Turning her flashlight on as she stepped into the hallway, she was surprised how dark a home could be, even in the daytime. The long hallway had a window in each end, but the overcast sky and snowfall blocked the sun’s light.
The smell of bacon and eggs drifted up the stairs.Thank goodness for gas stoves. Was that cinnamon rolls she smelled as well? The aromas spurred her into quicker motion, and she stopped at the kitchen first. Several kerosene lamps were lit on the counters, giving off enough light to work by. Beth opened the door to the wall oven and pulled out a tray of cinnamon rolls. “I’m fairly certain I’ve gained ten pounds simply by smelling these all morning.”
“The best ten pounds you’ll ever gain next to pregnancy.” Mrs. Addy stood at the stove, which had all burners in use, including two occupied by old-fashioned coffee percolators. She turned and smiled at Jessa. “Good morning. Did you look outside yet?”
“Through my bedroom window.”
“Don’t make plans to go anywhere today or you’ll be disappointed. I doubt we’ll see a plow come through until this afternoon at the earliest.” She flipped an egg and balanced the spatula on the edge of the skillet.
“How much did we get?”
“Two and a half feet, with another six to ten inches expected before it all ends.” Scooping the finished eggs onto a platter, Mrs. Addy jutted her chin toward the front of the house. “The drifts are higher in parts. We can’t get out the front door right now, but the back is fine. The men said they’ll shovel us out after breakfast.”
The clutter on the counters caught her eye—messes were rare occasions in the kitchen. “Can I help do anything? Clean up?”
“No thanks, sweetheart. We took all we needed out of the fridge in one swoop, and we’ll put it all back the same way to preserve the cold air. I have too much food in there to let it go to waste from a power outage.”
“You could always put it outside in the snow.”
Beth laughed, the first joyful noise Jessa had heard from her. “I already suggested that.”
“I told her that was a wise idea and it might come to that, but for now, we’ll stick with the refrigerator.” Addy cracked more eggs onto the stovetop griddle. “We’ll use the food first that will spoil the quickest. With the exception of the bacon since the men requested it. Our meals won’t be fancy today, but they’ll be hearty.”
“That’s the best kind on a cold snow day.” Her nose caught another whiff of the cinnamon rolls, and she gave serious thought to swiping one.
“For lunch, I’ll whip up a batch of vegetable soup. I’d already transferred the beef cubes from the freezer to the fridge yesterday before the storm, so I’ll have to use them up. I always make extra to save, and with that in mind, what I set out should be enough to serve our extra guests as well.”
“If you have the ingredients, I can make several loaves of French bread.” Beth picked up a bowl of glaze for the cinnamon rolls and began icing them. “Baking is my stress release.”
“Be my guest.” Mrs. Addy rinsed her hands in the sink and dried them off on a terrycloth dishtowel. “Homemade bread is one thing I’ve never been able to master. It would be a real treat to have some with our soup.”
Jessa decided she’d easily gain five pounds before this storm was over, but she wouldn’t complain. She’d work off all the calories in the upcoming days, even if it meant shoveling snow for exercise.
“Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. I’ll ring the bell soon, but if you want to see your man first, I’d go now.” Mrs. Addy winked then turned her attention back to the stove.
Giving the cinnamon rolls one final longing glance, Jessa maintained self-control and went to the library. She knocked on the closed door, respecting the privacy of Landon and the two other travelers who had shown up last night, college friends returning to school after a long weekend. Both males, Mrs. Addy had set them up in the library with Landon.
The blond man answered the door, appearing every part the college kid who’d woken up late on the day of exams and rushed out the door for class. His personality, however, was polite and respectful. “Good morning, ma’am.”
His greeting made her feel fifty, not twenty-seven, but she smiled. It beat ‘hey you’ or ‘whadaya want’ that the younger generation often said. “Is Landon in there?”
“He left five minutes ago to clean up. You’re welcome to wait in here for him if you’d like. We’ve already dressed and cleaned up.”
“Thanks. Breakfast will be ready soon if you want to head to the dining room.”
“Awesome.” The blond turned his head to face into the library. “Hey, Jake, come get grub.”
She tried not to laugh. Those days of being young and carefree seemed a lifetime ago, but she still remembered the fun of them. Making every experience an adventure, living life to the fullest, preparing for tomorrow, but not stressing about it.
The boys stormed out, already in conversation about college basketball stats. Jessa went to the chairs she and Landon now called theirs and waited for him.
Two minutes later he walked in, and her stomach clenched. So much for assuming he’d look rough. His hair was combed, his face fresh and cleanly shaven. He wore the same jeans as yesterday but had a fresh shirt on. When she raised her eyes to his head again, she noticed his hair had moisture in it. Had he braved the icy water to take a shower?No fair. For a brief, juvenile second she wanted to stomp her foot but instead slumped her shoulders.
She patted her hair, aware of every strand out of place. At least she’d brushed her teeth. She held up the toiletry bag with a sheepish smile. “I brought you down a few things, but it seems you don’t need any.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the thought.” His gratefulness helped smooth her self-consciousness. “Jake and Zane pooled together their resources to get me what I needed.”
So that was the blond kid’s name. “Did you take a shower?”
