them the benefit of the doubt, he supposed; they could both be widowed, or even wearing the rings as part of a disguise.
"Have a drink, Purdey?" he offered.
"Thank you," Purdey said sincerely, only now realizing how thirsty she was. She took a sip, then paused. "Should we save any for you?"
"No thanks; I drank while I was gettin' it. 'Sides, there's plenty more where that came from."
Purdey flashed him a smile before drinking deeply and then handing the purse to Gambit. He raised an eyebrow at the unorthodox container, then shrugged and drank what she had left.
MacGyver poked at the fire with a stick, spreading out the hot coals. "Looks like it's ready," he commented, picking up the skewers and offering one each to Purdey and Gambit.
Soon, the appetizing smell of roast squirrel began to fill the air, as drops of juice fell to sizzle on the coals. "How long until they're ready?" Purdey asked eagerly, turning her stick to cook evenly.
"'Bout five minutes per side for rare; a little longer if ya want it well done."
"I'm too hungry to wait for well done!" Purdey declared.
MacGyver grinned, and his own meat was on the rare side when he pulled it out of the fire. Blowing on the chunks of meat, all three managed to burn their tongues in their eagerness.
"Mm! This is good, Mac!" Purdey enthused.
"Not bad," MacGyver admitted. "I can't take much credit for it, though; if I'd wanted to take more time I could have seasoned it up with herbs or somethin'." He licked a drop of grease off his fingers, not willing to waste any of the scanty meal.
"Just don't let Purdey help you," Gambit remarked dryly. "She has some pretty strange ideas about cookery."
Purdey gave him a shove. "Hey! I'll have you know I can make a perfectly decent omelet."
Gambit winked roguishly at her, but refused to concede the point.
Finishing the last of his meal, MacGyver tossed his skewer into the fire and stood to begin gathering branches to create a makeshift shelter.
Purdey shivered, hugging her arms across her chest, and MacGyver paused, setting down a load of branches to pull off his jacket and drape it over her shoulders. "Here."
Purdey almost protested, but the warmth of the flannel lining felt too good, and she pulled it around herself with a smile. "Thank you."
"I could warm you, too, you know," Gambit protested, his wink seeming even more suggestive in the firelight as he edged closer.
"You didn't offer," Purdey retorted.
MacGyver shook his head, but said nothing as he returned to his self-appointed task of gathering pine boughs for bedding.
"I don't know about you kids, but I'm about ready to turn in."
Purdey frowned, looking at Gambit. "Do you think it's safe to let him sleep longer than two hours tonight?"
"He can hear you and feels perfectly fine, thank you," MacGyver retorted.
Gambit shrugged. "And there you have it. What about setting a watch?"
"Probably a good idea," MacGyver agreed.
After further discussion, they decided that Gambit would take the first shift on guard duty, and MacGyver the last one.
"Get in, Purdey, an' I'll tuck you in," MacGyver told her with a touch of teasing in his voice.
Purdey laid down in the shelter, and MacGyver spread another armful of pine branches over her. "Warm enough?"
"Mm…yes," Purdey murmured, gracing him with a smile as she wiggled to find a comfortable position and sniffed the spicy pine scent.
Gambit's scowl at the sight of that smile deepened as MacGyver lay down on the other side of the shelter. But he had built the shelter fairly wide, and lay with his back to Purdey, pausing only to pull some boughs over himself before appearing to fall instantly asleep. Gambit stood glaring at him for another moment before turning and going to sit beside the fire with a sigh. But it wasn't only Stasi he would be on guard for.
oOo
Purdey and Gambit had changed places an hour or two before midnight, and now in the darkest hours of the early morning Purdey crept to the side of the shelter to wake MacGyver for his shift.
"Here," she murmured, moving to pull his jacket off as he got up.
MacGyver put up a quick hand to stop her. "No, thanks; you keep it."
Purdey frowned. "Women don't get any colder than men do."
"Not if they're dressed for campin', no," MacGyver agreed. He reached out and caught Purdey's fingers for a moment. "You're freezing; keep it."
Dropping her hand, MacGyver tugged the jacket fully over her shoulders once more. "Keep it," he insisted firmly, and as an uncontrollable shiver swept over Purdey from head to toe, she couldn't find the desire to argue.
"Here; hang on a sec," MacGyver told her. Running to the remains of the campfire, he felt one of the stones that surrounded it and found it pleasantly warm to the touch. "Here," he told Purdey, handing her the rock. "Get your shoes off and put your feet on that."
Gambit opened one eye as MacGyver once more spread pine branches over Purdey before finally moving away from the shelter. "Thought he'd never leave," he mumbled, rolling over and putting an arm over Purdey's shoulder without thought of whether MacGyver was still watching.
Purdey smiled, ignoring MacGyver's rock to tuck her stockinged feet against Gambit's leg instead. Moments later she was drifting to sleep as blissful warmth stole over her.
Next chapter coming next week!
I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!
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