Chapter Two
As another snowplow rumbled by, Kira reluctantly switched off Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and turned to the radio, scanning the channels until she found a local station.
The static voice of the DJ confirmed her worst suspicions.
A heavy winter storm had unexpectedly developed with expected white-out conditions and snow accumulation nearing three feet.
Kira shut off the radio. There was no way she could make it all the way to Quebec tonight.
She could hardly see the road twenty feet in front of her, and she had already slowed to a crawl, adding hours to her ETA.
She needed a place to spend the night––and soon––before the hotels in the surrounding towns filled up with holiday travelers suddenly finding themselves in the same dilemma.
Kira soon spotted a sign, half-covered with fresh snowfall.
Granite Falls - Next Right. She’d passed the town countless times over the years and had never given it a second thought.
But tonight, she had no choice but to venture off the northern New Hampshire highway and pray she’d find a place with vacancy.
Without taking her eyes off the road, Kira reached for her phone and held down the home button.
“Hotels in Granite Falls,” she said, and listened as it listed off several options, including the world-renowned Hotel Andreas.
She’d stayed at their London location a few years back while doing research for her first historical romance novel, and had promised herself that she’d go back one day.
“Give me direction to Hotel Andreas,” she instructed, already envisioning herself submerged in a warm bath with bubbles up to her neck, sipping a glass of wine while she watched the snow fall from the safety of her room.
Having to spend one less day of holiday “fun” with her family was just a bonus.
As her phone recalculated the route, Kira eased onto the exit ramp, her tires sliding as she took the sharp turn.
Covered in a fresh blanket of snow, Granite Falls appeared ghostly as she inched along Industrial Drive before turning onto Beacon Avenue.
Within minutes, through the now blustering storm, she spotted “Hotel Andreas” in bright lights on the hotel’s facade.
She pulled under the shelter of the portico, and into one of the fifteen-minute parking spots.
Inside the lobby, beautifully decorated for the holidays, the warm aroma of cinnamon and pine hung in the air.
A fifteen-foot tree dominated the room, its branches adorned with glass baubles, gingerbread men, shimmering bows, and twinkling white lights, and next to a roaring fire sat warm, dry guests in small groups, chatting with holiday treats and hot drinks laid on tables before them.
Oh yes, I can definitely roll with this, Kira thought, as she approached the front desk.
“Goodnight, ma’am, how may I help you?”
“Goodnight to you, too, Rosalind,” Kira said, reading her name tag.
She glanced behind her as a cold gust blew in with a group of weary-looking travelers.
As they made their way towards the second check-in desk, Kira skipped the usual small talk and quickly reached into her purse for her wallet.
“I need to book a room for the night,” she said.
Rosalind’s smile faded, and she shook her head slowly. “I’m so sorry, but we are fully booked through the end of the week.”
“Really? You don’t have one room available?” Kira probed. “I’ll take a suite if it’s all you have––I’m not worried about the cost. I’m on my way to Quebec, but the roads are just getting worse and worse by the mile.”
“I know, this storm came out of nowhere. I wish I could help you, but the hotel is often fully booked for Christmas months in advance. We seldom have walk-in availability this time of year.”
Kira watched grudgingly as the group at the second desk took their key cards from the receptionist and headed towards the elevator bank, followed closely by a porter wheeling a luggage cart. Her shoulders slumped as she glanced warily at the storm raging outside.
“I have an idea, Ms...”
She turned back to Rosalind. “Just Kira.”
“Well, Kira, I hate to think of you driving around looking for a place to stay in this weather. If you’d like, I can call around to some other places in town to see if anyone has availability.”
Kira clasped her hand to her chest. “That would be amazing!”
“It’s my pleasure. Please, have a seat by the fire, and make yourself comfortable. I’ll let you know when and if I find something.”
“Thank you so much, Rosalind.”
Kira turned up the long driveway of Cozy Pine Bed and Breakfast, a charming house with an attached two-car garage, smoke rising from a chimney, and warm Christmas lights strung from the eaves.
It had been Rosalind's final call, and due to a last-minute cancellation, she’d said, it was the only vacancy in town.
She parked in the small lot next to a black pickup truck, but before she could kill the engine, the wreath-laden front door opened, and a man appeared in the doorway.
Kira’s pulse quickened as her eyes swept over him. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and built like a linebacker. Her mouth went dry when he opened the weatherproof glass door, stepped out onto the small porch, and shouted something at her.
Kira rolled her window down, shivering as the chilling wind swept into the car. Using her hand to shield her face from the pelting snow, she bellowed above the wind. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if you’re Kira Lévesque.”
His deep voice cut through the howling wind and resonated through her chest. She inhaled sharply. “Yea, I’m Kira.”
“Glad you found the place. I’m Jaxon. Hang on a minute, I’ll have you pull into the garage.”
As Jaxon disappeared back into the house, closing the door behind him, Kira rolled up her window and pressed her head against the headrest.
She closed her eyes and prayed: Dear God, please don’t let him be a murderer. I’m too tired to fight anyone off tonight. She made the sign of the cross and opened her eyes as the garage door creaked open.
Continue reading Her Christmas Detour: A Granite Falls Christmas Special, or turn the page to read samples of Rock Steady with Me and The Doctor’s Secret Bride.