Chapter Three
“I can’t believe I’m so sick,” my sister moaned from the couch. “I can’t pick up Grandma like this. I can’t see Grandma like this. It would probably put her in the hospital with pneumonia.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got it handled,” I assured her.
Unfortunately, when Ken got back from his conference, he brought back an awful code-red flu that my sister managed to instantly catch, and instead of spending Christmas Eve day with his family like they’d planned, she was sprawled out in her living room, and he was visiting his parents alone.
The noises coming from her weren’t human, and I was glad that Ken convinced her to stay home and rest so they could spend Christmas Day with our family. I only hoped she was feeling better by tomorrow because the thought of hearing her hacking while we carved the rib roast wasn’t appealing.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to make it in the mountains? It’s different up there than driving around here in snow.” She tried to shove herself up higher on the couch.
“Totally fine. I’ve got this. Between my GPS and my trusty little Subaru, it will be a breeze.” Truthfully, we had no choice. We couldn’t leave Grandma stranded at her house.
It was Christmas Eve, and my parents were manning the store so their employees could spend time with their families. Surprisingly, Christmas Eve was actually pretty busy at the hardware store. Whether it was batteries parents forgot or plumbing issues that always seemed to arise when family came to visit, my parents wouldn’t be home until at least eight, which should work out perfectly if I left now to pick up Grandma. It was about a three-hour drive up the pass as well as back down.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to just ride with you?” My sister coughed into her elbow and I laughed.
“Yeah. Positive.” I smiled and stood up from the chair I’d been sitting in that was as far away as I could get from her.
“Call me at the midway point or something so I don’t worry, and then once you get to Grandma’s.”
“Yes, Mom,” I joked, and she hacked into her flannel sleeve.
“Merry Christmas to me,” she mumbled.
“Do you want me to get you anything like cough syrup with a big, bright red bow on the way back? I can drop it off here before I head out.”
“I’ve got plenty. Can’t you tell it’s working?” She laughed and blew me a kiss before snuggling deep into her fleece blanket and hacking into a pillow.
“Love ya.” I gave her an air hug and headed to her front door.
The last thing I’d read about the weather before I headed up to the mountains made me nervous, but as long as I got to Grandma’s before it was dark, I’d be fine. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to Grandma. She was the only grandparent we had left.
The drive started off easily enough. The road was somewhat clear headed into the mountain pass, and most people seemed to already be where they needed to go.
When the first large snowflake hit my windshield, I promised myself it was a fluke. The weather report showed clear skies, no snow.
But when the third and fourth flakes struck my windshield, I knew the weathermen in Colorado were about as accurate as those in Washington. I turned down my radio and concentrated on the road ahead that was suddenly turning downright treacherous.
After about thirty minutes of going slower than a tortoise, I spotted a gas station and decided to pull over to check my phone’s latest weather update. Maybe it was just a passing storm, and I could wait it out for a little while.
With my wipers swiping the windshield in a rather ominous rhythm, I drove into the tiny parking lot that was completely vacant. The red Open sign was flashing in the convenience store’s window, and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness swept over me.
It made no sense. I was on my way to pick up my grandma to bring her back to my warm and welcoming family whom I loved very much, yet as I sat in this parking lot, I felt completely and utterly alone. A chill ran through me as I thought back to my old boyfriend.
We’d been together for nearly six years, and it was hard to believe that this was our first Christmas apart.
It was for the better. There was no getting around that, but it was still . . . odd.
I let out a low sigh and slid my hands off the wheel and pulled on my gloves. I hated that my ex-boyfriend had pushed his way into my thoughts. It had been nearly nine months since we’d broken up, and I was better off for leaving him.
I no longer had restless nights wondering where he was. I didn’t need to make up excuses for his missing various parties and dinners with friends. And I could finally walk around with my head held high instead of worrying about what the latest gossip was about him and me, which generally turned out to be true. Hearing about how he’d gone home from some bar with someone other than me time and again was utterly gut-crushing.
I swallowed a lump and thought back to my parents. How had they done it for so long? How had they found one another?
Anyway, all of that boyfriend stuff should be a distant memory. It was Christmas Eve, and I was back home in Colorado, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
I took out my phone and quickly realized that it didn’t matter what the weather app said because my phone had absolutely no service. I let out a groan and decided to go into the store to stock up on a couple of snacks and maybe a hot cup of coffee.
The jangle of the door as I made my way inside was about as festive as it got in the mini-mart. There wasn’t a string of tinsel, a garland, or an ornament to be found. In fact, I wasn’t sure the cashier even knew it was Christmas with the heavy metal blaring on the radio behind the counter.
“Do you have any coffee?” I asked, scanning the small store.
“Just poured it out. Didn’t expect anyone else to be coming through.” The man was probably in his early twenties, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, and looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here, and I didn’t blame him.
“I can warm you up some water in the microwave if you want,” the guy offered. “We’ve got some singles of hot chocolate and cider.”
I grabbed a couple of small bags of chips, a couple more of some chocolate chip cookies, and an energy drink
“That’s okay. It’s probably better if I just stick to caffeine drinks.”
The guy’s eyes dropped to my drink. “Have you had that one before?”
I wasn’t really an energy drink kind of person, but the way I was feeling and I hadn’t even picked up Grandma told me I’d better start trying.
“No. Is it nasty?”
“It tastes fine, but it’s not for the faint of heart.” He rang me up. “In fact, I’m surprised they don’t make you sign a waiver, so I wouldn’t drink the whole thing at once.”
“Duly noted.” I smiled and took my snacks and drink with me.
Before I hit the door, I turned around and held up the energy drink. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” he mumbled, sitting back on the stool. “Be careful with that drink and the roads. I heard they’re closing them up ahead, thirty miles or so.”
I smiled and nodded before heading back out into the cold. As long as they didn’t close the pass before the thirty-mile marker, I’d make it to Grandma’s. This wasn’t the news I wanted to hear.
The snow had only gotten worse, and I realized I just needed to get to my grandma’s. I slid into the car and cranked up the heater as I opened the drink and took a sip of the sickly-sweet drink that was said to be citrus-flavored. To get the taste out of my mouth, I opened the bag of potato chips next and had a few before pulling back onto the mountain pass.
It was like a ghost town. There wasn’t a car to be seen anywhere.
As I drove slowly up the mountain, watching the snow pile up on all sides, I wondered if once I got to Grandma’s, we’d even be able to get back off the mountain.
“One step at a time,” I muttered to myself as the conditions became blizzard-like.
I let out a slow groan as I looked at the odometer. I only had sixteen miles left, but at this speed, that could take a couple of hours.
With every passing second, my heart rate went up as I drove deeper into the snowstorm.
“This will work out just fine,” I told myself. “Just get to her house and going back down will be much easier.”
Just as the words slipped out of my mouth, my car began spinning sideways. My entire world became slow-motion as I watched the large flakes smack my windshield and my car rotate in circles as it moved toward the snow bank.
“No, no, no, no,” I commanded, but it didn’t matter what I did.
There was no controlling my car as it smacked right into the wall of snow. Everything happened so slowly, I knew I wasn’t hurt, but I wasn’t so sure about my car.
I took a swig of the energy drink, jumped out of the car, and eyed the foot of fresh snow that my car had decided to call home. It was like the snow bank came out of nowhere and there wasn’t a car or truck in sight to help.
This wasn’t good. I got back in the car and tried to drive out of this precarious situation, but I just felt the wheels spinning, grinding me deeper into the snow pack.
“Great,” I groaned. “Great.”
I had a goosedown jacket on, but I wasn’t so sure that would cut it overnight.
“No, that’s not the way to think about the situation. Someone will drive by. This can’t go on forever.” I glanced at myself in the mirror and wondered why it was suddenly so easy to talk to myself. “Do I keep the car running for the heater or do I shut it off and save gas?”
Silence answered so I decided to compromise. I’d keep it running for the next few minutes and then I’d turn it on once every—
Two headlights beaming their bright lights behind me as they drove up the pass sent a thrill of adrenaline through me. All wasn’t lost.
I zipped up my coat all the way and sprang out of my car, waving my hands and hoping they’d slow down to help. It wasn’t until I watched them pass me by that I realized this was going to be a very long night.
I was supposed to be at Grandma’s over an hour ago. I trudged back to my car right when another car zoomed by, and my heart fell.
“So much for the Christmas spirit,” I said grumpily as I climbed back in the car. I blew into my gloved hands, trying to warm them up, and wondered how long before anyone cared to help a stranded driver.
Was this what the world had come to? I hugged myself a little tighter.
Another twenty minutes went by before I saw two more headlights in the far-off distance behind my car. The vehicle was taking it slow with careful and deliberate moves as it drove up the mountain pass. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I needed to at least make an effort on the off chance they might actually stop to help.
I climbed back out of the car and tramped through the snow, waving my arms and hoping they’d see me in the near-darkness.
When they flashed their lights at me, it was the greatest feeling in the world. The shiny black SUV slowed down, pulling up behind me slowly.
As I navigated through the flurry of big white flakes to the SUV, my pulse climbed. All was not lost. I could still get to Grandma’s and back to the house for a late Christmas Eve dinner.
But the closer I got to the vehicle, a funny sensation spread through me, and I suddenly wanted to get back to the safety of my Subaru. It wasn’t until the driver rolled down his window that my heart plunged to my toes and an unexpected groan escaped my lips.
“So . . . you never called for lunch,” he said, smiling and craning his neck to see my car shoved into the snow.
“Umm.” Was all I could get out.
I couldn’t believe Colton McAlister was staring back at me with his cocky grin and dazzling hazel eyes.
“Bet you wish you’d made that call now.”