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Back A Flicker of Light
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

“I bet he went back home.” Bea slowed the car even more, hoping no one would come driving up and ram her from behind. As soon as she found a suitable turnout, she would take it and head back down the mountain. “He’s probably wondering where you are right now.”

A gasp blew from Grandma’s mouth. “What if he’s wondered all these years? What if he thinks I forgot about him?”

Bea didn’t know what to say. None of this made any sense. Grandma started rocking back and forth, moaning words that sounded like they belonged to someone else.

“I will never forget. I will never forget. I will never forget.”

A turnout appeared, and Bea breathed a sigh of relief. The snow was piling up, but the trees had kept the snow covering the dirt turnout from becoming too deep. She silently thanked the Lord and eased the car off the road, careful not to brake too hard. The last thing she wanted was to start sliding. Dad’s warnings about someone losing sight of their house from ten feet away suddenly weren’t so hard to believe.

Carefully, she drove the little half circle until she was back facing the road. Though it was unlikely she would see anyone, she stopped to look for cars before pulling out. She looked right. Looked left.

A blast of cold air struck her, and she spun around. “Grandma.”

Grandma June was out of the car and looking around as if trying to decide which way to go. Her gray hair, which had grown even longer and wilder since Bea saw her last, turned white with snow in an instant.

Bea slammed the Toyota into park. “Hot coffee.”

She pulled on her coat and climbed out into the snow, leaving the car running. “Grandma.”

Grandma nodded as if making up her mind and started walking.

Bea held up a hand and shouted, “Wait. Stop.”

The falling snow muffled her words. Her grandmother did not slow down. Bea’s tennis shoes were soaked through by the time she caught up with her grandma, who wasn’t wearing boots, either.

She grabbed one of Grandma’s hands, which was ice-cold. Neither of them had gloves. She’d always kept a stash of hats, gloves, and blankets in the back of her Blazer at Dad’s insistence, not to mention a jug of water and box of granola bars, but the Toyota had no such provisions.

Bea tugged on Grandma’s hand. “Come back to the car where it’s warm.” Her voice was desperate. “Please.”