Page 56 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

Chapter Nineteen

Luckily, the initial tumble Viola and Jonas had taken was the only hiccup they’d encountered. Viola was proud of herself for convincing Jonas to travel up the ski lift a few more times before the dark clouds shambled in. The unexpected change of weather meant they had to cut their excursion short, and as they made their way back to the chateau, the conditions only got worse.

Gathering her things from the chateau kitchen, she texted her mother.

Viola: Mom, I’m on my way. You okay?

Mom: It’s really bad out there. I heard a crash outside. Oliver is here and checking on it.

Viola: He should just wait until the storm is over. Hang tight. I’ll be home soon.

Mom: Be careful. I heard on the news that it’s coming in full force.

Viola: I will.

She flung the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder and marched to the front door of the building, determined to get through the storm and be with her mother. At least Oliver was there, but she didn’t know how long he could stay.

She yanked open the door and stepped outside. An ice-cold blanket of freezing air and snow struck her in the face. Viola shielded her eyes, but all she could see was heavy snowfall pelting the parking lot. How had it escalated so quickly?

She forced herself to go down the veranda stairs and took slow steps toward where she believed her car was parked, but the powerful wind drove her back, almost knocking her over.

“Are you crazy?” Jonas’s voice was loud behind her. “Get back inside.”

“I need to get to my mom. I have to make sure she’s all right.”

“You’ll never make it past the parking lot.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and urged her to return indoors. “Come on. You can call to make sure she’s safe, but I can’t let you drive in this. It’s way too dangerous.”

A heavy feeling settled in her chest. She didn’t want to abandon her mother, but Jonas was right. Reluctantly, she pivoted and followed him inside.

Even with the doors closed, the stormy winds were deafening. Viola shivered, wiping the wet snow out of her face. She pulled out her phone and pushed the contact button for her mother.

“Viola, I was just about to call you.”

Viola could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. “Mom, is everything all right? Did something happen?”

“No. But Oliver said the roads are a mess. He’s stuck here. Which means you shouldn’t be driving, either.”

“You’re right. I know. I’m at the Lakeside Chateau. I’ll stay here until the storm dies down.”

“Yes, please. I don’t want you out there in this.”

“Okay.” Viola turned toward Jonas, who dug a flashlight out of a drawer. “Stay away from the windows. Keep warm. I’ll call you soon.” She blew out a breath and slipped her device back into her coat pocket. “Now what?”

Jonas tested the flashlight. Viola breathed a sigh of relief when it worked.

“Now we wait,” he answered.

She drew nearer to Jonas. “I love everything about Silverwood except the storms.”

“The town is still standing despite its onslaught of harsh weather. I think it’ll survive this one too. We’ll probably lose power.” He held up the flashlight. “In any case, we’re safer here than we’d be out there.”

As she was about to search for a comfortable place to sit out the storm, they were plunged into darkness. Viola gasped, her heart pounding in her throat. She reached out, and when she found Jonas’s arm, he pulled her closer. She unintentionally dug her fingers into his biceps.

“It’s all right,” he reassured her. “Like I predicted, the storm cut the power.”

She nodded against his shoulder.

Jonas switched on the flashlight. “Are you okay?”

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