Miracle on I-40 by Curtiss Ann Matlock Page A

touched her lips with his thumb and then bent his head and kissed her eyes softly. Then her lips, softly. A kiss of goodbye.
    He stepped away from her, reached behind her and opened the door to her room. “Good night,” he said, giving her that almost-grin.
    “Good night,” Lacey managed to say as she handed him his coat.
    She slipped through the door, closed it, and leaned against it, her heart beating hard beneath her ribs.
    Later, when she lay in bed, she pulled the pillow against her chest and struggled with the emotions of a woman overwhelmed about a man.
    * * * *
    She was awakened by a loud pounding on the door. “Lacey…Lacey!”
    While she struggled to find her way from beneath the covers, she heard the door open and Jon’s voice. Freed at last from the blankets, she stumbled to her feet to see Cooper standing there.
    “What time is it?” She had trouble focusing, but she could see behind Cooper’s head it was still black outside. She was tired of getting up before the chickens.
    “Four-fifteen,” Cooper said. “The storm is on its way, and we gotta hustle if we want to get to Pine Grove by evenin’.” Turning, he strode away.
    Within twenty minutes Lacey had herself and Jon dressed, their bags gathered, and Cooper was helping a sleepy Anna into the truck.
    “Is that snow?” Lacey paused and looked upward into the light of the pole lamp.
    “Yes,” Cooper said. “Let’s go.”
    Cooper had thoughtfully bought coffee, milk, and sweet rolls for the early hours, and at nine they stopped to refuel and took just long enough for a quick breakfast. It began to snow in earnest, big heavy flakes. The report was icy rain to the East, which would be more dangerous than snow.
    Lacey’s gaze kept straying to Cooper’s profile, then down to his hands on the wheel, her mind having the perverse tendency to dwell on the feel of his lips on hers. He didn’t seem to remember. His focus was on the storm.
    He likely kissed women on a frequent basis, she thought.
    Cooper isn’t the marrying kind , Jolene had said. And Lacey didn’t think he was her kind, either.
    Her insides became tighter and tighter as she sat and watched the outside world grow whiter. When she cautioned the children to be quiet, she had to grit her teeth to keep from yelling. The worries swirled in her mind. Would they make Pine Grove by evening? Somehow she wasn’t in as much of a hurry now. She dreaded saying goodbye to Cooper. Would her father accept them upon arrival? Would she be able to borrow enough from Beth to get them home again? No way could she ride with Cooper. He would know how she felt about him, and she would feel a fool. Would Cooper ever be just another customer to her again?
     The traffic thickened in the mountains, as did the falling snow, piling up inch by inch over the ice that had come before it. Repeatedly Cooper swore under his breath at vehicles pulling in front of him, slamming on their brakes, slowing dangerously. He commanded the children to get into the bed of the sleeper and stay there, and he checked twice to make certain Lacey had her seat belt buckled.
    Just past noon they were forced to leave the highway. It had been closed ahead because of ice and drifting snow. The good news was it was expected to be cleared within the hour.
    “Good a time as any for lunch,” Cooper said, bringing the big truck to a stop in a restaurant parking lot.
    He stretched his arms, and Lacey saw the lines of strain around his eyes. For a brief moment she dared to meet his gaze. With surprise, she saw an unusual softness in his dark eyes as they met hers. The same softness she’d seen there when he had kissed her, and an intimate smile, all for her.
    “Are we gonna make it to Grandpa’s by Christmas Eve, Cooper? Anna asked in a worried voice as they trudged through the wet snow to the crowded restaurant.
    “It is Christmas Eve,” Jon told her.
    She looked up at Cooper, who paused and looked down at her. “I’ll get you there