CHAPTER TWO
I slide my suitcase behind the seat then climb inside my truck. This ten hour drive is going to feel more like twenty, considering it’s just me and this empty passenger seat. At this point, I know I should let it go. It’s not like I didn’t try.
I remind myself that it’s going to be a great week.
A couple inches of snow is expected and we’ve picked out some great places to eat.
Of course, reservations have been made for six but it’s better to be a person short than to have more than we made the reservation for, right?
They’ll just have to understand that Lila, or Paige, or Layken—whichever name I decide to use—got sick at the last minute and wasn’t able to come. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
A fresh supply of wood has already been stacked on the back porch for us and the hot tub should be just the right temperature. From the stress of this trip and the craziness with the season coming to a close, I can’t wait for a long soak.
Mason and Caysee’s plane should land right at dark and Morgan and Breah left out last night. Their drive wasn’t much further than mine, but they wanted to stop along the way and visit with her parents.
Since I’m getting a head start, I volunteer to pick up a few groceries as soon as I get into town.
Earlier, I had everyone chime in via a group text what they wanted to snack on, then I wrote out a big ass shopping list before I went to bed, making sure to include a few adult beverages.
Naturally, the girls named off several different kinds of wine and my brothers were quick to point out that they were good with ‘whatever,’ but I know better than to buy just any old beer.
A couple cases of some hard cider should get us through for a few days and then we can go back for a second run.
There’s probably way more stuff on this list than what we’ll really eat, but it’s better to have too much than not enough.
With a couple hours left to go before I get to our cabin in Black Hill Bend, I pull off to fill up my truck and to touch base with everyone. My phone begins to ring as soon as I send out the group text.
“Would you believe this is the second time they’ve delayed our flight!” It’s obvious from the tone of Mason’s voice that he’s livid. He’s practically shouting right now. “If we don’t board soon, we’ll likely miss our connection. Which means we won’t make it in tonight.”
“That’s not good.” Even though he made me mad about this whole ‘bringing-someone-along’ crap, I’m still looking forward to seeing him. It’s been far too long since we’ve spent some quality time together.
“Hell no. The airport is all kinds of crazy right now, too. Flights are getting rescheduled and it’s just a huge mess. I get that it’s the holidays, but we’re still two weeks away. It shouldn’t be this way now.”
“I’m sure it’ll all work out. Even if you guys get here late, the airport should hold your rental for you. Maybe give them a call just to confirm.”
“That’s the least of my worries right now.” Mason sighs as another announcement is made over the airport’s PA system. “And there goes another set of gate changes because of a delayed flight. Geez, Louise.”
“What’s the worst that could happen? You get here in the morning?” I know that’s not what he wants to hear, but I’d almost feel better about them driving on the highway first thing in the morning rather than the middle of the night, considering all of the roadkill I’ve passed along the way.
“More than likely that’s what’s going to happen. Damn it, I was really looking forward to seeing you and Morgan tonight.”
“Same here, bro.”
“Alright, I think we’re going to grab something to eat while we’re waiting for an update. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
“Later, bro.”
As soon as he hangs up, I see a message from Morgan is waiting for me in my inbox. I swipe my finger over the mailbox icon and quickly read over what he has to say.
Morgan: We still haven’t left Breah’s parents. Her dad took a bad fall this morning and we’re afraid he may have broken his hip. Waiting on the ortho doc right now to see if it’s actually broken.
Wait, not him too!
Me: Damn, I hate to hear this. Hopefully, it’s not broken and you guys can leave soon.
Morgan: She told me to go ahead and go without her, but I’ll make that decision when we find out more.
Me: Give Breah a hug from me and tell her I’m sorry about her dad.
Morgan: Will do. We should know something within the hour.
I hate that both of my brothers have ran into some hiccups. Looks like this trip isn’t starting out the greatest for any of us.
Since there’s no rush to get there now, I figure I may as well find somewhere to get a bite to eat before getting back on the road. At least I won’t have to shop hungry when I make it to Black Hill Bend.
I don’t want to drive too far from the main highway, so I circle around the block, hoping that there’s someplace close by.
Even if it’s just a sandwich shop, it’ll tide me over until dinner tonight.
As I drive thru the next light, I notice a car barely pulled off to the side, and I swerve to keep from hitting the back end of it.
I feel bad for the person it belongs to as soon as I see the left front tire is at an awkward angle.
It’s a shame they couldn’t have gotten the car further off the road, but they probably did the best they could considering the circumstances.
A bad tire is one thing but one that’s broken from the axle is an even bigger issue.
I can’t stop looking in my rearview mirror and hit the brakes as soon as I see a young woman standing on the other side of the car, the phone pressed to her ear. Doesn’t she realize how dangerous it is for her to be so close to the car? If someone not paying attention comes along, they might…
Without giving it a second thought, I make a U-turn in the middle of street. I pull into an open parking spot across from her and wait for the passing cars to go by. As soon as traffic clears, I jog across the street towards her.
“Ma’am, you should probably stand back a little ways. It’s really dangerous—”
She lowers the phone and gives me a concerned look. “I didn’t even think about that. You’re so right. Forgive me, my head’s not where it needs to be at the moment.”
I can’t help noticing how attractive she is.
Probably late 20s, long hair that she has pulled back with one of those open toboggans.
Her winter vest is fitted yet leaves me wondering what she has on underneath.
And those leggings hug her curves in all the right places.
Damn! A pair of hiking boots completes her attire.
She might not feel lucky right now, but I’m thinking I may have won the lottery.
I shake the nonsense from my head—this woman needs help not someone ogling her.
“I’m guessing someone is on their way to help you?”
“I’ve tried to call my insurance company but they keep putting me on hold. Something about all the customer service representatives are busy at this time. Don’t they know I wouldn’t call unless I needed something?” She tries to chuckle but her trembling hands reveal how upsetting this is for her.
“That figures. They’re never available when you need them.” I turn to look back at her car. “What exactly happened? Aside from the tire being flat, it looks like it’s detached from the axle.”
“God I’m so embarrassed. I pulled off to check my phone—I’m in the nursing program at school and our grades came down.
I wasn’t paying attention I guess and got too close to the curb.
I thought something felt odd when I got back on the road, but then I hit a stupid pothole the size of a small crater back there and I’m guessing that’s when the tire decided to detach itself from the car. ”
I walk over to take a closer look. Sure enough, it’s a little more complex than just changing a flat, which I could’ve easily handled for her.
Unfortunately, I’m not much help when it comes to anything more than that.
Auto Mechanics 101 wasn’t something I was required to take back in the day.
“Yeah, you’re going to need it towed to a tire shop. ”
“That’s what I was afraid of. I’m not from here, so I don’t know what’s close by. If my insurance company would connect me to someone, I wouldn’t be nearly as stressed.”
I explain to her that I’m traveling as well and that I’d be happy to stick around until she’s able to reach someone.
I know it might come across as weird, or maybe even a bit unhinged, but if my wife or girlfriend broke down, I’d certainly appreciate some trustworthy individual waiting with them.
Looking at everything around us, this looks like a typical ‘safe’ small town but sometimes looks can be deceiving.
Especially when the sun goes down. We’re still an hour or so from that happening, but it’s not like I have anything better to do at the moment.
“By the way, my name is Miles.” I extend my hand and she shakes it obligingly.
I purposefully leave off my last name and that I play baseball for a living since it sometimes tends to scare people off.
That, or they think I’m lying about it since my name isn’t all that recognizable.
I’m actually a back-up to the back-up catcher for the Florida Firebirds MLB team.
“Nice to meet you Miles. I’m Sierra Foster. So much for getting a head start home for the holidays, huh? I wanted to surprise my parents by coming home early. It’s a good thing I didn’t tell them or they’d be worried sick.”
“Parents are good at worrying, no matter how old we are. I’m sure we’d be the same way if we were in their position.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Oh, hang on. They’re finally connecting me.”
I step to the side to allow her some privacy verifying her personal information.
For a nursing student, I’m impressed with her choice of vehicles.
It’s not a brand new car, but anyone that drives an Audi, including the A3 model, gets two thumbs up from me.
I lean down to look at the tire and run my hand along the edge.
This isn’t going to be a cheap fix by any means.
The rim still looks good, but that’s all I can say about it.
“Well, this just stinks,” she says after a few minutes and joins me next to her car.
“Uh, oh. Not good?”
“Apparently, this town is much smaller than I thought. They have two wreckers but one is out of commission. And I’m the third ticket for the one that works. Can you believe there are two other people ahead of me? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”
I could think of a few things, noting the way her pouty lips move when she speaks. Give me a break, okay? Guys think about this stuff all the time. While most won’t openly admit to it, it’s just the way we operate.
“How long are we talking about?” I’m okay hanging around for a little while but if we’re talking more than a few hours, I’m not sure on how I feel about that. Considering I still need to do the shopping, I really wanted to make it to Black Hill Bend before dark.
“They said it could be a few hours.”
I look down at my watch. I really hate to leave her by herself. Then again, this could be her way of telling me thanks, but no thanks, it’s time for you to go. This isn’t the vibe I’m getting from her, though.
“Did you tell them you’re hardly out of the road, which could lead to an accident?”
“Ohh, why didn’t I think of that?” She rolls her eyes. “See where my head is right now? They gave me the number for the towing company. If I give them a call, perhaps they can make an exception.”
“It’s worth a try.”
“What do I have to lose, huh?”