Chapter Three

Fifty bucks. That’s how much a simple cell phone charger cost. To say I was miffed would’ve been a vast understatement, but seeing as there were no other options around, I swallowed my pride and paid my bill. My groceries didn’t even cost that much, and produce usually set me back quite a bit. Apparently, not many folks cared for it in this town, so to get rid of it, they set the prices lower than usual.

It was completely fine by me, and while the fruit might not have been as ripe or as sweet as it was back home, it was a lot better than taking home a bag of rice, some beans, and whatever else these folks liked to eat out here.

You’re one of them now, remember?

I could do some home renovations. I could even do a bit of yard work. However, one thing I refused to do was walk around in thermals and jeans. I might not have had to work in an office, but I wasn’t ready to give up my nice blouses and slacks, either. Besides, the cold was temporary. As soon as I got back in the car, I’d blast the heat, and my choice of attire wouldn’t matter.

Once I had everything I’d need for the week, I loaded it into the car and headed home.

Home.

It was such a familiar word, and yet, this place didn’t feel like home at all. It’d get there, though, because I wasn’t going to let my folks win their bet. Besides, it really was charming. Maybe not the rancher itself, but being able to step outside into a light dusting with small blades of grass poking through the snow had a very enchanting feel to it.

I’d seen snow before, but this was different somehow. Magical.

The way the flakes swirled across my windshield was enough to make me smile. I always liked it when it snowed. The world got quiet and forced folks to slow down. That’s why I came all the way out here. I wanted to slow down. I had to.

If I’d stayed back in California, I would’ve jumped right back into my work as soon as I had the chance.

Funny thing is, the more time I spent inside the rancher, the less I missed back home. Aside from my family, of course. I didn’t miss the rush, the work, or just how exhausted I always was. I hadn’t noticed it before because it was my life, but after being away for an entire week, I’d actually started to sleep in, doing whatever I wanted once I was up.

This usually involved fixing up the place, which was way better than the alternative. At least for now.

With the town shrinking far behind me, I paused to look at something that had appeared beside the road. It only lasted a moment, its dark coat disappearing among the trees once I got too close, but there was no mistaking what it was.

“Wolves? Out here?”

Stopping the car, I took a moment to check my surroundings, searching the trees along either side of the road as I did. A bird flew from one tree branch to the other, but that was it. There were no deer, no dogs, and no wolves.

“You’re seeing things,” I told myself as I continued along the road. “Wolves aren’t supposed to be out here.”

Coyotes? Sure. I’d even read about a few bears, though this would’ve been the first time I’d heard about a wolf. I suppose it wasn’t impossible, but it was still enough to make me pause. The black bears I’d read about were further north, so the worst thing I’d have to deal with out here was the occasional coyote or raccoon.

Maybe the reports were wrong. The listing for the rancher certainly was.

Swallowing around my nerves, and possibly holding the steering wheel a little tighter than before, I made my way back up the road. Every now and then, I caught the hint of movement out of the corner of my eye, causing me to stop the car all over again.

However, after checking the trees, I realized nothing was there.

Now I knew my mind was playing tricks on me. The first time might’ve been real, but for that same wolf to follow me all the way home?

No, I thought as I turned down the driveway.

It wouldn’t have followed me at all.

 

 

That wasn’t the last I saw of the wolf. In fact, I saw it every time I pulled out of town, always standing in the same place. I’d looked for it on my drive in, but either he was hidden in the trees or I simply couldn’t see him from that direction.

After my third encounter, I decided to check with one of the women who worked at the diner to see if anyone else had spotted the wolf before. She assured me they didn’t live in this part of Pennsylvania and left it at that. The grocer said the same exact thing. It’d gotten so bad, I was starting to lose my mind.

Regardless of just how often I saw that gray coat with a darker patch on his back, I refused to mention it to my sister. She already hated the fact I’d been gone for close to a month, but if she knew there was a wolf hanging around, she’d fly here herself and drag me straight home.

Fortunately, the wolf never got too close to the house. The closest I’d seen it on my way home was just outside my property on the other side of the fence. It was the only fencing this place had, positioned along the road as more of a guardrail than anything else.

Considering just how much snow we’d gotten in the last month, the possibility of a car losing control was rather high. Keeping them out of my yard and away from the house was a good thing, though folks rarely traveled up this way.

“You know there’s a big storm headed your way, right?” my sister asked as I finished up my lunch. “They’re calling for at least eighteen inches, possibly more.”

I sighed loud enough for her to hear. “What have I told you? Stop spying on the weather and fretting about me. I’m fine. There have been other storms since I’ve been here, and there will be more before I come home. You’ll have to get used to it eventually.”

“Yeah, but none of them were this strong. It isn’t the first storm that worries me. It’s the one coming in on top of it.”

I frowned. “How close?” Last I heard on the radio, they only mentioned the one.

“Two days, maybe three?” She didn’t sound too sure of herself.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I just got back from shopping. I have everything I need to hunker down for a few days.” Considering how quiet it got, I was looking forward to it. Not that I had noisy neighbors or anything, but there was a serenity of sorts when the entire area was covered in snow.

“You really have adjusted out there, haven’t you?” There was a touch of disappointment in her voice.

“I’m sorry if I made you lose a bet,” I said, “but it’ll only be for a year. Promise.”

“Don’t get too comfortable. I need you back here.”

“Why?” I asked as I sat up in my chair. “Did something happen?”

“No, but not having you around is starting to mess with me. I keep dropping by your office to go over things, but you aren’t there.”

I could understand that. I’d caught myself quietly talking to her a few times as well. We talked about everything.

Except the wolf.

That was something I could never talk to her about. As worked up as she got over a few storms, there would be no stopping her if she knew about the local wildlife.

“We can talk now,” I offered. “And if you’d like, I’ll call you every few days instead of every week.” It was the only exception to my original rules I was willing to make. Calling her wouldn’t hurt, but if I booted up a computer, I’d be right back where I started.

“Would that be okay? I mean, it isn’t that big of a deal but—”

“Liar,” I teased as I got up from the table to deposit my dirty dishes in the sink. “And no, it wouldn’t be a problem at all. Just stop looking at the forecast and news reports. I’m fine, the house is fine, and I have everything I need to get me through.”

“So long as you’re sure.” She wasn’t convinced but let the subject drop anyway. “Shoot, I gotta go. Call me in a few days?”

“Sure.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too. Be good, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Duh.”

Once we hung up, I went about my routine, cleaning my dishes from lunch before heading back outside to get some of the firewood I’d hauled in from the middle of town. It wasn’t much, but it would hopefully be enough if the storm happened to knock the power out.

So far, we’d been rather lucky. The few times we lost power, it was only for an hour or two. However, considering the second storm my sister mentioned, I decided to take in a little extra just to be safe.

I’d gotten into the habit of clearing a path from the house to my car every few hours as well, though I probably wouldn’t get very far considering how long they took to clear the roads.

Bree was right. We really were all on our own out here.