And I missed my parents.
Despite how I’d tried to be nonchalant about it with Sammi, I would miss spending Christmas in New York.
The tears came without my permission. And before long, I was sobbing into my brand-new pillows. I fell asleep that night exhausted from crying.
3
Aiden
The storm was moving faster than everyone thought it would. What had been a forecast of a few inches of snow had turned into a full-blown blizzard warning. In my short time in Ashford, everyone always seemed to underestimate how bad it would get. And they blamed it on the newspaper not being produced by the town itself, which ended up being outsourced to the next major city.
My preparation for the cabin was only half-done, which meant I had a busy day ahead of me. Using weathersealing tape over the windowsills wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but this helped keep the windows from freezing shut or allowing a draft to come in when the winds howled and bit. The driveway all the way up to the truck was salted, and the gravel got a nice hit too. The propane tank had been refilled just a few weeks ago, so I knew I would probably be okay on power, but I had my generator ready anyway. My backup battery charger was ready as well—in case, the truck battery froze.
Inside, I pulled out all the extra blankets and sleeping bags so I could heat one room with the fireplace and conserve fuel and just sleep there. Setting up camp on one side of the room meant it was ready to go when I needed it.
There was still the issue of food supplies. The homegrown veggies and canned goods I rationed were great, but all of it wasn’t quite what I needed for a blizzard, at least not the kind that Brett talked about. Getting some extra veggies that could be kept in the freezer, some meats that could also be frozen, and precut firewood just to shore up what I already had would be best. That meant doing something I really tried to avoid doing and now was dreading—going into town.
Bundling up against the cold that had already settled in, I hopped in the truck and headed down the mountain. No more than a few moments after I turned onto the main street, I wished that I had gone with Brett into town a few days before. He knew what he was doing. Clearly, I still had a lot to learn from him.
The street was packed with cars from the neighboring area. The entirety of Rook County seemed to have come out to gather supplies, which meant that I was going to have trouble finding what I needed if I didn’t hurry. The food was the most important, especially the meats, but I could probably make do with what venison I still had if they were low or out. With the woodpile where it was and the gas put aside, I could probably make it a month without needed to restock. But it would be a lean month.
Dipping into the department store was madness. Madness for Ashford anyway. People were piling carts high with supplies, and the shelves were getting barren fast. I had already gotten the groceries I needed and stuffed them in the cooler I kept in the truck when I went into town. There was still enough in the butcher shop and the vegetable stand that I started to think of the only other person in town I knew. Brett had been in town a few days before, and I knew he knew what he was doing, but I was working on creating a real friendship.
After I got what I needed, I pulled up my phone and hit the contact listing for him.
“Aiden, what’s up?” Brett said jovially.
“Not a whole lot. Just headed into town so I could pick up some last-minute stuff before the storm hits. I was actually wondering if there was anything you forgot or needed while I was down here. Save you a trip.”
“No way,” he said. “I was actually going to call you and ask the same thing. I came into town too. Figured I’d stop at Dina’s diner to get a meal so I don’t have to cook before the storm sets in. You want to join me?”
“Sure. I’m heading to check out now. Be there in a few minutes.”
Dina’s was as old school a diner as I had ever seen, cozy and small with booths lining the walls and small tables in the middle. A bar ran across the back in front of the kitchen, and there was always a collection of locals sitting there, sipping coffee and chatting. And as displayed by various newspaper clippings on the wall, the same cooks and the same waitresses are still working here now.