She sighed deeply. Would winter be less miserable if the house was warm? Not that it mattered. It would be years before she could afford to remodel it. But wouldn't a fireplace and central heat be nice - and windows that would permit the light to brighten a room without seeping cold air - a place like Josh's?
She trudged through the snow to the shed and filled a plastic bucket with pellets. Had she made the right decision? And if so, why the empty feeling? Losing Josh was like losing a brother. Why couldn't they simply be friends?
Inside the coup, she dumped the pellets into the hanging feeder. It was done now, and for that much she felt a sense of relief. She left the chicken coup and broke another trail to the barn. Katie and Alex weren't there. They were probably in the house by now. Was Alex avoiding her?
A sweep through the barn failed to reveal any imminent births. Maybe the goats had some kind of control over commencement of labor. The middle of a snowstorm was no time to give birth.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten more than two bites of her breakfast. Maybe a cup of coffee and some toast. She headed for the house.
Alex was lounging on the couch, reading a book when she entered the house. The sound of running water from the bathroom proclaimed that Katie was taking a shower. Carmen hung her coat and tugged the boots off her wet feet.
"I might as well go barefoot," she muttered, limping to the stove.
Alex glanced up and smiled. "You need some hip boots. Maybe you should borrow mine."
She glanced at him with mock innocence. "You brought some hip boots?"
He grinned, his eyes twinkling again. "No."
She made a face at him. "Well, with all that bull you've been peddling, somebody around here is bound to need them eventually.
He laughed and tossed the book on the couch. "Carmen, I'm going to miss you. Why don't you come back with me?"
He was joking, of course, but it was nice to think someone enjoyed her weird sense of humor. Certainly Josh never had. She plopped down in the chair and pulled her socks off, holding her feet up to the stove.
"No, I think I'll stay here where it's warm and sunny."
He pushed away from the couch and sauntered over to the stove, holding his hands over its warmth.
"Well, if you ever decide to get down my way, drop in and see me." He gazed down at her soberly. "And I really mean that."