Snow Falls

chapter Twenty



“Finally.”

After four long weeks and another major snowstorm, Ryan finally heard what she’d been waiting on. Snowplows. She’d gotten her Jeep out and had driven as far as she could—where the avalanche had buried the road. There was still a lot of snow covering it and if she remembered from last year, it would take them three or four days to clear it up to her road. She’d waited this long, she could wait a few more days.

She whistled for the dogs, and they immediately came running. She hated to admit it, but she was starved for company and conversation. Truth was, she was starved for Jen, but that was out of the question.

She had never felt as alone as she had the last four weeks. Even in the darkest hours after her name had been leaked, after the tabloid stories, she’d never felt as disconnected as she had since Jen left. She cursed herself many times for not getting her e-mail address, at least. But what good would it have done to keep in touch that way? Jen had her life. No doubt she was immersed in it again. Ryan wondered if Jen even gave her a thought anymore. No, it was best that they hadn’t kept in touch. Best for both of them.

She hiked on, back to the cabin, the snow all but gone, even on the north side of the cabin. Spring came slowly up here, but she was convinced it had arrived. Birds were coming up from the lower elevations, and chipmunks were once again scurrying about, driving the dogs mad as they chased after them. Oh, sure, snow could still fall again. She’d seen flurries in June before. But it was time to clean off the sundeck, pull out the chairs and her writing table. She could envision many warm, sunny days with her laptop, maybe a cold beer or two. Yeah, summer would make it go away—her loneliness.

Things would get back to normal.