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“Yes, sir.”
“All right, let’s go.”
The day had dawned clear, no sign of the snow returning anytime soon. She squealed when he picked her up before stepping off the porch. “I can walk, Daddy.”
“I know, and although it might have stopped snowing, it’s still deep. No need to get your feet wet when I love carrying you.”
Once in the car, she asked, “Are you sure it’s safe to drive?”
“Yes, the road was cleared yesterday and this vehicle is capable of handling almost any condition. Just relax and enjoy the view.”
Elena did just that and her voice was hushed when she pointed out the window. “Look, Daddy, deer!”
He slowed the car so they could watch the doe and her fawn for a few minutes. “I wonder where the daddy is?” she whispered.
“You don’t have to whisper, sweetie. The windows are closed. I’m sure he is somewhere near keeping watch for danger.”
“Do you think they can find enough food?”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll be fine, but we put feed corn on the list, remember?”
After a few minutes, he took his foot off the brake and she watched until the deer were gone from sight. She was pretty amazed at how soon they reached the main road but knew it took much longer to hike up the mountain on foot than it did to drive down it. Her tummy became a little nervous as they drove into the town she hadn’t been aware existed. A bit surprised at how large it was, considering she’d expected nothing more than maybe a gas station and supermarket, she turned to him as he pulled into a parking spot in front of what she assumed was some sort of clothing store as the window displayed coats.
“Wow, I didn’t expect this,” she said as he turned off the car.
He chuckled. “What were you expecting? A one-horse town?”
“Something like that,” she confessed. After he helped her out of the car, and took her hand, leading her toward the store, she said, “Is this where you bought my clothes?”
“No, I bought most of those in the city or online. But this is where I’m going to buy you a snowsuit.”
“I don’t need a snowsuit, and you’ve already bought me a lot of new clothes.”
“And I loved buying every piece. But, yes, you do need a snowsuit. As much as you love playing in the snow, a snowsuit will not only keep you a lot warmer, it will help protect your clothes.”
“Oh, well, we do need to hike around when we put out the food for the animals, and I’ll be dry when we have another snowball fight.”
He smiled and squeezed her hand, reaching over her head to push the door open. A little bell tinkled, announcing their entrance. Elena stood, her mouth open as she looked around. The store held more than clothing. It held a little bit of everything. “This reminds me of a general store, like Mr. Oleson’s in the Little House on the Prairie books.”
He chuckled again and when a woman approached them, welcoming them, he asked if they carried snowsuits. “We sure do,” she said. “Though, I’m not sure we have one in your size.”
“It’s not for me,” Liam said, “it’s for Elena.”
“Oh, then I’m sure we can find one to fit her though we might have to try the teen department. Come with me and I’ll show you what we have available.”
They followed her through the store toward the back. Elena smiled to see that the ‘teen department’ consisted of a portion of a shelf that held other piles and sizes as well. The clerk soon had an armful of different snowsuits. “This won’t be as pretty as that coat and muff, but they will keep you warm. The dressing room is right through those curtains. Do you need any help trying them on?”
“No, ma’am, but thank you,” Elena said, darting her eyes up to Liam.
“Call me if you need help. I’ll be right here.”
“Okay, thank you,” she said, grateful he didn’t intend on following her through the curtain, not sure how the clerk would perceive having a man and woman sharing a dressing room. The clerk introduced herself as Gloria Steadman and went with her, placing the suits onto a bench inside the small dressing room. “I picked a few different sizes but, if these are still too big, we can try some of those in our children’s section. You are quite petite.” She smiled and shook her head. “I wish I had your genes. I swear I came out of my mother’s womb with these huge hips.”
Elena smiled. “You are very pretty, Mrs. Steadman.”
“And you are a little liar, but thank you,” Gloria said with a laugh. “I’ll leave you to it. Call if you need help.”
“I will,” Elena said a little less enthusiastically, her guilt returning at hearing the word ‘liar’ even though the woman had been teasing. The first two suits were far too large, but the third one seemed to fit. Unsure if it would still fit with clothes beneath it, she poked her head out of the curtain. “Dad… Liam?” she called, flushing a bit at her near mistake.
