Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Once inside, I set down my carry-on and shook off as much of the snow as possible before putting my soggy hat and gloves in my pocket. At least my ski parka was nice and dry inside. The jeans had been a stupid decision, though, as they were currently plastered to my body.
With a sigh, I picked up my duffel bag and followed the signs to the car rental. I was glad I’d had the foresight to reserve a four-wheel drive, but then, I’d grown up with weather like this. Driving in snowy conditions was old hat, but I still needed an appropriate vehicle.
A woman with red glasses and a wide smile greeted me as I approached the counter. “Merry Christmas! I’m Cindy. How can I help you?” she greeted me cheerfully. Her enthusiasm did not help my mood. My Christmas spirit had been depleted several hours ago when I was sitting in a plane on the tarmac with nothing but pretzels to replace the Christmas dinner I was missing.
“I have a reservation.”
“Sure! Can I have your ID, please?”
I handed over my license and credit card and waited while she clickety-clacked on her keyboard. Checking my watch again, I sighed. I hated to show up at my friend’s house so late even though his mom had promised to feed me leftovers no matter what time I arrived.
Jake and I were both professional snowboarders and had been friends for over a decade. He always spent Christmas with his parents and sisters in Winter Falls, where he grew up. Despite living in a town that basically celebrated Christmas all year long, my parents had never been big fans of the holiday...or any others, really. They always went somewhere warm. It wasn’t as if they didn’t invite me to go along, but I’d chosen to spend most of them with my best friend’s family. The Mistletoes were the “the more, the merrier” type and went all out for Christmas.
However, this year, I hadn’t wanted to impose on any of the brothers and their new wives. So when Jake invited me back to Winter Falls, and his parents hopped on the line to insist, I’d agreed. Jake warned me that his mother would try to set me up with his sister, Raven, but that had only made me laugh.
I hadn’t been interested in a woman in a long, long time. Probably because I traveled so much and wasn’t a temporary kind of guy. I’d been focused on my career anyway. Although, I’d been doing some serious thinking about my future lately. I had a dream job, but I was starting to dislike the nomad existence. Settling down in one place sounded pretty good. Maybe I could be an instructor.
“Um, Mr. Granger?” Cindy’s overly bright voice interrupted my train of thought, and I gave her my attention. I was surprised to see that her smile had dimmed just a bit.
“Yes?”
“Unfortunately, we can only guarantee a reservation for four hours after the requested pickup time. The storm rolled in earlier than expected, so we had a lot of people needing...we don’t usually have this happen. I’m sure we can get you taken care of, though.”
My brow furrowed, and I frowned. “What are you trying not to tell me, Cindy?”
“We no longer have the SUV you reserved. But—”
I interrupted, hoping I’d heard her wrong. “You gave my car to someone else?”
“Well, it’s just—”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Fine. Please tell me you have something else for me to drive?”
“Of course!” She brightened considerably, but there was a falseness to it that made me wary. “Let’s see.” Her eyes scanned the screen, and her smile began to dissolve the longer she stared at it. “Well, we have…” She rattled off a list of sedans and compact cars, adding in little tidbits about how reliable they were and the other useless features that wouldn’t help me drive in a blizzard.
“Cindy,” I said, my voice sounding as tired as I felt. “Do any of the cars have four-wheel drive?”
“No, but—”
“Do they all have chains on the tires?”
“Of course.”
I chose the heaviest beast of a sedan they had available and tried to bite my tongue when she put on her overly sugary attitude again. Somehow, I managed to hold in a “Bah humbug!” as I walked away and headed to the garage to collect the car I just might die in.
After driving the highway at a crawl, I made the hour drive to Winter Falls in two. However, by that time, the weather had only grown worse. I could barely see any of the road in front of me. The headlights shone on a curtain of white. Squeezing the steering wheel, I remained alert and kept going, determined to make it to my hotel. Come on, Santa. I need a Christmas miracle.