“I’ve got a cord of firewood and a week’s worth of food. And I won’t be alone; I’ve got Scout.”
“You holler if you need me, buddy.”
“Will do. Drive safe. I’ll reach out later on tonight.”
He watched his friend start up the engine and angle out of the parking lot of Major Hart Mountain Sports. Lance’s three-quarter-ton pickup had large, knobby tires that made easy work of driving in these conditions. It wasn’t like watching travelers slip and slide on the highway, assuming their all-wheel-drive vehicles would get them to their destination safely, but unfamiliar with the genuine danger of it all.
When Lance’s taillights were out of sight, Holden walked inside the shop. Scout followed. A crack of wind rattled the windows. A storm of this magnitude was epic anywhere in the High Sierra, but on the summit, it was downright colossal.
“Just need to grab one thing,” he said to Scout. While he had plenty of flashlights back at his cabin, a headlamp was a huge help when hauling in firewood or doing other tasks that involved the use of both hands. He moved toward the back of the store and yanked open the locker to retrieve the item. When he turned around, a paper on the break room table caught his eye.
Rachel’s waiver.
Holden picked it up. With no real reason, he pulled out his phone and input her number.
It wasn’t like he had plans to call her, and yet he couldn’t keep himself from stowing the information away.
“Let’s go, girl.”
* * *
The lights flickeredone too many times for his comfort. Holden knew he’d be lucky if the power stayed on another hour. He’d cranked the heat in his cabin full blast, nearly roasting himself out of the place. But if that power cut off like it threatened to, he’d be grateful for the residual heat. Come morning, the house would be an icebox.
He washed up his dishes from dinner along with Scout’s food bowl and slipped his phone out of his pocket to check in with Lance.
“How you holding up?” he asked when his buddy answered on the second ring.
“Power’s out here.” Holden thought he almost heard the guy’s teeth chattering through the receiver. “Downed power line off of Alder Streams. I was thinking of heading over on the snowmobile to see if I could be of any help. I’ve already got some firewood tarped and loaded on the back.”
The last place Holden wanted to be was out in the elements. He still had power…wait, no he didn’t. As if giving him the necessary nudge to go help his friend, the lights flickered one final time before shutting off completely. Even the white-noise hum of the heater stopped.
“Need some help?” Holden asked. “Scout and I can be up the ridge in less than ten minutes.”
“That would be aces. You two take the south road and I’ll work my way up the north.”
Holden nodded slowly. “I see what you did there.”
“What?” Even though he feigned innocence, Lance’s guilt was clear.
“Rachel lives on the south end of Alder Streams.”
“Oh, does she really?” His voice pitched an octave. “I’d completely forgotten.”
“Mm-hmm.” Holden wasn’t buying it, but now wasn’t the time to argue. “I’ll head that way as soon as I get my gear on. If you run into anything you need my help with, just shoot me a text.”
“Roger that.”
Holden clicked off the phone. Scout sat at his feet, awaiting her instructions.
“Want to go for a ride, girl?”
In a flash, they loaded up and strapped everything in. Like Lance, Holden secured firewood to the back of his snowmobile, along with a case of water, extra flashlights, candles, and batteries, and several books of matches he had on hand for emergency situations. Stopping at each dark house along the route, he made sure the residents inside had the supplies they needed to hunker down for a cold, dark night.
Snow clumped on his goggles as he zipped from cabin to cabin. Scout had so much snow frozen to her long fur that she resembled an arctic wolf more than a happy-go-lucky golden retriever. It was wet, freezing work, but with each house he visited, he felt better about fulfilling his duty. It felt good to help, always had.
Holden had already handed out all of his water and flashlights. Everyone was thankful to see him, even more grateful for the items he offered. And the snuggles from Scout were an added bonus.
It wasn’t a coincidence that Holden saved the Joy cabin for last.
