tar reached up and patted dans chest . then he just about stopped breathing . this was n't the time or the place . he ran up the stairs , taking them two at the time . i stepped closer to the counter , drawn to the sweet smell of fresh donuts . tossed a pencil on top of it . and we planned to go to crested butte when the snow started falling and to find a beach when winter turned bitter and we needed to escape to the sun . 