Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
G enevieve struggled to wake up. What is that noise? It took her several moments to realize it was the phone ringing. She reached over to pat the nightstand until her hand finally found the phone.
“He...” Her voice was raspy from sleep. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me,” a voice croaked. It took her a moment to realize who me was. Tilly. Genevieve glanced at the clock. Oh my gosh, I overslept. She jumped up out of the bed, slinging the covers off.
Genevieve ran to the bathroom, turning the shower on full-blast. “Tilly? Are you okay?” She grabbed towels and a washcloth and tossed them on the counter.
Tilly coughed. “No, I’m not... I’ve got the flu.” She sneezed, then made a noise that sounded like a moan.
“The flu? Are you serious?” Genevieve’s fear of germs kicked in as she remembered Tilly feeling poorly the night before. I got the flu vaccine though, so hopefully I won’t get it. The last thing she needed was to get the flu. Genevieve tested the water to make sure it was warm enough. She clicked her phone on speaker, propped it up on the counter, and got in the shower.
“I felt worse this morning than I did last night, so I went to the clinic as soon as the doors opened at seven.” Tilly sneezed again.
“I’ve got you on speakerphone!” yelled Genevieve. “You’re getting the vaccine next year. I hate to say I told you so. But I did.” I tried to tell her all the research points to the importance of the flu vaccine, but she wouldn’t listen to me.
“I know you did.” Tilly coughed. “And you were right.” She paused. “Is that water? Are you not at work yet?”
“No, I overslept.” Genevieve dumped a handful of shampoo in her hair. “Let me call you when I get in the car.”
“Okay, talk to you soon.” Genevieve heard Tilly hang up and then took the fastest shower possible. She dried off quickly, then threw her wet hair up in a quick bun. She usually wore skirts to work, but due to the weather and her lack of time to get ready, she grabbed a navy sweater and slipped on soft tan pants and boots.
She cranked up her SUV, then called Tilly. She shivered as the vehicle tried to heat up. I knew I should have sprung for heated seats.
Tilly answered on the first ring. “You’re going to be late.” Tilly coughed right in the phone.
She sounds awful. “Hello to you too.” Genevieve sighed. “I know. I guess I forgot to turn my alarm on last night. Hopefully, no one is standing outside the library waiting for me. Surely not with this bad weather coming in.” She imagined a line of angry patrons freezing outside to get their last stash of books and movies before the storm. She hoped no one was there just yet.
“That’s what I need to talk to you about.” Tilly paused, coughing several times. “I feel horrible, Gen. The doctor called my medicine in, but the pharmacy isn’t opening until nine. I thought I’d go home and lie down until the pharmacy opened, but I really don’t think I can get back up. Can you bring me my prescription and some cans of soup and Sprite?” She coughed. “Pretty please.”
Genevieve anxiously looked at the sky, which was an ominous gray. She took a deep breath. She loved her friend and wanted to help her. She’d checked the weather report last night. The weatherman said the storm wouldn’t roll in until later that evening. “Ok, sure. I will be there as soon as the library closes up.” She hesitated. “If they don’t shut us down before then. The last email I got from headquarters said we would close up at noon.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you so much.”
“Do you need me to get you anything else?” Genevieve imagined poor Tilly sick with no food.
“No, I’m fine. I went to the store after dinner last night to stock up. I didn’t feel good then, but I knew the lines today would be ridiculous. I just didn’t think I would need canned soup or Sprite then. I’ve got plenty of milk, bread, peanut butter, jelly, and snacks.”
“Okay. Well, if you think of anything else you need, just text me.” As they hung up, Genevieve pulled into the library parking lot, which was completely deserted. Thank goodness. She unlocked the door and turned off the alarm system. She put the few books back on the shelf that had been dropped off in the drop box overnight. Normally, she would call in one of the elderly ladies who worked part-time, since Tilly was sick. With the storm approaching, she wasn’t sure if she would have any patrons that day. She set about her usual morning routine, then called Mrs. Mae Alton to see if she would help out for a few hours, just in case it did get busy.
Mae arrived, bundled up head-to-toe in a huge red sweater and matching red hat, but she was glad to be called in. Mae had retired from teaching a few years back and enjoyed getting to see former students and past coworkers at the library. Around ten that morning, the library got busy, as people came in to check out free entertainment to help ride out the storm. They checked out tons of books, along with DVDs and audiobooks. Before she knew it, it was noon, and she and Mae had shut the place down.
Grabbing her purse and her own stack of books, she hopped into her SUV and drove to Moore’s Pharmacy. After purchasing Tilly's medicine and making a quick trip to the hardware store and supermarket, she had her car loaded down with groceries and other essentials for the storm.
Genevieve called Nana. It took several rings before she finally picked up.
“Hello?” Genevieve could hear the television in the background. Nana was watching her soap opera, a staple in her life for as long as Genevieve could remember.
“Nana? It’s Gen.” She focused on keeping her car away from the shoulder of the road. The mountains got steeper the further she got from town. Genevieve explained the situation to Nana and that she was going to Tilly’s house.
“What if the weather gets bad before you get back? It’s so dangerous up on that road.” Nana huffed. “I don’t know why any young lady would want to live that high up in the mountains by herself.”
“She likes the peacefulness of it, Nana.” Genevieve let out a deep breath. “You know Tilly. She isn’t scared of anything.” She paused. “If it even remotely looks like it’s going to start storming, I will just stay with Tilly. She has plenty of room for me to quarantine myself off from her.” Tilly’s house was way too big for just one person. Her family passed the house down generation to generation, and Genevieve hoped that one day Tilly would raise her family in that home.
Nana was silent for a moment. “I guess that will be okay, as long as she has plenty of supplies.”
“I’ve got the car loaded down. She doesn’t have the best cellphone service at her house because of all the trees, so if you don’t hear from me, I will be at her house.” She paused. “Don’t worry, Nana. We will be fine.”
“Are you sure you girls don’t want to come to my house? I’ve got plenty of food and can help take care of Tilly.”
Genevieve smiled at her grandmother’s kindness. “Thanks, Nana, but I don’t want you exposed to the flu. I will run in and run out. I’ll see you tonight or stay with her, but we will both be fine.” They said their goodbyes after Genevieve reassured Nana one more time. As she drove up the winding road up to Tilly's house, she couldn’t seem to shake an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Secretly, she agreed with Nana. Who wants to live this far up the mountain? Usually Tilly came to her house, since she lived in town and close to the library. She passed Bramblewood cottage and thought about Gabe. Wonder what he’s doing right now... Maybe he's reading up on fishing or woodworking. She smiled at the memory of him asking for book recommendations. Cute guy, but way out of my league. Ever since Tim had played her, she knew her place. And a guy like Gabe would never be interested in her. Or at least not the way she wanted a man to be interested. Plus, he cut me off when I asked more about his job. Like he didn’t really want to talk to me about anything personal. She forced herself to focus on driving. No sense in worrying about him. She had sworn off men after Tim and that was that. She let out a deep breath when she spotted Tilly’s cheerful blue mailbox at the end of her drive. Finally. She wheeled the SUV in, carefully pulling as close to the house as she could get.
Genevieve grabbed all the bags filled with medicine and groceries and hauled them in the house. Tilly had left the door unlocked for her. She peeked in Tilly’s room to see her friend sleeping soundly.
Genevieve went back to the kitchen and scrounged around in the cabinets until she found a large dutch oven. She filled the pot with beef broth, crushed tomatoes, onions, potatoes, green beans, corn, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. She quickly scrambled hamburger meat and drained the grease off. She dumped the hamburger meat in to pot and set it to simmer. She made sure Tilly had plenty of wood for her fireplace in case the electricity went out and the heat went out. She was relieved to see that Tilly had already stacked several piles of wood inside the house. She nuked a cup of Campbell’s tomato soup, filled a large glass with water, and made a grilled cheese sandwich. She went back to Tilly’s room and turned on the bedside lamp.
Genevieve set the plate on the bedside table, then placed a hand on Tilly’s forehead. Her hand burned against Tilly’s skin. “Til, wake up. It’s me.”
Tilly opened her eyes, squinting against the light of the lamp. “Gen, thanks for coming over.” She coughed then smiled weakly. “I feel terrible, but I’m glad to see you.”
Genevieve helped her sit up and handed her the glass of water. She handed her the medicine that the pharmacist had given her. “Drink, and take this.” Tilly swallowed the medicine, then gulped down the water. Once she’d finished, Genevieve handed her the cup of tomato soup. “You need to eat this.” She paused. “I bought plenty of cans of soup and put them in the pantry, but I’ve got you a pot of homemade vegetable beef soup simmering on the stove.”
Tilly looked over the cup at her gratefully. “You’re the best.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to Nana’s with me?” Genevieve didn’t want them to get the flu either, but she worried about Tilly being here alone sick and in the storm.
Tilly waved her hand. “No, but thank you.” She sighed and set the cup down. “I’m going to just rest.” Genevieve went to the linen closet in the hall and pulled out several blankets. She placed them at the foot of Tilly’s bed. “I’m putting these blankets here in case you need them. There is plenty of wood in the living room for the fireplace, so I think you should be in good shape. Just make sure you drink plenty of fluids.”
Tilly smiled. “I will, doctor.” She coughed. “But really, thank you so much. Now get back home before this storm comes in.”
Genevieve mimed hugging her. “Hugs from afar. Call me later if you can so I know you are all right.”
Tilly nodded. “I will.” Genevieve turned the lamp off and pulled the bedroom door shut. She made sure the door was locked and said a quick prayer of healing for Tilly.
It was only four o’clock when she climbed back into her car, but it had gotten colder and darker than when she arrived at Tilly’s. The last weather report said the storm wouldn’t arrive until around seven tonight, so I should be fine. As she started down the mountain, the wind blew harder. Her chest felt tight. She took a deep breath. Maybe I should turn around and stay with Tilly. She loved her friend but the thought of being stuck inside with her flu-ridden friend was not appealing. What if we both got sick? Plus, I really want to spend the next few days with Nana if we get snowed in. Genevieve crept slowly down the mountain. Snow started blowing as if it were coming out of a machine. The road seemed to twist even more going downhill. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be lucky to get home by seven. Out of the corner of her eye, something darted into the road. Genevieve slammed on her breaks. The SUV’s tires shimmied for a moment. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, bracing for impact. A large deer was only inches away from her vehicle. Its dark eyes glinted against the lights from the SUV before it ran off to the side of the wooded forest. Genevieve’s breath hitched. I almost hit it . She looked behind her to make sure no one was coming. She didn’t want to get rear-ended but needed just a moment. Once she caught her breath, she slowed her descent again. She thought she had plenty of time, but now she was getting scared. She leaned forward, trying to see. Her tires crunched against the cold, hard ground, as she ran off the road. Thank goodness she was driving against the shoulder and not the edge of the mountain. Tears pricked her eyes. Breathe, just breathe. The snow was piling up before her eyes. I'm not going to make it back down the mountain . And I can't stay up here. There's no one up here, except for a few houses tucked away in the woods. It will be days, if not weeks, before anyone drives up this way, if the storm is as bad as predicted. Her heart raced. I’ll freeze to death. Maybe I could walk back to Tilly’s if I can’t drive? She shook her head, forcing herself to breathe. No, it’s too far. Breathe, just breathe. She forced herself to concentrate. I’ve got to keep going. She inched her way down the mountain, driving at a snail’s pace. The snow seemed to fall heavier by the second. Out of the corner of her eye, a tiny red sign swayed in the strong wind. Bramblewood Cottage . She sighed. Thank God. She eased her car in the driveway. Snow was already piling up so much that her tires shimmied as she turned to angle with the driveway. She hopped out of the SUV with nothing but her purse in her hand. By the time she reached the front door, her pants and shoes were soaked from the snow. She rang the doorbell, praying Gabe was home. After a few minutes, a shirtless man, dripping wet with nothing but a towel slung across his hip, opened the door.
Gabe grinned devilishly. “I was just thinking about you.”