don't know," he said. "I guess you'll have to climb up there someday and find out."
"Do you think Bobby will be there?"
This was a girl's voice.
"Probably." This was Andrea. "They said they were going to close on that place last month."
Kris realized she was not in her father's truck, but in Andrea Parks' Jeep Cherokee on the way to Pine Summit. Kris was sitting in the back seat, and Andrea and her daughter Erin were talking up front.
"What do they mean "close?" Erin asked.
"They bought the place. They finished the paperwork."
"Why don't they just say that then?"
"It's a real estate term."
"It's stupid."
"Erin, please don't turn the mirror, I can't see what's behind me."
"Just for a second—"
"You don't need to put on lipstick now. For heaven's sake, we're in the middle of nowhere, I don't think there's any danger of running into Bobby on this road."
They were silent for a moment. The wipers beat a muffled rhythm, and the jeep seemed to ride on air, tires softly kissing the powdery road.
"Is it still snowing hard?" Kris asked.
"Yes," said Andrea emphatically. "Almost from the time we left, and it seems to be getting worse. As a matter of fact..."
Kris felt the car turn off onto the shoulder.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Erin petulantly.
"I'm going to put the chains on," said Andrea. "Want to help?"
"Not really," said Erin.
"Suit yourself," said Andrea. She opened her door and climbed out of the car.
"Well, if you're going to make me feel guilty," said Erin. Kris heard her door open. "I can't find my gloves," she said.
"Look on the floor," said her mother, opening the trunk.
Erin opened Kris's door. "Can I borrow your gloves?"
Kris pulled her mittens out of the pockets of her parka. Erin took them from her without a word.
"Gee, your hands are huge ," said Erin.
Her mother spoke from down near the rear wheel. "Erin, are you going to help me or not?"
"Coming," said Erin. Then she said to Kris, "How come your hands are so big?"
"They're not that big," said Kris. She heard her door slam.
Kris sat quietly for a moment, feeling her hands. Not a single car had passed since they stopped. Kris heard the rattle of the chains. She heard Andrea ask Erin to hold something. Then she heard Erin's voice, speaking in a whisper.
"Why did she have to come?"
"Shhh! Don't be rude."
"I'm not coming up here just to baby-sit."
"You don't have to baby-sit anyone. Kris can take care of herself. Just be a little sociable, that's all."
Erin mumbled something. Kris heard Andrea carry the chains to the other rear wheel.
Kris rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Do you think I could get out of the car for a minute?"
"Sure, honey," said Andrea, apparently on her knees.
Kris opened the door and methodically climbed out. She guessed the temperature was about ten below. She dug her hands deep into her pockets and leaned back against the car. She turned her face up toward the sky, feeling the tickle of snowflakes falling on her cheeks.
"Do I have to hold this?" Erin complained to her mother. "My hands are freezing in these giant mitts."
"Just set it down by the front tire," said Andrea. "I'll be there in a second."
Kris pulled her headpiece out of the front pouch pocket of her coat. She felt for the round sensor at the front of the band, then pulled her hair back, slipped the band over her head, and adjusted the molded plastic over her ears. She turned on the power and adjusted the volume. She could hear the amplified clinks and rattles of Andrea putting chains on the rear tire. She could even hear Erin's breathing on the other side of the Jeep. Facing away from the road, she heard the bass tone repeating steady and low.
"Mrs. Parks?"
"Yes?" She was moving toward the front wheel now.
"Is the tree line about a hundred yards away?"
"Yes. About that. Maybe a little more."
Kris leaned back against the car and smiled to herself.
"Did Josh give you that parka?" asked Andrea.
"Yeah. It's really warm."
"It looks
"Do you think Bobby will be there?"
This was a girl's voice.
"Probably." This was Andrea. "They said they were going to close on that place last month."
Kris realized she was not in her father's truck, but in Andrea Parks' Jeep Cherokee on the way to Pine Summit. Kris was sitting in the back seat, and Andrea and her daughter Erin were talking up front.
"What do they mean "close?" Erin asked.
"They bought the place. They finished the paperwork."
"Why don't they just say that then?"
"It's a real estate term."
"It's stupid."
"Erin, please don't turn the mirror, I can't see what's behind me."
"Just for a second—"
"You don't need to put on lipstick now. For heaven's sake, we're in the middle of nowhere, I don't think there's any danger of running into Bobby on this road."
They were silent for a moment. The wipers beat a muffled rhythm, and the jeep seemed to ride on air, tires softly kissing the powdery road.
"Is it still snowing hard?" Kris asked.
"Yes," said Andrea emphatically. "Almost from the time we left, and it seems to be getting worse. As a matter of fact..."
Kris felt the car turn off onto the shoulder.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Erin petulantly.
"I'm going to put the chains on," said Andrea. "Want to help?"
"Not really," said Erin.
"Suit yourself," said Andrea. She opened her door and climbed out of the car.
"Well, if you're going to make me feel guilty," said Erin. Kris heard her door open. "I can't find my gloves," she said.
"Look on the floor," said her mother, opening the trunk.
Erin opened Kris's door. "Can I borrow your gloves?"
Kris pulled her mittens out of the pockets of her parka. Erin took them from her without a word.
"Gee, your hands are huge ," said Erin.
Her mother spoke from down near the rear wheel. "Erin, are you going to help me or not?"
"Coming," said Erin. Then she said to Kris, "How come your hands are so big?"
"They're not that big," said Kris. She heard her door slam.
Kris sat quietly for a moment, feeling her hands. Not a single car had passed since they stopped. Kris heard the rattle of the chains. She heard Andrea ask Erin to hold something. Then she heard Erin's voice, speaking in a whisper.
"Why did she have to come?"
"Shhh! Don't be rude."
"I'm not coming up here just to baby-sit."
"You don't have to baby-sit anyone. Kris can take care of herself. Just be a little sociable, that's all."
Erin mumbled something. Kris heard Andrea carry the chains to the other rear wheel.
Kris rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Do you think I could get out of the car for a minute?"
"Sure, honey," said Andrea, apparently on her knees.
Kris opened the door and methodically climbed out. She guessed the temperature was about ten below. She dug her hands deep into her pockets and leaned back against the car. She turned her face up toward the sky, feeling the tickle of snowflakes falling on her cheeks.
"Do I have to hold this?" Erin complained to her mother. "My hands are freezing in these giant mitts."
"Just set it down by the front tire," said Andrea. "I'll be there in a second."
Kris pulled her headpiece out of the front pouch pocket of her coat. She felt for the round sensor at the front of the band, then pulled her hair back, slipped the band over her head, and adjusted the molded plastic over her ears. She turned on the power and adjusted the volume. She could hear the amplified clinks and rattles of Andrea putting chains on the rear tire. She could even hear Erin's breathing on the other side of the Jeep. Facing away from the road, she heard the bass tone repeating steady and low.
"Mrs. Parks?"
"Yes?" She was moving toward the front wheel now.
"Is the tree line about a hundred yards away?"
"Yes. About that. Maybe a little more."
Kris leaned back against the car and smiled to herself.
"Did Josh give you that parka?" asked Andrea.
"Yeah. It's really warm."
"It looks
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