Page 2 of Baby, It Snowed Outside

I hastily grab one of Zane’s suitcases, not prepared for how heavy it is. He has to help me with one hand, and because he’s still wrestling the suitcase he grabbed, we both topple backward. Like a gentleman, he breaks my fall, catching me in his lap, putting us both in quite the precarious situation. My heart is pounding being this close to him again and I panic he might hear it.

“Geez, Zane, did you bring your entire dorm room with you?” I ask, cracking a joke.

He laughs and shrugs. “I’m staying for a whole month. I didn’t leave much in the way of clothes here when I left.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

“What?” He asks, cocking a brow.

“Next time, just buy new clothes. It’s not like you can’t afford them.” I waggle my finger in front of him, and he tries to bite it playfully.

Around us strangers are gawking as Zane helps me up and we both brush ourselves off. He pulls up the handle on his suitcase for me and then looks for one of the interactive maps.

“Where are you parked?” He asks as we walk over to one.

I swipe open my phone to the picture I took of my parking information. He looks at it and nods, eyeing the map to see which way we need to go. Satisfied, he motions for me to follow him. I fall into step beside him while he asks me questions about the drive to the airport. “Were the roads plowed yet? How many inches have fallen since you got here? Have you been paying attention to the news?”

“The roads were plowed. Six inches since I arrived. And that update is from over an hour ago.” My reply is dry and rehearsed. It’s the same questions Breck would ask if he were here instead.

“What did you drive?” He asks, suddenly serious.

“Don’t worry, dad insisted on me driving the Jeep.”

“Oh, hell yeah. I’ve always wanted to drive your dad’s Jeep.”

“Who says I’m letting you drive my dad’s Jeep?” I snap, defensively.

“Who says I’m letting you drive your dad’s Jeep?” Zane says, mockingly. “Don’t make me call Breck, you know he will take my side.” He retorts, daring me to take him up on his little challenge. I’m the little sister and he’s clearly putting me in my place.

I glare at him. I know he’s right. Breck will take his side, and if we can’t get ahold of Breck, I know Zane’s not above calling my dad himself.

Ahead of us are the sliding glass doors leading to the parking garage. There’s a security guard standing in front of it, blocking the exit. My heart drops. Fuck, please tell me we aren’t going to be trapped here. He nods at Zane as we approach.

“Hey kids, what kind of vehicle are you driving?”

“Jeep,” Zane answers.

“How old are you?” He asks, eyeing us suspiciously.

“Old enough to be home from college and our parents are waiting for me to make sure she gets home in time for Christmas.” He throws a quick wink at me, meaning I should play along.

It’s not the first time he’s used the responsible older brother ploy to weasel our way out of trouble. It is, however, the first time it’s bothered me. Whatever feelings I was having, I immediately stuff away. I was ridiculous for ever thinking Zane can see me as anything more than a little sister tagging along with no friends of her own.

“Thanks. You can go on out of here. Take it slow, the roads are terrible. We are locking everything down on account of the weather here soon, so get out and get home safely while you still can.”

“Thanks, officer,” Zane mumbles, grabbing for my hand to pull me along behind him.

When his fingers lace into mine, my mind goes racing all over again as butterflies fill my stomach. Maybe he didn’t mean it like his younger sister after all. I don’t have time to continue analyzing things. A frigid blast of air hits me as we walk into the crowded lot. I shiver in just my sweater. I left my jacket in the car when I got here, thinking it was just one less thing to carry.

“Where did you park?” Zane asks me, looking around the giant garage.

“I parked in H. Over there.” I point in the general direction of my dad’s black Jeep.

“Where’s your jacket, Aspen?” He asks me, a brotherly annoyance laces his voice.

“In the car,” I reply with a sigh.

He rolls his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”

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