This was going to be the worst Christmas ever. Amy Mitchell turned her windshield wipers on high. Why did she think crossing the mountain rather than going around it would get her to her destination faster?
Did she really want to reach her mother’s home quicker? Answer: No. Ever since the death of Amy’s father five years ago, her mother had spiraled further and further into despair. That is, until recently. Now, Amy was heading home to meet the man her mother planned on marrying. A man Amy despised. The man who, in her mind, was responsible for her father’s death. The man who’d swindled her father out of a business deal. The disappointment had caused his heart attack – Amy felt it in her gut.
She leaned forward and peered through the frozen windshield at the thick snowfall. It was a really bad idea to come this way.
Okay, so maybe Rob Addison hadn’t killed her father with his unscrupulous business dealings, but he had been hanging around the house a lot during the few years leading up to Amy’s father’s death. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was because of her beautiful mother. He was the last man Amy wanted to spend Christmas with, much less a whole week!
Now, here she was in the middle of a freak blizzard driving to spend the holidays with a man she despised. If she didn’t love her mother so much, she’d have found a way to say no. As a loving, dutiful daughter, it was up to Amy to tell her mother she was making the biggest mistake of her life, right?
Amy passed a road under a large wooden sign that read Rocking W Ranch. Her tires chose that moment to slide sideways, and she gripped the steering wheel harder. Pay attention, Amy. Driving in this weather was not the time to be thinking about anything other than the road ahead of her.
Her cell phone rang, and she pushed the button on her steering wheel to answer. “Hey, Mom.”
“How far away are you?”
“About four hours, longer if the weather doesn’t clear. I thought heading over Misty Mountain would be a short cut, but instead, I’m driving in a blizzard.”
“Oh, do be careful. Rob and I have your room all ready for you.”
“He’s staying there?”
“Well…” Her mother giggled. Actually giggled. “We didn’t want to wait or spend the holidays apart, so we got married at the courthouse yesterday. We were going to surprise you.”
“I’m surprised all right.” She grimaced. “Well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.” Since it was too late to talk her out of it, she’d do her best to mean the words.
“I am happy. You know, I didn’t think I would ever feel this way again. Drive safe, sweetheart. If you have to stop for the night, give me a call. I’d rather you were late and safe than injured.”
After exchanging “I love you,” Amy hung up. Married. She sighed. She might as well get used to the fact that Rob was now a part of the family, like it or not. She’d paste on a smile and try to be happy for her mother.
If she ever arrived home. The snow fell harder, making visibility almost nil.
Her tires spun on a patch of black ice. Trying to remember which way to turn the wheel to keep from spinning, she failed and landed in a ditch. The car struck something hard. Amy came to a sharp halt against her seatbelt. Wonderful. No matter how hard she pressed the accelerator to back out, all her tires did was dig deeper into the snow.
She huffed and leaned her head against the steering wheel before turning off the ignition. Bitter cold seeped into the car almost immediately. The only option she had was to make her way back to the road leading to a ranch. Someone would be home, God willing.
Donning her cheery yellow wool coat, she grabbed her small suitcase out of the backseat, slung her purse over her shoulder, and trudged up the road. Snow seeped through her collar to the back of her neck and inside her ankle boots. She shivered and pulled her coat closer around her.
Half a mile or so down the road, the snowfall slowed, increasing her visibility. If only it had eased up earlier, she might not have ended up in the ditch. Now, here she was, dragging her suitcase through the snow headed to who knows where.
Could she be more miserable?
Apparently, she could. The snow turned to sleet.
In the distance, she spotted a man on horseback headed her way. Help was on the way.
The closer the man got, the more her elation faded. If Rob Addison was the last man she wanted to see, Dawson Jackson ran a close second. Having broken off their engagement during college, she’d sworn never to lay eyes on him again. Now, here he was riding toward her like some tarnished knight wearing a cowboy hat.
“Hello, Dawson.” She forced a smile as he reined the horse to a stop.
“Amy?”
“Yep.” Her smile trembled. “I’m stuck in a ditch. Would you mind calling a tow truck?”
“No tow truck is going to be able to drive up the mountain in this storm. Especially now that it’s sleeting.” He frowned. “The weatherman says it’s going to get worse before it gets better. You aren’t going anywhere tonight, so you’ll have to come to the ranch.”
Yes, things could definitely be worse.
She sighed. “Fine. Help me up.”
His eyes widened, but he slid from the saddle and cupped his hands. “What about the suitcase?”
“I’m not leaving it.”
He groaned and hefted her into the saddle. “Guess I’ll lead Bandit and carry your case.”
“Don’t act so put out. Aren’t cowboys supposed to help damsels in distress?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yep.” He grabbed the reins with one hand and her suitcase in the other and headed down the snow-filled road toward the large house in the distance.
- Publisher : Independently published
- Publication date : January 14, 2025
- Language : English
- Print length : 132 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8307020586