Dave returned to the cabin ten minutes later, the smell of cheese and tomatoes filled the air.
"Something smells good," he said as he closed the back door. Mudgie ran down the hallway ahead of him.
"Lunch is ready," Penelope replied. He walked past her to hang up his coat. She was setting the table with bowls of steaming hot tomato soup and a pile of grilled cheese sandwiches.
"I'll be right there."
He hung up his jacket, then went to the kitchen and washed his hands before joining her at the table.
"We're going to have to leave after lunch," he announced.
"Why?"
"It's supposed to start snowing again in a few hours and not stop for several days."
"That's not good," she frowned.
He shook his head as he took a bite of his sandwich. "If we don't get out before it starts, we may not be able to leave for a week or more."
She starts to fret. "But the snow is already deep on the road, how are we going to get out?"
"I already called Tom, he owns the gas station and tow company in the town about three miles from here. He's coming out to plow the road," he explained. "The main road has been plowed and salted by the county, so it's drivable."
"Do I have to leave Esther here," she asked.
Dave looked up at her and took in her wide, tear filled eyes. He reached over and put his hand on hers.
He smiled at her reassuringly. "Once Tom plows the road, it will be safer to drive. You can drive Esther and I will follow you. Okay?"
She looks around the cabin and sniffles. "I was starting to like it here."
"We'll be back," he promised.
"We're going to need a bigger cabin for all our kids," she tells him.
He smiles. "We have six acres of land here to build on. It'll be fun to design something ourselves. When I bought the property, the cabin was already here. I thought about tearing it down and building something else, but this has always suited my needs."
"Let's not tear it down," Penelope requested. "It could be a guest house or something."
Dave paused. "We're going to have guests here?"
She beamed at him. "Of course, we are."
He laughed and nodded. "Of course."
They finish their meal and clean up the dishes. "Go put your bag together, I'll pack up the food."
"Do you want me to pack your bag too?"
He shakes his head. "All my clothes and toiletries stay here. I just need my laptop bag."
"You don't take your clothes home to wash?"
"There's a washing machine in the garage," he tells her.
"I really should have looked closer at that garage," she muttered.
Thirty minutes later, they were ready to go. Tom had plowed the road, he and Dave exchanged pleasantries before the man had to go. Dave shut off the generator and pulled Esther out of the garage and to the front. He left her running as he loaded Penelope's bag in the trunk. He started his SUV as well and loaded all the food boxes in the back.
Mudgie ran around in the snow, sniffing and peeing on things. Dave snuffed out the fire in the fireplace, removing the ashes and coals he took them out back and dumped them in the firepit, covered in snow. The coals hissed as they landed. Steam rose from the interaction.
He headed back inside, locking the backdoor as he went.
"I hung your wet shirt in the bathtub," Penelope stated. "Or do you want to take it with us?"
"It'll be fine," he said with a shake of his head. He noted the boots on her feet. "Stealing my boots?"
She grinned. "It was this or heels. I have a pair of your socks too."
He grinned back. "Okay. We're going shoe shopping when we get home."
She bounced excitedly. "You are the Prince of my dreams. What woman doesn't want her man to take her shoe shopping?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "You do know I meant we were shopping for boots, right?"
"Of course." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter what type of foot apparel."
He snorted. "We're going to get you some winter wear as well. Outdoor clothes."
"Ooh, can I have my own flannel?"
"One in every color," he smiled. He kissed her quickly. "Are you ready?"
She nodded. "I think so."
"We'll be fine. Just drive slowly up the road," he said.
They exited the cabin, Dave making certain it was locked up tight, and trudged to their cars. He whistled for Mudgie, whom came running out of the woods to jump into the SUV. Penelope climbed behind the wheel of Esther, put on her seatbelt, took a deep breath, and put the car into drive. She slowly eased onto the road and headed for the main road. A glance in the mirror assured her that Dave was right behind her.
Three hours later, they parked in front of Penelope's apartment building. The snow was falling lightly in the area, about four inches had accumulated. Dave grabbed Penelope's bag from the trunk and carried it up to her apartment. Mudgie followed along behind them.
They entered her apartment. Penelope flipped on the lights and stopped in the middle of the room. Dave put her bag down by the door as Mudgie sniffed around.
"You okay," Dave asked softly. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.
She leaned back into his embrace. "I'm fine. I just… I don't really want to be here."
"No?"
She shook her head and turned around to face him. "I feel kind of like I don't belong here anymore. Like this is my past and it's not where I should be."
"Where should you be, Kitten?"
"With you."
He held her gaze. "Are you saying you want to come home with me?"
She grinned wryly. "We are getting married and having kids."
"True," he agreed. "We aren't moving too fast, are we?"
"Are we," she shot back at him.
"If I could find a justice of the peace, I'd marry you this afternoon," he told her.
She snorted. She slid her arms around his neck. "It's Saturday, we might piss him off and he'd throw us in jail. Besides, we need a ring and a marriage certificate."
"I suppose we could go ring shopping," he mused.
"And I need new shoes," she reminded him.
He nodded. "You know, at some point, we're going to have to tell our friends."
"Yeah, I was thinking about that," she replied.
"And? You have a plan?"
"I say we do the band-aid method."
He frowned. "I'm listening."
"We have them all over for dinner and while they are drinking your expensive wine, we tell them."
"Just like that?"
She nods.
"Somehow, I have a feeling that it won't be a surprise," Dave said.
"Only one way to find out," she replied.
He nods. "Okay, let's go to my place and figure out what we're making for dinner. You can text the team on the drive over."
He kisses her. She moans and pulls him closer.
"We don't have to leave immediately, do we," she asked as she begins to unbutton his shirt.
"I think we can spare a few minutes," he murmurs. He leans over and sucks on her neck as her hands pull his shirt out of his pants.
Her hands slide under his shirt and caress his lower back. He moans and begins to pull her towards the bedroom.
"Penelope?" A voice calls through the door to the hallway. The rap of knuckles sound on the thick hardwood.
Mudgie leaps to the door and starts barking. There a pause in the knocking before it begins again.
"Mudgie! Here," Dave orders. The obedient dog stops barking and runs to his master's side as Penelope moves to the door.
She puts her hand on the doorknob and glances back at Dave. A smirk forms on her face. "You might want to tuck your shirt in," she says lowly.
He quickly tucks his shirt in and sits on the couch. Mudgie leans against his leg.
