Shit. I was staring.
I kicked snow from the shovels and hung them back on the peg in the garage.
“Up the mountain pass on Belvedere. Nice scenic route, but the road twists and in these conditions, your Lexus might hydroplane into a tree or off a cliff.” I snickered at his groan. “Haven’t had a drop of caffeine yet, have you?”
Silas tilted his chin at the gray sky. “Is it obvious?”
“Just a guess.”
“Well, I have no idea where the chains are. I’ll have to take a chance.”
“You can’t do that, man. It’s dangerous, and trust me…you don’t want an accident on that road. The nearest hospital is twenty minutes away in Pinecrest, and it’ll take thirty in these conditions.”
He snorted. “What do you do in an actual emergency?”
“We have a clinic with good docs on staff. Anything serious gets heli-vacced to the hospital. Crappy ride in a snowstorm, I’d bet.”
His sigh was laced with irritation and resolve. “Great. I’ll walk.”
“In those boots?”
“What’s wrong with my boots?” Silas groused, looking at his feet.
“Nothing at all. They look brand-new and real nice. You’ll have blisters on your heels before you reach Belvedere.” I dug into my pocket and jingled my keys. “Lucky for you, I’m going that way. I can give you a ride if you want.”
“That’s nice of you, but I’m not sure how I’d get back.”
“We have a new taxi service. I’ll get you Jed’s number. Give him a call, and he’ll drop you off here with your groceries.”
Silas narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Don’t overthink it. If you’re coming with me, you might want to stick your car in the garage and change into waterproof boots. Blister or no blister…those fancy ones you’ve got on aren’t gonna last an hour in Wood Hollow.”
I didn’t give him a chance to reply. I retraced my steps through the snow, hopped into my truck, and blasted the defroster and heater. I drove to the bottom of the steep driveway next to mine and idled there. The car was in the garage, which I assumed meant Silas had decided to take me up on the ride. I scrolled through emails while I waited and checked my messages. Nothing new.
I hovered my thumb over our family group text, and hesitated.
Don’t ask. Don’t be a nag.
Nope. Had to do it.
I typed,Good morning, bozos. Big storm coming in. Did they cancel school today?
This is Dad, by the way.
Ivy responded immediately with a thumbs-up followed closely by an eye-roll emoji.No school! Yayyyyyyy. Ur name is on the text. We know it’s u.
Chase sent a waving emoji.Hi Dad!
My heart suddenly felt lighter. A whole week without them and I missed my kids like crazy. I sent a silly meme and wished them both a happy day, grinning at my cell, then tossing it into the center console. It was the little things.
A knock on the passenger-side window saved me from picking up my phone to search for a new meme to make them laugh.
Silas climbed into the truck and fastened his seat belt. “This is really nice of you. I want to say it’s unnecessary, but that’s probably not true. And also add that I hope you’re not a homicidal maniac.”
I huffed. “You’re safe.”
“Good. I don’t want to die on a mountain.” He smiled wanly. “Hey…thanks. I appreciate this.”
