Page 9 of High Intensity

I’m annoyed, because I know I’m going to have to wait until after this damn storm passes before I can get someone to come and pull my truck back on the road. So, it looks like I’ll be stuck here until that happens, and I’m not too sure how that is going to go over.

Still, I don’t regret coming because it’s obvious the woman was not exactly prepared for emergencies. She’ll be lucky if she can last the storm on this meager wood supply.

Instead of adding the last logs to the pile on the porch, I open the door and carry them inside. I’m greeted by six dogs, two ofthem growling. I don’t recognize the Lab, but I know the other one, Emo, although she apparently doesn’t remember me, and of course I know River, and the two therapy dogs I met yesterday.

“Guys! Friend,” I hear Jillian call out.

In the faint light of a couple of candles, I can make out the large stone mantel. It’s not until I ditch my boots by the door and navigate my way through six dogs and round the couch, I see Jillian sitting on the ground in front of the fireplace. Her head and shoulders are covered in grime and her eyes are like angry, glittering jewels in a blacked canvass, daring me to comment.

I never back down from a dare.

“You didn’t have to climb up the chimney.”

She throws me a dirty look before clambering to her feet.

“All I did was open the flue,” she shares a bit defensively.

“Looks like you forgot to duck.”

I move past her and start stacking the logs next to the fireplace. Then I crouch down and give the dogs a little attention.

When I turn around, she is standing by the coffee table, glaring at me as she wipes her face with her scarf.

We’re caught in a bit of a stare-down when she finally relents, asking, “What is it you’re doing here, Wolff?”

“Figured you may not have had a chance to prepare for bad storms or power outages. Came to drop off a few things you might be able to use.”

When I point at the box just inside the door, she heads over, picks it up, and carries it to the kitchen island. While she starts digging through the contents, I turn my attention to the fireplace and a few minutes later have a small, compact fire going.

As I get to my feet, I see the dogs have taken control of the couch. Jillian seems to have found the LED lanterns, as well as the MREs, and the single butane burner I dug out of my camping gear. The lanterns are on, she already has a pot on the burner,and she’s currently using the empty box to load with the content of her freezer.

“Luckily, I’m on city water, so I’m boiling some for tea since there isn’t much else in the house I can offer,” she announces when I approach. “It’s the least I can do after being an ass, when you were just being a good neighbor,” she surprises me by adding.

I get a brief flash of her eyes.

“You weren’t an ass,” is all I can think to say. “I probably was. Nothing to do with you, but I had to leave my truck in a ditch after driving it off the road at the end of your street, which annoyed me.”

What mostly annoyed me was trudging through the deep snow in a blizzard for what turned out to be a fair distance from the main road.

“Oh shit. Yeah, I can see why it would,” she commiserates. “Maybe I can help pull you out?”

Her hands pause and her attention is on me.

“I’m afraid no one will be pulling me out anytime soon. Not until this storm passes and they clear the highway.”

Her face betrays a reaction I can’t quite place, but she nods as if she’s taking the realization I’ll be stuck here for a while in stride. Then she closes the box and picks it up.

“Could you open the back door for me?”

I do as she asks and watch her set it down at the far corner of the deck, pushing it down in the snow.

“I don’t want it to go to waste, and its more likely to stay frozen out there than in here,” she explains when she steps back inside.

“True, although not all wildlife hibernates through the winter.”

She pulls the beanie from her head and static makes her red hair stand on end. She runs an impatient hand through it.

“If that’s the case, at least it’ll get enjoyed by someone,” she returns pragmatically.

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