like a ton of bricks. The animals within surged to the fore with such force that he had to throw himself back away from her to keep from acting on his impulses.
Cindy gasped and sat up to watch as RedKnife scrambled to his feet and hurried from the room.
Chapter 16
After a long cold shower and fully dressed, RedKnife sauntered into the living room to find Cindy still on the couch, watching television while she folded laundry on her lap. The newscaster’s weather report filtered in as background noise. “With an unpredicted thirty-nine inches of snow having fallen in the past few weeks, and no foreseeable end in sight, forecasters and meteorologists are scrambling to explain this sudden onslaught of the white stuff. Jim will have all the details after the break.”
When a sentimental Christmas commercial began to play she stopped folding to watch the screen, sadness flowing across her face. He stood quietly, observing her carefully as she watched the commercial with an almost haunted expression.
RedKnife watched as whimsical Christmas music filled the room and Cindy’s hazel eyes filled with sadness as she leaned forward in her seat. When the commercial ended, her shoulders slumped and she shook her head before grabbing the remote and flicking the TV off.
She didn’t look up as he entered and claimed a seat next to her.
His eyes went to the window and he silently watched the snow. The beauty that typically called to him suddenly didn’t. Surprisingly, he’d been so focused on her as of late that he hadn’t even noticed that his anxiety at being indoors was absent.
Watching as she worked quietly at folding laundry, he snatched up a towel to help. He tried to covertly watch her actions so he could mimic her folding, unwilling to admit that he just crammed the damn things into the cupboard and yanked the wrinkled items out as needed.
Christmas. His mind returned to the commercial and Cindy’s reaction to it. It mirrored his own sentiments. He knew what the holiday was, but he’d never really enjoyed the day, having never truly experienced society’s practices. Growing up with his Grandfather in the deserts of Arizona, the closest they’d come to exchanging gifts was sharing a can of blueberries or a fresh deer on Christmas morning before going their separate ways for the remainder of the day. Often, in his adult years, he’d seek out a small town and hunker down in coyote. He’d had real enjoyment watching the families as they’d rise early and exchange gifts around a brightly lit tree. It became a pleasant ritual, until one year bitter loneliness hit hard. It was the year he’d lost his grandfather. After that year, he’d spent every Christmas alone, hunting in the deepest parts of the Kaibab National forest. There was something soothing about spending the joyous day in a place that had never known a man’s footprint. In all honesty, he didn’t know what to do with the loneliness that plagued him. It took no time at all to realize he couldn’t outrun the emotion, and Christmas was an unpleasant reminder of the loss of his grandfather, and the fact that he was alone in the world.
Now, watching Cindy sober at the prospect of the upcoming holiday, he empathized. He couldn’t help but ask, “Not much into the holiday?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He stared at her and waited.
Letting out an exasperated breath, Cindy relented. “I work every Christmas.”
“Why?” he prodded. “What about your family?”
“My folks are gone.”
“Gone?”
“Gone.” She nodded grimly.
“And your brother?”
“The world-class fuck up?” She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t spend the day with him if you paid me.”
Warning bells went off in his head. “You said you were working so much to pay down his debt? If you don’t like him…”
Her eyes narrowed angrily. “I am busting my ass to pay down his debt, but I’m not doing it as a
Cindy gasped and sat up to watch as RedKnife scrambled to his feet and hurried from the room.
Chapter 16
After a long cold shower and fully dressed, RedKnife sauntered into the living room to find Cindy still on the couch, watching television while she folded laundry on her lap. The newscaster’s weather report filtered in as background noise. “With an unpredicted thirty-nine inches of snow having fallen in the past few weeks, and no foreseeable end in sight, forecasters and meteorologists are scrambling to explain this sudden onslaught of the white stuff. Jim will have all the details after the break.”
When a sentimental Christmas commercial began to play she stopped folding to watch the screen, sadness flowing across her face. He stood quietly, observing her carefully as she watched the commercial with an almost haunted expression.
RedKnife watched as whimsical Christmas music filled the room and Cindy’s hazel eyes filled with sadness as she leaned forward in her seat. When the commercial ended, her shoulders slumped and she shook her head before grabbing the remote and flicking the TV off.
She didn’t look up as he entered and claimed a seat next to her.
His eyes went to the window and he silently watched the snow. The beauty that typically called to him suddenly didn’t. Surprisingly, he’d been so focused on her as of late that he hadn’t even noticed that his anxiety at being indoors was absent.
Watching as she worked quietly at folding laundry, he snatched up a towel to help. He tried to covertly watch her actions so he could mimic her folding, unwilling to admit that he just crammed the damn things into the cupboard and yanked the wrinkled items out as needed.
Christmas. His mind returned to the commercial and Cindy’s reaction to it. It mirrored his own sentiments. He knew what the holiday was, but he’d never really enjoyed the day, having never truly experienced society’s practices. Growing up with his Grandfather in the deserts of Arizona, the closest they’d come to exchanging gifts was sharing a can of blueberries or a fresh deer on Christmas morning before going their separate ways for the remainder of the day. Often, in his adult years, he’d seek out a small town and hunker down in coyote. He’d had real enjoyment watching the families as they’d rise early and exchange gifts around a brightly lit tree. It became a pleasant ritual, until one year bitter loneliness hit hard. It was the year he’d lost his grandfather. After that year, he’d spent every Christmas alone, hunting in the deepest parts of the Kaibab National forest. There was something soothing about spending the joyous day in a place that had never known a man’s footprint. In all honesty, he didn’t know what to do with the loneliness that plagued him. It took no time at all to realize he couldn’t outrun the emotion, and Christmas was an unpleasant reminder of the loss of his grandfather, and the fact that he was alone in the world.
Now, watching Cindy sober at the prospect of the upcoming holiday, he empathized. He couldn’t help but ask, “Not much into the holiday?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He stared at her and waited.
Letting out an exasperated breath, Cindy relented. “I work every Christmas.”
“Why?” he prodded. “What about your family?”
“My folks are gone.”
“Gone?”
“Gone.” She nodded grimly.
“And your brother?”
“The world-class fuck up?” She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t spend the day with him if you paid me.”
Warning bells went off in his head. “You said you were working so much to pay down his debt? If you don’t like him…”
Her eyes narrowed angrily. “I am busting my ass to pay down his debt, but I’m not doing it as a
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