Christmas at the Cabin | ONC 2023 (Complete)

Ten | Are You Sure?

Bee must bug me about what I'm going to do at least six times as I write our incident reports, fill out supply requests, and put my overtime into the system.

Almost three hours after we arrived back at Cliffside Lodge, I have my work done and Bee's shift is almost up, so we close the shop together, locking the door and turning out the lights.

What feels like forever later, we make it to my truck, which is buried under at least a foot of snow and not plugged in. She's a rugged beauty but even she's not cold starting in this weather.

I'm so tired that all I can do is just stare at her, holding my keys in my hand and wondering what I did to deserve such an awful day.

"We could just take the snowmobile," Bee suggests. "Or we could plug it in and wait a few more hours."

"Or we could walk. Why didn't you remind me to plug her in when we got back?"

She pulls her hand to her chest. "Me? Why didn't I remember to do something? You're going to ask me that for real?"

"Fine. I know."

"You're the one who usually remembers these things."

"I know. But it slipped my mind. I don't know what got into me."

"Really?" I can't even see her face right now and if you asked me to describe it to a sketch artist, I'm pretty sure I'd be spot on.

"Don't say it."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She pauses. "So, what's the verdict?"

It's nearing supper time and I'm hungry, even if our anticipated meal is only half a pack of ramen. "Snowmobile," I declare. "I'm hungry."

"That's the spirit," she claps. "We'll come back for Bessie here tomorrow or the next day."

"Her name is not Bessie," I argue, following Bee to the snowmobile and hopping on the back.

"'To be determined', then," Bee says, kicking the machine to life.

I don't have the energy for this right now. "Just drive."

"I can do that," she says, pulling out of the parking lot and circling around back to the paths we can use to get back to our place.

I can't see well through the trees and the darkened visor of the helmet she gives me, so it takes longer than it should for me to realize we aren't going down toward town, but up toward...

"Bee, no," I shout over the engine. "Turn this around and take me home."

"Can't do that. We're going to a feast."

"I'm not going."

"You would deprive me of dinner just to avoid seeing a guy? Maybe I want the dad, hmm? What would you say then?"

"I'd say go for it? I'm not going to stop you."

"You have to stay."

"Nope."

"You're going to drive this all the way down and then come back for me in the morning? You'd leave me up there alone with them all night? What if they're dangerous?"

"If you think they're dangerous, why are we going to meet them in a secluded cabin in the woods?"

"So you agree they aren't dangerous and it's perfectly safe to stay for dinner, then?"

I cannot contain my frustration, but my groan blends in with the engine noise and Bee doesn't even notice. She speeds up to take a corner, spraying snow onto the nearby fir tree.