Okay, I’d gone overboard; however, I wasn’t in the mood to intellectualize my purchases. My socks were wet, my fingers were icicles, and holy shit, snow was still pouring from the sky like a kid upending a bag of flour. At this rate, I was going to be stuck in the house for a couple of days, and I had to eat.
“Good morning! Getting some goodies before the storm hits?”
I smiled at the petite twentysomething behind the register. “It looks like it’s arrived.”
She pivoted on her heels to peek out the window. Her long curly brown hair swayed like a pendulum as she turned to face me, revealing rosy cheeks, and a button nose. The nametag pinned to her hunter-green apron read, Mandy. “Not yet. This is the warmup act.”
My eyes widened in dismay. “You’re sure it’s not the main event?”
“Nope. The sky isn’t dark enough. It’s coming, though. Where are you from?” she asked conversationally.
“California.”
Mandy set a hand on her heart and gasped. “I’ve never been, but it’s on my bucket list. I have to see the Hollywood sign and the Golden Gate Bridge someday. It’s a must.”
“You should definitely visit,” I replied, slipping my wallet out and rubbing my cold nose on my sleeve while she slowly dragged each item over the sensor.
“I haven’t been anywhere on the West Coast. We always did lakeside vacations growing up, and the big treat was a trip to Niagara Falls. Although, two years ago, I went to Orlando. That was fun.”
I nodded as I checked my cell for a missed call or message from the taxi driver. Nothing.
“Hey, I have a question for you,” I said, interrupting her recap of the amazing hotel she’d stayed at with friends. “Any idea how to order a taxi? Cooper gave me a number, but I haven’t gotten a response.”
“Jed’s sick today.” Mandy twisted her lips in a universal expression for “Bummer, huh?” as she finishing scanning my groceries. “His wife stopped by an hour ago for broth to make chicken noodle soup for him. Poor guy. You can tap your card on the screen there.”
I tapped as instructed, put my wallet away, and finished bagging the groceries. “Who takes over for him?”
“Gosh, no one yet. He just started the business last summer. Jed was busy with tourists who get nervous about driving the winding roads at night. But in January, there’s no one here but locals—and you,” she added with a grin that immediately morphed into a frown. “You don’t have a car?”
“I do. It’s just…” I rubbed my scruffy jaw and puffed my cheeks out. “Never mind. It’s all good.”
Mandy worried her bottom lip, but a new customer stepped forward carrying a basket and the air of someone anxious to get in and out as quickly as possible. I flashed a reassuring smile at Mandy for my sake more than hers, then picked up the three paper bags and strode to the exit.
The weather hadn’t improved in the past fifteen minutes. It didn’t seem worse either, so…I figured I might as well walk. Five blocks was nothing, right?
I set the bags on the ground, secured my beanie, and gave myself a mental pep talk…which was almost humorous. A week ago, I’d faced down badass linemen whose literal job was to flatten me by whatever means necessary. Sprained ribs, dislocated digits, and bruises all over my body had been a regular day in the office. A short walk in the snow—I checked the temperature on my watch—in nineteen-degree weather didn’t compare.
Okay, it didn’t sound like fun either.
Just fuckin’ do it, Anderson.
I retrieved the bags, tucked my chin against the wind, and got my ass in gear. Just making it to the corner wasn’t an easy feat. My hands were going to be a problem. They were already red and raw. I pulled at my sleeves to gather the fabric around my knuckles. It wasn’t a great solution, but it was better than having no protection at all. My feet…well, they were frozen solid.Fuck. I wished I’d kept my new boots on.
I scowled in the general direction of the mill, silently cursing my temporary neighbor. If I’d taken the Lexus, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I was a good driver. I could have handled a little snow and ice.
Okay, he was trying to be helpful. But still…
This sucked.
It sucked even harder when I slipped and skidded, my heart tripping over itself. I didn’t fall—close call, though. I had two more of those before I reached the one block mark.
One down, four to go. You got this.
Maybe. I couldn’t feel my toes and my jaw twitched and chattered, the noise reverberating in my skull. I tried to clear my mind and think positively. My torso was warm, the house would be warm, and I had soup. Canned soup, but better than nothing. I had cookies too. They’d probably be frozen by the time I reached the house. I should have bought hot cocoa. I liked hot cocoa. I liked…
Fuck, I didn’t know what I liked.
Nope. Don’t do that. Stay with it, watch for ice, put one foot in front of the other. You’re almost there.
