Dan extended a hand and shook hers. "I think I know what's wrong with it… it’s likely your alternator is shot. I’ll need to take a proper look, but if it’s definitely that I can get the part for you and replace it—."
"Thank God," Joanne sighed.
"—ut it won't be tonight."
I watched Jo's face fall. "Why not?"
"There's a huge storm rolling in. It's getting worse. I need to get home and hunker down for the night with my family. They're saying it's going to be ridiculous out there. Maybe for a few days."
I nodded. "Go ahead and get home. Your wife's going to lose it if she has to be stuck with those kids for days without you around."
Dan grinned. "I'd literally never hear the end of it. Sorry I couldn't fix it for you tonight."
Joanne shook her head. "It's alright. Thanks for delivering it. Here are the keys. How much do I owe you?"
Dan waved a hand. "Not a dime. Peter helps me out all of the time and gets me work. You two better get settled in for the night."
I watched Dan jog off before I looked at the house. The wind started picking up shortly after he left and I watched the lights as they dimmed and ebbed. I frowned and glanced at Joanne.
"I don't think you should stay here tonight. It looks like the power might go out and you don't even have any food here."
Joanne frowned. "I don't really have a choice. I guess I could go into town and get a hotel room for the night, but I doubt it's going to be a much better situation there. I probably won't even have time to go and pick up any supplies."
"You could come back to my place. My dog, Rory, will be happy for the extra company."
She grinned. "You finally got a dog huh?"
"A few years ago," I laughed. "He's the best. I've had him since he was a puppy. Found him in the barn all curled up and by himself. Now he doesn't leave my side."
Joanne glanced around us with her hands on her hips. "I guess we have done a lot of work for the day. And I love dogs."
"I remember," I said as I gathered up her things. "Anything else you need?"
"No. My main suitcase is still in your truck from earlier so that should be fine. Let's get out of here before the roads get too bad."
I carried her things out to the car while she shrugged on her jacket and locked the house up. We settled into the car and she turned on the radio as I flooded the truck with heat. The wind whipped against the side of it hard and I felt it rattle and shake. I was glad we'd gotten out while we could. I had a feeling if we'd lingered we'd be stuck.
The storm crowded in around us and by the time we pulled up to my place the snow came down in thick, heavy blankets. I grabbed Joanne's stuff and passed it to her before I started unloading the groceries. When they were safely inside Joanne and I tumbled in and shivered at the freezing cold that had settled into our bones.
"My fingers are freezing," Joanne said as she yanked off her damp gloves and blew on her fingertips and hands. "I don't see how you can do these winters anymore. I haven't seen snow in ages."
"Part of life Jo Jo," I said as I grinned and yanked off my boots. "I don't mind it much at all. Then again you probably have that thin blood now to keep you cool. You don't know how to handle it anymore."
Joanne shivered. "You've got that right. And I don't want to handle it."
"Such a baby."
She grabbed some snow that had fallen from our clothes onto the table, and flung it at me. I grinned. My jacket went up on the hook before I walked into my room and let Rory out. He'd managed to close himself in. Again. I loved him, but he was not the brightest crayon in the pack.
"Did you get locked in there again?"
I crouched down and scratched his head and ears until I thought his tail would wag right off. He raced from my hands and I heard Joanne squeak before she groaned. I ran back into the kitchen and found Rory on top of her as he licked her face happily.
"Some guard dog you are," I laughed.
Joanne pushed a hand against his face. "How do you turn this thing off?"
"You don't. You just let it happen."