Katie looked at him and smiled. “We are. We’re staying warm and everything.”
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. What a scary night you had. You’re at the ice rink, right?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, well I’ve got some news— Noelle’s water broke and she went into labor!”
“Really?” Katie grinned at Connor, happiness all over her face.
“They managed to track down someone with a Mini Ripsaw and a sled to take them to the hospital.” She chuckled. “Jack was a little freaked out that he might have to deliver the baby himself.”
He heard Katie’s dad say in the background, “I don’t blame him!”
“Anyway, her labor is progressing well, and they are guessing that she’ll have the baby soon. They’re sending the Mini Ripsaw around to get everyone, and it should be to you before long.”
They immediately stood and started gathering everything into the blanket. After they hung up, Katie turned to him, practically bouncing in excitement. “Noelle’s about to have her baby!” Biscuit seemed just as excited, so he was barking and turning around in circles.
Connor had put their boots, socks, and Katie’s pants in front of the heater last night, so they were mostly dry. He’d put her coat in front of it, too, once Biscuit was no longer using it as a bed. Sadly, Katie changed from the pajama pants back into her jeans. With her wearing them, he’d decided that they were, indeed, his favorite pajamas.
Once they were all ready to go, it didn’t take long before the guy driving the Mini Ripsaw showed up. It was basically an ATV that had tracks like a tank instead of wheels, and it was pulling a sled with seats that could easily fit four people. He locked up the rink, returned the key to its hiding spot, shook the driver’s hand, and then climbed into the sled with Katie and Biscuit.
The vehicle seemed to have no problem at all traveling on top of the snow. “Has this been a busy morning for you?” he asked the driver.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, grinning. “All night long. I live for storms like these.”
The route to the hospital took them down the same path they had taken last night. The snow shovel he’d left by the tree was still there, but it was so covered in snow that it was almost unrecognizable as a shovel. When they went past the cross street where his car was, he looked in its direction, and even though he’d seen how much snow had fallen everywhere, he was surprised at how buried his car was.
Then they spotted Katie’s car ahead, and she gasped and grabbed his arm. It was so covered in snow that its color almost couldn’t be seen. “I can’t believe I had just planned to wait out the storm.” Her eyes were wide as she took it in. “Look at how much is on top! And on the sides! I probably couldn’t even get my doors open right now.” She brought her gloved hands up to cover her mouth as they drove past it, just staring at it.
Then she turned to him. “Did you see how much snow was in front of the exhaust? I would’ve had to get out so many times to clear it! And I would’ve gotten wetter each time. And that’s only if the gas I had in my tank would’ve lasted through the night.”
He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “I’m so glad that Emmalee told me you were stuck.” It made him sick to imagine her being in there all night long.
She turned her head to meet his eyes. “Thank you again for coming to save me after I made a really stupid choice.”
He smiled. “And thank you for saving me from almost making a really stupid choice.”
“What do you say we keep saving each other?”
“Deal,” he said. “And what do you say to always asking each other for help, too?”
“Deal.”
They were about a block past Katie’s car when there started being houses again, and they heard some kids calling out, “Glacier! Glacier!” He wasn’t sure why, but as they neared, Biscuit’s ears twitched and he stood on Katie’s lap, then started barking.
“Oh!” Katie said. “Are those your owners?”
When they reached the kids and their dad, who were all outside in snow gear, looking for their dog and calling out “Glacier!” she held up the little dog. “Is this him?”
“Glacier!” the kids shouted. The dad tromped through the snow that was well past his knees over to them. The little dog looked like he wanted to run to them but was afraid to jump into the snow. Good. Because if the little guy did, he’d probably sink and be completely buried.
Katie handed off the dog to the dad, and he said, “I cannot thank you enough for bringing him to us. I was really worried we wouldn’t ever find him.”
As the dad took the dog over to the kids, Katie said, “Look how happy they are!”
He gave her a squeeze and kissed her hair as the kids shouted, “Thank you!”
She turned to him. “He was a pretty cool dog, wasn’t he.”
