Page 106 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
I’ll pull forward and rest there.
I press on the gas, but the car doesn’t move.
Um…
I nervously chuckle.
Okay, let me just press a little harder.
Nothing.
No…no no no.
I flip my hood over my head, put the car in park, and then open my door, only to be blasted by Father Snow.
“Mother of God,” I say as I make my way to the back tires to examine what’s going on. I can barely see with the snow pelting me in the face, but when I reach the tires and see that one of them has fallen victim to a decently sized pothole, I realize…I’m fucked.
Quickly, I make my way back to the car and settle into my seat before grabbing my phone.
And would you guess it? Not a bar of reception. Freaking mountains.
I press my head against the steering wheel, tears filling my eyes again.
My worst nightmare has come true.
Deserted, alone, in a winter storm with no cell service. This is exactly why I didn’t want to drive, Taran!
Tears stream down my face as I try to figure out what to do. I have no idea where I am in proximity to any town.
I can’t see a freaking thing.
And the last thing I want to do is stand outside, waiting for someone to come rescue me, because who in their right mind would drive in this snow?
No one.
No one would drive in this weather.
Only idiots like me from California who are convinced—
Knock. Knock.
I nearly jump out of my skin as I turn to the side and spot a figure standing outside of my car door.
I’m so relieved that there is another human in the area that I don’t even consider if they could be a murderer.
I roll down my window, the wind and snow whipping into my car as the stranger lowers their head.
And that’s when I see him.
Those memorable eyes.
That carved jawline.
Those lips…
“Cole?” I say, wiping at my eyes, honestly too relieved to even care that it’s him.
“Having some car trouble?”
