Home For The Holidays

by Elena Aitken

  She glanced over at Eric again. He would know. When he woke up, she’d have to pump him for information about her brother.

  The last time she’d seen Chris, he’d been dating someone named Dawn and had hinted that it was getting serious. Was he still dating her? Oh god! Was he bringing her home for Christmas so the folks could meet her? If so, why wouldn’t he have wanted her along for the trip? Something wasn’t sitting right with her and the sooner Eric woke up, the sooner she could get answers.

  Seeing that the gas had reached a quarter of a tank, she decided to pull off at the next exit and hit the gas station.

  When she finally pulled in under the bright lights of a gas station, she’d been driving a little more than four hours.

  Before she could jump out, however, a gas attendant knocked on her window, waking Eric up.

  “Where are we?” he asked instantly.

  “Just outside of Roseburg.” She rolled down the window and told the attendant. “Fill it up.” He nodded and disappeared.

  “Right.” Eric stretched and rolled his shoulders.

  “I’m heading in for a bathroom break and a coffee. Want anything?” she asked.

  “I’ll head in as well.” He followed her inside and shopped around while she disappeared into the bathroom.

  When she came out, he was at the register paying for the gas and some food.

  She grabbed the largest coffee cup and filled it up, then took a breakfast burrito from the heater, making sure to check the date.

  “I just made those,” the woman behind the counter called out to her in a friendly tone.

  “Wonderful.” She smiled and took another one, wondering if Eric had grabbed one for himself. She took her coffee and the burritos to the front and paid.

  “You two heading home for the holidays?” the woman asked.

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  “Are you heading north or south?”

  “North,” she answered as she signed the credit card machine.

  “I hope you don’t have too far left to go,” the woman said, handing back her credit card and receipt.

  “Why?” She frowned as she tucked them back into her purse.

  “You’re going to run into problems early morning. There’s heavy snow just outside of Eugene. You’d be better off heading over on the one-thirty-eight and hitting the coast the rest of the way up. Eugene’s supposed to get at least a foot of the white stuff before daybreak. After that… even more. It’s going to be a very white Christmas for a lot of us around here.”

  “Thanks.” She took the bag with her burritos and her coffee.

  “I told your man there the same, but he seemed half asleep still.” She nodded to the large window.

  “Yeah,” she agreed. “I’ll pass it along to him,” she said as she stepped out.

  Sure enough, she could feel the change in the wind as she walked towards the car. Already the rain had turned, and very light snowflakes were drifting slowly down, melting almost instantly on the warm ground.

  Getting back in behind the wheel, she set her coffee down in the cup holder and pulled out a burrito while the attendant finished cleaning their windshield.

  “What’s that?” Eric asked, frowning down at the food.

  “Breakfast burrito,” she answered, with her mouth full.

  “That looks and smells amazing.” He started to reach for the handle, but she held up the bag.

  “I got one for you.” She handed over the bag.

  “Really?” he asked, suddenly more awake.

  She wiggled the bag. “Going once…” He snagged the bag quickly from her fingers, making her chuckle. “Men.” She shook her head and rolled down the window to hand the attendant a few dollars. “Thanks.” She smiled at him before rolling her window back up and pulling out of the station.

  She finished her burrito just as she pulled back onto the highway. Within fifteen minutes, Eric was asleep again, having finished off his burrito and a whole bag of potato chips.

  By the time she hit the Route 138 turnoff, the snow was falling faster than the wipers could clear it off the windshield. Glancing over at Eric, she made a quick decision and took the turnoff. It would add several hours to their trip to drive along the coast and then head back inland to Portland, but she figured they would easily make the time up avoiding the storm.

  If the weather had held, they’d be less than three hours from home. Part of her didn’t want the car trip to be over that soon. She was pretty sure that once Eric dropped her off at her parents’ house, he’d disappear to his sister’s house or one of his brothers’ places, and she wouldn’t see him again for another year.

  Almost a full hour later, what was left of her coffee was too cold to enjoy. She pulled into another gas station in Reedsport. This time, Eric didn’t even stir when she turned off the engine.

  When she opened her door, the brisk freezing air hit him and he sat up.

  “What?” He glanced out the window at the whiteout. “What the hell?”

  “It’s snowing,” she answered. “And that coffee ran right through me. I’ll be back.” She ducked out and disappeared into the gas station.

  She took her time reapplying some makeup and brushing through her hair, then she stepped out and glanced towards the car. Wondering if Eric had gone back to sleep, she paid for the gas and stepped outside.

  When she saw him sitting behind the wheel, she cringed, wondering if he’d be mad at her for the detour.

  “Where are we?” he asked, but the tone in his voice told her that he knew exactly where they were.

  She swallowed. “Reedsport,” she answered cheerfully and put on her seatbelt.

  “Why are we in Reedsport instead of Portland?” he asked, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.

  “There was snow and… the woman at the gas station told me that Eugene was supposed to get bombarded with it. So I took her advice and went this way to avoid the storm.” The words rushed out of her as she opened her soda and took a sip.

  “The most up-to-date weather report just said that it’s going to miss Eugene and hit the coast instead.”

  She cringed. “Oh, well, we can always hit the one-twenty-six back over to I-five.” She glanced out the window as the snow continued to fall in fat flakes.

  “If it stays open.” He turned on the car and pulled out of the station.

  Twenty minutes later, the snow was getting so bad, Eric had taken to cursing under his breath every few minutes. Sure enough, Route 126 was closed due to whiteout conditions.

  More than three hours later, they had traveled less than a hundred miles with no way back to the main highway, which had been reported to have closed less than an hour after she’d taken the turnoff.

  “Either way we would have been stuck,” she said softly. “At least this way, we’re a lot closer to home than if we’d stayed on the highway.” She held on as the car started sliding.

  “Easy,” Eric said to the car. “Just a little more.” He’d been promising his car that for the past hour.

  “Why don’t we pull over? Find a place to wait the storm out?” she suggested. “There’s a little town…” She pointed to the sign, showing that it had all the amenities. “We can spend the night here and still make it home in time. It’s a full week before Christmas. How long can a storm last?”

  “Yeah,” he said after the car slipped on ice again. “We’d better pull over, I guess.” He turned the wheel and almost put them in the ditch. “Son of a…” He gripped the wheel tighter.

  “Are you mad?” she asked, once they turned into the small town.

  “No,” he said softly. “Like you said… we made it farther than if we’d stayed on the highway.” He pulled into a small grocery store’s parking lot. “I didn’t see a hotel. Did you?”

  “No, maybe someone inside knows of a place,” she suggested. “I’ll go in…” She reached for the handle.

  “No, I’ll go.” He jumped out before she could tell him she had to
use the bathroom again.

  She followed him into O’Neil’s Grocery and smiled when the woman behind the counter welcomed her.

  “It’s a rough day to be out in this,” she called to them both.

  “Yeah,” Eric sighed. “Know of any place we can wait the storm out?”

  “Well, now, are you two honeymooning it?” the woman asked.

  “No,” Eric denied quickly. “Just trying to head home for Christmas.”

  “Oh, well, Pride Bed and Breakfast is the only place with availability.” The woman smiled. “I’ve got a flyer right here.” She held it out. Alice moved quickly and took it from the woman.

  “Bathroom?” she asked quietly.

  “Just down the hallway.” She motioned towards the back. “You might want to stock up before you head out. Megan has some supplies, but it never hurts to have extra before the roads close.”

  “Good idea,” Eric said. “I’ll grab us some supplies.” He motioned towards the hallway. “Go.”

  She didn’t wait but disappeared down the hallway.

  Spending more than a dozen hours sitting in a car drinking was making her look like she had a very small bladder.

  Chapter 4

  Eric filled a shopping cart with everything he thought they would need for the night, including frozen dinners and a bottle of wine for later.

  He was paying for all the food when Alice walked back out from the hallway. She looked even fresher than when they had walked in. He was pretty sure that half of the time she was in the bathroom she was applying more makeup and fixing her hair. Now it lay in a long braid over her shoulder. She’d changed from the oversized sweatshirt to an off-the-shoulder sweater during one of their stops.

  She was still wearing the tight yoga pants and her Uggs, but with the changes she’d made, she looked even more amazing than when he’d picked her up from her dorm yesterday.

  “Ready?” he asked her.

  “Yes,” she said, eyeing the four large bags he had in the cart.

  “If you two need anything else, let Megan know. Oh, and tell her Patty sent you.” She winked at them. “Drive safe.”

  “Thanks again,” Alice said over her shoulder as she followed Eric outside.

  She bumped into his back when he stopped after the doors closed.

  “We’ll have to carry these.” He motioned to the bags. “I doubt the cart will make it through this.”

  There was easily another inch on the ground than when they had walked in. He reached in and handed her the lighter bags and then took the heavier ones and carried them across the parking lot.

  When Alice slipped in the snow, he almost dropped a bag when he helped steady her by taking her elbow.

  “Easy,” he said, holding onto her while juggling both bags in one arm. “It is really slick out here.”

  “How is it that so much snow can fall so fast?” she said when he set the four bags in the trunk alongside their luggage.

  Instead of getting back in the car, Alice stood by the passenger door, looking around the small town.

  “What a cute town,” she said, getting his attention.

  He glanced up and, for the first time in hours, took in the sights. She was right. There were Christmas lights and decorations on every street post going down the main street. The buildings lining the main road were old but very well maintained.

  He could make out the town square, where a huge pine tree was covered with colorful lights. The entire square was decorated, in fact.

  “Yeah,” he agreed, feeling the chill sneak in through his heavy jacket. “We’d better go. If there isn’t a spare room…”

  “There is. I called while you were paying.” She smiled. “It’s not a room, though. We have our very own cabin.” She opened the car door and got in.

  He started the car and followed the directions she gave him, heading back the way they had come. The roads were even worse than before and when they finally reached the turnoff to the small road, he was feeling relieved that she’d talked him into turning off.

  They passed a couple of larger homes and then came to a massive white two-story place with green shutters. He parked. There was a large sign that read Pride Bed and Breakfast.

  “Nice place,” Alice said, leaning forward to look at the house. “I guess the cabins are that way.” She motioned to a pathway, which had been cleared of most of the snow.

  “Yeah,” he agreed and thought about carrying all of their bags and groceries down the walkway.

  “Here comes someone,” she said, getting his attention. Sure enough, there was a man bundled up in a black wool coat, hat, and gloves heading towards the car.

  By the time he stepped out, the man was beside the car.

  “You must be the Jenkins,” the man said easily, holding out his hand. “I’m Todd Jordan. My wife and I own the B and B.” From what he could tell, the man was about ten years older than he was.

  “Eric.” He shook the man’s hand.

  “Ma’am.” Todd turned to Alice, who had also climbed out of the car. “I can help you cart your things down to the cabin if you need a hand.”

  “Sure.” Eric walked around and opened the trunk.

  The man chuckled. “Just like my wife. She can’t go anywhere without at least three bags,” he said as he took the two larger of Alice’s bags.

  He thought about telling the man that they weren’t married, but something told him to hold back. After all, what did it matter? They were probably only going to be there for a night.

  “Thanks,” he said after he grabbed his own bag and Alice’s smaller one, then tucked a bag of groceries in his free hand.

  “I’ll get the rest.” Alice stepped forward.

  “Are you sure. I can make another trip?” Todd asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She shifted the bags until she could get all three of them in her arms.

  “Got everything?” Todd asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” Alice smiled up at him. “You have a lovely place here.” She motioned to the house.

  “You haven’t seen the best part yet.” He nodded to the pathway. “You’ve got the cabin with the best view. Even during a snowstorm, it’s pretty incredible,” he said as they started walking down the path. “You lucked out. We had the place booked, but the couple that was supposed to be here for this week got snowed in and couldn’t make it. The rest of the cabins are booked, so if you get lonely…” He shifted her two bags as they continued down the path. “If you want to go for an outing, we serve dinner from five-thirty until seven-thirty up at the main house. But it looks like you guys stopped in town and stocked up at Patty’s place.”

  “Yes,” he answered. “We didn’t know what would be available.”

  “Smart thinking. I’ve had people stuck in storms like this without so much as a ketchup packet in their car.” He shook his head as they passed the first cabin. The bright green paint on the door seemed an almost shocking color next to the blinding white of the snow around the quaint little building.

  He was sure hoping that their cabin was bigger than that one. They passed two more cabins that they could see from the pathway, each one bigger than the last one.

  “Here we are.” Todd slowed down and nodded to a larger cabin with a bright red door. There was a big porch on the front of the place. The lights were on inside, making it appear warm and welcoming.

  “I started a fire in there for you after you called. It should be nice and toasty by now,” Todd said, stepping onto the front porch. “There’s that view.” He nodded behind him.

  Alice gasped, causing him to turn around. Sure enough, the Pacific Ocean sat just a hundred yards from them. Large waves crashed against the shore and rocks while the snow continued to fall in huge fluffy clumps.

  “It’s even better on a sunny day,” Todd said, opening the door and stomping his feet on the doormat.

  “Well, this place is yours for as long as you need it.” Todd set the bags down just inside the door.

  When
Eric stepped in behind Alice, the warmth of the fireplace hit him, removing all of the cold from outside.

  “It’s wonderful,” Alice said cheerfully. “Thank you.”

  “Sure thing. There are some basics in the fridge and cabinets, but it looks like you two have the rest covered.” He took two of the bags from Alice and set them on the counter in the small kitchen. “If you need anything, just let me know. I’m going to try to keep the path cleared, but from the looks of it, the white stuff is coming down faster than I can shovel.” He chuckled.

  “We’re good. Thanks,” Eric answered in reply.

  Todd moved towards the door. “The number to the main house is there.” He pointed to the phone. “Enjoy yourselves.”

  “Thanks,” he and Alice said at the same time.

  When the front door shut behind Todd, the room was silent for a moment, then Alice began moving around the kitchen, putting the cold items in the fridge.

  As the silence stretched on, he walked around the cabin and was thankful to find that there were two small bedrooms. Seeing the one bathroom in between had him cringing, but he knew it was better than any hotel they would have gotten.

  He walked back over to the front windows and stared out as the snow continued to fall.

  “I’ll take the room on the right,” Alice said behind him, picking up one of her bags. He moved quickly to grab the bigger one, but she already had her hand on the handle, and he ended up covering it with his own. Touching her was like touching an electric fence; he could almost see sparks shooting from their joined skin. He felt it vibrate up his arm and shoot into his chest.

  “Sorry,” he said softly and jerked his hand back. “I’ll carry these in for you.”

  “I can do it myself,” she said, her chin going up slightly. “After all, I did carry them to your car myself.”

  “Right.” He remembered sitting in the car while she waddled through the rain yesterday. “Sorry,” he said again and watched her drag her bags towards the back rooms.

  He watched the snowfall for a moment, thinking about being stuck with Alice for a full night. There had been plenty of times when was younger that he’d spent the night over at Chris’s place. But back then, Alice had been his best friend’s annoying little sister. When he’d started thinking of her as something else, they’d been too old for sleepovers.