Her temporary relief at having found the turnoff faded.
Centuries of harsh weather had stripped this terrain of all, but the hardest of spruce, and without a windbreak, the blasts roaring in from the ocean caught the suitcases like spinnakers.
Emma turned her back to the wind’s force without losing either one. Emma had bowed so far into the wind that she nearly missed it. Only as the corner of a suitcase bumped against a low snow-shrouded stone wall did she realize she’d reached the cottage. As soon as she dragged the bags in, she switched on the lights. The cottage was cold and musty. The readings in the wireless thermostat were as expected, given how cold it was. Emma tried to restart the heating equipment, but it still didn’t work. She lit the fireplace, and the cottage warmed up a bit. She gathered as many blankets as she could, changed into pajamas, and immediately fell asleep. When she woke up, the first thing she did was call the heating technician. It has been a while since the electric heat pump received any heater maintenance. She had not been to that cottage for four years, but there was a caretaker, or so she thought. When she got a hold of the HVAC serviceman, she was relieved to hear that she would be getting assistance by noon. The HVAC specialist arrived on time and inspected the electric HVAC thoroughly. The heat pump installation was in bad shape, but the specialist was optimistic. After a while, the technician told Emma that a boiler repair would solve all its problems and also replacing the HEPA filter would improve indoor comfort. Emma did not have the finances to replace the electric heating system, and her heart danced when she heard this. She had no idea where she would start her search for HVAC products for sale. With her electric heat pump up and running she could breathe easy.