Chapter Three
T he man drove like he’d never seen snow.
At this rate, they wouldn’t get to Evergreen until tomorrow.
Jovi rattled the ice in her cup, left over from their dinner stop at a fast-food place, then took a long sip through her straw.
She tried to discreetly lean across the center console to sneak a peek at the speedometer.
They crept along at a lousy thirty-two miles per hour.
Stifling a sigh, she reached for the dial on the stereo and upped the volume on the radio. Some might say this song was overplayed, but she couldn’t resist humming along to the iconic country hit.
Burke let go of the wheel just long enough to jab at the button and silence the music. “Do you mind? I’m trying to concentrate.”
He resumed his white-knuckle grip and hunched farther over the steering wheel.
“You need total silence when you drive?”
“In treacherous conditions, yes.”
“Got it.” Jovi squirmed in the passenger seat.
Sweat dampened the back of the white T-shirt she’d layered under her cardigan.
Burke had the defroster cranked to its highest setting, and the heater pumping warm air into the vehicle.
Rather than adjust any of the settings and risk aggravating him more than she already had, she’d have to peel off her outer layer.
She unclipped her seat belt and then shrugged off her jacket.
He glanced her way. The silvery light from the dash illuminated his pinched features. “What are you doing?”
She hesitated, her arm stuck in one sleeve. “Taking off my jacket. It’s too hot in here.”
“It’s not wise to unbuckle while the vehicle’s moving.” Disapproval clung to every word. “Especially in these conditions.”
Oh, dear. He really needed to simmer down a notch.
Sure it had been snowing since they’d left Anchorage, but at least the wind wasn’t blowing hard.
They were totally safe. Ditching her jacket on the floorboard, she pulled her seat belt back on and quickly snapped it into place.
“See? I’m safe as can be. Now I won’t pass out.
Which means I can keep you awake. So really, that was all for your benefit. ”
His one-syllable grunt made her smile. “Quick question. Have you ever driven in snow before?”
“Not recently. What was your first clue?”
“You’re going under the speed limit, clutching that steering wheel like it’s our lifeline, and, well, you look terrified. How’d I do? Are my observations accurate?”
“If I may, I’d like to point out that if we hadn’t detoured to pick up your precious part, then we’d likely be much closer to our destination by now.”
Her scalp prickled. Could he be any more obnoxious?
“Look, I get that you’re annoyed I asked you to drive a measly four blocks out of your way to meet a lady who stayed after hours to make sure she handed that package to me in person.
By the way, thanks to her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, I now have that precious part in my possession.
And if we ever get to Evergreen, I’ll be able to give it to my sister.
Then hopefully, the mechanic will be able to install it, and a small family-owned company that provides several jobs for residents will be up and running smoothly again.
So I apologize for the inconvenience, but on behalf of the many customers worldwide who enjoy their sweet treats from Evergreen Candy Company, thank you for understanding. ”
Whoa. She slumped back against the headrest, slightly out of breath.
Silence hung heavy between them.
Then the corners of his mouth twitched. “Feel good to get that all out?”
Ignoring his snide comment, she took another sip of her diet soda. The carbonated liquid slid down her throat. Maybe she should apologize. That was kind of a lot. Yet she felt lighter somehow. Besides, somebody needed to tell him what was up, because he was kind of grinchy.
Good deeds and generosity didn’t really seem like they were his thing.
Bright lights from a truck driving behind them illuminated the interior of their car. Burke held up his hand to shield his eyes from the reflection in the mirror. The other driver passed quickly. A spray of snow kicked up from the truck’s tires and coated their windshield.
Grumbling under his breath, Burke twisted the knob and forced the windshield wipers to work at top speed. The truck’s taillights glowed red, then disappeared into the darkness up ahead.
Jovi deposited her drink back in the cup holder. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re grumpy?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re sarcastic?”
“Just you.” She studied his strong profile, noting the tension settling in his angular jaw. “Let me guess. You’re not a fan?”
“It’s a challenging communication style and one I find difficult to engage with.”
“Oh, that’s good to know. Thank you. Perhaps I’ll try a kinder, gentler approach. Burke, you must be exhausted after traveling all day with a young child. What can I do to make this final leg of your journey more enjoyable?”
“See? That right there.” Burke shot her another exasperated look. “You didn’t mean a word of that, did you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I meant all of it. That was empathy.”
“With a generous dose of sarcasm. Again, it’s all in the tone.”
She blew out a gusty breath. “You sure know how to make a hundred miles feel like a thousand.”
“Happy to be of service.”
They rode for a few more minutes in a terse silence until Burke cleared his throat. “Does it always snow like this here?”
Laughter bubbled from her lips. He shot her another look. This one fierce. She clamped her hand over her mouth. Darby Jane had fallen asleep about an hour ago. She didn’t blame him for being upset if her outburst woke the sleeping child.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “But you did just move to Alaska, right? Did no one tell you about the weather?”
“This seems a bit excessive.”
She peered into the darkness. Their headlights tunneled into the road ahead, where the snow was now pelting them at a dizzying rate. An ominous feeling danced down her spine. Maybe he had a valid point. Now that she’d taken a closer look, this did seem like a lot of snow all at once.
“We’ve been on the road for almost three hours,” Burke said. “Does it typically take this long to drive from Anchorage to Evergreen?”
“No, it shouldn’t. This is only my second trip on this road, though. They finished building it about a year and a half ago.”
“Before that people came and went from Evergreen by airplane?”
“Or dog sleds and snow machines. But yes, we relied mostly on planes.”
“Wow.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t imagine traveling anywhere by a team of dogs pulling a sled.”
“It’s not for everyone,” Jovi said. “How did you decide you wanted to move to Evergreen if you’re unaccustomed to snow?”
“My aunt has a place there. We visited several times when I was a kid, and those are some of my happiest memories. I wanted Darby Jane to experience an Alaskan winter.”
“Who’s your aunt?”
“Lois Phillips.”
Jovi’s breath hitched. “No way. Really?”
“Do you know her?”
Oh, wow. Where to begin? “Well, from what little I’ve been told, your aunt and my grandmother used to be the best of friends. Until they weren’t. The Wrights and the Phillipses have been feuding for longer than you and I have been alive.”
Burke drummed his thumb against the steering wheel. “So you’re one of Carol and Dennis’s granddaughters?”
“Yep. My sister, Isabel, is two years older.” Jovi angled her body more toward his. “Forgive me for asking, but did you and I meet when we were kids?”
He shook his head. “Aunt Lois didn’t want me to play with Carol’s grandkids. Ever. She made that quite clear. To be honest, she had so many activities planned when I visited, there wasn’t time to wonder about the kids who lived nearby.”
“I still can’t believe they live down the road from one another and manage to never speak. Or they used to, anyway.” Jovi softened her tone. “I was sorry to hear that Lois had passed.”
“Thank you,” Burke said. “I hate that Darby Jane didn’t get to meet her or my uncle Mac. My mother, Lois’s sister, well, they weren’t exactly close. Polar opposites, really, and there’s a substantial age difference. But I loved to visit Aunt Lois and Uncle Mac.”
“They were good people,” Jovi said. “Mac and Lois both loved Evergreen and always supported the community. I wish I knew why she and Grammie had a falling-out.”
“Yeah, she and my uncle lived in several places throughout the years. He was in the military, and they moved quite a bit. But they seemed happiest in Evergreen.”
“Agreed.”
He looked over at her again.
“What?” She squirmed in her seat, surprised by the way one side of his mouth lifted in a hint of a smile.
“We agreed on something.”
“That your aunt and uncle were good people? That wasn’t hard.” She twisted the beaded bracelet on her wrist around in a slow circle. “Here’s something we probably won’t agree on.”
“Oh?”
“Why don’t you let me drive the rest of the way?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve got this,” he insisted. “And your name’s not on the rental contract.”
“You’re a rule-follower, aren’t you?”
“One hundred percent.”
* * *
“Are you coming to bed, or do you want me to throw more wood on the fire?”
Isabel turned from the window where she’d been pacing for the last twenty minutes.
Mason stood in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. He wore his faded Evergreen High School basketball T-shirt and red-and-white plaid flannel pajama bottoms.
“I can’t go to sleep. Not until I know Jovi’s home.”
He ran his hand over his close-cropped blond hair.
She yearned for him to move closer. To offer to stay up and wait with her.
Maybe watch the next episode of The Crown .
But he looked worn-out. Hadn’t said much at dinner either.
Only that he’d had a rough day dealing with the storm and its impact on keeping the roads plowed.