Chapter 3
Gwendolyn
“Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Myers.” I lean down and hug the tiny woman.
“It’s the least I can do, Gwen. You really didn’t have to drive all the way out here to bring me a pie.”
I smile. “I wanted to. You’ve been so nice to me, and you’re the reason I’m even here.”
Mrs. Myers is the grandmother of my best friend, Emma, back in Indianapolis. One day Emma was on the phone with her grandmother, who mentioned one of the elementary school’s teachers where she lived was moving away and the school board needed a replacement. It was fate, because just that day before I had told Emma that the kids and I needed a fresh start.
She pats my hand and holds out a container with leftover stew to take home. “We’re glad to have you here in Cat’s Valley.” She puts her hand on top of Daniel’s head and ruffles his hair. “It’s been a delight getting to know these two.”
Kelsey is stoic as she slips on her coat, staring off across the room. I hand her her gloves and watch as she robotically slips them on. Mrs. Myers walks over to her, gently grabs her cheeks, lifts her face, and kisses her forehead. Kelsey doesn’t respond in the slightest, just stares up at the older lady.
“You both be good for your momma, and I’ll see you at Christmas,” she tells both the kids.
“Will you have something for us?” Daniel asks, bold as you please.
“Really, Daniel?” I scold. “You don’t ask questions like that.”
Mrs. Myers cackles. “He’s fine.” She pinches one of his cheeks. “You, sir, will just have to wait and see.” She turns to me. “Emma’s already chomping at the bit to get here.”
I hand Kelsey the container of stew to hold while I slip on my gloves. I pull my keys from my pocket, then take back the container.
“I’m excited to see her. I miss her so much.”
Emma’s been my friend since high scho
ol, and I’ve never gone this long without seeing her. We talk almost daily, but it’s not the same.
I make sure both kids are bundled up tight before saying goodbye to Mrs. Myers. When I pull open the door, I’m shocked to see how much snow is on the ground and how hard it’s still coming down. When we got here a couple hours ago, there was only about six to eight inches on the ground. Now, my truck has a layer of snow at least four or five inches thick. The heavy snowfall wasn’t supposed to start until later this afternoon.
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Myers says beside me. “I’m so sorry for keeping you so long. Will you be okay driving in this?”
I turn to look at both kids, not liking the idea, but knowing I’ll have to in order to get home. “Yeah. I’ve got a four-wheel drive, and I’ve driven in snow before.”
She looks worried as she twists her hands together, and I reach over and grab them. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” I offer a smile.
“Make sure you call me once you get home, or I’ll worry.”
“Will do.”
I leave the kids in the house while I warm up the truck and brush the snow off the windows and windshield. After saying our goodbyes, we load up. I’m used to driving in the snow, but it still makes me nervous, especially when it’s coming down so thick. The roads are covered, so I ride down the middle since the lines are no longer visible anyway. I drive slow and grip the steering wheel tightly. When we come across the stretch of road that declines for two miles, I become anxious. Luckily, we make it down the hill without any problems. The relief doesn’t last long though.
We’ve been driving for about twenty minutes and are coming around a curve when all of a sudden, something about the size of a dog with a gray fluffy tail runs across the road. I know better than to do it in this type of weather, and I realize my mistake right away, but my first reaction is to hit the brakes to avoid hitting the animal. The back end of my truck fishtails around until we’re almost sliding sideways down the road. I vaguely hear Daniel yelling, but I’m concentrating on trying to straighten out the truck
It’s a fruitless effort, as seconds later, we come to a jerky stop with the front end in a shallow ditch. I immediately turn to the kids.
“Are you both okay?” I ask, looking over Daniel, who’s shaken but otherwise unharmed. My eyes go to Kelsey next and see no visible injuries. Her eyes are wide with fright and the look makes me sick to my stomach. “Kelsey?” Her gaze swings to mine. I reach back and grab her shaking hand. “Are you okay, baby?” She doesn’t respond right away, just looks around wildly, and fear spikes through me. Finally, her eyes meet mine and she gives me a small nod. I blow out a relieved breath that neither are hurt.
I turn back around and take stock of our surroundings. The snow is coming down so hard that it’s already starting to cover the windshield, blocking my view. I look out the windows and see nothing. Turning, I look out the back window, and don’t see anything there either.
I turn the key, hoping by some miracle I can get us out of here. My truck may be four-wheel drive, but I highly doubt I’ll be able to back us out of the position we’re in. We’re at too much of an angle and the snow is too thick. It’s worth a shot, though.
I silently curse when it won’t even turn over. I pull my phone from my purse to call Jeremy, and panic sets in when I find I have no signal. I look up when the interior of the truck starts to dim. The snow is covering the windshield fast, and I can already feel the temperature dropping.
I look back at the kids. “Keep on your jackets, hats, and gloves. I’m going to step outside a minute, okay?”