A thought that had been nagging at her for weeks rose yet again. Maybe most of the people here had no choice in staying, but Gloriana and JT weren’t bound by the lake anymore. They could pack up and go anytime. It would mean leaving her mother’s and siblings’ graves, the house Papa had built them, and all their friends. But it also meant leaving that cursed lake.

The wind began to howl outside as if agreeing with her line of thinking. Storms were a part of life here on the lake. She ought to be used to them. But every new gale brought trepidation. This time of year, at least, the men were off the water, but it was still daunting. Threatening. A reminder to all of them that they had little control over their destiny.

She went to the window and pulled back the heavy curtain. The lake was gray, frozen, and icy. The gunmetal-gray skies were heavy with clouds, and it had begun to snow. No doubt there was a blizzard coming on. She hoped it might wait until JT got home from school. She hated to think of him walking home in such a storm, and yet she remembered her father instructing her not to smother the boy with her worries.

“He’s a boy, Gloriana, and as such he will one day be a man. You cannot overprotect him from life. I won’t allow for it. Let him explore, let him dare great things. He will get hurt, but he will learn from his mistakes. He’s a good boy and he’ll practice a certain amount of caution, but not if he feels he needs to prove to you that he’s able to go beyond what you believe.”

Gloriana always tried to keep that in mind in dealing with JT. That was why she didn’t scold when he came in late from school. Still, a boy needed guidance as well as trust. She needed him to understand the dangers, since his mother and father weren’t there to do it. He needed to know about blizzards and how easily a person could lose their way. He needed to know when the temperature dropped below freezing how quickly a person could be in danger from the cold.

She let the drapery drop back into place. How could she ever manage to be both mother and father to the boy? She had no understanding or experience of how to make a man out of a child.

The door opened, and the icy wind blew it back so hard that the entire house seemed to shake as it slammed against the wall. JT struggled to take hold of it, balancing Jack in one arm and his books in the other. It took both Gloriana and JT to get the door closed again.

“You’re home early,” she said, trying not to sound overly concerned.