Winter Chill Read Online Free Page A

to the truck stop and pull in, Marian. Then I’ll take Muffy on my lap. She might ride better that way.”
    The snow beat against the windshield in staccato swirls. Marian peered through the glass and ducked her head a bit to see better. The windshield wipers would have to be replaced. It was really difficult to see. The wind was whipping up loose snow and driving it against the side of the van. The gusts came harder and harder and Marian slowed to a crawl. It would take forever to go five miles this way.
    At last the lights of the truck stop were visible. Marian gave a sigh of relief and took the corner just a bit too fast. She fought with the wheel as they skidded, and the van responded sluggishly. Then the heavy vehicle straightened, and she pulled into a parking space in front of the café.
    “Just take it easy, Marian. . . . You’re doing fine. If you can hand Muffy to me, it’ll make everything a lot easier.”
    Muffy was still shivering and Marian handed Dan the puppy and blanket. “Keep her wrapped in this, honey. I heard that’s supposed to be comforting.”
    “It’ll be comforting for me, too.” Dan grinned. “It’s cold back here!”
    “Oh, God! The heater vents!” Marian groaned as she opened them all the way. “I’m sorry, Dan. I’m not used to anyone riding in the back.”
    The heater was on high now, both vents aimed toward the expanse of space in the back. At least Dan would be warm. That made it a little cold in the front seat, but she could take it. They’d paid extra for the auxiliary heater, but it didn’t do much good at thirteen below. A van this big was almost impossible to heat in the winter.
    Muffy was blessedly quiet as Marian put the van in gear and drove back onto the highway. Only a mile to go before she reached Ronnie and Sally’s turnoff. Then there were three miles of gravel road to navigate before they got to the farmhouse.
    It seemed as if she were crawling. The speedometer read fifteen miles an hour. It would take forever, going this slow, but Marian was afraid to speed up. The wind drove the snow up against the windshield, and Marian shifted her gaze from one side of the road to the other. If she stared straight into the blowing snow, she’d become hypnotized by the patterns and go off the road.
    “We’re close, Marian. . . . I spotted mile marker forty-seven. County Road Five should be just ahead.”
    “Yes, I see it.” Marian turned right, and the van bumped onto the gravel road. It was growing darker, and that made the blowing snow glare in the beam of her headlights. The familiar road changed in the winter. Landmarks were covered; shapes changed and drifted until it was almost impossible to see the plowed road. Several times Marian slowed to a near stop before she realized where the side of the road was.
    “Only about a mile to go, honey.”
    Dan’s tone was encouraging, and Marian gave a quick smile. Muffy still whimpered every time the van lurched, but that couldn’t be helped.
    “Is it warm enough back there?” Marian called out. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
    “It’s fine, Marian. Don’t worry about me. I’ll warm up when we get there.”
    Marian doubted that she would ever be warm again. With both vents blowing warm air to the back of the van, it was frigid in the driver’s seat. Her toes burned with the cold, and her fingers, even inside gloves, were stiff and chilled. Marian gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering and gave the van a little more gas so she could plow through the drifts without stalling.
    “I think I see their light.” Dan sounded grateful. Another minute of driving and Marian saw it, too. The Powells’ yard light was shining in the distance. Relief washed over her in a wave as she turned in at the driveway and pulled up in front of the house.
    “I made it.... We’re here.” Marian shut off the ignition and sighed deeply. At least she hadn’t landed in the ditch. Poor Muffy was whining again. The little dog