Page 107 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

“I’ll get it,” he said. The guy looked to be close to seventy.

“No,” Bob said. “You’re renting the place. I should have had it here, but it was just delivered and I threw some in my truck. The rest is at our house so if you run out, just let me know.”

No way he was letting the guy do it. He followed him out and saw the twenty or so pieces in the back of the truck and went to pick up several and bring them in.

“I’ll get our stuff,” Andi said.

“Leave the cooler for me to get,” he said.

“I planned on it,” she said, laughing.

In ten minutes he had all the wood stacked and watched the owners drive away, then went to get the cooler. Andi had brought in everything else and no amount of telling her to leave it worked.

She was almost as stubborn as his mother who had four men to do things for her.

He carried the cooler into the kitchen and helped her unload it. They had food to cook dinner for two nights and lunch meats along with some breakfast foods they kept cold on the drive up.

Andi had put away the snacks and other food for their two days. He thought they packed light or were going to, but it filled up a lot of the back of his SUV.

“I think everything is set,” he said.

“Looks it,” she said. “Do we want to just put the snowshoes on and walk around the back? It seems pretty open.”

“Bob said we could go right or left when we get back there. He has the trails marked to stay out of the woods if we want to go right now.”

“I think that is best,” she said. “It will be dark in less than two hours. No reason to get lost.”

Jarrett pulled his phone out. “At least I’ve got cell service. I’m going to drop a pin right here just in case we do get lost tomorrow.”

“So smart,” she said. “I’d never think to do those things and I should.”

“That is what you’ve got me for. Let’s get our snow pants on and bundle up. It’s not too cold, but if we are out there too long, we’ll start to feel it.”

They pulled up snow pants over their jeans, put their boots on, and then bundled up with jackets and hats, found the snowshoes on the back porchandstrapped them on once they were outside.

He liftedupone leg and then the other to move and get the hang of it. Andi took three steps, her feet got tangled up, and down she went. He tried to catch her and ended up in the snow with her.

“Good thing you turned or you would have squished me.”

She was laughing so hard she had tears running down her face. She rolled off of him onto her back and started to swing her arms and legs wide. Or try to with their snowshoes on her feet.

“What are you doing?”

“Making a snow angel,” she said. “It feels like that is about all I’m able to do successfully. I’m thinking we are better off going in and building a fire and having a drink than worrying about me breaking something.”

He was thrilled she’d suggested that because he was terrified she’d pinch him if he did, but he was seriously concerned that she wasn’t going to last long without falling every other step.

He stood up and reached his hand out to pull her up. She almost pulled him back down trying to get her balance.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking them off,” she said. “I can walk better without them. I want to see the animals tomorrow and we can do it without them. I don’t think the snow is that deep.”

Over his ankles, but not by much. That was why they had boots and snow pants.

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow. It’s been a long day of traveling having to ride on the ferry and then the drive here,” he said.

“The downside to living on the island. Added an hour to our drive.”

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