Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Ledger
The sun is finally setting as I leave the ranch, although it’s hard to tell. It’s already been nearly dark most of the day as angry gray clouds have smothered the sky, dumping a ridiculous amount of snow to the ground as they hover above the mountains.
It’s been a few years since we’ve had a true blizzard. Sure, we’re used to getting snow here all the time in southeast Wyoming. The locals, including myself, don’t usually get too worked up about a familiar storm. This one seems a little stronger than average, though.
I used to live near the ranch that my family owns. The house that I bought when I turned twenty-five wasn’t even a mile down the road, in fact. I could lie and say I enjoyed living there, but the truth is that I wanted to be farther up the mountain.
My papa built the cabin I live in now, and left it to me when he passed. Whether or not I’d ever move there wasn’t clear to me in my twenties, but the older I got, the more I realized how much he and I were alike.
Now that I’ve moved in, I like that the nearest neighbor is eight miles away. I love our friends and family, but enjoy nature and time alone just as much, so it’s perfect for me.
You can’t put a price on being able to walk off your back porch and go for a hike anytime you want either.
I lift my palm that’s resting on the top of the steering wheel to check the speedometer. My foot eases off the gas pedal a notch, slowing to a snail’s pace. I have snow tires and plenty of winter storm driving experience, but better safe than sorry.
The road begins to wind as I carefully drive up the mountain.
As the crow flies, it’s not extremely far to my cabin, but it takes all of twenty-five minutes to get there from the ranch on a normal day.
Now because of limited visibility, I’ve already been driving for thirty, and still have a little ways to go.
The cab of my truck fills with the ringtone of an incoming call, and without checking the caller ID, I know it’s Mom. My sister already told her I was leaving, if I had to guess. Out of habit, my thumb presses the accept call button on the steering wheel.
“You’re lucky I haven’t passed the old, abandoned gas station yet.” It’s where I usually lose cell service altogether.
I can almost hear her satisfied smile through the speakers. “Oh, good. I was hoping I’d catch you. How are the roads?”
Squinting, I focus on the flurry of white out the windshield. “Not great.”
“Not too late to turn back and spend the weekend here,” she croons. “Everyone will be hunkering down to wait out the storm together. We could play cards, bake, watch old movies . . .” Her voice trails off as she tries to come up with the most enticing argument.
I feel slightly guilty hearing her suggestions.
She knows good and well that I’m not big on get-togethers, but she invites me every time anyway.
It’s been a while since I felt like things at the ranch were all in order and I could have a weekend to myself.
So I’m not going to squander the opportunity.
“I’m sure it’ll be fun, Mom. The roads will be just fine in a few days, and I’ll come over then.”
“You’d rather shack up with Katie all weekend, is what you’re saying.”
My tone threatens to sharpen, but I tamp down the urge.
“We broke up.”
The line goes silent for a beat, but she can’t hold in her sarcastic response for long. “Repeat that one more time for your old mom, I want to make sure I heard you correctly.” Her tone is laced with delight.
“I said we broke up.”
“There is a God.”
“I thought you wanted me to have a girlfriend?”
“Well, maybe I’m guilty of that a little bit. But I want you to be happy first and foremost.”
In the past, she’s never shied away from telling me that she wants me to settle down. It was annoying at first, and it felt like a lot of unnecessary pressure, but the last thing I want is for her to waste time worrying about me.
I’m just fine on my own, and I know I put too much stock in the idea that having a girlfriend will put her at ease. The truth is that she’s rooting for me to be happy whether I’m with someone or not.
“I know. I am, okay? Listen, I might lose you here in a minute. Just a head’s up.”
“Stop deflecting,” she laughs.
“I’m not.” Maybe a little.
Her defeated sigh cuts through the phone like a knife to my chest, but I ignore it. “Alright. Well, be careful.”
“Always am,” I answer. “Remind Fletcher to check water and break ice as much as possible since I won’t be there for a few days. I’ll try to make it out sooner, but not sure what this weather’s gonna do.”
“Fletch! Ledger is on about the stock tanks again!” I smirk as I listen to her yell, presumably down the hallway where my brother-in-law sits to chat with my dad in his office every night.
Her voice returns to a normal decibel as she reassures me it’ll be taken care of.
“Don’t you worry, everything here will be in tip-top shape in your absence. ”
I’ve heard that before. I roll my eyes just before taking the last turn before home. Fletcher married my sister, Cheyenne, a few months back. My dad gave him a job, and he’s a decent guy, I guess. My sister loves him, at least. Jury’s still out on whether or not I think he deserves her.
Not having a house and moving into my parents’ place within a few weeks of getting married didn’t help his case.
“Call if you need anything.”
“What better advice to follow than your own,” she quips back, but again I sense her smile.
I chuckle. “Will do, Mom.”
“Before I lose you, did you find the book that I—”
“I’m going to have to call you back when I get to my house,” I cut her off when a car with flashing hazard lights comes into view, right at the bottom of my driveway. I lean forward, trying to figure out if it’s moving at all or if I recognize the vehicle.
“Everything okay?”
“I think so, just a car off the road.”
“Oh, dear. Help them out and give me a ring when you can.”
When a small figure exits the car and instantly falls to the ground, I hang up the call without saying goodbye. As quick as I can without sliding off the road myself, I pull in behind the small silver sedan and jump out.
It doesn’t take long for me to reach the person on the ground. The woman on the ground, I realize, as she whips her head up to look at me while I approach her. Her hair is so light blonde, it almost blends in with the snow swirling around her.
I stand above her with a hand on each of my hips while she attempts to stand, only for her to slip and land on her ass with a thump once again.
It’s always pretty slick at the bottom of my driveway.
While I try not to laugh, one of my hands reaches down toward her on instinct, and she grips my palm with her ice-cold fingers.
Halfway to a full standing position, I sense her hesitation.
She quickly breaks our connection once her feet are planted firmly on the ground.
When she looks up at me, my lips part involuntarily.
I try not to continue staring, moving my gaze to fixate on the tiny flakes of snow that stick to the tips of her long lashes instead of her whole face.
I blink a few times, wondering if it’s my vision that’s messed up or if she’s as pretty as she seems. My brain forgets, just for a moment, what I was doing standing here in front of her in the first place.
“Thank you,” she says while smoothing a hand over the front of her puffy coat, pulling me back to the present. My eyebrows raise hearing her voice. It’s soft and quiet, but still cheerful despite her current situation.
“Did you slide off the road?” And did my brain slide out of my skull? Because suddenly the ability to think straight feels impossible.
“Not exactly,” she explains. Her arms are crossed now like she’s trying to protect herself.
From the cold or from a stranger questioning her, I’m not sure which.
She shifts her gaze back and forth to look between me and her car.
“I heard this sputtering sound, and then the engine stalled. I think. It started shaking, even though I was driving slow and careful. I got scared and pulled over when I saw this driveway.”
“My driveway.”
“Oh,” she whispers.
I quickly mull over what she told me about the car, immediately guessing it might be the fuel line, considering the sputtering sounds and stalled engine. “Did you smell fuel at all?”
Her eyes widen. “Yes, now that you mention it.”
My head tips up, inspecting the quickly blackening sky, as I scan the road behind us.
It’s fucking cold, and this snow isn’t letting up one bit.
I could take a look at her car and come up with a better guess as to what the issue is, but I’m not sure what good that would do.
The nearest parts store isn’t near at all.
She moves to stand next to me, silent while I contemplate the options.
Call in for a tow? Pointless. No one in their right mind would drive up here for that in this weather, no matter how much she offered to pay them.
I could chance it and give her a ride to town myself, but that’s a huge risk. I’m lucky I left the ranch early and made it here in the first place. Making it down the mountain and then back up to get home again would be nearly impossible at this point.
I narrow my eyes at the car. If my suspicions are correct and she needs a new fuel line, she can’t drive this thing. She’ll flood the carburetor or worse, blow the damn thing up. And that’s on top of slick roads, no matter what direction she’s headed.
With a sigh, I trudge toward the car and open the door.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
I ignore her, settling into the driver’s seat. A decision I instantly regret when her fit of giggles cuts through the howling wind.