The front door opened and Faye rushed in, still in her pajamas with a coat thrown over them and waterproof boots on her feet. "Jules! Oh honey, look at this mess." She splashed over to her and wrapped Jules in a tight hug. "We're going to fix this, okay? I've been calling around. The inn is booked solid, but?—"
"Everything's booked," Jules said miserably against her friend's shoulder. "The festival, the holidays..."
Faye pulled back, holding Jules's shoulders. "That's why Adam has a solution."
Jules looked between them. Adam was studying the ceiling with unusual interest while Faye had that expression she got when she was trying to be subtle about something.
"What solution?"
"Uh… there's a cabin," Adam said carefully. "Up the mountain a bit. It's huge. Used to be a hunting lodge and it's been well taken care of. There's plenty of room. You could stay there until your house is livable again."
"Whose cabin is it?" Jules asked, something in the way Adam and Faye exchanged glances making her suspicious.
"The owner won't mind," Adam said, which wasn't any kind of answer at all.
"Adam," Faye said in a warning tone.
"What?" He spread his hands innocently. "It's true. Sort of."
"What aren't you telling me?" Jules looked back and forth between her best friend and Adam, who was suddenly very interested in his phone.
"Nothing!" Faye said too quickly. "It's just—the cabin is perfect. Safe, warm, everything works. It even has a generator. And with the storm not stopping anytime soon, we need to get you somewhere now."
Jules wanted to argue, to demand they tell her whose cabin it was, but water was still dripping from the ceiling and her childhood home was destroyed and a blizzard was blowing in and she was so tired.
"I need to pack. And Fred?—"
"I'll get Fred," Faye said immediately. "Adam, can you start loading her car—wait, no, her car's at the garage."
"We'll take my truck," Adam said. "The roads are pretty bad anyway."
They worked as a team, Faye helping her pack a few changes of dry clothes and what she needed out of the bathroom, and Adam carrying her suitcases out to his truck when they were done. Jules grabbed her laptop and work files, her mother's jewelry box, and carefully secured Fred in his traveling box. Then she put her long winter coat over her wet pajamas, took off her wet socks, and slid her feet into her dry winter boots.
Faye hugged her again. "Come on. Let's get you to this cabin before the storm gets worse. We can come back for more stuff later."
As they loaded a few last things into Adam's truck, Jules sent a quick text to Lex.
"I'm sorry. Can't make 9am appointment. Emergency at house. Will explain later."
She didn't watch to make sure it went through. When she didn't show, he'd figure it out.
"That house has been in my family since 1952," Jules said quietly as Adam pulled away. "My grandparents bought it after my grandfather came back from Korea."
"It's going to be beautiful when it's fixed," Faye said from the middle seat, squeezing Jules's hand. "Adam knows all the best contractors. Right, babe?"
"Already thinking about who to call," Adam confirmed. He glanced at Jules in a way that made her suspicious again. "My friend who owns the cabin might know some people too. He's got connections."
"Shouldn't you call them and make sure it's okay that you're bringing me there? Can't I just stay with you guys?"
"They won't mind," Adam assured her.
"And we really don't have a lot of room in the RV…" Faye trailed off when Jules gave her a disbelieving look. It was just her and a succulent. How much room did they need?
They turned onto a narrow mountain road Jules had never noticed despite living here her whole life.
"I drive past here every day," she said. "How have I never seen this road?"
Adam and Faye exchanged another look.
