Carlos

The warmth of the fireplace welcomed me as I stepped into the cottage. Elena closed the door against the storm and hurried to a chest in the corner, pulling out some dry clothes. She handed them to me, her fingers brushing mine briefly, and I felt a spark of warmth and something else…despite the chill in my bones.

"Here, change into these," she said. "I'll make you a hot cup of tea to warm you up."

She pointed to a small adjacent room. “You can change in there.”

I nodded and she hurried towards the kitchen area while I moved to the room she had pointed me to and...