Page 7 of Catch Yourself a Snowmance
He sniffs around a bit longer and then, seeming satisfied with his exploration, waddles off toward the woods behind the house.
We all seem to collectively exhale in relief.
“That was a close one,” Jennifer says. “I was looking up solutions on my cell, but the wifi is pretty spotty, so they were coming in slowly. Most of them involve things I’m not even sure we have on hand, like ammonia.”
“Well, crisis averted,” Mitch announces. “Let’s check out this cabin.”
We pull our things out of the trunks of the vehicles and unload everything into the cabin. I step up, carrying my duffle and my makeup bag. Carson holds the door open for me.
His smile lingers, like we’re sharing some sort of private joke.
I guess he’s tolerable—definitely miles better than his first impression.
Chapter 4
Carson
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
~ Kevin McCallister, Home Alone 2
Aweekend with these women?Gage texts me.Are we going to be making gingerbread houses and singing carols?
I smile and send him a look from across the driveway.
A group of us have been sent out to collect wood from around the property so we can keep the fireplace going when the weather turns. We made it through our first night, though it was a bit drafty in the cabin. I just slept in sweats. And we woke to news of a pending storm. It could be a good snow which will just mean better skiing, but from the sound of things, we might get hit with a bit more than we were hoping for.
Gage and I walk back toward the cabin a few minutes later, our arms filled with branches and sticks we’ve roundedup to add to the pile of already chopped wood next at the end of the porch.
“Breakfast is served!” Noelle shouts out to the others who are milling around the yard picking up whatever wood they can find.
“Muffins and eggs!” Noelle’s voice is cheery and welcoming.
“I’ll take anything I didn’t have to cook,” Mitch says.
“Ditto,” Gage adds. “Thanks, Noelle.”
“It’s my pleasure. But we’re running pretty low on provisions. They were supposed to stock the kitchen for us. Maybe with the switcheroo they never got to it.”
The nine of us crowd into the kitchen which has a bar and a table for six in it. We wash our hands and grab seats, serving ourselves off the platters and out of the bowls Noelle set out. There’s a pitcher of orange juice on the counter and another on the table where I end up sitting next to Alyssa. She’s quiet, not exactly grumpy, but not as cheery as Noelle.
“So, we can do this a few ways,” Liam says once everyone’s seated and eating. “We can draw straws or we can ask for volunteers. We figured two of us ought to go into town and grab some things before the snow starts.”
“I’m good to go,” I volunteer at the same time as Alyssa says, “I’ll go.”
We look at one another and she gives me a shy smile.
“It’s settled then,” Liam says. “You two run into town. Noelle made a list. We’ll all chip in. Add anything you think we might need. When we looked through what we brought, it seems we packed enough snacks for a week, but only one puzzle and a questionable DVD collection. We need a lot more staples if we’re not going to be able to get to a store for a few days.”
We finish our breakfast, clean up,and I offer to drive.
Alyssa hops into my passenger seat, cradling a mug of coffee in her gloved hands.
“Sorry,” she says after buckling in. “I’m not quite human until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.”
“Totally understandable. My sister’s the same way.”
“You have a sister?”
