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Despite the morning hour, it was pitch-black outside. A sliver of moon was still visible over the trees full of shadows off to the side of the town center, and Valerie had to pick her way carefully to the door.
A bell jingled, the sound ridiculously merry as she went inside. A simple general store greeted her. It sported only a few aisles and one single desk area with a sign that it was customer service and check out. Red, green, white, and blue colored lights decorated the window frames, and sparkling silver garland was draped across the front of the customer service desk. A woman sat behind the counter, reading. Round wire glasses perched on her little nose as she focused intently on the page in front of her.
“Hi, um.” If Martha had mentioned the woman’s name, Valerie had forgotten it. “Martha Overburg is my aunt, and she said to give you this note.”
The woman put her book down and took the note, a smile blooming on her round face as she read.
Her face was warm and open when she looked up. “Welcome to the area, Valerie. I’m Liddy, and I’ll gladly help you get some sturdy winter clothes. Our selection is in the back. Follow me.”
Valerie suspected that Martha had written something along the lines of this city girl needs some help.
“Okay, let’s start with warm boots.” Liddy looked down at Valerie’s chunky-heeled, tall brown boots. Great for the city, awful for Alaska, Valerie knew. Politely, Liddy refrained from commenting on that. “You look like you’re a size seven?”
“Close. Six and a half.”
“I think I have a pair in that size in the back, I’ll look.”
Liddy disappeared into the back, and Valerie perused the few round metal racks of clothes. Nothing was stylish, but everything was thick and warm. Practical. She hated practical.
“Here we go.”
Valerie turned to see Liddy holding up a pair of big brown boots. They were thick and work-boot-looking, but with a thick layer of insulation, and the soles were designed for good traction. They were hideous.
“Oh, good. It looks like you found the turtlenecks. We should have your size.”
“Yeah, you do.” Valerie reluctantly pulled a black turtleneck off the rack she’d been standing next to.
“And now jackets,” Liddy motioned to the two options. “What do you think? I personally have the one on the right. It’s so warm and sturdy, and I always appreciate a long coat to keep my lower body warm too.”
It was about as shapely as a garbage bag.
“It certainly looks...warm.”
“Oh, yeah, definitely a good option for our winters.” Liddy nodded her agreement, Valerie hid her grimace nearly as quickly as it had appeared.
Several seconds passed, and she was aware that the woman was looking at her expectantly. Valerie sighed internally and forced herself to reach for the coat. She found her size and pulled it from the rack.
“Okay.” Liddy referred back to the sticky note she still had. “Snow pants! Of course.”
Valerie flinched. This was going to be horrifically expensive, and she wouldn’t be here that long. Biting her lip, she saw Liddy pull a pair of black snow pants off the shelf.
“These are the only ones we’ve got in stock, but they’re the only ones anyone around here needs, perfect in a storm or working outside on an especially cold day.”
Around here, “especially cold” was negative forty degrees Fahrenheit. She was already missing her usual forty degrees above zero winters.
“Perfect. Um...I’m not sure I really need all this. I won’t be here that long.”
“You don’t want to freeze while you’re here. There are storms coming up, and we prefer our visitors to keep their fingers and toes.” Liddy eyed Valerie’s jacket and boots, and she was probably wondering at the jeans and lack of snow pants. Actually, she was probably wondering at the entire outfit.
Valerie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to pay for all this. She had to watch the little money she had left in savings until she found another job.
“What’s your return policy?”
Liddy smiled. “For Martha’s niece? A month, as long as you don’t tear them up.”
She’d forgotten how this small town helped out each other. That would never happen in the city.
At Valerie’s smile, Liddy took the items. “Okay then! I will bag these up.”
At the checkout counter, Liddy handed a couple of bags to Valerie. When she didn’t ask for payment, Valerie raised her eyebrows. “Do you take Visa?”
“Oh! Yes, we do, but not from you. I owe Martha a favor, so this is free.”
Valerie shook her head. She couldn’t take advantage of Martha’s favor. “I’d rather pay, and you give Martha something she needs in the future.”
“Martha’s instructions were punctuated by several exclamation points, so I think she would be rather mad if I let you pay.”
Valerie wanted to argue, but she also didn’t want to pay the hundreds of dollars for these clothes. She would have to find a way to make it up to Martha, or maybe send her money after she got another job. “If you’re sure. Thank you for all your help, Liddy.”
Liddy waved. “Stay warm.”
Valerie bundled up the bags and headed for the door. As she stepped past the threshold, her heel hit an icy patch and she jerked back, flapping her arms and the bags wildly, before righting herself. Heart racing, she glanced back and her cheeks colored as she spotted Liddy watching out the window with a concerned look on her face. Of course, that had to be seen by someone. She lifted a bag as a way to wave and say she was fine. This place hasn’t managed to kill me...yet, she thought.
As she started the trek back, fat flakes of what she remembered her parents calling “snowman snow” fell, so wet and sticky that they immediately clumped to her windshield wipers. She slowed her driving, frightened that she’d get stuck without any roadside help around to call to assist her out of the ditch should she slide in. The idea that she could wind up on Damon’s doorstep, asking for his help, popped into her head and made her all the more careful.
Maybe she should have been more concerned that it was still dark and trudging through the snow right now would be miserable. And possibly dangerous. If she remembered right, the grizzlies around here were hibernating, but that didn’t mean there weren’t other predators. In Alaska, even the moose could kill you by stomping you to death if you irritated them. And yet, they looked so sweet that anyone would want to smooch their big noses.
Back at the house, she pushed inside with her bags, and Gus came racing to greet her. Seeing that she wouldn’t be able to sufficiently provide the pats and belly rubs he wanted, he twirled around and bulleted for the kitchen ahead of her.
Valerie started to follow, but paused when she saw several old boxes, labeled X-mas, stacked in the living room.
She plopped the bags on the couch and went to look over the boxes. Martha came down the stairs, adorned in a thick turtleneck and leggings. “I was thinking we could put the Christmas decorations up in the next few days. I imagine you’ll be too tired from the jet lag and the activities we have today to do any decorating tonight.”
Wary about all Martha had in mind for work that would tire her out, Valerie almost didn’t see the distinctive writing on one of the boxes. She went over to it, finger-tracing the letters.
“Some of those are from your parents’ house,” Martha commented.
“So I guess I’ll see some things that I remember.” Not sure if she’d like that, or if they’d stir up more bad memories than good, she kept from meeting Martha’s gaze.
“And if that doesn’t cheer you up”—Martha gave her a side look that was sure to indicate trouble—“we have over two dozen animals to go take care of this morning.” She winked. “You’re going to be thrilled that you came.”