An Accidental Woman by Barbara Delinsky

no good at all, Poppy thought again. She was starting to tremble. “Soon, I hope, but I’m real cold, Missy. Another minute and, forget the ten toes that I cannot feel, my wheels are gonna freeze. Let’s get in the car. Want a ride, Star?”
    Star’s lower lip looked none too steady. Eyes sorrowful, she shook her head.
    â€œGive Missy a hand back there, then,” she said and pushed at the wheels to start them turning. As soon as she and the girls were in the Blazer, she turned the heat on full force, and even then, it wasn’t overly warm, which said something about the cold outside.
    But the cold was the least of Poppy’s worries as they headed out. Missy’s questions didn’t stop.
    â€œWhat if Heather isn’t home by morning?”
    â€œThen your dad will help you get ready like he did this morning.”
    â€œWhat if he can’t? He leaves before Heather sometimes. What if we don’t get breakfast, like we didn’t today?”
    â€œYou did.” Poppy stopped, put her left blinker on, and waited for the trucks ahead of her to turn off the schoolhouse road onto the one that led through the center of town. “You got breakfast at my house.”
    â€œWill you get it for us tomorrow?”
    Pretending it was a game, Poppy sang gently, “I’ll get it for you any day.” She reached the head of the line, but had to wait for Buck Kipling’s rattletrap of a truck to pass. She had barely made the turn when she felt a small hand on her shoulder.
    Star was there, saying in an even smaller voice, “Did Momma go away?”
    â€œNo, honey, she’s just over in West Eames.”
    â€œIs she gone for good?”
    Put your seat belt on, Poppy wanted to say, but Star seemed so frightened that Poppy couldn’t make herself say it. Instead, driving with greater care, she tipped her head and touched her cheek to the child’s hand. “She is not gone for good.”
    â€œWhat if she never comes back?”
    â€œShe’ll be back. She loves you.”
    It was a minute before Star spoke again, and then it was more an aching sigh than anything else. “I want Momma.”
    Poppy had never felt so helpless in her life. “I know you do, baby. I know you do.”

    * * *
Griffin passed the red Blazer before he realized who was driving it, but that was fine. He wasn’t ready to face her yet. He had to stop at Charlie’s for instructions and supplies, then drive around to the far end of the lake. He figured he had less than two hours to get to Little Bear, open the place up, and get the woodstove going and the electricity on before darkness set in. He didn’t have time to spare.
    The general store was packed with people coming in from West Eames and those wanting to hear what they’d seen. Some stood talking in the aisles of the store, while others headed for the café. The greatest number of them congregated around the woodstove.
    Grateful that no one paid him much heed, Griffin found Charlie at the cash register. Quickly he explained what he wanted to do. Charlie agreed, albeit with more caution than warmth.
    â€œIs there a key?” Griffin asked.
    Charlie shook his head. “Nope. Door’s never locked.”
    â€œWhat do I need to know?”
    Hand on the till, Charlie considered that for a minute. “Wood’s in a pile on the porch. If you need to chip a little at the pipes for water, use the ice chisel inside the door. Electricity, just throw the switch.”
    It all sounded easy enough to Griffin, who, wary of pushing his luck by mixing with the townsfolk, stayed only long enough to buy coffee, bread, eggs, cheese, deli meat, and canned soup. At the last minute, he added a six pack of beer and several gallon jugs of water. Figuring that he would need something to help start the fire, he topped off the three large shopping bags with several of the newspapers that were for sale. Then he went back