Page 13 of Snowbound Hearts
“What are you doing, Sydney? It’s too dangerous to be out here by yourself,” I snap at her for no good reason.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be out here by yourself, either, Mason,” she snaps back.
“I know how to handle myself out here. You don’t.”
She laughs sardonically, “I know how to handle myself, Mason. Don’t you worry about me. I’m perfectly fine right here.” She dismisses me and goes back to staring out over the landscape.
The woman is frustrating as fuck. “Well, at least stay on the deck. Don’t go wandering around.”
She sighs, “Just go, Mason. It’s what you do best.” She stands up and goes back inside the lodge.
I watch her through the windows inside until she disappears into the darkened room and then I maneuver the ATV through the trees to the edge of the property and then eventually to the main road. During the entire ride, all I can think about is what Sydney just said to me.Just go, Mason. It’s what you do best.What the actual fuck?
It looks like the lodge is getting closer to getting the power back on. That’s good. It should only be another few hours before we’re fully restored. I pull over next to a large fallen tree blocking the entrance to the lodge and the main road.
Using my chainsaw to chop up the tree into manageable sections and pull them one at a time down into the swale and out of the way. These limbs will make great firewood someday. I’ll have to come back down here to chop them up in the daylight.
With the fallen tree handled, I decide to take one more loop around the property to make sure everything is good to go before heading in for the night. Everything looks as it should; I ride the ATV over to the garage to put it away. That’s when I see something out of the ordinary over by the garage door. Something that wasn’t there when I left a few hours ago. Paw prints in the snow.
Big paw prints. Something’s out here looking for food.
Hunting.
Making as much noise as I can with the ATV, I drive it into the garage and shine the flashlight around to make sure I’m alone. Angling the light around, under, and above, I’m relieved not to find anything looking for a snack. I lock up the garage and go inside the lodge through the kitchen door.
Even without the power on, the lodge is much warmer than the outside air. “Hey, boss,” Franco says from the kitchen counter. “Everything okay out there?”
“Yep. We only lost one tree. We’ll need to get it chopped up in the morning, but it looks like the county is down the streetworking on the lines. Hopefully we’ll have power in the next few hours.”
“That’s good because I’m afraid my percolator isn’t made to be used this much.” Franco laughs as he holds it up to me.
I point at it. “That thing has been a godsend. Don’t you know it,” I laugh. “Hey, saw prints out by the garage door on my way back in. Make sure the garbage is all locked up before you turn in tonight, okay?”
“You got it, boss. I’ll do that right now. I’m heading to bed. Long day tomorrow.”
“Good night, Franco. Thanks for everything today.”
“No problem. Good night.”
Grabbing the last of the coffee in the percolator, I enter into the common area where the fire is still roaring and find Emily sitting on the couch dozing. I tap her shoulder, “Em, go to bed. You’re exhausted.”
She rubs sleep out of her eyes and yawns. “Okay. Did you and Sydney talk finally?” She fluffs the throw pillows before making her way towards her bedroom.
“No. I’ve been moving tree limbs for the last few hours.” I’m getting a sinking feeling in my gut. “Why?”
Emily’s eyes bug out of her sockets. “Because Sydney left a few hours ago looking for you. She was hopping mad, and I couldn’t talk her into waiting until you got back.”
Both of us run upstairs to Sydney’s room. Using the master key, I unlock it to find it completely empty. FUCK!
“How long ago was that, Emily?” I ask as we both go back into the common area.
She looks at the clock on the wall over the fireplace. “Two hours ago.”
“SHIT!” I call out as I’m throwing my coat back on. “Call Franco. See if he can take the front of the property. I’ll check the back.”
“What do you want me to do?”
I grab our radios off the chargers and hand her one of them. “Stay here and let me know the moment she walks in.” I grab my shotgun, load it with ammo, and snap it closed. “I mean it, Emily. The moment she walks in.”
