by Leigh Smith
Sarah couldn't wait; she needed this vacation and by damn, she wasn't going to let anything like a snowstorm interfere. While loading the ski gear in the car, the first snowflakes began to fall and stick to her hair and eyelashes. When she was a little girl, she used to try catching them on her tongue. It looked beautiful; she loved watching the flakes, such delicate works of art - no two the same. She closed her eyes and pictured herself shushing down a mountain trail covered with fresh fluffy white powder. She shivered, and she wasn't sure if it was the cold or from excitement.
A few more trips back and forth to finish loading the car and she was ready to set forth on her ski trip. Planned over a year ago, the trip was supposed to be for her and Dan. They hoped for a white Christmas and knew a ski trip was just the answer. Unfortunately, Dan was no longer around, but it didn't mean she couldn't go. One more stop at the gas station to fill up, and she was off on her Christmas vacation. There wasn't much traffic on the interstate at this hour so leaving early had been a good decision. If all went well, she would be ahead of the traffic, and settled and on the slopes by early afternoon. Turning on the radio, she kept humming along and living in her daydreams.
As the elevation began to increase, so did the snow. The windshield wipers that had been swishing back and forth on the lowest speed were no longer doing their job. She inched up the lever, and the slip sliding of the wipers across the window had her mesmerized until she felt the car slide a little. Fully aware now, she noticed the snow was sticking to the road, no longer just melting as it hit the ground. The outside temperature gauge showed it had dropped since she last looked and soon the road would turn to ice. She let her foot up off the accelerator and lessened her speed. Better to arrive safely, she said to herself.
Turning on the radio to keep herself company, she was searching for a clear station when out of nowhere, an animal crossed in front of her. Tapping her brake to avoid a collision, the car began spinning and she wasn’t able to recover control. When the car finally stopped, she was no longer on the road.
It took her a few minutes to get her bearings. Scared silly and shaking, she thanked the powers that be she was upright and not overturned. With the exception of a bump and cut on her forehead, she had no other apparent bodily injuries, and she began to calm down. Her breathing returned to normal and she started to assess her situation.
Another vehicle had not passed by, and she realized that even if it did, she was so far off the road that the car would probably not be seen. She got out of the car, took one of her skis and hiked down to the road. She stuck the ski into the snow and tied her scarf to the top, hoping it would alert someone to her predicament. She hiked back to her car, cleared the snow from around her tail pipe and turned on the car heater. The next thing she knew, someone was knocking at her window. Startled for a moment, she stared at a mountain of a man. His cowboy hat was pulled down low on his forehead, and the collar on his shearling coat was pulled up so that it nearly covered the bottom half of his face. All she could see was his nose and two almost black eyes staring at her, and he was holding her ski in his hand. Scared or not, she was in no position to turn down help.
"Ma'am, are you hurt? Can I help?"
"Those are the nicest words I've heard all day. Something crossed in front of me; I braked and the car skidded and spun around a couple of times and ended up in this field. I don't think another car has gone by. You saw my ski?"
"Yes, it was a good idea, but what the hell are you doing out in a storm like this? You haven't seen another car because the road is closed."
"Then why are you on the road?" she asked haughtily.
"I live around here; I'm on my way home. I've been helping out at the Sheriff's office. We're not going to get your car fixed tonight, so grab what you want, and I'll take you to my place. It's not very far."
"Isn't there a hotel or motel around here anywhere?"
Damn, why is she giving me a hard time? Do I look threatening? She's stuck; I'm offering help. Okay, granted it's a chance, but if she stays here she's gonna freeze to death, he said to himself.
"Ma'am, we're in the midst of a helluva storm; the roads are closed. I've been out in this all day. I'm hungry, tried and cold, and I'm anxious to get home. I live about a mile down the road; do you want to come with me? If not, I could call it in and see if someone else is available, but on a night like this, I can't promise it will be anytime soon."
"How do I know you're not a criminal?"
"Ma'am, if I were a criminal, it would already be too late to worry about it."
She humpfed and pulled a bag from her car; he took it from her and helped her to his vehicle. He held the door until she got in and put her suitcase in the back.
"My name is Sarah Langston; I think it's important you know my name since I'm going to be an overnight guest," she told him as she extended her hand.
He took her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Langston; I'm Randy Guthrie. He started the truck. They drove in silence, both paying close attention to the road. He turned off the main road and went about a mile before slowing down. His headlights reflected off the gate that slowly opened. He drove through and waited until the cattle gate closed behind him before he went on. They drove about another mile and came past an enormous horse barn on the right. There were two houses on the left connected by an enclosed walkway and straight ahead a large house with a huge front porch running the length of it. He pulled up in front of the house and turned off the ignition.
She noted that although the areas around the house and the long drive had been cleared at least once judging by the piles on the side, the paths were quickly refilling with the still falling snow. He came around, opened the passenger door, helped her down and then took her bags out of the back. They walked through the massive oak double door into an entry. Sarah took off her coat and gloves and sat on the bench to remove her boots, and watched as Randy used the bootjack to remove his own. She could see a great room where there was a fire burning in a massive fireplace. The warmth of the fire was inviting and, entering the room, she noticed how the flames reflecting off the rough-hewn logs gave the huge room a warm, cozy feeling. There was a low lamp burning on a table enabling her to see a second-story loft with a giant Christmas tree alit with twinkling lights adding to the homey atmosphere.
"This here is our family ranch, Ms. Langston. My sister and her family live in a house just beyond the copse of trees you can't see from here. I live in this house. Make yourself comfortable."
He left her sitting in the great room and came back with a pan of water, a washcloth, and some peroxide. He carefully tended to the cut on her head. For a great bear of a man with such large roughened work hands, he was surprisingly gentle.
"I think that should be fine, Ms. Langston, I don't believe it even needs a butterfly Band-Aid."
"Thank you again, and Randy, please call me Sarah."
His demeanor was friendly but aloof. "Let's go to the kitchen and see what there is to eat. My housekeeper, Elena and her husband, Joaquin, live in one of the houses we passed on the way in, and she probably left something for me. She usually does."
"It must be nice to have someone look after you that way."
"Yes, it is. Do I detect a note of sarcasm or is it jealousy?"
"Maybe a little of both. My former fiancé's life was the same."
"I take it that didn't turn out well, and you're painting me with the same brush?"
"Not at all, just stating a fact."
"Fact is, you may or may not be correct. Maybe you should compare notes with my former fiancée. But then, she was the one who was a spoiled brat and didn't like it when I tried to correct that behavior."
"What did you do, arrest her for behavior unbecoming to a fiancée?" she said and giggled at her own joke.
He didn't laugh. "No, I merely took her over my knee and gave her the spanking she deserved. She didn't like it."
"Oh," was all she said.
He looked in the oven and sure enough there was a casserole which was still warm and a basket filled with biscuits. He grabbed two plates from the cabinet and some silverware and set it on the table.
"If you want to wash up first, the bathroom's the first door on the right."
When she returned to the kitchen, he was sitting at the table, and she noted he hadn't started to eat. When she came to the table, he arose and pulled out the chair and then sat back down.
"Such courtly manners," she told him. "You don't see that much anymore."
"My mother insisted on them, and my father enforced them; they come from a lifetime of habit."
"Good for your parents, your future wife will appreciate them."
The food was delicious. Sarah hadn't realized how hungry she was, and Randy obviously didn't get to be so big, eating lightly. She rose and started cleaning the dishes. "Leave them, Elena will get them in the morning. You just relax; you had a bump on the head, best not to move around too much. I don't mean to be rude, but I have some work to do in the barn. You can accompany me if you want, or stay here."
"Are you going to tend to horses?"
"No, I'm working on a rocking horse for my nephew as a Christmas present, and since Christmas is only a couple of days away, I have to get it finished."
"Then, I guess I'll stay here unless you need some help. I should call the resort, but I don't know what to tell them. The way the snow is piling up, I doubt I'll get out of here tomorrow."
"I wouldn't count on it either and with the holidays around the corner, I'm not sure it will happen until after Christmas.
"Dammit, I've waited for this vacation; it's all paid for and everything, and this damn snowstorm popped up. It's not fair," she said with tears in her eyes.
"That's life. In this part of the country, you take your chances with Mother Nature. Maybe if you call them, you can get a refund. All they can say is no."
"You have a point." She looked at her cell phone and still no bars. "What do you do for phone service around here?"
"We're pretty far out. It's not bad but when there's weather, it's spotty at best and with this storm..."
Not to be reposted, reproduced or distributed, in part or whole.