My nervousness about driving returns like a blast of wind.
“We’ll get there,” Carson says reassuringly. “It’s not far.”
But his hands clench on the wheel. Is he nervous, too? He never told me that after the accident but… he didn’t tell me a lot of things about how he was feeling.
“Right.”
Carson’s a good driver. He grew up in the mountains in Canada. I don’t blame him for what happened that day, when he was driving. The accident wasn’t his fault. But still… my insides twist into several complicated knots.
I read more.Rain changing to snow, blustery and windy conditions spreading from west to east across the state… moderate to heavy snow possible as well as stronger gusty winds.
I press my fingers to my mouth. Yikes.
I assiduously watch the road for any hazards as we speed along the highway, as attentive as if I was driving, fingers clasped tightly around my phone. I don’t want the weather to cause problems for Nonna’s party. Everyone’s been looking forward to this for months. A big family reunion, lots of food and love and laughter.
“Stop worrying,” Carson says. “It’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know it will be fine.”
We’ve had this conversation a million times. I know he’s trying to reassure me, but sometimes, it feels like he’s dismissing my worries. I’m not going to let it bother me this time. I just let it go.
We make stilted small talk until we’re there. Carson’s very focused on the highway also, his jaw set like a brick. We pass through the town of Heppawa, then take an exit and follow a winding road through a forest, the trees with snow-covered branches. The mountains are shrouded in low clouds, the entire landscape so devoid of color, it looks like a black and white image. Then we arrive at the resort—and it’s stunning. In all the gray and white of the storm, the main building is a bright-red barn-like structure with lots of white-framed windows and a thick layer of white snow on the roof.
“Oh, this is so pretty.” I gaze around as Carson parks.
“We made it,” he says.
I shoot him a dry smile as I open the door and jump out. “I had no doubt.”
“Ha.”
The snow is falling even thicker and faster here. I took off my jacket in the car, but I grab it now and shove my arms into the sleeves as I jog toward the entrance.
I check us in and it’s only then I realize Carson and I are going to have to share a room. I mean, cottage. This flusters me for a second, but the manager of the resort, Norm, is there welcoming us and talking to me about all the arrangements and suggesting we meet later this afternoon to review the plans, so I have to put that disturbing thought aside for now.
I get our keys and Norm gives us directions to Mountain View Cottage. Now I’m getting nervous about sharing this space with Carson. What the hell was I thinking?
As we walk to the car, Carson says, “Does Norm know you’re married?”
“Uh… what?”
“He was looking at you like he wants to smash you like a pumpkin the day after Halloween.”
My jaw sags. “What!”
He shrugs, his mouth in a disgruntled twist. “I said what I said.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I’ll admit, Norm is younger and hotter than I expected from talking to him on the phone, but he was completely businesslike. As was I.
“It’s not ridiculous. He thinks you’re smoking hot.”
“And married,” I remind him.
“Yeah, except you’re really not,” he replies grouchily.
I throw up my hands as he opens the back hatch of his vehicle. “Well, I may as well be for this weekend. You think I’m going to move on some guyhere? With my ‘husband’ here? Jesus.”
“What do you need for tonight?” Carson barks. “Can we leave things here?”
