Far From Home

“If it wasn’t for the fireplace and blocking off every other room in the house by hanging blankets in each of the doorways, we would’ve froze. We were packed like sardines in a can, but at least we stayed warm. We had to make breakfast in the fireplace and everything. Brad ended up pulling the good camping stuff out.”

“I can’t say we’ve ever had anything like that. We’ve lost power, but it never lasted more than a few hours.”

“Unfortunately, it’s a pretty common occurrence around here, probably because of how high in the mountains we are.

Anyway, the clubhouse is a bit of a walk. Do you think you can manage?”

/> I shook my head at her. “You’re the one all out of breath.”

“Because I’m doing most of the talking,” she said with a laugh.

“And that’s unusual because?”

“Oh, shut up!” She bumped shoulders with me, then grabbed my arm when she started to lean too far to my side.

“Sorry,” she said, righting herself a second later. “The clubhouse is this way.”

Chapter Four

Taylor

It was strange how close I felt to Sam just then. Sure, we’d been roomies for over a semester, but having her here with me was different. It was almost as though we were childhood friends shooting the breeze as a light snow fell around us. Tiny flakes tinked against the thin blanket of snow now covering the ground, making the most peaceful sound as they landed on the tree branches above.

I always liked this kind of snow. The world got quiet, and if Sam hadn’t joined me, I would’ve been completely lost in my own thoughts.

But because she was here, my thoughts focused on her instead. Things like how her shoulders bunched from the cold or the thin cloud of vapor as it left her pink lips. Her hands were still deep inside her pockets, and her eyes were fixed on the ground as we slowly navigated the trail between the cottage and the clubhouse.

She seemed so out of place with a rain jacket on, and yet, I couldn’t imagine spending the holiday with anyone else.

“So where’s this clubhouse of yours?” Her teeth chattered a bit. “I thought it would’ve been in your backyard.”

I lifted my arms and spun in a circle. “These woods are the backyard. No one else comes out here.”

“Aren’t you worried about bears?”

I caught myself before I could fall and kept walking. “The last one we had was ages ago, and it wasn’t over here. It was next to the house. That was a quick lesson in covering up the trash nice and tight so he couldn’t rummage through it. As for what’s in the woods, the most I’ve seen are chipmunks and maybe a deer.”

She hesitated and looked back the way we came. “But there is a bear in the area.”

“There was a bear,” I said as I gently placed a hand on her arm. The contact was brief. As soon as I realized what I’d done, I shoved my hands in my pockets. “He’s probably long gone by now. The house isn’t far from here. This was actually a project my sister and I did with Brad’s help. It was our way of gaining a bit of independence in our mid-teens since going out to a party was kind of a no-go. Too far to travel, you know?”

“What about friends?” Sam asked as she stepped in line beside me.

I stopped halfway down the path. “What about them?”

“I don’t think I saw other houses on our way here. How far is the nearest one?”

“Four, maybe five miles? As for friends, it was mostly Katie and me. We had some back near the city, but no one ever wanted to drive out here. Their loss, really.”

Sam nodded then, her mouth agape as soon as we rounded the corner. “That isn’t a clubhouse.”

“You were thinking it was going to be a kid’s house, weren’t you? I told you it was different.”

Sam nodded as she gawked at the architecture. I did the same. Even though Brad was Mom’s second husband, he was the only father I knew. He was the one who raised us kids and even built this house. It was his own design, and even now, after spending my teens in it, it was still a sight to see.

“And you weren’t kidding,” Sam said, completely out of breath. “So instead of staying at your house, you decided to make a second one?”

“It isn’t that big.”