Turn to Me: Chapter 10
Rhett contemplated the dwindling pile of firewood next to the stove. At the rate they were burning it, it wasn’t likely to last through the night. He remembered seeing wood stacked under a tarp to the side of the driveway when they arrived the previous day. He put on his coat, grabbed the axe from the closet, and went to where Link slumped on the couch. “We need more firewood,” he said as the other man looked up. “I’m gonna go chop some.”Link raised a brow. “You sure you remember how to do that?”
Rhett hefted the axe. “Sure. It hasn’t been that long. If you could come with me and make sure I don’t lop off a finger, and maybe carry the wood inside, I’d appreciate it.”
Link heaved himself to his feet and pulled his jacket back on. He shoved a knit cap low on his head as he followed Rhett out the door.
Rhett had to shovel a path to the wood pile and then uncover the chopping block. The conditions were not the best for splitting logs for the first time in years, but it was necessary if they wanted to not freeze that night. After a few unsuccessful whacks at the first log, he eventually got into the rhythm of it. Link gathered the wood and brought it inside every time he had enough for an armful. Rhett found himself enjoying the physical labor, feeling like he was accomplishing something instead of just sitting and waiting for rescue. His head felt clear in the crisp air. Link also seemed cheered by it, cracking jokes about Rhett’s lumberjack physiqueEventually they had enough wood for at least two days by Rhett’s judgment, and they wearily trudged back inside. They hung their wet coats near the stove and took off their boots. Rhett realized he was uncomfortably warm and his shirt was soaked through with sweat, so he pulled it off and hung it by his coat. He turned to see Link regarding him with a curious expression.
Rhett shrugged, trying not to feel overly conscious of his shirtlessness. “I’m hot.”
Link laughed. “Well, I’m hotter.” He pulled his shirt off over his head and hung it up as well. Rhett noticed a faint sheen of sweat across Link’s hairless torso. His slim muscles caught the flickering glow from the woodstove.
Link turned and saw Rhett looking at him. His own eyes traveled over Rhett’s chest and down. “I still can’t get over how weird we look,” he said. “Like dolls. It needs to hurry up and grow back.”
Rhett wasn’t sure about that. He had been spending more time appreciating himself in the mirror lately. Link looked good, too. More boyish, certainly, but not in an unattractive way. Rhett blinked at the thought. Was the cabin fever starting already? He laughed, a little nervously. “Yeah, a little hair might have helped us stay warm here.”
Link went to the counter and pawed through the bags of groceries. He pulled out a can of chicken soup and held it up. “I’m gonna heat this up, do you want any?”
“Sure, thanks.”
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