Page 14 of Out of the Cold

“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“It’s great for sore muscles, too. A soak in the tub after a long hike or snowshoe will change your life. Use anything you find in the house. We store boots and other winter things in the back closet.”

“I’ll remember that. Thank you, Len. You have no idea what this means to me.”

“You’re doing us a favor. I hate to have the place sit empty for a whole winter.”

It was a kind thing to say, but with Gabe taking care of the place, she knew he didn’t need her there. “Well, thank you all the same.”

“Give me a call if you need anything.”

She was smiling when she hung up. She’d have to do something to show her appreciation, but she couldn’t think what would be adequate.

She had a bunch of new texts commenting on the photo she’d sent and asking how she was. She replied with pithy messages to everyone but Cara.Call you soon,she typed, then went to get the rest of the groceries.

There were still several logs in the woodstove when she finished unpacking, so she probably had a few more hours before she had to add to it. Better to see how it burned and get a feel for the timing so she could plan her days.

She shut the stove door with a clang, satisfied with how logical that was.

Hilde needed a walk, and so did she, for that matter. In San Francisco, they went for a long walk nearly every day. But despite what Len had said, she couldn’t stop imagining mountain lions lurking in the woods and circling the perimeter of the cabin.

There was a ton of information online about warding off mountain lion attacks. She read several different sites, but they didn’t exactly alleviate her fears. One page suggested using a hiking stick or even a hunting knife as protection and to throw rocks to frighten them off.

There were hiking poles in the mudroom, and rocks were easy enough to find. It was a start. Too bad the trails were behind Gabriel’s cabin. She could only hope she wouldn’t run into him.

“Ready for a walk?” she asked Hilde, who was already dancing around in anticipation.

It was a beautiful day, clear and sunny, maybe fifty degrees. Exactly what she’d imagined when she decided to come here. The crisp, pine-scented air filled her lungs and entered her bloodstream, brightening her pulse.

They crossed the little bridge that spanned a creek, then walked along a well-worn path through a sparse stand of trees. There was the stump Gabriel chopped wood on. She tensed, waiting for Gabriel to open the door and scowl at her, but there was no movement inside or out.

Hilde sniffed like mad, beside herself at all the smells. Lucy tugged her gently away from something in the grass and led her to the back of the cabin. It took a minute, but eventually she spotted the trailhead at the bottom of a tree-covered slope.

She was already breathing heavily, either from nerves or the altitude, as if her body were galloping ahead of her. Then branches cracked as something moved through the forest, too far away for her to identify.

Turning abruptly, she led Hilde back around the house and over the bridge. They followed Len’s driveway to the narrow road, where she turned left and kept to the packed dirt on the side.

Hilde looked longingly into the forest.

“Sorry, girl, we’re sticking to the road.”

The road meant civilization and the ability to escape the wilderness, and it made her feel safe. Safer, anyway. Right now, nowhere felt completely free of danger.

She kept Hilde on the leash so she wouldn’t have to worry about cars, but she let the dog stop as often as she wanted, and sniff to her delight. It took forever to go a mile with so many new scents, but she didn’t have anywhere she had to be.Be present, she reminded herself each time she had the urge to coax the dog along. During one long sniff, she pocketed a few rocks to use as missiles should a mountain lion launch itself at her or Hildegard.

Assuming she didn’t pass out first.

If she did get mauled, she hoped Mark read about it and spent the rest of his days racked with guilt that she’d been driven up here because of him.

She looked around, trying to see through the trees on both sides. Surely Hilde would smell or sense a predator if one were near. Unless, of course, it was upwind.

She stopped, chilled by the thought. Something moved in the trees to her left and she froze, only to watch a squirrel run up a tree.

She was a mess. It didn’t matter that so far she’d only seen squirrels. Possibly that was what she’d heard behind Gabriel’s cabin, too. But what if it wasn’t?

She turned Hilde around and headed home. Her nerves were shot by the time they got to the dirt drive, and once they were in the house, she fell into a chair by the stove.

Fear was exhausting. She knew that better than most people.

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