Page 31 of Out of the Cold

He led her to the shed that sat near the trees between their cabins and showed her where all the supplies were, then up to the tub to run through how he tested the water and cleaned the filter.

“That’s it?” she asked.

“That’s it.”

“It’s so easy. Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”

He shrugged. “It’s my job, and you never asked.”

“Well, it’s officially not your job anymore.”

“About the other day...”

She waited. He looked uncomfortable, but she wasn’t going to make it easier for him.

“I’m sorry I was such an ass.” He shifted his feet and looked out over the trees. “It wasn’t you.”

“Thank you for that.”

He nodded and grabbed the bucket with the tub supplies. “I’ll take these back down.”

She watched him go, wondering if she’d ever know what had driven him up here. For his sake, she hoped he worked it out.

?

Chapter Seven

Ricky would have turnednineteen today. That was his first thought before he’d even opened his eyes. In a way, it was no different than any of the other days that had passed in the ten months since he died. Not one went by that Gabe didn’t think of him.

The sadness went so far beyond any ordinary sadness he’d known before. It swept through him like the avalanche that had killed Ricky, laying waste as it went.

There was nothing left of the old him. Nothing for Angie or his family, or even his work.

He wanted a drink, and it was only seven a.m. Even up here, where he could ignore most rules of society, he wasn’t going to start drinking this early.

He’d hike up the mountain, camp for a night or two. Work himself hard, lose himself.

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