The Healer by Sharon Sala Page A

believe he was back in Alaska. But if he had been, they would already be in the season of darkness, and everything would be covered in snow.
    “Jonah?”
    When he turned around, his face was expressionless.
    “Yes?”
    Something was wrong, but right now, Luce didn’t have time to figure it out.
    “I need to get back to the cabin and get dressed for work. Here are the keys to Bridie’s truck.”
    She laid the keys in his hand, then turned around and hugged the old woman.
    “You are a dear, and I’m very, very glad you’re all right now.”
    Bridie returned the hug with a smile. “All things considered, I guess I’m up to giving this old world another try.” She gave Jonah a stern look. “Since you supposedly saved my life this morning, don’t mess up the good deed by being late to work tomorrow morning.”
    “I’ll be back later,” he said.
    “Oh…there’s no need. You can start fresh tomorrow.”
    But Jonah wouldn’t budge. “There are some things that need to be done before it snows tonight.”
    Bridie snorted beneath her breath. “It’s not gonna snow tonight.”
    “It will snow,” Jonah said.
    Bridie frowned. “What makes you think it’s gonna snow?”
    “I just know,” Jonah said, ignoring the looks of disbelief both women were giving him. “You need chicken feed, and the sack of sweet feed that you give your cow when you milk her is almost empty.”
    “Well, I’ll say,” Bridie sputtered. “You sure saw a lot for the short time you’ve been here.”
    “I didn’t see it. The owl who roosts in your barn—”
    “Stop right there!” Bridie said. “I don’t want to know another blasted thing about how you get your information. Someone has to have some measure of sanity around here, and it looks like it’s gonna be left up to me. When you take Luce to work, stop in at Middleton’s Feed Store. Tell them you’re working for me and to load up my regular order in the truck. They’ll mail me the bill at the end of the month.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “One more thing, Jonah.”
    “Yes, ma’am?”
    “What’s your full name?”
    Jonah hesitated. The less that was known about him, the harder it was for Bourdain to find him. Still, it wasn’t in him to lie.
    “My name is Jonah Gray Wolf.”
    Bridie held out her hand.
    “My Franklin always said that when you make a deal with a man, you should shake on it.”
    Jonah extended his hand, and when they shook on it, Bridie nodded in satisfaction.
    “I look forward to knowing you,” she said.
    Jonah blinked; then a slow smile spread across his face.
    “And I, you,” he said softly. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
    “I’m making custard pie today.”
    “I only like two kinds of pie,” Jonah said.
    Bridie’s heart skipped a beat. She was almost afraid to ask.
    “What kinds of pie might that be?” she said.
    “Hot pies and cold pies,” Jonah said. Then, just before he turned and walked away, he winked at her.
    Bridie was still shaking as her unexpected visitors took their leave. Her heart was hammering so hard against her eardrums that she thought it would burst. This was the most remarkable morning she’d ever had, and the day was just getting started.
    She lifted her hands and smoothed down the hair on her head, then looked up at the sky.
    “Okay, Franklin…if that was your way of telling me I did the right thing, you could have warned me. Hearing your words come out of his mouth was a low blow.”
    She stood on the porch, watching until the tail-lights of Franklin’s old truck had disappeared, and then she went inside. There were pie crusts to be made.
     
    Jonah was just finishing the fried egg sandwich Luce had made for him when they passed the city-limit sign for Little Top. Bridie’s old truck pulled a little to the left, and Jonah guessed the tires needed to be rotated, but other than that, it ran smoothly.
    “The sandwich was good,” he said, as he gave Luce a quick glance. “Thank you.”
    Luce nodded.