Page 14 of Wind Valley

Yet more extra credit for Lachlan.

8

Dinner parties in Firelight Ridge were always potlucks. That meant they had a different vibe, in Lachlan’s experience. More casual, less focused on the host or hostess, more relaxed and chaotic.

Ani and Gil had made moosemeat chili, which bubbled in a Crock-Pot on the stove. Ani had also made naan from scratch. The puffy flatbread was so good that Gil had literally dropped to his knees and bowed down to her.

Molly and Sam brought a smoked salmon dip with plenty of crackers, while Lila made one of her extravagant salads, which contained everything from toasted pecans to sliced apples, along with a profusion of winter greens.

“Can you believe they survived under so much snow? I had to snowshoe into the garden to pick them, and it took me a while to find them. Once I brushed the snow off, they were fine!” Lila clasped her hands together with excitement.

“The snow insulates winter greens from the cold and wind, and keeps the soil warm enough so they can still grow. The fluffy structure of the snow traps air pockets, which don’t conduct cold very well,” he said, then immediately regretted it. He didn’t always have to be Mr. Science Guy, did he?

“Yes, isn’t it cool? My lettuces turned to mush, but the kale and the cabbage are mostly in good shape.”

“You’re really enjoying your first winter here, aren’t you?”

“So much!” She practically danced with joy.

Bear, hovering just behind her, smiled as he shook his head. “I keep thinking the next storm will be the one that puts her over the edge, but I keep being wrong.”

“I told you guys, this is my place. Not even the earthquake changed my mind.” Lila’s silver-white hair glistened as she tossed the salad with a dressing she’d brought in a jar. “Lachlan, did you bring your newest creation?”

Ever since he’d started filling in at The Fang, he’d been experimenting with new cocktails. These days, customers would come in and ask for whatever Lachlan’s brain wave of the day might be. Bear had actually started running naming contests for them.

“I did. I have a full bottle of Gale Force Galaxy Brain right here.” He uncorked the bottle and let her take a whiff.

“Ugh, who named that one?”

“That was Oil Can’s doing. He got all the other Community members to vote for it.”

“Sounds rigged.” Lila grabbed a shot glass and held it out for Lachlan to fill. This drink was mostly spiced rum, but he’d added a few other secret ingredients, including blackberry liqueur and mint. “I choose to call it Come Sail Away,” she announced after a sip.

“That’s much better.” He poured himself a glass and clicked it against hers. “I like the pirate theme.”

As people bustled in and out of the kitchen, filling plates and bowls, Lila drew him to the side. He’d gotten to know her pretty well from working at The Fang, so he knew that she had unusually strong intuition. He respected that, because his own brain didn’t fit normal patterns either. He’d long ago decided that “normal” didn’t have much meaning when it came to how people thought.

“I wanted to tell you about a dream I had the other night,” Lila said in a low voice. “Do you mind?”

“No, of course not.”

“It wasn’t literally a dream,” she clarified. “Sometimes I get…very strong and vivid images. I don’t always know what they mean, but they’re not nothing. They’re something.”

“Okay.” He waited for her to say more. She cocked her head at him in surprise.

“You don’t have a million questions about that?”

“About your dream? I haven’t even heard it yet.”

“About…never mind. Here’s what I saw. I saw you and Maura. You were on the edge of a cliff, and there was a ferocious wind blowing past you. Maura was right on the edge, looking down, and you were holding onto her coat so she didn’t fall. I was there too, but I was invisible and I had no voice, but I was screaming at you to not let go. But you couldn’t hear me, or you didn’t want to listen, I’m not sure. Then Maura looked back my way, and I could see she was in despair and didn’t know what to do. Then she pushed you away from her.”

His heart was hammering. “What happened? Did she fall?”

“I don’t know, because it ended right there.”

He rubbed at his sternum. “Any idea what it means?”

“No. Sometimes I see things that have happened in the past.”

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