windshield wipers on high. The blades couldn't clear the snow away fast enough. Ice began to form on the windshield severely hampering his vision.
"Can you even see?" Tawney asked, the words filled with concern. "I can't."
"Not really. Snow is freezing to the glass."
The Jeep hit a rut. Tawney braced her hand on the dash. "Where's the road?"
"It's here somewhere." He'd had plenty of experience driving in the snow, but this was an all-out whiteout. He'd definitely underestimated Mother Nature today. "I’m turning around."
He did a U-turn but must have missed the road, because the right tires slipped into a rut, putting the Jeep at a definite tilt.
Tawney cried out. "Oh no."
"I think we're stuck," he said. "Damn it."
Rick exited the Jeep into the swirling snow. He surveyed the Jeep. There was no way he could get the vehicle out without a tow.
He leaned into the vehicle. "We have to walk back to the cabin."
Tawney's forehead wrinkled. "Okay."
"Don't look so worried. We'll walk back in our tracks. It's just up the road." He helped Tawney out of the Jeep. They quickly adjusted their scarves, pulling them up over their faces so only their eyes were visible.
The snow dragged at their boots.
"Keep your head down." Rick took Tawney's arm.
They trudged on, walking in the Jeep's tracks, making the turn to the cabin. When the house came into view, Rick breathed a giant sigh of relief. There was always a chance of losing their way in the snow. He hadn't allowed himself to think of that possibility until now.
"We made it," Tawney said. "I've never been so glad to see a cabin in my entire life."
"I hear you," Rick said. He'd had no intention of becoming a statistic.
On the porch now, they stomped the snow from their boots before going inside. The air was still warm from the heaters. With his coat still on, Rick got the heaters running again, then started a fire in the wood-burning stove. It was only after he'd coaxed the flames to a decent burn that he turned to look at Tawney. She stood at the kitchen stove, her coat still on.
"I think we're good," he said.
She brought him a steaming mug. "Tea."
"Thanks." He looked at her over the rim of the cup. "We're stuck here overnight, maybe longer. I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "No worries. It's not a bad place to be stuck."
Rick grinned. No it wasn't a bad place to be stuck at all.
CHAPTER TEN
Tawney stood at the cabin's kitchen window, watching the swirling snow hit the glass. Snow had accumulated on the outside window casing, framing the window in winter white.
"Slowing down any?" Rick asked, glancing up from the book he'd been reading.
Too keyed up to read, Tawney had tossed the mystery book he'd given her aside. Never much of a reader or a relaxer, she found it hard to sit still. Being here made her antsy. She needed to quiet her brain, but it was hard with Rick in the room. There was something a little too intimate about being snowed in with the man you had almost married.
"No." She rejoined him. "What do people do when they get snowed in?"
"Watch movies? Play games?" He hefted his book. "Read."
"Yawn."
Rick set his book aside. "What kind of things do you do for fun?"
"I lived in Vegas." She smiled. "I took classes in my free time, tap, ballet, exercise. I rehearsed. I went to the spa. I shopped."
"City girl." He laughed. "Boy, are you in the wrong town. I knew it when you were in high school, and it still holds true today."
"Really?" she said dryly. "What makes you say that?"
He considered her, his look measuring. "I don't know. I always had the feeling you needed to get out of this town. Like it wasn't big enough or loud enough for you. Maybe that's why things ended between us."
"I don't see it that way at all. I always figured I wasn't good enough for you. Let's face it, Destiny's girls were thought of as white trash charity cases. Your grandparents didn’t approve of me. Oh, they were nice to me, but I knew that they
"Can you even see?" Tawney asked, the words filled with concern. "I can't."
"Not really. Snow is freezing to the glass."
The Jeep hit a rut. Tawney braced her hand on the dash. "Where's the road?"
"It's here somewhere." He'd had plenty of experience driving in the snow, but this was an all-out whiteout. He'd definitely underestimated Mother Nature today. "I’m turning around."
He did a U-turn but must have missed the road, because the right tires slipped into a rut, putting the Jeep at a definite tilt.
Tawney cried out. "Oh no."
"I think we're stuck," he said. "Damn it."
Rick exited the Jeep into the swirling snow. He surveyed the Jeep. There was no way he could get the vehicle out without a tow.
He leaned into the vehicle. "We have to walk back to the cabin."
Tawney's forehead wrinkled. "Okay."
"Don't look so worried. We'll walk back in our tracks. It's just up the road." He helped Tawney out of the Jeep. They quickly adjusted their scarves, pulling them up over their faces so only their eyes were visible.
The snow dragged at their boots.
"Keep your head down." Rick took Tawney's arm.
They trudged on, walking in the Jeep's tracks, making the turn to the cabin. When the house came into view, Rick breathed a giant sigh of relief. There was always a chance of losing their way in the snow. He hadn't allowed himself to think of that possibility until now.
"We made it," Tawney said. "I've never been so glad to see a cabin in my entire life."
"I hear you," Rick said. He'd had no intention of becoming a statistic.
On the porch now, they stomped the snow from their boots before going inside. The air was still warm from the heaters. With his coat still on, Rick got the heaters running again, then started a fire in the wood-burning stove. It was only after he'd coaxed the flames to a decent burn that he turned to look at Tawney. She stood at the kitchen stove, her coat still on.
"I think we're good," he said.
She brought him a steaming mug. "Tea."
"Thanks." He looked at her over the rim of the cup. "We're stuck here overnight, maybe longer. I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "No worries. It's not a bad place to be stuck."
Rick grinned. No it wasn't a bad place to be stuck at all.
CHAPTER TEN
Tawney stood at the cabin's kitchen window, watching the swirling snow hit the glass. Snow had accumulated on the outside window casing, framing the window in winter white.
"Slowing down any?" Rick asked, glancing up from the book he'd been reading.
Too keyed up to read, Tawney had tossed the mystery book he'd given her aside. Never much of a reader or a relaxer, she found it hard to sit still. Being here made her antsy. She needed to quiet her brain, but it was hard with Rick in the room. There was something a little too intimate about being snowed in with the man you had almost married.
"No." She rejoined him. "What do people do when they get snowed in?"
"Watch movies? Play games?" He hefted his book. "Read."
"Yawn."
Rick set his book aside. "What kind of things do you do for fun?"
"I lived in Vegas." She smiled. "I took classes in my free time, tap, ballet, exercise. I rehearsed. I went to the spa. I shopped."
"City girl." He laughed. "Boy, are you in the wrong town. I knew it when you were in high school, and it still holds true today."
"Really?" she said dryly. "What makes you say that?"
He considered her, his look measuring. "I don't know. I always had the feeling you needed to get out of this town. Like it wasn't big enough or loud enough for you. Maybe that's why things ended between us."
"I don't see it that way at all. I always figured I wasn't good enough for you. Let's face it, Destiny's girls were thought of as white trash charity cases. Your grandparents didn’t approve of me. Oh, they were nice to me, but I knew that they
Similar Books
