Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella) Read online

  “How do you like Madison?” Alex asked.

  “I love it. I’m not real partial to walking up Bascom Hill to get to classes, but otherwise, it’s great.”

  “That hill is a beast.”

  Katie’s phone rang. She wiped her fingers on a napkin, checked the display, and answered. “What’s up?”

  “Hi, honey. Just checking in to see what your ETA is.”

  “Mom, you’re calling to make sure we’re not in the ditch somewhere or wrapped around a telephone pole.” She looked at Alex and rolled her eyes.

  “I wouldn’t put it that dramatically, but yes, I wanted to make sure you’re safe and well on your way.”

  “Yes and yes,” she snapped, a little more severely than she meant to.

  “Good. Where are you now?”

  “Alex, my mother would like to know our exact location at this moment.”

  “Katie, you don’t need to tell him I asked,” her mother said.

  Alex chuckled. “We just passed Wausau. I’d say another couple hours.”

  “Did you hear that?” Katie said to her mom.

  “Thank you. You should know that it’s already snowing here and accumulating pretty fast. Tom says you’re going to run into snow soon, so be extra careful.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Katie wanted to tell Tom what he could do with his snow.

  “Katie, I’m serious.”

  She turned in her seat. “Alex, my mother wants you to know that it’s snowing up north, and Tom says that we’ll be heading into snow soon. You need to drive extra careful. She’s serious.”

  “Got it,” he answered, amused.

  “Clearly, you aren’t ready to talk reasonably to me.” Her mother sounded irritated, which Katie didn’t mind.

  Katie responded in a bright cheery voice. “Okay, sounds good. See you soon.” She quick hung up. She knew she should feel bad about it, but her mother brought it on herself by keeping Katie in the dark about the separation. Her mom only wanted to talk when it wasn’t about their family disaster. Why was this strange guy so important that Katie was forced to drive through a snowstorm to share Christmas with him?

  She shoved the phone to the bottom of her purse where she wouldn’t hear it ring.

  “So, who’s Tom?” Alex asked.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “We’ve got nothing but wide open highway.” Some sappy country song about a guy and his dog came on the radio.

  “I don’t really know. My mom says she isn’t dating him, but she’s making us haul ass up to Crystal River to spend Christmas with him, and we’ve never even met.”

  “And I take it you don’t want to meet him.”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “So, your parents are divorced?”

  “That’s an excellent question. I don’t think so, but things are moving so fast, who knows.” Neither of her parents would talk about it. They kept giving her a bunch of bullshit about still loving the kids, just needing change in their lives or new air or some other crap.

  “Let me guess. This is your first Christmas with your parents separated.”

  “You got it.”

  “That sucks.” Alex frowned.

  “Big time.”

  They rode in amiable silence and listened to Alex’s country music. A half hour later, flurries started, and within a few minutes, the fine, light snow changed into large, heavy flakes that whipped past the windshield.

  “Here it comes.” Alex slid his soda back in the cup holder and sat a little straighter as he focused through reduced visibility.

  Katie pulled her legs under her and watched the snow fly, glad the roads were still clear. “It’s about time we had a white Christmas.” There was something exciting about a big snowfall. The last few years, heavy snows had been few and far between. But now the wind spun the snow wildly in sheets and waves like water in an angry sea.

  “My brother, Jason, has got to be loving this. He’ll have his plow rigged and ready to go. He’s like a little kid when it comes to snow,” Alex said.

  “He drives a truck too?”

  Alex tilted his head and the corner of his mouth lifted. His eyes sparkled as he grinned in a way she could only describe as sexy. “Up north, everybody drives a truck.”

  Katie liked this lighter side of Alex. He’d seemed polite but preoccupied earlier, especially after his phone call.

  “Jason will be chomping at the bit to get out there to plow and pull cars out of the ditch. This is the best Christmas gift he could ask for.”

  She bet Alex liked the snow just as much as his brother. “And what do you want for Christmas?”

  He glanced at her and then back to the road. The snow began to accumulate. He huffed. “Me? I want a new life.” He raked a hand through his hair and stared at the swirling white stuff.

  Katie wondered, did he mean he couldn’t wait to get married? He looked lost in his thoughts as he cruised on.

  He might want a new life, but more than anything, Katie wanted her old life back. New wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She wanted to spend the holidays and winter break in her old house, with both her parents and her little sister, Nichole. No new people being forced upon her.

  The radio station crackled. Alex glanced over. “Want to find a new station?”

  “Sure.” She reached over his coat and backpack to adjust the dials. She noticed how good he smelled, like aftershave or maybe really good deodorant.

  “You’re not going to find much this far north. You might get a station out of Minocqua or Park Falls.”

  Katie slowly rolled the knob of the old truck radio, listening for a break in the static. A few inches to her left, Alex’s hand casually held the steering wheel. She noticed a few hairs on his long fingers. His nails were trimmed short. The cuff of his hoodie was worn on the edge and a little dirty.

  “Go back. You passed something.” Alex pointed with his index finger.

  She turned back and caught a radio station playing Christmas in Sariejvo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was like a Christmas song on steroids; she figured Alex would like it too. Katie settled back in her seat.

  Alex cranked the volume and tapped his finger against the steering wheel as the music pumped through the speakers.

  “I love these guys. They are so awesome. Have you ever seen them in concert?” she asked.

  “No. I didn’t even know they toured.”

  “Every year they do a huge Christmas tour from November through early January. This is the first year since I was little that I haven’t gone.” She ignored the twist in her gut reminding her that that the simple family tradition was over forever.

  “How come you didn’t go this year?” His head pulsed to the rock beat.

  She sighed. “The break up.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah, it really does. Nothing’s the same anymore. My mom is dragging me up to the middle of flippin’ nowhere. No offense.” She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t mean to diss his childhood home.

  Alex glanced over and smirked. “None taken.”

  “Now I have to spend four days, including Christmas, with some guy I’ve never met. My mom doesn’t even know what to call him. She says he’s not her boyfriend.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow.

  “I know!” Katie raised her hands in the air. “What the hell is that? How stupid does she think I am? And then after that nightmare, I have to go to my Dad’s new place and celebrate Christmas with him, his new squeeze, Marie, and her three little kids.”

  “Ouch.” Alex cringed.

  “What I wouldn’t give to run away and skip this entire holiday.”

  “You and me, both,” he mumbled.

  The song ended and the DJ came on. “That was Christmas in Sarejvo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Up next we’ll hear more holiday music, but first a weather update.”

  Katie leaned forward as Alex turned the volume up.

  “The entire Northern region is under an official w
eather warning and starting at seven p.m. this evening it will change over to blizzard conditions throughout the night and into tomorrow.”

  Katie skimmed a quick glance at Alex. He listened intently but didn’t appear too worried.

  “Expect high winds with estimated snowfall this evening of six to ten inches, and an additional overnight snowfall of eight to twelve inches, ending by afternoon. Temperatures will drop, creating wind chills in the negative numbers along with significant blowing and drifting snow.”

  “Holy crap. I guess my mom was right for a change.” Katie stared wide-eyed across the truck cab. A white Christmas was one thing, a full-out blizzard another.

  “So, folks. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. And if you are out, get back home as soon as you can. This is the perfect time to snuggle in and enjoy a hot toddy and a white Christmas. And on that note, here’s Bing Crosby.” The strings started playing and the crooning voice of Bing singing “White Christmas” floated through the cab.

  “Good thing I put extra weight in the back of the truck last time I was home. It’s going to take longer to get there than I thought.”

  Katie twisted in her seat to see the two large utility buckets on each side of the truck bed, snow accumulated around them and her canvas duffle bag. “How much longer do you think?”

  “I’d say an hour, maybe an hour and a half.”

  “I should probably call my mom and give her an update.” She fished the phone out of her purse and turned it on. The light pulsed repeatedly looking for a signal, but there was none.

  “No service?” Alex asked.

  “None.”

  “I kind of figured that would happen. There’s terrible tower service up here, and with the storm, the only thing that’s going to work is a landline.”

  Katie dropped the phone back in her bag, not sure if she was disappointed to be cut off from her mother or relieved. “Well, that gets me off the hook listening to my mom nag about your driving, the current snow conditions, and if I flossed my teeth today.”

  “You never can floss enough,” Alex teased.

  Katie tossed a Cheeto at him. Despite the fact he was driving, Alex caught the Cheeto and popped it in his mouth. He shot her a cocky grin. Katie smiled and shook her head.

  Chapter 3

  Alex hadn’t seen a winter storm this bad in years. The road conditions had changed from bad to barely visible, and for the last couple of miles, he only saw a few other cars on the road. The snow fell in a constant, thick blanket. The headlights illuminated the snow, and the flakes raced by at warp speed like they were in a space ship in a sci-fi movie.

  “Why aren’t the plows out?” Katie asked from her side of the dark cab.

  “They might be waiting until more snow accumulates or maybe they haven’t gotten to this road yet.” Another huge gust hit the truck, causing Alex to grip the steering wheel tighter. The winds howled. “Sometimes when there are high winds, the plows are pulled until conditions ease up.”

  “That seems like a bad idea.”

  “It does if you’re stranded out in it.” He focused on the road.

  “Like us,” she said.

  He detected the strain in her voice. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll get you there in one piece.” He wanted to reach over and pat her leg in reassurance but figured two hands on the wheel would be better.

  “I’m holding you to that,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “No problem. In Ashland, we get huge lake effect snows off of Lake Superior. Trust me. I have a PhD in driving snow-covered roads.”

  An hour later, they’d only covered thirty miles. Ice had accumulated under the windshield wipers. Even with the defroster on high, the icy build-up made it difficult to see the road.

  He glanced at Katie and found her gripping the armrest.

  “Do you think we should pull over somewhere?” she asked.

  Alex didn’t want to admit defeat when they were so close, but the roads had definitely deteriorated. “We’ve only got another fifteen miles, and I think we can get there no problem. But it’s gonna take a while, unless a plow comes through and clears a path.”

  In the distance, he spotted the fuzzy glow of lights at the side of the road. A minute later they came upon a combination gas station/convenience store. The station’s bright overhead lights illuminated the snow-coated building. “What do you say we pull over and see if they have a weather update.”

  “I’m good with that.”

  Plus, after that jumbo soda, he could use the bathroom. Someone had plowed the station not that long ago, so the lot was much better than the actual highway. Alex turned into a parking spot in front of the store. The strong winds had drilled snow onto one side of the building and wiped it clean on another.

  “Why don’t you go first, because if we both open our doors at the same time the wind will blow everything right out of here,” Alex said.

  Kate slipped into her coat and grabbed her purse. “All set.” She hopped out; the wind blew her hair straight back as she pushed her door closed and ran inside.

  Alex forced his door open. Piercing cold air took his breath away. He squinted to prevent the icy snow from stabbing his eyes and ran the few steps to the entry door.

  “Whew!” He shuddered and shook his head. Snow flew off his hair like a bad case of dandruff.

  “Oh my god, it’s freezing out there.” Katie hugged herself from the cold as she headed to the restroom.

  Colored Christmas lights twinkled from the store windows, lighting up a display of chewing tobacco. The sales counter featured crowded displays of lighters, holiday hard candies, Amish fudge, and a dozen other impulse buys. An older guy, maybe in his sixties and wearing a red, flannel shirt and glasses that reminded Alex of his Grandpa, stood behind the counter. Red foil garland decorated the wall of cigarettes.

  “It’s pretty nasty driving out there,” the man commented.

  “The last few miles have been the worst. Have you heard any updates?” Alex asked.

  “Here, take a look.” The man placed a laptop on the counter and turned it Alex’s direction.

  The radar showed a huge white blob of precipitation covering upper Wisconsin and extending back into Minnesota. When Alex checked radar this morning, the snowfall predictions were low. “I thought the storm was supposed to be north of us.” He stared at the white cloud that covered most of the monitor.

  “Weather men are no better today than they were thirty years ago. All that high-tech equipment and they only predicted three inches of snow. Now they’re saying twelve to twenty before this thing is done.”

  Alex looked outside at the white-out conditions. “Seen any plows? We’ve only got fifteen miles to go and a plow sure would make life easier.”

  “Not for a while. Hard to say what they’ll do with it being the holidays and all.”

  Katie appeared wearing a disarming smile. She noticed the radar. “Holy crud! Look at that.”

  Alex held back his grin as she peered at the screen. Her glossy, brown hair flowed over her shoulders. She turned her amber eyes on him, her long, dark lashes waved. “What do you think? Can we get through?”

  “That’s what we were just talking about. If we don’t try to get through now, I don’t know when we will. This is only the front end of the storm. It’s going to last for quite a while.”

  Katie pursed her lips as she concentrated on the radar screen.

  “If you don’t want to drive any more tonight, there’s a small motel, the Do Drop Inn, up the road a mile or so.” The clerk gestured to the north.

  Alex preferred to drive through the snow and arrive tonight, versus waiting until the snow stopped, but he felt he should hear Katie’s thoughts, too. “What do you think? Do Drop Inn or four-wheel drive?”

  “How far again?” she asked, apparently considering the options.

  He wondered if she worried more about spending the night with him in a hotel room or not getting home to see her mom tonight. “If it’s really bad, forty-
five minutes, maybe an hour at the most.”

  “You realize you’re going to have to stay the night? My mom will never let you keep driving in weather like this.”

  “You mean stay with, what did you call him, Not the Boyfriend, Tom? I don’t know.” On the other hand, if he got waylaid, he’d be able to postpone his break-up talk with Trina. A night at a cabin with a bunch of strangers wouldn’t be all bad. Plus, Katie seemed pretty nice and low drama.

  Bright flashing lights appeared outside, followed by a huge snowplow.

  “Look, there’s a plow.” Katie pointed out the window.

  “And it’s headed the right direction. What do you say? Want to go for it?” Alex asked, anxious to get back on the road.

  “Totally. No guts, no glory.” Katie’s face lit up. She held up her hand, and Alex high-fived her.

  “Do you kids have emergency supplies in case you have trouble?” the old clerk asked.

  “Yeah, I’ve got sand in the back and a snow shovel.”

  “How about water and blankets?” the clerk asked.

  “I have half my wardrobe in my laundry bag, but I’ll grab us a couple of waters.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. We’re not far from our destination,” Alex explained.

  “I’m sure you will be, but it never hurts to be prepared.” He moved the laptop off the checkout counter.

  As Katie paid, Alex scanned the store racks for some last minute Christmas gift for his fiancée. She’d be pissed if he gave her a light-up pen with a Santa dressed in a Packer’s jersey. Fudge wouldn’t be on her diet or a giant tin of popcorn. Once he broke off their engagement, she’d probably throw any gift he gave her back his face anyway. He followed Katie out to the truck.

  The plow scraped off the top inches of snow off the roads. The going was still slow, but Alex felt satisfied he’d have Katie at her destination soon. He spotted their turn thanks to a light at the intersection.

  “The good news is we found River Road. We’re getting close,” Alex said.

  “And the bad news?”