Page 58 of Finn

“I’m fine, Finn,” she insists. “Or I will be soon.”

“All right.”

I keep an eye on her, and she does stop shivering. Still, I try to chop up enough wood for a good fire as quickly as I can. I’m pretty fast, so it doesn’t take too long.

After I grab several pieces of wood to take in with us, I say. “This should be enough to get us started. I’ll come out and get more if we need it.”

“Okay,” Sammie throws over her shoulder as she practically sprints to the door.

Guess she was still cold after all.

Chuckling, I follow her in, close the door, and then begin placing the wood in a metal rack by the fireplace.

Soon it’s piled high.

The original plan was to start the fire in a little while, but when I turn around and notice Sammie still has her coat on, I ask her, “Do you want me to get this thing going now?”

She bounces up and down on her toes. “Oh my God, yes, please.”

I laugh and nod. “You got it.”

Even though the furnace is still on, it doesn’t run constantly. This fire will warm things up quickly, though.

And, sure enough, a few minutes later, after adding several smaller pieces of wood for kindling, along with a few whopper logs, we have a roaring fire going.

Sammie finally chucks her coat, leaving her in faded jeans and an off-white fisherman’s knit sweater.

I’m in jeans as well, but my long-sleeved tee has been enough for me. I’m plenty warm, especially after we plop down onto the plushy rug on the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace.

“Are you warming up now?” I ask Sammie.

Nodding, she holds her hands out toward the fire and replies, “I am. This is so nice, Finn.”

“It is,” I agree.

We’re quiet then, but it’s a comfortable silence.

Even though we’re facing the fire, I keep stealing glances over at Sammie. I can’t help it. It’s just that she looks so beautiful in the light of the flames with her long hair tumbling down her shoulders and her cheeks glowing.

We sit like this for a while, and then we start chatting about the past few days.

At one point, I ask her, “So, you’re having fun up here? You’re glad you came?”

“Oh, yes.” She nods. “I love it in Alaska. It’s so beautiful and just… I don’t know. This place feels like it renews your soul. Does that even make sense?”

“Actually, it does,” I reply.

I know exactly what she means. I haven’t even thought about hockey or our missing the playoffs. I, too, feel renewed, in a lot of ways. Not only am I at peace, but I know once I’m back in Atlanta, I’ll be ready to start fresh, prepping for the new season.

Suddenly, and out of the blue, a big wind kicks up outside, rattling the panes of glass in the windows.

I say, “That must be the snow coming in.”

Sammie sits up straighter, excited. “Do you think it’s here now? The snow, that is?”

I shrug. “It could be.”

Rising up to her knees, she says, “Can we go outside and check? I really, really want to see snow. I don’t count that slushy crap that falls once in a while in Georgia as being the real thing.”

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