Page 38 of Snowed In on Valentine's Day

We reached the back door, and he started opening it with his other hand.

I tugged hard on his hand. “Wait! Are you insane? What if there’s someone or something out there?”

He turned back, and our faces were close, too close. “Your imagination is working in overdrive. I think I know what made the sound.” Then he turned and opened the door, looking outinto the glittery snow that had finally stopped blowing enough that we could see more than a foot in front of us.

Sure enough, on one side of the house the snow was littered with dark debris, which looked like—

“See that? Looks like a large branch fell on the house. It happens sometimes when snow becomes too heavy and weakens the tree limb.”

“A tree branch?” I asked, my tone incredulous.

He stuck his head out further and then stepped fully back into the house. “Looks like it only landed on the porch roof, so I’m guessing there was no damage to windows or anything. No power lines nearby.”

I was speechless, which was incredibly rare. I concentrated on breathing, willing my heart rate to return to normal.

“It’s all right, Hazel. Not a big deal—this kind of thing happens. It happened last week when it snowed, and that wasn’t nearly as much snow as we have now.” He even attempted a half-smile, which I was too distracted to fully appreciate. “I doubt there’s any damage. We’re safe.” He grasped both my hands and looked into my eyes. “Are you all right?”

I nodded and then shook my head. “I—there’s—”

“Breathe, Hazel.”

Such simple advice, but coming from him, it was everything. I looked into his eyes before closing my own with a long sigh.

I backed away reluctantly. “I think … I’ll be OK. It’s just been a long couple of days. I am not usually like this, you know. I’m usually cool, like …”

“A cucumber?” He sucked in one cheek as if trying not to laugh.

I fought the urge to smile. To grab him by the shoulders and kiss him. Instead, I nodded slightly and attempted a more confident tone. “I’m fine.”

I was definitely not fine.

*****

Our hands were still joined as we proceeded through a short walkway to the garage, which I assumed had once been detached since this was quite an old house. Thank goodness for twentieth-century innovations.

The garage was on the same side of the house where the branches appeared to have fallen. Once in the cold garage, he looked around, finding an LED lantern on a shelf by the door. After switching it on, he released my hand, and oddly, I felt disappointed.

He walked toward both sets of windows. “I don’t see any sign of damage to the windows or elsewhere. This garage seems solidly built, so I think …”

I stopped listening as my eyes landed on a large machine on one side of the garage, next to his car.

Was that …

My eyebrows drew together as I squinted to read a label on it.

“Peter,” I interrupted, pointing to the machine. “Isn’t that a generator? I thought those had to be outside. And it’s not connected to anything. I don’t know a lot about generators, but don’t they need to be hooked up to something? How …” I looked at him for answers.

“The one we’re using is outside, yes,” he said, his tone impatient. “It’s protected from the elements, as much as it can be. I’ve been checking on it once a day or so to make sure it’s not getting wet or frozen.”

My eyes traveled down to the machine and then back up at him a few times. “But … so what’s this? An extra one?”

He nodded, as though that was obvious.

I opened my mouth and then closed it. Emotions swirled around within me at top speed, from shock to confusion to suspicion to annoyance …

Thenanger.

I inhaled sharply through my nose. “So, you had an extra generator anddidn’t think to tell me?” I barely got the words out, with my voice shaking.

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