Signs of Life by Sloane Reynard

Author:Sloane Reynard [Reynard, Sloane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Corinne disappeared to clean up a bit. Wyatt occupied himself with using steel wool to scour the spider clean. A squawk came from the bathroom and he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“D-don’t laugh!” she shouted from a crack in the door. “The water is s-so cold!”

“It’s bracing!” he shouted back. “Don’t you want to be a pioneer woman?”

Her lack of answer seemed to indicate that, no, she was happier with all the modern conveniences.

Once the pan was spotless, he dried it and put it in position over the fire, then added the sausages. While they sizzled, he stepped into his now-thankfully-dry boots and ventured outside to the branch that had tried its best to flatten his generator.

It was still overcast, the clouds above seeming so low Wyatt almost felt like he could reach up and touch them, a solid expanse of and unbroken gray. But the snow had slowed to light flurries, and there seemed an end in sight for the storm.

He snapped off two sturdy twigs just as Leo bounded up, caked in snow and grinning wildly. Wyatt knocked as much snow off the dog as possible, but he still tracked in a wet trail. Wyatt chased him with a towel, drying off both dog and floor so Corinne didn’t slip when she finally emerged from the bathroom, then dashed to rescue the sausages, which had started to smoke a bit in the spider.

Slices of bread went on the twigs; he propped them near the flames and concentrated on both cracking eggs into the skillet and keeping Leo— who didn’t mind his food well-done— from the sausages.

When Corinne joined him, she was flushed, her hair damp and her face fresh-looking. She plopped down next to him, in front of the hearth, and took one of the twigs.

“I feel like I’m back in camp,” she said with a wry smile.

What should have felt like a hassle ended up being being far more fun than Wyatt had expected. Everything ended up a bit more charred than ideal, but Corinne kindly insisted that she liked her toast a little burnt and Leo happily accepted anything they judged inedible.

Wyatt provided her with several elastic bandages and helped her to securely strap her ankle, though she said it felt much better after a night’s rest. When it was supported enough for her to walk outside without too much discomfort, they bundled up and headed for the generator.

The chainsaw roared to life, and Wyatt stood back to watch Corinne dismantle the immense branch with supreme confidence and skill. After it lay in a heap of fireplace-sized logs and kindling-ready sticks, she switched it off and turned to him, not even slightly winded.

Her face was pink from the cold, her eyes sparkled, and she looked— happy. Happy to be doing something, happy to be of help.

“Got the tools? And the parts?” she asked as she handed the chainsaw to him.

He’d arranged everything in a row on a nearby stump he’d cleared of snow. She pried

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