Neither of them said anything. Okay, then, she guessed they liked to travel in silence. They drove along. She lasted about five minutes, but then she couldn’t keep silent any longer. She was nervous and when she was nervous, she talked.
“So how far away is my aunt’s house? Do you know the area? Do you think it will be hard for me to get a job?”
Clint grunted then looked over at Bear briefly.
“Not too much further to go,” Bear told her. “Not sure about the job prospects, but I’m sure you’ll find something.”
Yeah, she wasn’t so sure. Her stomach clenched tight. She was probably giving herself an ulcer with all these worries.
“I don’t know what I could do. I mean, I guess I could work as a waitress. That couldn’t be so hard, right? It’s really beautiful out here. I’ve never seen this much snow.”
“She always talk this much?” Clint asked Bear.
“Yep,” Bear replied.
Clint grunted.
“I don’t talk that much,” she grumbled. “No more than a normal person. I think you two don’t talk enough, what do you think of that?”
“I think that it’s crazy,” Clint told her.
Bear shot him a look.
“What?” Clint grumbled. “I didn’t say she was crazy, just that talking more is a stupid idea. What’s the point of talking if you have nothing to say?”
She sighed. “I just hate the silence, I guess. When it’s silent I feel a little lonely.” Realizing what she’d just revealed, she straightened. “Which is silly, right? All I need is some music. Let’s turn the music on.”
Clint cleared his throat. “The diner will be a good place to start to ask about jobs.”
“Think there’s a board at the community hall that also posts jobs,” Bear added.
“I don’t usually go into Russell, it’s smaller than Wishingbone,” Clint added. “But so far as I know it’s safe.”
“Don’t hear of much crime,” Bear agreed.
She hadn’t exactly been asking about the crime rates, but she didn’t complain. Because they were doing their best to answer her questions and put her at ease. And really, what more could a girl ask for?
“That’s good to know.”
“We wouldn’t take you there if it was a bad area,” Clint added.
She didn’t know how to reply to that. How do you tell someone that you have nowhere else to go? Bad enough Bear knew how sad her life was, she didn’t need Clint knowing as well.
About five minutes later, they drove past a sign welcoming them to Russell, population 764. Well, 765 now.
The nerves fluttering in her stomach grew worse. They drove through the small town. It didn’t look very lively. But she guessed given the weather, it wouldn’t be. At least there were still a few hours of daylight left.
Her worries over creating a life for herself here grew. They drove to the other end of town, where the houses were grander and on larger plots. Clint pulled up outside a large, two-storied house. It was an impressive building with a wrap-around porch, set well back from the road. The neighbors were barely within viewing distance.
“Are you sure this is the place?” she asked with surprise.
“That’s what the mailbox says,” Clint replied.
“Didn’t you say the lawyer would be here?” Bear grumbled.
Almost as soon as he’d asked, a BMW pulled up in front of them and a blonde-haired woman climbed out. She was dressed warmly in a thick wool coat, gloves and a scarf. She was gorgeous and Ellie felt a bit frumpy in her worn clothes and scuffed shoes.
“Looks like that’s her,” Clint said as he climbed out and walked over to greet her.