by Izzy Slam
“I hate to say it, baby. But I don’t think I can keep driving in this mess.” My stepdad’s voice was one of worry, but I could tell he was trying to keep it together for my sake.
“It looks pretty bad.”
“Shit,” he finally whispered, pulling the wheel to the right and slowing to a crawl.
The snow was coming down in soft wisps of blinding white, limiting our visibility to about two or three feet ahead. We hadn’t passed another car for miles, so I had to agree that continuing in the same direction would probably be dangerous.
He shut off the engine and turned on the hazard lights, then pulled out his phone and swiped the screen a few times as I peered through the windshield, staring at the thousands of flakes as they tumbled across the glass.
“This storm came out of nowhere,” he complained. “There was nothing in the forecast yesterday.”
“I know, daddy. I watched the news with you. It’s nuts.”
I shoved my hands in the front pocket of my hooded shirt and watched him as he studied the map, his brow furrowing in concern as he looked to the north, then to the east, trying to figure out which way to go. Not that we could even see the road at this point. Every few seconds he’d look ahead, as if the answers to our problem were out there in the blinding blizzard.
“I’m going to have to turn around and head west, see if we can get out of this shit. I’m sorry, Brandy.” He looked my way, his face heavy with guilt.
“It’s not your fault. We’ll come back another time.” I placed a hand on his cheek, letting him know it really wasn’t a big deal. Right now, staying safe was more important.
“But it’s your eighteenth birthday. I can’t let a blizzard get in the way of celebrating your official entry into adulthood.”
I twisted in the seat to face him. My stepdad and I had always been close and had gotten even closer after my mom died five years ago. But lately he’d been hyper-focused on me, pushing me into filling out college applications when what I really wanted was to go to cosmetology school, and making a big deal out of celebrating my eighteenth birthday when, to me, turning eighteen meant getting that much closer to moving out and being on my own, away from my dad.
I loved my dad. I wasn’t ready to move out and live in a dorm with some random stranger.
“Technically, since my eighteenth birthday was yesterday, we already celebrated with sushi and a movie. And, like I said, daddy, we can come back to the mountains and go skiing another time.”
“But you’ve always wanted to ski. And when I finally do get around to taking you, we get hit with a blizzard. Your birthday should be special, baby.”
His dark brown eyes appeared haunted from guilt as he spoke. For a few seconds, all I could hear was the sound of my heart beating in my ears as I stared at my stepdad and felt those flutters in my tummy that had become all too familiar. And yes, I had my own guilt associated with that.
“Just spending it with you makes it special. Let’s turn around and head west, and you can take me to the first restaurant that’s open. We’ll eat burgers and drink milkshakes till we puke.”
I poked him in the thigh, his hard muscles palpable even through those thick blue jeans he was wearing.
“Now that sounds like fun. Hopefully we can get out of this snow before too long. Going to be dinner time in a few hours.”
He winked at me, sending tingles rippling through me, then turned the keys in the ignition.
“And I’m already getting hungry. Must be this crazy weather,” I laughed.
Daddy twisted the keys again, a clicking sound coming from the dash. The car failed to start but he tried again, turning the keys over and over, unsuccessfully.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” he muttered, smashing his hand on the steering wheel.
“Is the battery dead?”
He shook his head. “Battery or alternator one. I better go out there and check.”
Reaching to the back seat for his coat with a scowl, daddy was visibly frustrated. Hell, I was too. I didn’t want to be stranded in this mess. He pulled his coat on, followed by the thick leather gloves before releasing the latch for the hood.
“Wish me luck,” he grumbled.
I felt bad he had to head out into the blizzard to troubleshoot, but I also had faith he could diagnose the problem, maybe even fix it. My dad was good with his hands, and it wasn’t that long ago he had stocked the car with all kinds of “kits,” especially when I had started using the car to drive myself to work. Flares and tarps, two first-aid kits, and a small toolbox rested in the trunk. He might have everything he needs, if he can pinpoint the problem. With the hood blocking my view, I couldn’t see what he was doing or gauge how well it was going based on his expression. But I doubt he’d be able to stay out there very long. I didn’t even know how he could see what he was doing with all that blinding white.
Feeling a chill pass through me, I rubbed my palms together then made a fist, blowing warm air into my hands. With the car not running and no heat blasting, the temperature inside the car was dropping fast. I would need my coat soon. So, I undid my seatbelt and twisted around to the back seat, looking for the fluff of black and white.
But it wasn’t there. My eyes floated towards the trunk area where our suitcases were, but I hadn’t put it in there.
I know I hadn’t. I mentally retraced my steps from this morning.
Let’s see, I had brought my suitcase downstairs, left it for daddy to load up, headed to the hall closet for my coat, and …
…got sidetracked when daddy had hollered for me pick up the keys in the basket and pop open the trunk for him.
Oh fuck.
Since we had a full garage that was well insulated, it never occurred to me as we loaded up the car that I was forgetting something. And now, I was paying the price. I had a few sweatshirts in my suitcase, but if we were stuck out here for a while, it may not be enough.
I shivered just as daddy slammed the hood shut.
“Well, we’re pretty much stuck here for the interim,” he said, flashing me a disappointed look. I gave him one that matched but for different reasons.
“Battery?”
He shook his head. “Broken fan belt. Which means I need a tow.”
He pulled his phone out as I hugged myself and rubbed my arms.
“You should put your coat on. Gonna get cold in here.”
I did an internal eye roll as he tugged off his gloves then dialed his phone. After several seconds, I heard him talking to a local emergency roadside rep, explaining our situation and letting him know about where we were on the highway.
“That long?” he said after a long pause. “Any way to get someone out here sooner? We don’t have any heat.” He looked my way and forced a smile before brushing my cheek with a loving sweep of the thumb.
Seconds later, he blew out an exhaustive breath. “I understand. Thanks. We’ll sit here and wait patiently.”
He tossed his phone aside and ran his hands through his thick hair. “We better hunker down. They estimate anywhere from two to four hours before they can get a tow truck out this way. They’ve been flooded with calls. I’m going to get my suitcase out of the trunk, grab my book. You need anything back there, baby doll?”
“A few sweatshirts?” I answered sheepishly. “I stupidly forgot to bring my coat.”
His eyes went wide. “You forgot your coat? Oh, honey.”
“I know. I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. I rushed us out the door. It’s my fault. But yes, I’ll get your sweatshirts. Anything else?”
“My hat and gloves that I hopefully packed.” Yeah, I think I forgot those, too. What a moron I was.
I pulled my knees to my chest, already feeling like I was freezing to death. Daddy hopped outside again, a strong gush of cold wind whipping past me when he opened the door. He wasn’t back there for more than two or three minutes, but it seemed like forever. My teeth were chattering by the time he got back.
&
nbsp; “I only saw this in your suitcase,” he said, placing my favorite college sweatshirt next to me on the seat, “so I grabbed one of mine, too. Put them both on, baby.”
I tugged the sweaters over my head, first mine then daddy’s, shivering more violently than ever. Both the sweaters were freezing from having been inside the trunk, but hopefully, they’d warm me up soon.
“Not trying to shut you out, just trying to kill time here.” He held up the book for a second as he opened the hardback cover to the last page he left off. “If you get bored, we can talk.”
“Nah, go ahead. I’m just going to rest for a bit, maybe take a nap.”
I let my head fall against the seat, hugging my legs to my chest in an attempt to warm up as quickly as I could. I stared out the windshield, trying to let my mind go blank and not think about how cold I was.
Daddy read quietly, occasionally glancing outside to look at the snow that was still coming down in droves. I feared that in four hours, we’d be buried so deep the tow truck wouldn’t be able to see us.
Or get to us.
I tried not to worry about it, and I really didn’t want to bother my dad about it. I was sure he had the same concerns. I don’t even think we brought any snacks, except for the peanuts we kept in the glove box and two bottled waters that would last maybe until tonight.
Every few seconds, I’d shiver from the cold. The sweatshirts helped a little, but the temps seemed to be plummeting. I looked at my dad and he was still as a mouse. Obviously, his thick winter coat was keeping him comfortably warm.
I let my eyes close and drifted off to sleep, and when I woke up, it felt like someone had dropped me in a cooler of ice. How the fuck had it gotten so cold in here? And when would the tow truck be here?
“What time is it?” I asked, yawning and rubbing my arms frantically.
“A little after eleven. It’s only been thirty minutes since I called. How are you? Still cold?”
“Freezing,” I groaned, letting out a violent shiver that felt more like a seizure.
“Even with two sweatshirts on? You’re still cold?”
I glanced his way, eyeing his large brown coat longingly. “I don’t have a flannel-lined, down-filled, quilted winter coat to keep me warm, daddy.”
He leaned forward and pulled one arm out of the sleeve before curling a finger at me. “Come here.”
“You can’t give me your coat, daddy. Then you’ll freeze.”
“I’m not giving it to you, baby doll. We’re going to share this one.” He waved the arm at me jokingly, and I let out a laugh.
“How are we going to share a coat? It won’t fit the both of us.”
He raised a disciplinary brow at me, those brown eyes of his flickering like they used to when I was in trouble. He didn’t like me arguing with him. That was nothing new.
“Okay,” I breathed, finally relenting as I scooted across the seat.
Daddy wrapped half the coat around my shoulder and I found the hole for the sleeve, sliding my right arm inside. Right away, his body heat wrapped around me, making me feel toasty warm. But I had to scoot really close to him to keep the coat from pulling too taut. His thigh was pressed to mine, and while it felt awkward in a way, it also sent butterflies swarming through my belly.
“I know it seems a little close for comfort, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And our collective body heat will keep us nice and warm until that truck arrives.”
He was right. Body heat comes from body proximity. And the closer we sat, the warmer we would be. But also, the closer we sat, the more I had those thoughts…
“We can’t zip it up, but we can snuggle nice and close, baby.”
Daddy wrapped his arms around me, letting one of them travel along my back before settling a hand at my hip. He then hugged me close before planting a kiss on my head. To anyone else, this much proximity between dad and stepdaughter may have felt gross. But for me, it was nice, sending electrical pulses of pleasure all through my body. Daddy always did this to me, making me feel loved and cherished. But now, I was experiencing a different round of emotions and feelings that I hadn’t ever felt before.
“I could play some music on my phone if you want. Shouldn’t drain the battery too much.”
“I’m down with that, long as it isn’t classical or opera.”
“When have you ever heard me listening to opera?”
“You used to take your girlfriend to the opera.”
He chuckled. “That was for her, not me.”
“Oh really? You didn’t get anything out of taking her?”
My implication that he might get “lucky” for being the romantic boyfriend didn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh, I got plenty out of it. That’s why I took her.”
Daddy lightly squeezed my hips as he said the word “plenty,” forcing my brain to conjure up an image of him fucking his ex-girlfriend. Not that I hadn’t pictured it before. Or hadn’t had the privilege of hearing it. Needless to say, his ex was a screamer, and on more than one occasion, I’d sat in bed, slack-jawed at the sounds that had filtered through the walls from his bedroom. Just thinking about it now, I could feel my face flush, my skin heating.
Anyway, they had broken up last year, and he hadn’t dated anyone since. At least not that I know of.
“So, you took her just to get lucky. Why does that not surprise me?” I laughed just to let him know I was just kidding around. But he seemed to take me seriously anyway. I could see his head twist my direction out of the corner of my eye.
“Hey,” he argued, “I took her because I wanted her to have fun. And I cared about her.”
“Joking, daddy.”
“You little brat,” he laughed and reached over to tickle my side.
“Ah!” I screamed, bursting into laughter as I shoved his hand aside, accidentally smushing it up against my right breast. My nipple puckered up tight and daddy straightened up in the seat, clearing his throat.
“Anyways…you’re lucky we don’t have a lot of room in here. Otherwise, I’d turn you over my knee and spank you good.”
I slowly swiveled my head in his direction, only to find him glaring down at me with a raised brow.
“That seems a little harsh.”
He paused a moment, eyes scanning my face, searching for something. “You don’t really think I’m the type of guy who’ll do anything to get in a woman’s pants, do you?”
My insides sank as guilt flooded me. What was meant to be a harmless comment was taken way too seriously.
I twisted my body in his direction and slid my arm around his waist, looking into his eyes. “Of course not, daddy. I said I was joking.”
He glanced down at my lips, then softy cupped my cheek. “I know,” he replied, his voice now softer, more understanding. “But sometimes jokes like that come from a place where we believe the truth to be hiding.”
Tingles rippled through my tummy as he lightly brushed his thumb over my lips. It was strange. Daddy had never been this … touchy with me. And he had certainly never gotten this personal.
Maybe a part of me did wonder if he just wanted to get inside of women’s pants. If he was like all the other men out there.
No way. Not my dad. He was a good guy.
“I don’t think that, daddy. I don’t think that at all. Maybe…” I said, pausing to look away.
“Maybe what?” he said, turning my face back to him.
I licked my lips, afraid to say what I was thinking. But I guess it was now or never.
“Maybe I was a little jealous. Maybe that’s the truth the joke evolved from.”
I don’t know what I had to be jealous of. Maybe the thought of another woman taking my stepdad away threatened me, and I couldn’t admit it until now.
Daddy seemed to drill his eyes into me, smoothing back some of my hair. His Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed. And feeling too embarrassed to say anything more, I let my head fall forward into his chest. I smelled his scent—aftershave mixed wit
h the cold winter’s snow and a little sweat.
He stroked the back of my head and hugged me tighter.
“You have nothing to be jealous of, baby. No other woman I’ve dated compares to you.”
He moved his hand over the front of my tummy and held it there, lightly running his fingers back and forth. And for the first time, his touch sent shudders of pleasure rippling down between my legs. The buds of my breasts curled up tight as the real truth washed over me. An admittance that wasn’t easy but was just as undeniable.
I wanted my stepdaddy. I wanted him as more than a father figure.
His hand wandered from my stomach to my side, then over my hips and across my thighs, reinforcing my thoughts. And remembering how hard his thighs were, I fought the urge to do the same, to flatten my palms against his chest and see if those muscles were just as hard.
I felt his chest rise and fall, his heart pounding so hard I could feel it against my temple. So it wasn’t just me. He had to be feeling something, too.
“I should probably tell you,” I said, finally pushing my hands up the front of his pecs, “that I don’t think any other man will ever compare to you.”
I could almost feel him processing what I just said, and the speed of my heartbeat matched his as I waited for his response. A strange sound came from his throat, like a whisper-growl that made me tingle all over. And I suddenly realized I was no longer cold. Heat danced along my flesh as my insides did somersaults.
Daddy put a finger under my chin and lifted my face. His dark eyes searched me once again. “You’re not saying that just to get in my pants, are you?”
I gripped his chest, momentarily shocked at his question. But the smirk that spread across his face made me smile. “Would it be wrong if I said … yes?”
He shook his head and glanced at my mouth, and I could feel the heat now radiating from between my legs. He then grabbed the sides of my head and crashed his lips into mine so fast I could hardly think.
He kissed me tenderly at first, his tongue darting playfully inside my mouth and wrapping around mine with lustful purpose. My body came alive. I felt as though I were on a roller coaster ride, slowly climbing up before tumbling down that crest and getting a rush like never before.