Page 24 of Abdominal Snowman

“So… have you found a story yet?” Gabi asked.

Sage blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Oh, come on, I know you can’t go more than a day without finding something to get into. No plan to conserve the forests yet? Do I need to come untie you from a tree?”

“That was one tim—”

“One time too many, Sage,” Gabi drawled. “So come on, spit it out. What is it this time?”

Well, there’s a big monster up here running through the woods and across unsuspecting drivers’ pathways. That’s a hell of a story.

Her gaze was drawn back to the window, as if awaiting Soren’s exit.

“Uhm… I’m not ready to tell you about it yet.” Sage couldn’t lie. If she told Gabi she hadn’t found anything, the woman would fly herself out here just to see what was going on.

“So there is something then?”

“Kinda,” she answered noncommittally.

“I knew it,” she cheered. “Well, whatever it is, I know you’ll get to the bottom of it. Even if it’s for fun, I approve.”

“Thanks… I think?” Sage said. “I thought you wanted me to take a vacation. Wasn’t that the whole purpose of shipping me out here?”

“Yeah. But I mean, this is you we’re talking about here. And I think you should go for whatever it is you’re thinking about. Dick never deserved you, and I think you should let your muse run wild for a bit. You both deserve it.”

Sage’s throat tightened up. She didn’t like to talk about it with Gabi because they had so little time to catch up, but working at the paper had been hard. Gritting her teeth and biting her tongue every day, writing bullshit that didn’t matter, and then losing out to bad writers just because they were men.

“Thanks, Gabi,” she whispered. “That means a lot.”

“I know you. Be nice to yourself.”

As her eyes burned, Sage rolled them to keep the tears from welling. Why’d Gabi have to be so sweet and supportive? “I will.”

“Good. Promise to call me if you need anything? I can get you another rental there.”

Sage hadn’t even thought about handling the adult things. Had she even agreed to the extra rental protection? What was her deductible? Shit.

“Uh… I’ve got it. Thanks though.”

“Sounds sus. But okay, I’ll let you be a big girl by yourself,” she teased.

“Thanks, Mom,” she retorted. “Can you get me a sucker at the grocery store?”

“Anything for you, honey.”

Sage grinned, and she was still smiling as she hung up. After scrolling through her endless notifications, she sat on the edge of the bed and contemplated what to do next.

She had a whole list of questions, and she didn’t know where to start. What was she supposed to do all day? Just wait around for him to man around in his man cave?

With a sigh, she stood and went to the window again, squinting past all the falling snow to see—

Sage glanced as far above as she could, past the snow-covered tree limbs to the entirely white sky spitting fat flakes of snow.

“So much for your usual Berrysburg blizzard,” she muttered, quoting the weatherman from the night before. How much longer was it going to snow?

And what if she couldn’t get off the mountain?

Her mouth went dry as her gaze fell to the silent garage.

What if she was stuck with Soren?