Winter was lingering here on the mount, we'd had rain two days earlier and a freak thaw and this morning, the air reeked of snow. I lay in my bed in my little shack, the smell of breakfast coming through the walls on the smoke from the house. For a moment, I simply wanted to go back to sleep, but I had work to do today, traps to check and trails to walk. I heaved myself out of bed and slipped out of my sleep shirt in one motion, facing the cold as bravely as I could. Last night, I'd barely made it under the covers, I wasn't about to spend the day without washing some of the mountain off of me.
The water was so cold it seemed to make my skin steam in the early morning light, my nipples hardening until they ached, making me think of all the things I could be doing to myself back under those warm covers if only I had the time. It would have to wait, but I was nineteen, my mind was only on one thing most of the time. I'd even spent awhile pouring over the family Bible, searching; almost every man or boy on this mount was related to me in more than three ways. So, I was left with my own fingers and fantasies of people I'd never even seen.
As I dried off, I looked myself over in the mirror, nodding at the futility of it all. I was tall and thin, just enough curves that people tended to figure out I wasn't a boy, but not enough that the boys that looked at me immediately thought of me as a girl. I braided my black hair to tuck it inside my hat, then slid myself inside of my jeans, pulling on three shirts and a sweater. Looking in the mirror another time, I snorted in disgust; who cared if I was a girl when I looked like this all the time? Shoving my old cowboy hat firmer on my head, I headed inside for some breakfast, then out to the mount to check out my traps.
I'd been out for awhile and I was working on the last trap for the day when I heard it. Around here, there weren't many cars, so the ones that came you noticed. This one was even more obvious as its tires spun on nothing and it all ended with the sound of crunching metal. I grabbed the last rabbit and tossed it up and over my shoulder, headed as fast as possible towards the sounds and soft smell of spilt gasoline.
Whatever kind of car it was, it had been pretty, but now, wrapped about a tree and hanging half in a ditch, it wasn't anything but junk. Someone was moving, however, and as I dropped the rabbits and grabbed the door handle, I could see a dazed looking woman trying to free herself.
Now, I may be skinny, but I'm stronger than a mule, and with a few tugs I had that door hanging open and I was trying to get her out. The engine was still going and the key was broke off in the ignition, if that gas caught up this woman wasn't going to much more than the biggest variety of road kill I had ever seen. Up here, we may not be altogether fond of strangers, but we don't tend to wish them dead. She was fighting with her seat belt, which had probably saved her life, and I didn't see it giving up anytime soon. I think I was cursing up a storm, the smell of gasoline getting stronger as the first few flakes started to fall, and I snagged my knife and just cut through that damn belt. She grabbed me so tight, I thought my face would start to turn blue, and I pulled her out, dragging her more than anything else.
The hood was already popped open and I reached in and started tearing away, grabbing any cables or hoses I could find. I didn't know a gas line from a brake line, hell, I didn't even know the gas pedal from the break pedal, but something I ripped at worked and the engine finally died. I grabbed my hat from the ground and settled it tighter on my head, turning back to the woman, giving her a look over. Her long blond hair was in her eyes as she gasped for breath, her body wrapped into a knot as she sat on the ground, showing her curves underneath her shirt and short skirt. Then she looked up at me, bright blue eyes locking with my brown ones, looking desperate. The snow was falling harder, we were a good five miles from the house, twenty from town. I'd brought home raccoons, squirrels, even a bear cub once, I don't think I'd ever brought home a stray city girl.
Everyone looked at me in shock as I was blown through the door, snow whirling about my feet. I'd had to carry her the last mile and, shaking and shivering, I dropped her finally on the couch to settle with a bounce along with the rabbits she'd been holding for me. She hadn't been real hurt, but she'd been wearing heels and stockings, the walk had proved too much for her.
"Car wreck just as the storm started." I didn't recognize my own voice, my teeth were chattering so hard and I would've ended up on the floor from the exhaustion if Uncle Ed hadn't sprung into action and caught me on the way down.
Rose took over after that, getting blankets wrapped about us, coffee cooled with cream thrust into our hands. I just let myself sink into being taken care of, mom's lips white with nervousness as she rubbed my hands and feet, ignoring all that happened around me. It wasn't until Rose started talking to me that I tuned back into the world.
"Copper, Copper you listen up," I lifted my head and looked at her finally, her hands stroking my black hair out of my face, "Ed's gone and gotten your shack warmed up, but you're gonna have to share it. No one's going anywhere tonight at least and we ain't got a bed for Rebecca here."
Looking over at Rebecca, I could see someone had loaned her some boots for her feet and she was wrapped up tight in a bunch of blankets, waiting for me. With a shrug, I finished my coffee and headed on over, leading her out the door. It hit me as we followed the clothesline through the storm that I hadn't spoken one word to this woman and here I was, spending the night in the same bed as her.
