Page 70 of Please Send Snow
“Well, this kitchen is only stocked with canned goods,” she tells me. “But there’s coffee, milk, and plenty of homemade goodies in the break room fridge, definitely enough to cover you until you get down the mountain to the shops.”
We head back down to the factory floor and the first thing I notice is that the snow is coming down so hard that the trees just beyond the massive windows are almost invisible now.
“I showed her everything,” Eleanor tells the other ladies. “And she’s planning to stay.”
Everyone cheers and I feel a wave of warmth in my chest like I’mhome.And even though I can still feel the tears on my cheeks, I’m smiling so hard I can barely see.
“We’ll celebrate soon,” Eleanor tells the other ladies. “For now, let’s all get home before we wind up snowed in.”
The ladies rush around grabbing their bags and coats, chattering amongst themselves about the storm and about maybe throwing a little party when the snow lets up.
When we get outside, I see that my cab driver waited for me after all.
“Would you like to come home with me, dear?”Eleanor offers, indicating a green station wagon that just pulled up. “Reginald is right here and we’d be honored for you to stay as long as you’d like.”
“Thank you,” I tell her. “But there’s something else I need to do.”
She gives me a quick hug before she runs for her husband’s station wagon and I run for my cab.
I know I’m being a fool. There’s a storm coming. I should just settle in here and get ready to start my new life.
The snow is coming down so hard now that the view of the mountains is disappearing entirely. Even if I make it to the chalet, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to make it back here.
But there’s no way I’m going to be able to really move on until I give Jake Stone a piece of my mind.
“Thank you for waiting,” I tell the driver.
“I couldn’t leave you up here in all this,” he tells me with a smile. “Where to?”
I give him directions to the chalet, and then say a little prayer as the cab starts off around the windy mountain roads.
We’re about to pass the lodge and start up the hill when I spot Jake’s SUV in the lot along with abunchof other cars. I haven’t seen the lot this full since I was a kid.
“Wait,” I tell the driver. “Here is fine.”
“Are you sure, miss?” he asks me. “I don’t want you trying to walk up the hill in this storm.”
“This is perfect,” I tell him. “The person I want to see is here.”
“Need me to stick around again, sweetheart?” he asks me, looking a little worried about it.
“Nope,” I tell him, secure in the knowledge that I can spend my money on a room at the lodge if I can’t get back to the factory tonight.
He looks relieved at this news and pleased when I tip generously again.
“Good folks in there,” he says again, nodding to the lodge.
“Yes,” I agree. “Most of them.”
20
JAKE
Ilook around the lobby of the old lodge and instead of noticing the faded decorations and the ancient furnishings, I’m only seeing the warmth and the smiles on the faces of everyone here.
Dylan and I were home when the snow started really coming down.
After all his pleas in his letters, I thought he would be ecstatic at the sight of all those beautiful snowflakes drifting down.
