“You don’t look like the walking dead. Maybe the walking wounded.”

“Thank you, therapist,” Chase drawled, noting it was the exact description her mother had used weeks earlier. Chase had never thought about herself in that way.

Olivia looked at the cat. “Doesn’t look so mean, does he?”

“I think that’s his ploy.”

Sure enough, when Olivia moved into the kitchen past Chase, the cat arched his back and issued a panther growl. “Yeah, so let’s open the back door and shoo him out.”

“Uh, you can do that. I’ll watch from back here,” Chase said, stepping back, rubbing her upper arms.

Olivia looked at the door and then the cat, who had settled back down into a sitting position. The thing looked calm, but his tail told a different story. It lashed back and forth in an age-old warning to back the eff off. “You know, why don’t we make ourselves presentable and go into Redmond to get our supplies? I’ll leave the window cracked. Hopefully by the time we return, we’ll have electricity, hot water, and no cat.”

“That sounds better than fighting this cat, because I think he would win.” Chase left the kitchen doorway, grabbed her bag, and riffled through to find her heaviest shirt. She’d slept in her jeans because they were the warmest thing she had. She grabbed a flannel shirt and tugged it on as a jacket. Then grabbed her jacket and pulled it on, too. She combed out her hair with her fingers because she’d forgotten a brush and took her toothbrush to the half bath. Minutes later she emerged looking not much more than presentable. Which might be good since they were going to be around people. Maybe no one would recognize her dressed in modern bag woman chic.

Olivia walked out of a room in the back of the house looking ready to model the latest in activewear. She sported a pair of leggings, an athletic long-sleeve shirt, and a headband. Trainers graced her feet, and she held a jacket over her arm. She looked very together. Maybe she was an alien.

Ten minutes later, they were in the blessedly warm car heading east toward Redmond.

“Why didn’t we go to Redmond in the first place?” Chase asked.

Olivia glanced over at her, offering a protein bar. “I had my reasons.”

Chase shook her head at the offering. “Which were . . .”

“Not any of your concern.” Olivia opened the protein bar and took a bite before turning the radio to the damn orchestra crap.

“Right. So then do you care to explain to me this whole deal? Like why we’re, like, here? ’Cause I’m not sure how this is supposed to help me get my life on track. It’s totally weird.”

“It’s part of the process.”

“Which is code for Shut up and don’t ask questions?” Chase asked, watching the vivid green world pass by outside the window. She’d not even known there were so many shades of nature. Cobalt mountains hunkered on the horizon, crouching low in the stretch of valley and meadow below. Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.