Page 10 of One Pucking Wish

“I promise we’re good. We’re seriously right behind you,” he repeats.

“Okay, well, hurry and be safe.”

“Will do.” Max nods to Penny before turning to me. “I’m going to go get him.”

I dip my chin in response, and my stare follows Penny as she heads to the exit. My focus veers to a table of obnoxious Canuck fans as the four guys watch Penny as she leaves.

The short one, who probably weighs no more than one hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, sneers as Penny passes. He looks like some cracked-out version of a troll doll with his wispy bright blue wig. Turning back to his friends, he scoffs, “Why do only the ugly ones stay till close? Did you see her ass? That bitch would crush me.”

His friends laugh, but I don’t find him funny. Rage consumes me, and my vision blurs as I’m flooded with molten-hot anger. I can’t think straight. My brain has ceased all functions. In fact, the only thing working is my fist as it finds his face.

CHAPTER

FIVE

PENELOPE

The drive from the bar to the airport is sure to take at least three years off my life. I don’t remember so many winding roads driving to the rink for the game earlier. In fact, if my memory serves, the streets were fairly straight. Yet Julien, our cab driver, is sliding around these roads like nothing I’ve ever seen. I bet we’ve spent more time off the road than on it.

As I stare from the back seat out the front windshield, there isn’t anything resembling a street in sight. Nothing is visible but blankets of white. “Is he even on the road?” I whisper to Iris.

The car fishtails, and Iris gasps, reaching out to grab my hand as my shoulder hits the back passenger door.

“Oh, don’t you worry, ma’am.” Our driver lifts his chin and smiles at me through the rearview mirror. We’re on the road alright.”

Cade turns around and looks back at us from the front passenger seat. He gives us a reassuring look. “The airport is less than a mile away.”

I know he meant it to be encouraging, but considering the way Julien drives, I’m not at all comforted.

“It must’ve snowed a good fifteen centimeters since we’ve been driving,” Julien says.

“That’s around six inches,” Cade says over his shoulder.

“Thanks, smarty-pants, but I don’t need a math lesson.” I sigh, annoyed that I’m not already home safely in my bed.

Julien bobs his head. “They’re predicting this will be the biggest storm since 1996. I wasn’t born then, but I’ve heard stories of how we got over forty-five centimeters in one night.”

Cade looks back and quirks a brow.

“Fine, tell me,” I grumble.

“Around eighteen inches.”

My eyes go wide. “You guys are supposed to get more than eighteen inches tonight? How did we not know about this? We need to fly out before we’re stuck here.”

“Oh, yeah, all the commercial flights are already being canceled,” Julien states.

“Why didn’t we leave earlier?” I look at Iris. The question is rhetorical. She doesn’t have any more control over the schedule than I do. It just seems crazy that we didn’t fly out right after the game.

Cade clutches the handle over the window as Julien slides around another corner. “I think we knew snow was coming, but for some reason, I don’t think anyone realized it’d be this much.”

“My grandma’s been talking about it for days. She could feel it in her knees.” Julien slows the vehicle as the airport comes into view.

“If only your grandma’s knees could’ve communicated with our pilots.” Iris attempts a joke, but her laugh falls flat when Julien plows over something, causing us to bounce in our seats.

“Did you just hit something?” The question comes out in a shriek.

Our driver shrugs. “I’m fairly certain it was nothing alive.”

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