Page 15 of Once Upon a Winter
“Uh, houses?”
Cooper exhaled. “Where were you coming from?”
“I just went to the grocery store. I was on my way home.”
Cooper tried to control the anger roiling within him—not with her but with himself. He should never have let her drive off alone—except she was an adult and didn’t need his permission. “Laura, I was just there. I could have picked up whatever you needed. You don’t need to be driving around in that little two-wheel-drive compact of yours.”
“Thanks. That’s helpful.”
Cooper heaved a sigh. “Sorry. Let’s back up. You were on your way home from the grocery store when you turned a corner and skidded off the road. Are you on the right side or the left?”
“Left.”
“Is your phone charged up?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I’m on my way there.”
“Cooper?”
“What?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Snowflakes swirled around his truck as he navigated the treacherous roads, his thoughts consumed by the image of Laura stranded in the midst of a New England storm. Retracing the most obvious route from the grocery store, he found her car hopelessly trapped in a snow-covered ditch. Bundled up in her coat, Laura greeted him with a mixture of relief and embarrassment. Cooper offered her a reassuring smile and urged her to hop into his warm truck.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
“It’s no problem at all,” Cooper replied, his concern clear. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded, her eyes locking with his for a moment. “I’ll be fine. I just thought, since it was only a five-minute drive, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Cooper tried not to show his disagreement. “I’m just glad you’re safe. As for your car, there’s not much we can do now. When the storm subsides, we can see about getting it towed. Come on. Let’s get you home.”
Once there, Cooper insisted on walking her to the door.
Feeling annoyed yet embarrassed, she said, “I can walk to the door.”
“You should put some salt on those steps.”
Laura wasn’t about to tell him she didn’t have any. That was one of those things she’d never had to think about when she was in an apartment. She unlocked the door. “See? I’m not locked out. I’ll be fine.”
When he didn’t feel any heat coming from the house, Cooper stepped inside. “It’s freezing in here.”
Unconcerned, Laura said, “Oh, that. Well, I turn the heat down when I’m gone.”
“This doesn’t feel like down. This feels off. You know, it’s not a good idea to turn the heat completely off. In weather like this, your pipes could freeze.” He went to the thermostat to turn it up.
When he stood staring intently, Laura explained, “It usually takes a few minutes for the heat to kick in.”
He cast a doubtful look at her. “Nothing’s kicking in. I don’t hear a sound. I’ll just take a look at your boiler.” He headed for the stairs to the basement.
Emerging a few minutes later, he said, “The good news is your boiler isn’t broken.”
“See? I told you. It takes a few minutes.”
