Page 250 of Mountain Grump
The sun has set.
Our dinner of cold gyros has been consumed.
And it’s time to look at the stars.
Tilda zips the hoodie I brought for her, then crawls up the blanket and snuggles into my side.
I wrap my arm around her shoulder, holding her to me.
“Didn’t you bring a sweatshirt for yourself?” Her cheek is pressed against my chest, so I can feel her mouth move as she speaks.
“No. I’m good.”
She hums. “I still can’t believe how cool it is up here. It gets cold in the desert at night, but not like this.”
“Elevation makes all the difference.”
Tilda is quiet for a moment before I feel her speak again. “How long until the first big snowfall?”
“A couple months. We’ll get snow in October, but if you’re talking about a lot of inches, that might not happen until November. Then it will keep happening until May.”
“May?” Tilda blows out a breath. “Plenty of time to learn how to shovel, I guess.”
“I know a guy who plows, we’ll get him hired for you.” Then a thought occurs to me. “Have you never seen snow?”
She shakes her head against me. “Not really. There were a few dustings that I can remember. Which were exciting.” I know she’s being serious, but I still smile. “But the times there was a rare Nevada snowstorm with measurable amounts, it was never where I lived.”
“I promise, where you live now, you’ll see snow.”
Tilda taps her fingers against my chest. “I’m excited for it. A little nervous.”
My smile softens. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just stay home and don’t drive in it until I can teach you how.”
“I can agree to that. It’s probably from being forced to watch too many scary movies growing up, butlost in a snowstormis one of my biggest and, until now, most unlikely fears.”
I hug her tighter to my side, then lift my other hand and point to the sky. “You see the Big Dipper there? The seven stars that make the ladle shape?”
Tilda shifts her head. “Yeah. I remember the name from school.”
“Well, if you’re ever lost at night, look for the Big Dipper.”
“Is it always there? Visible, I mean?”
“Yes. In this part of the world.”
Tilda makes a humming sound and lifts her hand to trace the pattern in the sky. “How will it help me?”
“The Big Dipper is a part of a larger constellation, Ursa Major. The Great Bear.” I rub my thumb in a circle on Tilda’s shoulder. “The handle part of the Big Dipper is also the tail of the bear. But if you see the cup part.” I shift my arm as I point. “The two stars on the end, opposite the handle. If you start at the bottom one, draw an invisible line up to the top one, then keepgoing…” I draw a line in the sky with my finger. “You’ll find the North Star.”
Tilda matches my movements, her hand tracing the lines between stars.
“And when you’re facing the North Star, you’re facing north.” I lower my hand. “The Rocky Mountains run north and south, and we live on the eastern edge. So, if you find your starlight, you’ll always know which way is home.”
Chapter 137
Tilda
Ethan’s voice is thick.
