Who was this woman?Maybe she truly was a snow spirit … or an angel? And as soon as he reached his home, she'd disappear with the wind.
Noah hobbled to her side, taking the other corner of the blanket. After a few slips and stumbles, they made it to the road.
“I reckon we'll all have to bunch up on the buggy seat together, but at least the buggy's covered, so we'll keep Marty from getting more snow on him.” The woman's breaths pulsed into the air, her chest rising and falling with her deep breaths from the effort to get Marty this far. She stretched out her back, dropping the corner of the blanket into the snow at her feet and then opened her suit jacket beneath her cape to check on the babe. The little one's attention fastened on Noah again. “He's trying to figure you out too, Mr. Lewis. With the snow covering about every inch of you, he ain't never seen a snowman before.”
Humor? At a time like this?
And yet, if he guessed right, she'd paused long enough to not only catch her breath but give him a moment to catch his too.
“He'll lose all interest once I'm thawed, I suppose.”
Her quick smile unfurled again, and she looked back at the carriage. “Is there any way to unhook one of those lanterns to help us get the rest of the way into town?”
“I can try.” He moved in that direction, grateful the front of the carriage still rested partially on flat ground. “We're only a mile from my home.”
Another rush of wind pushed them both back a step and set them into motion. The woman took hold of the corner of the blanket again. Noah helped, and they finally got Marty beneath the shelter of the buggy while they sorted out what to do next.
“How about if I hitch my mares to the buggy along with yours. That'll help us move through the storm faster.”
“As long as they'll all play nice together. The last thing we need is a bunch of fussy ladies when we already got a wounded man and …” Her attention settled on him. “A limping one.”
His laugh almost burst out despite himself and the situation. “I'll have a good talk with them before we commence to make sure they play nice.”
“Well, womenfolk can be testy sometimes, I hear.” Her smile flared.
With another puff of a laugh, he helped her navigate the tedious transition of an unconscious Marty to the buggy seat. The woman slid in next to Marty, guiding his head to rest against the side of the buggy before dismounting to take the blanket and tuck it in around him, as much to keep him warm as to secure his head position.
Then she hopped down to help Noah with the horses.
In just a few minutes they were seated in the buggy and finally in motion. The wind had quieted a little, enough for them to see farther ahead, but snow fell at such a rate that Noah wondered if, even with the three mares’ strength, the buggy could push through the drifts. Already, at least five inches had fallen in some places, if not more.
Any attempt to increase speed led to the buggy slipping on the ice layer beneath the new snow, and all they needed was another ten minutes. Then he could get everyone into the house, phone the doctor, and have his mother get Marty settled. Even if the doctor couldn't make it to Noah's house, perhaps he could offer some advice on how to help Marty.
The woman pressed against his side, the three of them wedged in the small seat made for two. Something about her red cape and those blue eyes carried an almost haunting combination, like a veritable Red Riding Hood emerging from outrunning the wolf, though, with her fortitude, she may have killed the wolf before setting out on her snowy drive.
“I don't mean to be rude, but what were you doing out in the storm alone?”
She pulled her gaze from tucking the now-sleeping babe more safely within the folds of her cape. “The snow started when we were about four miles outside of town. At least that's what the sign said.” She shrugged a shoulder. “There wasn't much else to do except move on at that point, since I didn't see no other place to stop.”
He kept his face forward but nodded. The storm had come on all of a sudden, and there was no other town within a ten-to-fifteen-mile radius of The Hollows.
“It's a good thing I kept moving forward for your sake.” She shot him a grin. “Now I know exactly why we got caught in the storm.”
His attention shot back to her. “What?”
“Well, when the snow started falling so hard I started getting worried. But I kept reminding myself that God's got me and Charlie right where He wants us, so He's bound to use even the storm for His good.” She waved toward him. “And look at what good He's done. I've only ever rescued my little brother Isom from drowning, and once, a trapped rabbit from a gum.” She wrinkled her nose with her frown. “I just couldn't abide trapping those little rabbits, even if it brought in good money.” Her gaze flew back to him. “What a better story to rescue two grown men.”
Noah's jaw slacked, his pride prickling just a little at the notion of being rescued by her, and then his laugh burst out. “Whoareyou?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Who am I?”
“Surelyyouknow. I'm the one who hit my head, not you.”
Her grin brightened, lighting those eyes.
“If you don't tell me who you are, I'll be forced to call you Red Riding Hood.” He gestured toward her cape with his chin. “Or an angel?”
“Angel?” At this, she laughed, a light and dulcet sound. “I ain't no angel, Mr. Lewis. Though, with the Lord's help, I'm a heap of a lot better than I was.” She snickered again and shifted in the seat a little to face him. “My name is Miss Kizzie McAdams.” She raised her cape a little to showcase the sleeping babe. “And this here's Charlie McAdams.”
