Page 3 of Winter's Kiss

“Muddy Waters fifteen miles.” I read the sign at the start of the road with furrowed brows. “Muddy Waters? I repeated. “Lord, I’m in the backwoods.”

I knew I should have just double-backed from the motel; I thought. This had to be one of the worst ideas I’d ever had. The road was lined with tall trees, covered in snow.

What light the sun provided through the heavy clouds seemed to fade as I drove further down the road. I pressed the button for my hazard lights, just in case another vehicle ended up on the road.

The snow grew thicker, and my wipers on full seemed to do nothing against the heaviness. I felt the rapid beat of my heart within my chest, my nerves on full alert when my phone made a double beep. I glanced over at the device, no signal. What?! I gripped the phone in my hand, my GPS blank. How could this be happening to me? I wondered, with a toss of my phone into the empty seat.

I continued down the road at a slow pace, waiting to see a sign that directed me toward the highway. There had not been a single car. Not a house in the distance. Nothing but trees and snow. As I saw the sign that welcomed me to Muddy Waters, I grew scared and frustrated. How did I miss the sign for the highway? How did I end up in a town that had been abandoned?

The snow had grown thicker the further down the road I went. More turns and twists appeared out of nowhere, even with my slow speed. Suddenly my phone made another beep and with a quick snatch of the device, I checked to see if I had a single bar of service. I tried to pull up the GPS, to get a better idea of where I was when I glanced up at the road at the large bend that appeared before me.

I dropped my phone to the floorboard, my hands gripped around the wheel as I slammed on my brakes.

I yanked on the wheel and knew when I did it that I had made the wrong choice, yet acted on reflex. The car spun in a full circle, I screamed and tried to regain a little control before it came to a stop on the side of the road.

Did that just happen? I asked myself while I sat in shock, my hands shaking as they lowered from the wheel slowly. I wanted to cry, but I knew that would do nothing for me at that moment. I quickly reached down to my phone and prayed there would be a signal, but my hopes shattered at the two words spread across the top of the screen. I grunted in aggravation; my attention shifted quickly to the sudden putter from my car.

“Are you kidding me?” I leaned forward as the vehicle slowly died. I shook my head and closed my eyes. At that moment, I regretted the trip. I should have stayed in California. Remained with Andrew and just accepted that would be my life. At the very least I wouldn’t be stranded on the side of the road, during a blizzard in a town I had not seen a single sign of life.

Two

As the sun started to fall, I started to feel scared. For hours I had been trapped in my car, with no heat, while the snow continued, and the temperatures dropped. Not a single car had driven down the road and I feared I would have to brave the storm on foot or take the risk of freezing to death in my car. Still, no service on my phone, I pulled my legs up against my chest to try and remain as warm as possible. I knew the dangers of going out in the weather, in a place I didn’t know, in the dark, but what choice did I have?

I exhaled, slid my phone into my pocket, and prepared myself when I heard a loud engine in the distance. Could this be happening? Excitement grew in me with the brightness of the lights as they came around the bend. I sat and watched as they pulled around and stopped just before me. The top of the truck was suddenly bright by the flashing of yellow lights.

I gripped the handle and started to push open the door when suddenly a nervousness came over me. Had I made a mistake of signaling this person? What if they were murderers? What if they trolled the roads and looked for victims? I shook my head and pushed those thoughts away. Better than freezing, I joked before I stepped from the car.

The wind took my breath away the instant I stepped outside. I wrapped my arms around my chest and pulled my thin jacket closed tighter with a slow step toward the front of my car. My eyes struggled to see through the heavy snow. I waited as the driver's side door of the truck opened and someone jumped from the cab. I could see the figure move toward me with a slow step, my mouth parted in awe as the man came into focus.

He stood tall, well over six feet. His head was covered in a black beanie, pulled down over his ears. His jaw held a thick, medium-length beard. The snow crunched under his heavy steps, and my heart flutter at the sight of this man. I had never seen anyone like him before, not in person. He radiated manly, even in the short seconds he appeared, before he spoke a word.

“You, okay?” He asked with a stop just before me. I stood in silence, shivering from the frigid wind. “Miss?” His voice was calm, deep, raspy. I blinked rapidly, as though I came out of a trance. “You, okay?” He repeated his initial question.

“Sorry. Yes, just kinda stranded.” I finally answered. “I don’t know what happened to it, just died on me.”

He nodded his head and made his way to the front of the vehicle, my gaze locked on him.

“Mind popping the hood?” I nodded and climbed back into the car. As he opened the hood, I leaned forward and looked at him best I could. That was until he glanced up at me, and with a quick reflex, I sat back in my seat. My hands lifted over my face in embarrassment. I remained in the car minutes longer before he closed the hood and stepped around to the driver's side.

“Something bad?” I asked simply, his hand gripped over the frame of the opened door, his gaze locked on me.

“I honestly can’t see why it would have stopped. I would need to get it back to my family’s garage to look at it better.”

“Great, let’s do that.” I saw his brows arch with my statement as though I spoke something comical.

“That’s not going to happen. Not until this storm passes and we can get the roads cleared.” Was he kidding?

“What am I supposed to do with my car?” I asked, confused.

“It will have to stay here.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“That’s just great,” I mumbled. The man made a chuckle as his stance shifted.

“Welcome to Muddy Waters.” He stated. My glance shifted back to him. “Look, I can take you to my family’s farm. They have a room you can stay in until the storm passes.”

He continued as though he could see the sadness, the frustration on my face. “Thank you,” I stated simply. He nodded his head and stepped back from the door. I climbed back out, the wind once more hitting me, and a shiver shot through my body. Taking such an offer from a stranger is something I would have normally never thought of doing, but there was something about him.

“Get in the cab and warm up. I’ll get your stuff.” I nodded my head and started down road, his tracks from before already covered. I pulled open the door and climbed into the truck. My eyes closed from the warmth of the cabin; the heat-blasted making me feel as though I climbed into an oven. I leaned forward, my palms out in front of the vents with my gaze moved to the side mirror.

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