Shelter from the Storm Page 5

  Gemma’s hands were small and amazingly delicate. They were also ice-cold. His determination to keep her safe grew tenfold. “It shouldn’t be much longer. I think we’ve come at least eight miles. I can’t believe we have more than two or three miles left to go.”

  “I don’t see how you can follow the truck’s tracks in this snow.”

  The tire tracks had been obliterated by the blowing snow miles back. “I can’t, but I’m sticking to the road.” The wider opening between the trees had been his only guide for the past hour.

  He realized the socks Gemma had been using for mittens were wet. Putting them back on wouldn’t do her any good. He needed a way to keep her upright without having her hang on to anything.

  He cut free the webbing she had been holding on to. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “You’ll need to keep your hands inside your cloak.”

  “If your intent is to dump me out in the snow, just say so.”

  “That’s a ridiculous thing to say.” He set about making a smaller loop on one end.

  “And removing my only way of hanging on isn’t silly?”

  “You can’t put the wet socks back on.”

  “They will work for a couple more miles,” she insisted.

  “Nope.”

  “Fine. Leave me here and go get help.”

  “Don’t be absurd. I’m not leaving you. Raise your arms.”

  “Why.”

  “Because I asked you to.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Not until you explain to me what you’re doing.”

  Even cold and miserable, she could be obstinate. He sighed heavily. “I’m making a smaller loop to go around your body. I’m going to fasten the other end of the strap to the front of the hood and pull it tight. That will keep you from falling over backward in the rough places.”

  “That’s all you had to say.” She held out her hand. He gave the loop to her. She slipped it over her head and settled it under her arms.

  “How is that?” he asked.

  She pulled her hands inside her cloak and leaned back several times to test the strength and tension. “It’s fine.”

  “Fine enough to last a few more hours?”

  “It’s getting dark already.”

  He held his arms wide. “Want to spend the night here?”

  “Of course not. Are you worried that we haven’t met up with Dale yet?” Giving voice to her concern made the situation seem even more dire.

  “I have enough to worry about getting you to safety.” He pulled on his gloves, slipped into his harness and started trudging forward again.

  Although Gemma had always been impressed and intimidated by Jesse’s size, she had never considered how strong he actually was. Walking through the knee-deep snow and pulling the sled had to be exhausting and yet the only break he had taken was to ensure her comfort. His determination was amazing as he struggled through deeper and deeper snowdrifts. He fell to his knees once but got up and kept going. As darkness fell, Gemma shivered in the increasing cold. The snow finally let up. The clouds overhead thinned out and the thin sickle of the moon cast the landscape in harsh shadows of black on white. She huddled over as low as she could get but the wind still found her and sucked away any warmth from beneath her blanket. When she had reached the end of her endurance, she heard Jesse as he muttered something that sounded like “Finally.”

  She raised her face to see a break in the trees ahead. She was ready to cheer if her teeth would stop chattering long enough. Her elation died a quick death as Jesse pulled her sled into the open. There wasn’t a highway in front of them. Only the remains of some kind of building in a small clearing. A cabin maybe. A chimney jutted above part of the roof that hadn’t fallen in. She didn’t remember seeing a place like this on their way this morning. Could they have passed by and she just hadn’t noticed the building? She listened but didn’t hear the sounds of traffic. Nor did she see any lights.

  Jesse dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Fear sent a surge of adrenaline through her aching body. “Jesse, are you okay? Where are we?”

  He looked back at her, but his face was in the shadows and she couldn’t read his expression. “We’re lost.”

  Chapter Five

  Jesse couldn’t believe what lay in front of him. Not safety but desolation. The ruins of a second building were nothing more than odd blackened timbers sticking upright through the snow. A pond sat frozen and silent at the bottom of the clearing. A dead cedar tree stood between the house and the pond. There were no signs of life anywhere. He didn’t bother calling out.

  Somehow, he had made a horrible mistake. He had no idea where he had taken a wrong turn. It was his fault and his alone. He’d been in such a hurry to get back to New Covenant that he’d left his good sense behind. They should have stayed with the truck. They might have been rescued by now.

  He wouldn’t be at the auction in the morning. The land he’d hoped to buy would go to someone else. Now he was lost in the wilderness and, worst of all, he’d brought Gemma with him into this dangerous situation. He sank to his heels as the magnitude of what he had done overwhelmed him and bowed his head.

  Please, Lord, give me the strength to overcome this disaster. Help me keep Gemma safe.

  He repeated the phrase over and over in his mind, searching for the solace he needed. “Jesse, you have to get up.”

  It wasn’t the voice of his heavenly Father, but rather the voice of the little sparrow on the sled. If she had once thought him as dense as a post, he had certainly proved her right. His bold assertion that he could get them back to the highway was nothing but an empty promise.

  He looked at her over his shoulder. Would she forgive him for putting her life in danger? “I’m sorry, Gemma. I don’t know where I went wrong.”

  “That doesn’t matter, Jesse. We need shelter. We need a fire.” She could barely talk because her teeth were chattering so badly.

  She was right. Now wasn’t the time for remorse and self-pity. He struggled to his feet and pulled the sled toward the cabin. The snow had drifted as high as the front porch. The structure blocked the wind from the north. He stepped onto the floorboards carefully. They seemed solid enough. He slipped out of his harness and pulled open the front door. It scraped along the floor but opened wide enough for him to get inside.

  It was too dark to see much. The smell of charred wood filled his nostrils, but the ceiling seemed intact and the interior was free of snow. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he saw a stone fireplace dominated the center of the space. It was a double-sided type open to two separate rooms. The cabin would provide the shelter they needed if he could get a fire going.

  He went back outside and lifted Gemma from her sled. She was shivering violently. He carried her inside and lowered her to the floor. “I’ll get a fire started.”

  “You have m-matches?” she managed to ask through chattering teeth.

  “Nee, but there is a small propane torch with a lighter in Dale’s toolbox. I’m right glad we brought it along.”

  “Me—me too.”

  He carried in the tool chest and found the propane canister. “Please don’t let it be empty,” he muttered. He turned the valve on and clicked it once. The bright orange-and-blue flame pushed back the shadows. The room was empty except for some tattered lace curtains on the windows and a small stack of logs beside the fireplace. Using the torch and one of the curtains as tinder, he quickly got a fire going. The flicker of the orange flames catching hold was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life.

  “Thank You, Lord.” Gemma pulled herself closer to the blaze. She was still shivering. Jesse helped her sit up and positioned himself next to her. He took off her wet bonnet. The blanket was too damp to be useful, but thankfully, her cloak was dry.

  He unbuttoned his coat. “Lean against me.”

&
nbsp; She was too weak or too cold to object. “You should take off your cloak.”

  “I’d rather keep it on.”

  “Okay.” The warmth of his body kept the cold of the room away from her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to get the blood flowing.

  “Danki,” she muttered.

  He didn’t know how long they sat together, letting the warmth of the fire drive the chill away. Eventually her shivering stopped. Her head dropped back against his chest. From her even breathing, he knew she had fallen asleep. He needed to get more wood. He should also take stock of the rest of the house, but for some reason he was reluctant to move. It was more than the simple fact that he didn’t want to wake her. It just felt right to have his arms around her. To have her head resting against him with such trust. It was a foolish thought. He already knew what she thought of him. Big as an ox and dumb as a post.

  He didn’t want to wake her. When she recouped her energy, she would realize the full extent of his blunder. He’d taken them out of the frying pan and into the fire, only it was more like out of the refrigerator and into the freezer. He shifted his position slightly on the wood floor. Her breathing changed. He stiffened. Was she awake? He couldn’t see her face.

  * * *

  It took Gemma a few seconds to realize where she was. A warm fire crackled in front of her in an unfamiliar fireplace made of rough rocks. She knew Jesse sat beside her with a hand on her shoulder. Her head rested against his chest. The soles of her feet were too warm, so she pulled them to the side. He stopped breathing when she drew up her feet. She remained still, hoping he would, as well. If he knew she was awake, he would move away in a heartbeat. Just for a little while, she wanted to give thanks that they were both alive and pretend he was holding her because he wanted to and not because he was trying to keep her warm.

  His breathing resumed. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. It seemed she was to be granted a few more minutes to enjoy the comfort and security of his embrace. A moment later, a tiny flutter in her abdomen reminded her why she was in this situation at all.

  The baby was kicking, proving he or she was okay despite the difficult ride and grueling temperature Gemma had endured. She hadn’t been able to think of her mistake as her baby until recently. It was something she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on before now. The flutter came again. She didn’t want to think about the baby or the baby’s father. She sat bolt upright. Jesse withdrew his arm as she knew he would.

  There wasn’t any comfort meant for her. There were only problems to be solved.

  “I’m warm enough now,” she said. “Do you know where we are?”

  He scooted away and stood up. “As I said before, we’re lost.”

  He tossed a log on the fire and lit Dale’s propane torch. “I want to check out the rest of the cabin to see if there is anything we can use.”

  She looked around at the bare floor and walls and tried for a touch of humor. “A cedar chest full of quilts would be nice. However, from the condition of this room, I would say I’m being overly optimistic.”

  “Ja.”

  His dry comeback proved her attempt at being funny had missed the mark. Without Jesse next to her, a cold draft began seeping through her clothing. Jesse stared at her for a moment, then went outside. He reappeared a few minutes later, pulling the truck hood sideways through the door and carrying the toolbox.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what he was doing, but she decided this time she would just wait and see.

  He propped the makeshift sled up against the wall. He went out and returned this time with all the pine branches that had served as a cushion for her. He still didn’t offer an explanation, although he did glance at her. She smiled brightly, knowing her cheerfulness and lack of questions would surprise him. He thought of her as a nuisance. If he had it in mind that she was going to be difficult, she would show him she had matured in her time away. His brows drew together as he studied her face. It was the expression she was used to seeing whenever she was in his company.

  Still, without comment, he pushed open the door that led to another part of the cabin. From the light he carried, she could see him shove aside a layer of snow. He disappeared into the room. She waited for him to report back. Exhaustion pulled at her eyelids and she closed them. She opened them quickly when she started to tip over. “I am so tired I can fall asleep sitting up,” she muttered.

  Why was she still sitting up? She wadded her bonnet into a pathetic pillow and lay down on her side close to the fire. Something hard poked her. She withdrew the forgotten water bottles from the pocket of her cloak, sat up and drank one. She set the other bottle where Jesse could see it and lay down again.

  Sometime later, Jesse woke her by shaking her shoulder. “Gemma, the floor is too cold for you to sleep on.”

  She lifted her head. “Don’t tell me you found a bed.”

  “Nee, but I have made one.”

  There was an inviting pile of fragrant, soft pine boughs covered with the blanket made up beside her. “How nice. You are a rather handy man, Jesse Crump.”

  “I try.”

  He helped her stand. She sucked in a quick breath at the pain in her ankle. “Sorry,” he said.

  “It’s going to hurt no matter what I do.”

  “Would you like me to make another cold pack for it?”

  She repressed a shiver. “Nee.”

  She hobbled to the bed, lay down and wriggled into a slightly more comfortable position so that she could see him. “Where are you going to sleep?”

  He pointed at the fireplace. “In the room on the other side. I can see you and hear you if you need anything.”

  Sometime while she slept, he had made a brace to hold the truck hood on its side a foot or so past the head of her bedding. It reflected the heat from the fire back toward her and cut the uncomfortable draft she had noticed before. “Did you find anything useful in the other rooms?”

  “I found a cast-iron skillet with a broken handle in what was left of the kitchen.”

  “Did you find some eggs and bacon to go with it?”

  He scowled at her. “What do you think?”

  “I’m trying to make light of the situation, Jesse. Never mind. Anything else?”

  “Nothing useful. I’ll take a closer look in the daylight. It appears a fire destroyed the back half of the building. Only these two rooms are intact.”

  “For which I give grateful thanks to the Lord. What time is it?”

  “Around ten o’clock.”

  “What do you think happened to Dale?”

  “I wish I knew. Do you need anything before I go?”

  She shook her head and immediately prayed for Dale’s safety, upset that she’d barely given him a thought throughout the afternoon and evening.

  Jesse crossed through the archway to the other side of the fireplace. She waited until he had settled himself on his bedding. The outline of his body shimmered in the flames. “Is it possible no one is looking for us?”

  “It’s possible if something happened to Dale and he didn’t reach the highway.” Jesse turned onto his side, facing away from her.

  The moment the idea occurred to her, it wouldn’t go away. What if Dale was lost himself? Or worse. She and Jesse could be stranded for only God knew how long. Was it still snowing? “Will they be able to follow our tracks to this place if someone is looking for us?”

  “I don’t know that either.”

  “What do you know?” she snapped.

  “I know I’m dead tired and I don’t want to answer any more questions about things beyond my control. Go to sleep, Gemma.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered.

  She sat up and wrapped her arms tightly across her chest. They were stranded in some out-of-the-way place and it was possible no one knew they were lost. She touched her head t
o make sure her prayer kapp was still on.

  Please, Lord, help us. I know I haven’t spoken to You much lately. I’ve been too ashamed. I’m trusting in Your mercy now for Jesse and Dale. And for my baby’s sake, for this child, who is the most innocent among us.

  Her panic subsided. She was in His hands. He would care for Jesse and her and the child she carried. She had to believe God would see them through this.

  She glanced around the room. Sometime while she slept, Jesse had replenished the wood beside the fire. The bright color on the inside proved the logs were newly split. He hadn’t found a cut pile ready to use. He had split it with a small hatchet out in the bitter cold. He had expended a lot of energy to make sure they could stay warm.

  “Jesse,” she said softly.

  “What?” Exasperation filled that one word to the limit.

  He almost convinced her to remain silent but she couldn’t. “I think you saved my life today. I appreciate all you have done for me. Danki.”

  He gave a deep sigh. “You’re welcome. Do me one favor in return?”

  “Stop talking?”

  “Ja.”

  This time his succinct answer didn’t annoy her. It was just Jesse’s way. She lay down and closed her eyes. The morning would bring light to see by. They would retrace their steps and find the logging road. After that, they would reach safety in a few hours. She would be back in New Covenant by nightfall.

  Where her real troubles would make today seem like nothing more than a winter outing.

  * * *

  Jesse woke to a cold draft blowing over him and the sound of Gemma being sick. He rolled off his bedding and got to his feet. Every muscle in his body ached in protest but that didn’t matter. Something was wrong with Gemma.

  He came around the fireplace. She had somehow made it out the front door and was leaning over the porch railing. He stood two feet away, unsure of what to do. “What’s wrong, Gemma?”

  She straightened up. Her face was pale. She managed a slight smile as she dabbed at the corner of her mouth with one of her handkerchiefs. “We can rule out that it was something I ate.”