Page 14 of Just For Her

“Come on. I’ll make you some tea after all.”

Tove returned to her kitchen and finally put on the electric kettle. Kayla remained in the foyer, facing the door in utter disbelief.

The lights flickered in the living room. Tove steeled herself for a long night.

Chapter 5

Kaylasatonastranger’s couch beneath a large blanket with a cup of steaming hot tea in her hands. Yet although Tove’s hospitality under such circumstances was impeccable, Kayla couldn’t relax. The snow hadn’t stopped falling with such ferocity since she last came in. By now, her car was completely buried. Tove had mentioned that the roads might be impassable for at least a day since the county didn’t plow this road and it was up to the neighbors to clear a path if they wanted to get to town.“We’ll have to dig your car out with a shovel, anyway.”That had not inspired confidence in a woman who wasn’t used to ever driving in snow.

“I have a spare bedroom if you need it.” Tove sat on the other end of the couch, her thighs pinning down Kayla’s large blanket. “Or you can crash on the couch. Except I don’t think you’re going anywhere tonight.”

“I’m so sorry. If I had known the forecast, I wouldn’t have come out here.”

“To be fair, the news said it would start snowing a few hours from now. You should have had plenty of time to get back to town.”

“My friend hasn’t responded to my text, either. I hope she’s not worrying about me.”

“If necessary, I could probably drop you off there tomorrow. Depending on the conditions, my car can handle most of it. You’d have to come back and get your car when most of the snow and ice is melted, though.”

“Are you going to work tomorrow?”

“Depends on the conditions, as I said. I won’t know until the morning.”

Can an accountant simply take an impromptu day off?It sounded like an important job.Although she does it for her family, so maybe they call each other on the phone instead.Zoom? Facetime? This was a realm where Kayla was totally out of her element.

She also regretted wearing this stupid dress. She had wanted to look nice when meeting a woman who pulled purse strings.I also hadn’t forgotten which direction she swings.It was still a rumor, but would Huey lie about it? He wasn’t the kind to make baseless assumptions from what Kayla could tell. Yet now… ooh, she wished she had worn pants and a sweater! What had been a power move an hour ago now felt like a giant failure on her part.

“This is so awkward,” she muttered.

Tove adjusted her thighs to pull the blanket out from beneath her body. Kayla took the opportunity to wrap it around herself. Maybe if she built a fort on Tove’s couch, she could pretend that none of this was happening.

“Are you hungry?”

Kayla peeked out from the fringe of the blanket. “Now you’re offering to feed me?”

“You’re in here for the long haul tonight. I’ve got leftovers. I hope you like half-frozen Thai food because that’s what I pick up from the restaurant next to my office when I don’t feel like cooking.”

“I’m not hungry. I ate before I came here.” That was a half-truth. Kaylahadeaten, but it was from the Taco Bell Value Menu since Chrissy and Huey were eating out that night. Kayla might have been alittlehungry. Not enough to ask for any of Tove’s food, though!I’d rather die right now.For a woman who had been brave enough to drive out there to extort some favors from a stranger, she was losing her nerve. Fast.

It reminded her to check her phone again. Finally, Chrissy replied.“You’re stuck out there halfway to Fredrik? Be safe! Huey and I got home as it was starting. It looks nasty. Wish you were here instead!”Kayla didn’t know what to say, so she left her friend on read.

“Everything all right?” Tove asked.

“Just a text from my friend. I had to tell her I wouldn’t make it home tonight. Probably.”

“Bad luck, that.” Tove crossed her arms and rested her head on the back of her couch. “That’s how it’s going, though. More transplants arrive, and most of them don’t know how to drive in the snow. You guys don’t get a lot of snow up in Portland, do you?”

Kayla shook her head. “I’m good at driving in the rain, though.” When she flipped through more of her phone, she discovered that the snow was coming down hard back home in Sherwood, too.That’s not good…She had been telling Tove the truth. The people where she was from weren’t known for their excellent driving in snowy conditions. Kayla didn’t even own a set of chains for her tires.I suppose I should rectify that…She had hoped to have missed the worst of the snow by the time she moved to Bend, although she realized how foolish that was now. Of course it snowed in Central Oregon! Why wouldn’t it!

Where do I get the money for chains?Did Chrissy and Huey have chains? Snow tires? What about…

Kayla’s train of thought was derailed when the power flickered out.

“Ah!” As embarrassing as it was, Kayla couldn’t help but be startled. Tove, however, was completely unfazed as she sighed beside her unexpected guest. “Is that… is that normal?”

“I’d say it happens about half of the time.”

“Will it come back on? Do you have a generator?”

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