Wasting no time, she climbed into the buggy and whistled to her horse. The clouds in the distance appeared to be moving faster. She raced around the backside of town, approaching Lauren’s house from the other direction.
The wind was picking up.
Lauren must have seen Heather approach as she raced down the steps when Heather’s buggy came into view.
“Looks like a bad storm,” she called, grabbing the harness as Heather slowed down.
“Came out of nowhere,” Heather agreed. The temperature was dropping. She willed her cold fingers to work as she untied the linen bags containing the meat bones. Picking out the largest one, she transferred it to the second sack and handed it to Lauren. “That should keep you set. I’ll be back next week to check on you unless you need me before.”
The wind was whistling louder.
“Do you want to come in?” Lauren asked. “You can wait out the storm.”
Heather shook her head. “I need to get home to my livestock. We better hurry.” She gave a little wave and slapped the reins, urging the horse forward. As she arrived back to Main Street, she peered towards the East. The sky was darker, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds, casting a nighttime glow to the town.
Heather looked ahead at the water between the warehouses. The waves on the river had increased, crashing against each other as the wind picked them up. I might not have time to get home, she thought.
Glancing once more at the impending storm, her breath hitched in her throat as she realized it wasn’t rain headed towards Last Chance! It was a wall of white.
Snow.
They were about to be hit with a blizzard.
Chapter Four
“Ya!” Heather yelled to the horse. She raced down Main Street towards Chimney Rock Ranch Road. The wind bit her cheeks, and she lowered her head against the biting air. Snow was starting to fall; thick fat flakes sticking to the ground and houses.
She raced by several people that were walking on the wooden sidewalks. They had their heads down as they pushed through carrying their purchases. In a matter of seconds, Heather realized she couldn’t see anymore. She would need to find a safe place to stay and wait out the storm. Why hadn’t she just remained at the butcher shop?
She slowed down as she approached the end of town, where the park sat. Stopping for a moment, she wiped the snowflakes from her lashes, then pulled the blanket tighter around her. She looked left and then right, wondering if she should take a chance and try to ride home.
That would be a fool’s errand. No telling when the snow might stop. Straight ahead was the church. There was a small barn off to the side where she could put her horse and then she’d go inside the rectory for shelter.
Guiding her horse to the side of the small barn, she quickly hopped out and unhitched her horse. The horse tugged on his reins as she guided him to the barn. The wind whipped the fabric of her skirt and she felt the bitter breeze against her ankles.
“Come on, boy,” she said, tugging the reins. The horse pulled back, but then eventually released and followed Heather into the barn. The wind slammed the door shut behind them. Heather jumped as the barn plunged into darkness. There were two empty stalls, which told her Pastor Collins must be out visiting. She felt sorry for the poor soul who was going to be stuck with the critical preacher during the storm.
She quickly fed and watered her horse and then braced herself for the bitter air once more. Leaving the warmth of the barn, Heather was surprised to see that a few inches of heavy snow had already accumulated in such a short time. The snow covered the top of her boots as she stepped through the wet mess.
The bottom of her skirt was drenched and weighing her down by the time she reached the buggy. Grabbing the semi-wet blanket, the bag of bones and her doctor bag, she started to trudge towards the rectory. Heather noticed all the lights were off as she approached the small house behind the church. Banging on the door, she waited for a response. When no one answered, she turned to look at the town.
She could barely see the park and everything behind it was hidden behind the falling snow. Squinting her eyes as if that would somehow allow her to see better, she glanced around once more. In the distance, she could see a single stream of smoke in the distance.
The schoolhouse! School was still in session. She knew Millie wouldn’t mind if she crashed the lessons. At least she’d be warm and dry. The tips of her fingers were starting to tingle. That prickly feeling was not a good sign. She needed to get her hands warm before frostbite set in.
Putting her head down, she allowed her hat to block as much of the wind as it could as she trudged towards the school. She lifted her head once more as she got to the gate for the school yard. She could see a bit further down Main Street. The road was deserted, apart from a lone figure clutching a bag and pressing forward in the arctic air.
The woman’s skirts dragged in the wet snow, and she wasn’t wearing a suitable coat for the harsh conditions.
“Altar!” Heather called, recognizing the woman.
“Missus Barnes,” Altar responded. “It sure did turn cold suddenly.” Altar took a hand and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. Heather could see the dark woman’s hand shaking.
“Let’s get you inside the school,” Heather said, walking forward to take Altar’s arm.
“I should get home,” Altar said.
“Once the storm is over, we can
