Page 17 of Wolfish Hunger
Nobody would ever claim that I'm a good cook, but it still feels satisfying to dice onions and a yellow pepper to toss into some scrambled eggs. I hope Sammie will appreciate the effort, just as she’ll appreciate that I’m being as quiet as possible so she can sleep in. There was a hell of a storm last night, and we both woke up a few times from the thunder.
Every single detail of last night’s encounter in the back of my truck keeps spinning around in my mind. Sammie’s soft sighs. The way she looked at me with that fire in her eyes.
As I take my first sip of coffee, I also remember the uncomfortable look in her eyes at Jim's Pizza when people were staring at her, observing her with that special kind of scrutiny that's usually reserved for our family.
There must be some way to turn that down. I was a bit quiet when I was younger too. When my brothers and I went out together, we were already a spectacle, and naturally, I was singled out because I'm the biggest. It was kind of infuriating: I just wanted to be left alone.
In Sammie's case, as a twin, I would imagine it would be a similar experience, or even worse. Plus, it might be harder for awoman to speak up or state what she wants. I'll have to be on high alert and really read her cues. When she needs quiet time, or to get away from prying eyes, I'll be ready.
"That smells great!"
I set down the knife and turn to hug my girl. She looks so adorable wearing my hoodie over her dress, her hair tied up in a lopsided topknot.
"Good morning, gorgeous. May I interest you in scrambled eggs with onion and yellow peppers?"
"Perfect. Can I help?"
Just as I point to the fridge, the power flickers hard. We look at each other in surprise, then it flickers again.
"Weird. That’s never happened here before," I begin. "But just so you know, I have a generator. We would never be stuck here in the winter without power for more than three minutes."
Her lovely eyes shine. "Good to know."
Our attention is drawn to my phone. It’s lighting up like a Christmas tree. "I'll get coffee," she says. "Maybe you should check all those texts pouring in."
I quickly flip my thumbs across the screen, reading messages from several different people. "Dammit. There's a huge power outage in Cedarvale. Last night a tree fell directly on one of the power junctions and knocked out half the town. The rural outskirts were hit even worse."
"Oh no." Sammie rushes over, placing her hand on my arm. "Are they okay?"
I'm still skimming. "People who aren't on the town water system rely on pumps for their well water. Plus, they can’t open their refrigerators or freezers for fear of everything being ruined. So some of them are without food and water. Apparently it's going to be late tonight before the power comes on. Maybe even tomorrow."
Sammie frowns. "Oh, gosh. Can’t they drive into town for supplies?"
I shake my head glumly. "Nope. The tree took out the main bridge as well. And there are several others blocking the back roads."
Then I grin. "But the good news is that the Dirty brothers have someone with an RV across the river, and a couple of trucks. If we can get supplies across at that point, we can go door-to-door to the thirty or so families who are completely isolated."
She blinks. "I'm sorry…the Dirty brothers?"
"Yeah. Good guys, you'll like them. Walker is setting everything up." My thumbs are flying across the screen. "Two of my brothers are out of town, but the other two are already collecting supplies downtown."
Sammie nods, looking down at the mug in her hand. "After a rough night, those people need water. But they also need coffee and a hot meal."
"Hmm. Kellen and Kai are already arranging for a ton of sandwiches from the bakery and the grocery store. You think people need a hot meal as well?"
"I'm sure they’ll survive on the sandwiches, but a hot meal is so comforting, you know? Even if it’s just veggies and rice." Sammie stares into space, thinking. "Actually, pasta would be easier to make in an RV. We could do a veggie pasta and a meat pasta, maybe? Give them a big hot meal, then they could keep the sandwiches for whenever they need them. Muffins, too."
"Not the carrot walnut ones, though. Those are yours," I chuckle. I clasp her hands. "So who do we get to cook?"
She pauses. “I’ve been listening to more of the chatter around town. Everyone really appreciates how your family takes care of people here on the mountain.”
Sammie shifts, staring at the ceiling for a minute. I'm not sure if she's collecting herself or thinking very hard. Then her eyes meet mine. "I'll cook. You assist. You said there are thirty homes?"
"Thirty-two."
She's already grabbing the cutting board, knives and bowls. "So, we're going to need food for like ninety people?"
"My brothers are already on that. Plus they’re grabbing all the bottled water they can get their hands on."
