Out of the Storm

The cold pierced his coat and worked right into his skin, enveloping his bones. Jay Archer had been a Park Ranger for fifteen years, but he had never been more miserable. The rain didn’t fall in drops. It came down in sheets and layers. The tiny poncho and his damned hat did nothing to protect him, and the mud sucked hungrily at his boots. Each sloppy step threatened injury, and he grasped with futility at the sharp branches and rough trunks, trying to keep his balance. Jay tried to comfort himself with promises of a hot shower, hot coffee laced with strong whiskey, a hot bed, and maybe, a warm body if he could find one. But his body wasn’t fooled. His flesh couldn’t be placated with empty promises, and right at that moment, he couldn’t quite believe anything warm existed anywhere. He would have just trudged back to his truck, but there was still one more cabin to evacuate before the road was closed. Two guests, according to the manifest he had been given. Of course, they had to rent the cabin farthest from the access road. He nearly ran into the door before he realized he’d even reached the cabin. Visibility was low, but he doubted the guests had a power four-wheel drive. He’d have to lead them back to his truck. Balling his hand up into a fist, he pounded on the door. Something scraped across the floor. “I don’t care if you’re on your knees!” a man called out. “Go away!” What the f**k? “I’m up to my knees in mud, sir!” Jay shouted over the rain. Now that he was paying attention, he heard the faint sound of music, a low throb that would have made the glass vibrate in the windows if the storm wasn’t doing it for them already. He waited with his head bent against the wind. It took far too long for the doorknob to finally turn. It only opened a crack. Through the opening, a pair of dark brown eyes peered up at him, framed with thick lashes. “You’re not Austin.” “No, sir. I’m Ranger Archer. There’s a flash flood warning and we’re evacuating the area.” The man’s gaze flickered over Jay’s shoulder, and he opened the door a little wider in order to see the ravaged trees surrounding the cabin. There was something familiar about him, something Jay couldn’t quite put his finger on. Smaller and more lithe than Jay, he wore a rumpled white dress shirt with an elegant monogram stitched over the breast. His black hair was cut short, sharpening his cheekbones and jaw, and it made his Eastern features even more hypnotic. Pretty, Jay would have called him, if he wasn’t standing in the middle of the storm of the century and the man wasn’t dragging his feet to get out of the cabin. “It’s just a little rain.” The man laughed, though there was nothing amused in the sound. “Trust me. I know about rain.” A little rain? It was easy for this guy to say that. He still stood inside his perfectly dry cabin. He didn’t have the cold water hitting him in the face and soaking his clothes. “Well, I know about what happens to dirt roads during a flash flood.” Jay didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in his voice. “Please get your coat, sir. We need to get down to my truck.” He recognized the stubborn set of his jaw before the man uttered a word. “I don’t think so. I paid for the whole weekend. This is going to break up before the morning and the roads will be fine by Monday.” Jay would have left him. What did he care if some i***t from the city got caught in a flash flood? Maybe he would get really lucky and there would be a mudslide, too. Unfortunately, the park would be liable for any idiots they left on the mountain. “The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning. We need to get down the mountain. Now.” “Those pansies panic every time we get more than an inch. This is April. It’s supposed to rain.” He started to close the door. “Thanks, but no thanks, Ranger Archer.” Jay was so surprised by the other man’s response, he didn’t think to stop the door before it slammed in his face. “Yeah, well, f**k you, too, buddy.” He’d just radio in and let them know there was still at least one person who refused to leave. Before he had the chance to grab his radio, it cackled to life. “Archer…” The static cut through. “Archer…are you there?” His fingers were so numb he could barely grasp the small radio. “I’m here.” “Road…out.” “What?” “Archer?” “I’m here! What did you say?” “Road…impassable. Can you…cabin?” “Can I what?” “Find…cabin. Hunker down. We’ll get you…as soon as we can.” Fuck. Jay wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve this, but it must have been pretty bad. Maybe he blew up a busload of nuns in a previous life. “Archer…there?” “I’m here! I heard you. I’m at a cabin now. Over and out.” With a sigh, Jay pounded on the door again. The man was quicker to answer this time, though he kept the opening narrower than before. “I already told you, I’m not going.” Jay pushed the door open without warning, forcing the other man back. He didn’t care if it was rude. He didn’t care if he was invading somebody’s privacy. He felt brittle. “No, and now neither am I. The road has already flooded.” He’d been in the cabins hundreds of times. They all had the same layout, the same cookie cutter décor. A huge stone fireplace overwhelmed the far wall, with the solid furniture littered around the single large room. A ladder led up to the loft that served as a bedroom. What made this one stand out was the boom box plugged into the wall, blasting the music he’d heard outside, and the blanket spread out in the middle of the floor. It had clearly been made up to be a makeshift bed of some sort, but it was the handcuffs and rope lying discarded off to the side that made Jay pause on the periphery of the living room. The man followed Jay’s line of sight and actually blushed. “You don’t need to stay here, do you?” He darted in front of him, trying to block Jay’s view. “There’s got to be other cabins you can take refuge in.” “No. I’m not sure where you’re from, but where I come from, that’s not a little bit of rain.” Jay took his hat off and hung it on the hook beside the door. He ran his hand through his hair, confirming that the hat hadn’t actually done anything and his head was dripping with water. “The nearest cabin is almost a mile away, and I’m not going back out there.” His host looked less than pleased, but after a moment, his shoulders sloped. “Let me pick some of this stuff up and get it out of your way then. Hang on.” Jay peeled the raincoat from his shoulders and shivered. “I just need a hot shower. And coffee.” He looked up, meeting the man’s eyes hopefully. “You wouldn’t have any whiskey or rum around here, would you?” “I have wine.” The man glanced back from where he was tossing all the accoutrements onto the middle of the blanket. “What did you say your name was again?” “Jay Archer. What about clothes?” The cabins did not come equipped with a washer and dryer, and he was not going to take a hot shower just to crawl back into his wet and cold garments. “Where’s the other guy who is supposed to be here? Maybe I can borrow something of his.” The other man turned his face away, wadding the blanket into a ball in order to scoop it up. “He’s gone. We’ll have to hang your stuff up to dry it out.” Jay frowned, thinking of a man caught out in the storm. “When did he leave?” “As soon as he feasibly could,” the man muttered. Jay wasn’t sure it was meant for his ears, especially when the man straightened and said in a clearer voice, “As soon as it started to rain. I’m sure he’s long gone by now.” “Well, that’s something, I suppose.” Jay’s feet squelched in his boots, and he wiggled his toes against his drenched socks. Now that he was starting to thaw, he was beginning to understand. Weekend getaway gone horribly wrong. Maybe he could cut this guy some slack. If he was willing to share the wine. And whatever food he might have. “What’s your name?” For a moment, the man faltered. His intelligent gaze narrowed as it regarded Jay, assessing him for several seconds before he finally replied. “Nick Lau.” “Good to meet you, Nick. Look…” He worked his boots off and left them to dry by the door. “This probably isn’t exactly what you had planned for your vacation. I get that. I’ll stay out of your way. I’m just interested in getting warm and getting dry.” “How long do you think you’ll be stuck here?” “You know so much about the storm. You tell me.” Nick’s eyes strayed to the window, but the hard set of his jaw spoke volumes. “Apparently, the only thing I’m an expert on is how to mess things up. If you want to help yourself to the shower, I’ll get you a couple towels and dig up a sheet you can wear until your clothes are dry. I’ll just leave everything on the toilet.” He didn’t look back as he dumped the blanket and its contents in the corner of the room and climbed up the ladder. Jay watched him disappear, then shrugged. He appreciated that Nick probably just wanted some time to lick his wounds. The storm outside couldn’t be worse than whatever happened in that cabin earlier that morning. But that didn’t change the fact he needed the shelter. The shower was big enough to fit two comfortably. It was next to, but apart from, the hot tub each cabin boasted. A bathroom truly designed for a romantic, weekend retreat. A part of Jay wanted to relax in the tub, but he didn’t think he should indulge himself. That would be for later. When he made it back to his own home. He didn’t know how it was possible, but he felt colder once he stripped off his wet clothes. Was it possible to get hypothermia in a rainstorm? He couldn’t remember anybody mentioning that specifically, but then, he couldn’t remember a rainstorm like this. Jay sighed as he stepped into the hot spray, his skin tingling back to life. It hurt, but it felt good, too, as the feeling returned to his hands and feet. He thought he heard the bathroom door open and close, but he ignored it and focused on scrubbing the mud away. He stepped out to a wall of steam and two fluffy navy towels sitting exactly where Nick had said they would be. The friction from the terrycloth helped his blood circulate even more, but Jay frowned when he saw the sheet that had been left as well. He wasn’t going to wear a f*****g toga. The other towel did just fine, and he wrapped it around his waist, intent on getting a blanket to put around his shoulders as he sat in front of the fire. Jay walked out of the bathroom to quiet. The boom box was off, and the only evidence that he’d walked in on anything untoward at all was the wadded up pile in the corner of the room. Nick stood in front of the small stove in the area that served as a kitchen, steam rising from something in front of him. He glanced back when Jay emerged. “I’ve got some pasta I was going to have for supper if you’re hungry,” he said. “Rotini and peas in a garlic olive oil with feta cheese on top. If you’re interested.” Jay would have been happy with a steak. Or, barring that, a thick sandwich. But the pasta sounded good, too. Even if he wasn’t sure he liked feta cheese. “Thanks. I’m starving.” He snagged a blanket from the couch and settled on the chair closest to the fire. The silence was thick between them, and Jay shifted uncomfortably. “So. Can you believe this weather?” Nick snorted. “No. I can’t. I’m never going to hear the end of it on Monday.” “Are you supposed to control the rain?” “No. I’m supposed to predict it.” He glanced back, his fine brows drawn into a line. “You don’t know who I am?” Jay’s forehead furrowed, and he studied Nick’s features. “You look a little familiar to me. You’re on channel four, right? I don’t watch a lot of television.” “Yeah, channel four.” Nick crossed to the small refrigerator and took out a covered container. “I do the weather. Do you like Italian sausage?” Jay perked up at the mention of meat. “Yeah. I do. So I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad that this storm caught me flat-footed, too, huh?” Opening the microwave, Nick set the sausages inside and set the timer. “Nobody predicted this storm. Which apparently is my fault, too.” As soon as the words slipped out of his mouth, he glanced back, guilt darkening his face. “Sorry. It’s just been a really bad day.” Jay looked out the window. He didn’t think it should be possible, but he was certain it was raining harder. Forget flooded, would there even be a road left when the storm finally passed through? The thought made him uneasy, like the storm was threatening to do more than wipe out the road. Would there be any sign of man left on the mountain at all? “I guess today isn’t going like anybody expected. Maybe booze could do you some good, too.” “Oh, you said you wanted some. Right.” He bustled around, gathering wineglasses, pulling a corkscrew out of a small basket Jay hadn’t noticed. It probably made him feel better to keep busy, Jay thought. But hell, he wasn’t going to argue if the man wanted to be hospitable. Nick brought him a glass of red wine, then went back to the kitchen to dish out food. In spite of his uncertainty about whether or not he was going to like it, the pasta did smell good, the scent of garlic making his mouth water by the time Nick brought him a plate. “I’ve got some ice cream for dessert,” he said. “Except, I guess you want to stay away from the cold food, huh?” “I probably should. But I’ve never been the sort to turn down free ice cream. Speaking of ice, I hope the rain doesn’t turn to snow at this elevation. If it gets cold enough, your pipes will freeze.” “Well, you’re a half-empty kind of guy, aren’t you?” Nick didn’t wait for a response as he curled up with his wine in front of the fireplace. “I’d say it won’t get that cold, but I’ve been wrong about everything else today, so better not press my luck.” The wine warmed the back of his throat and sent heat through his limbs. It felt good. Good enough to know that he probably wasn’t going to stop drinking until the bottle was empty. Or bottles. “It’s hard not to be a half-empty kind of guy after the morning I had. About thirty square miles full of campers, weekend warriors, and hikers. And every single one of them thought they knew better than me about what was safe.” “Including me.” Sighing, Nick downed the rest of his glass and reached for the bottle. “Since you’re stuck with me now, who’s going to get the rest of them out?” “They’re all safe now. I started at the bottom and worked my way up to the top.” Jay looked around. “But there are definitely worse places to be stuck during a storm. Places that don’t have good wine. Or company.” The corner of Nick’s mouth lifted in a small smile, and he stared into his glass, watching the patterns left when he swirled its contents. “I’m not very good company and we both know it. I’m just trying to make up for it by feeding you and getting you drunk. Maybe you won’t remember all my mopey behavior in the morning, then.” Jay returned his smile. “Do you plan on being mopey for the rest of the night?” “Oh, no. I plan on being drunk, too.” “So like I said.” Jay raised his glass in a small salute. He was curious about what happened to Nick, but he didn’t want to pry into the man’s life. It wasn’t any of his business. “Good company. Besides, is there anything else to do around here other than get drunk?” He caught the flicker of Nick’s eyes in the direction of the cuffs and rope he’d hidden in the corner. “Nope,” Nick said, popping the final sound. The second glass disappeared, and he rose to his feet, weaving only slightly as he headed for the kitchen. “Which makes it a very good thing I have lots of wine.” “Good. I was hoping you had more than one bottle floating around here.” Jay licked his lips. He wanted to keep the conversation rolling, even if it was superficial and not much more than small talk. They were going to be stuck with each other for at least the night. “You been up here before?” “No, first time. It was supposed to be a special treat. A time for me and Austin to reconnect.” Nick snorted. “But I guess you can see how that turned out.” “Yeah,” Jay said softly. “I guess I can.” It seemed like this was as good a place as any to connect with somebody, or reconnect. No distractions. Nothing but solitude, privacy, and each other. He felt a twinge in his chest, but it wasn’t for Nick’s lost chance. It was lonely on the mountain, too. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ve done a good job.” His low tone drew Nick’s attention, drew his feet back to the fire, though this time when he curled up in front of the hearth, he faced Jay rather than the flames. “You probably see a lot of that kind of thing up here,” he said, pouring wine into his glass from the fresh bottle he’d brought with him. “Couples, I mean. Not blowouts like me and Austin.” “Oh, yeah. These cabins are popular spots for couples. You’d probably be amazed at some of the things I’ve seen up here.” “Like what?” “If I had a dime for every time I’ve found somebody locked outside their cabin, butt-naked and shivering, I’d be rich. And if I had a dollar for every time we got an emergency call at the station for medical help because somebody has a vicious case of poison oak in their unmentionable areas, I could retire comfortably.” For the first time since he’d opened the door, Nick smiled. It completely changed his face, and in that moment, Jay could see exactly why he was in front of the camera. He really was an attractive guy. It wasn’t his fault he’d been dumped earlier that day. “The kind of job you do for the love of it, huh?” “I am here for the love of it. My parents used to bring me up here every summer. It always seemed like a second home to me. I always wanted to have an excuse to make it my first home. Dealing with people is a necessary evil, unfortunately.” “No, people are evil. Especially ex-boyfriends.” Jay refilled his glass. “You don’t believe that, do you?” “I do,” Nick said vehemently. “Austin knew I was planning something special for us this weekend. We’ve been looking forward to it for months, because we haven’t had any time for just the two of us since before Christmas. And he waited until we were already here, and I had everything unpacked before he said a word about breaking up.” He gestured helplessly toward the boom box. “I even brought that awful music he loves so much. Just for him. But did he care? No.” He downed the rest of his wine, smacking his lips a little when it was gone. “Because he’s an asshole.” Jay remained motionless through Nick’s diatribe. He was sorry for the other man, but he kind of liked it, too. He liked the way his eyes lit up and his face reddened and he looked like he was something other than empty. “Okay. I’d agree that your ex-boyfriend is probably evil. But I don’t think that applies to all people.” “Oh, yes, it does. Look at me. I slammed the door on your face when you were just doing your job. Evil.” “Nah, that’s not evil. Now, if you had shot me or thrown a knife at my head instead of just slamming the door, that would be evil. I say what you did was understandable.” Lowering his lashes, Nick fixated on his empty glass. Looking down like that made his already delicate features even prettier. “I usually let everybody walk all over me. Like Austin. Like my boss. I’m sorry I tried to assert my independence with you.” “You did a good job of standing up for yourself. I wish you had picked a different time, but you can consider it practice. Next time somebody tries to walk all over you, just remember today.” Jay leaned forward. “Besides, you did me a favor.” Nick looked up. “How? You’re stuck here with me now.” “Because I am stuck here with you. Instead of stuck outside in a flood with no road to follow.” His eyes looked huge, almost luminous as he stared at Jay. He ran his tongue nervously over his lower lip, and the odd vulnerability relaxed Jay even further. “Is somebody going to be worried about you?” Nick asked. “No. Everybody at the station knows I was near a cabin, and there’s nobody else who’d care.” Jay sipped at his wine and realized he was now at least two glasses behind Nick. “I’ll have to be sure to check in on the radio again soon, though.” “I’d give you my cell, but there’s no reception out here.” Sighing, Nick reached for the wine bottle. “Something else Austin was complaining about. God, I just want to forget this entire day happened.” Jay watched him pour, watched him drink, watched him pour again. Getting completely s**t-faced with Nick during what amounted to a natural disaster would be a bad decision. He sipped at his own glass and resolved not to refill it. “It looks like you’re well on your way. I’ve been known to forget whole weeks after consuming a bottle or two of wine.” “I never do this. I can’t. Too public.” Nick laughed. “Not to mention Austin would have a fit. ‘Think of your career, Nick.’ Or my personal favorite, ‘Do you know how much alcohol ages your skin?’“ He held out his hands, turning them over to look at both the backs and the palms. “I think he’s full of shit.” “I think you’re probably right.” Jay adjusted the blanket over his shoulders, pulling it tighter. “f**k that guy. He sounds like a t**t. This is your weekend away from the world. Take advantage of it any way you like.” “Twat.” Nick grew thoughtful, repeating the word several times as if trying it on for size. “I like that. That’s exactly what he is. A very pretty, well-hung t**t, but a t**t, nonetheless.” “Sounds like it. I mean, I have nothing against pretty and well-hung guys, but that can only go so far. You’re better off without him.” “I am. We should toast to that.” Jay nodded and held up his glass. “To a better life without that twat.” “Without any twat.” Nick giggled before knocking back the remainder of his wine. “Sometimes, I think my life would be much simpler if I didn’t love c**k so much. At least women will talk about their feelings, right?” “Um…yeah. Usually women like to talk about their feelings quite a bit. But look, not all guys are…” Jay stopped himself from using Nick’s new favorite epithet. “Not all guys are like your ex. And women bring a whole new mess of problems to a relationship. Trust me.” “Is that why you’re alone?” Turning doe eyes to Jay, Nick scooted along the floor until he sat at Jay’s feet. “Take my word for it, though. You won’t be for long. This whole mountain man look you have really works for you.” Jay made sure his towel was still down over his knees. Not out of a sense of false modesty or because Nick’s compliment made him uncomfortable. He just didn’t want the drunk man to forget his better judgment. “Well, thanks. But not too many people, male or female, are willing to share me with the mountain.” “Their loss, then. Because it’s a fabulous mountain. Even when it’s pouring rain.” Nick surprised him by setting his glass down and rising to his feet. He weaved a little as he crossed to the window, then leaned his forehead against it as he stared out into the storm. “Stupid storm,” he muttered. “It’s all the rain’s fault.” Jay hesitated for a moment, then stood and joined Nick at the window. He didn’t touch him. He tried not to invade his personal space at all, though he stood close enough to watch the water flow down the glass. “What did the rain do?” “I think it was the straw. The one that finally broke Austin and me. Maybe if it hadn’t rained…” Jay found he was scraping the bottom of comforting things to say to drunk strangers. He felt sorry for Nick. He knew what it was like to be on the wrong end of a break-up. But he had encouraged drinking. He had encouraged swearing. He had even made a toast. But then, people in Nick’s condition were rarely rational. “Maybe if it hadn’t rained…you’d be f*****g him right now and the rain would come next weekend.” “Maybe.” He drew a tiny heart with a myriad of holes puncturing it in the condensation his breath created on the glass. His fingers were long and slim, his nails polished and immaculate. Jay got the impression he probably was like that all over. His type always was. “You know, it doesn’t really look that bad out there.” To Jay’s eyes, it looked worse. He wondered what Nick was seeing. He was a weatherman, after all. Wasn’t he supposed to be smarter than this? “No, actually, it looks pretty bad. We’re lucky we’ve got this nice cabin and we’re not stuck out there in the middle of it.” “Because we’d get a little wet?” Nick scoffed and stepped away from the window. “You’re the mountain man. You’re supposed to be made of stronger stuff than that. I’ll bet I could even drive home in this, no problems.” “I’m sure you’re an excellent driver.” Jay didn’t like the way Nick’s eyes kept darting to the door. He obviously was not thinking clearly. “But you’re going to need a four-wheel drive and a road to get off this mountain. You have neither of those things.” “Four-wheel drives are for pansies. Pansies and twats.” He grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open. A gust of wind knocked over his wineglass near the hearth. “I’m neither one nor the other, ergo I shall be perfectly safe.” On his final declaration, Nick marched out into the storm, not bothering to shut the door behind him. He may not have been a pansy or a t**t, but Jay was beginning to suspect he was a fool. He hesitated for a second, a part of him expecting Nick to spin on his heel and come back as soon as the cold rain rolled down his neck. But Nick just kept marching forward, like he didn’t even feel it. When he got caught in the rushing river that used to be the road, however, he would definitely feel it. Jay knew he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t even bother with his boots. He rushed out the open door, chasing after Nick. It was hard to make out details in the darkness. The driving rain kept blinding him, forcing Jay to wipe continually at his eyes. Only the fact that he knew this mountain better than a lover kept his feet steady. He raced forward, focused on Nick’s slight form. The man’s shirt was plastered to his back, his trousers molded over his tight ass, but not even that seemed enough to deter him. He barely hesitated when he broke free of the faint illumination spilling through the open front door. He only stopped when Jay grabbed his arm and yanked him to a halt. “What’re you doing?” Nick struggled against his grip, but he was no match for Jay’s strength. “If you’re worried about my car, we’ll just take yours. You’ve got a truck, right?” “Why are you in such a hurry?” Jay resisted the urge to shake the other man. “Where do you think you need to go?” The determination in his face faded, and his gaze flickered past him to the cabin. “I can’t stay there. It was supposed to be for me and Austin. I look at it, and I think of him telling me he hasn’t loved me in months.” Nick looked like a drowned cat. He was already shivering, and the rain on his face could have been tears for as miserable as his eyes were. Jay sought his mind for anything comforting to say, but the fact was, he didn’t know Nick. He didn’t know Austin. All he knew was that he was half-naked, standing in the rain, holding a man who needed something besides wine and words. “Come back inside with me. Please.” “I can’t.” He shook his head to emphasize his point. “Are you sure your truck won’t make it? I’ll pay you. Whatever you want. Name your price.” “Nick, I can’t…” Nick lifted his lashes and Jay realized he had never seen anybody look so…bereft. As though Jay had just condemned him with nothing more than a thoughtless word or a casual gesture. He yanked Nick forward against his naked chest and waited for Nick to pull away. But he didn’t. He just blinked the water out of his eyes and stared at Jay expectantly. Like he expected Jay to seriously name a price to risk his neck and his truck to get down the road. Jay moved without further thought, pressing his lips against Nick’s. His mouth was cold and warm, sweet and bitter. He cupped the back of Nick’s head, holding him in place as he moved his lips.