Page 3 of Shadows of You

Cady spun in a circle, tipping her head back and trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

My heart squeezed. She was everything good in this world—a walking, talking beacon of hope. “Come on, Katydid. Let’s get going before your nose freezes.”

Cady’s best friend, Charlie, laughed. “Dad says it takes at least a couple of hours for frostbite to set in.”

I pressed my lips together to keep from chuckling. “Good to know.”

“See you tomorrow,” Charlie called as he ran toward the SUV with the police emblem on its side.

I waved at his dad, Lawson, behind the wheel. He lifted his hand in answer.

“Can we make snowmen when we get home?” Cady begged as I hustled her toward my station wagon.

“Depends how much snow we get.”

But given that a good three inches were already on the ground, I had a feeling we would be in snowman city.

I opened the back door for Cady, and she slid in. “I’d say there’s enough for snow cones already.”

Her green eyes lit up as a grin split her face. “Can we make mine strawberry?”

“What do you think?”

“Strawberries and cream!” Cady yelled and held up her hand.

I laughed and high-fived it. “Let’s go home, and then we can get started.”

I just hoped my station wagon would get us there. I needed to replace the tires. I’d known it months ago but thought I’d have time. Unfortunately, an early dose of winter waited for no one.

Climbing behind the wheel, I started it up and turned on the heat as high as it would go. Cady chattered on and on about her day, but I stayed focused on the roads. The elementary school was on the outskirts of downtown Cedar Ridge, not too far from The Brew, the coffee shop and café I managed.

I followed Main Street through town. Usually, I let myself take in the quaint tourist shops, restaurants, and the gorgeous lake that peeked out from between the buildings. But not today. Even five years into my life in Cedar Ridge, I still wasn’t used to driving in the snow.

“It’s so pretty,” Cady said with a sigh.

My hands loosened on the wheel a fraction. “It is.”

Something about the blanket of white stretched out around us was incredibly peaceful. It reminded me how much I loved living here. But it was more than the beauty that surrounded us. It was the people. Even though my friends here might not know my past, they loved and supported us with everything they had.

My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror as I turned onto the road that would take us out of town. My habit of watching who might be following at any given moment had proven impossible to break.

I shifted my focus to Cady. “What do you think? Winter wonderland walk?”

She beamed. “Yes, yes, yeeeesss!”

“I don’t know. You don’t sound excited at all.”

“I’m excited!” She bounced in her seat as if to accentuate the point.

“Okay, I guess we can go.”

The typical ten-minute drive to our house at the base of the mountain took almost twenty, given how carefully I drove. I was thankful I’d gone to the supermarket yesterday because I had a feeling we might be holing up for a day or two.

The moment I pulled to a stop in front of the farmhouse, Cady was unbuckling her seat belt. “What about the goaties? And Mabel and Phineas? And—”

“I got them all in the barn before I picked you up,” I assured her.

“We gotta let Mabel out later. Shelovesthe snow.”

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