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Chapter 22
Seren peered anxiously out of Dippy’s windscreen, the wipers working double time to clear snow from the glass. It was a blizzard out there, and she could hardly see more than a few metres ahead. The only thing stopping her from panicking was the steady red glow of the tail lights of Daniel’s truck. He was leading the way, claiming that his truck was better in the snow than a former ice cream van.
Seren thought he might have a point.
Every so often he’d brake, and she had to resist the urge to slam her own brakes on. It was better to slow down gently than run the risk of bumping into the back of him. If that happened, she was in no doubt that Dippy would come off worse, and Seren didn’t want to damage her.
Daniel slowed down again but this time he pulled over to the side of the road.
Seren followed suit, wondering what the problem was. Apart from driving snow and slippery roads, that is.
She saw him get out of his truck, a shadowy figure in her headlights, blurred by the flakes on the windscreen, and she wound her window down as he approached.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
‘I think you ought to leave the van here and get in my truck. It’s too dangerous.’
‘How much further until we reach Tinstone?’
‘At least twenty miles.’ He pulled his hood up higher and shuffled around so the wind was at his back. Although he’d only stepped out of his truck a minute ago, his shoulders were already coated with a fine layer of the white stuff.
‘Is that all? We’ve been driving for nearly an hour.’ Seren was starting to worry. If an hour’s drive had only got them seven miles… ‘Will we go any faster in the truck?’
Daniel pursed his lips. ‘No.And I don’t think it’s a good idea to go much further. We could end up getting stuck. If you leave the van here, we can come back for it tomorrow, in the daylight and when they’ve had a chance to clear the roads.’ He wiped a gloved hand across his wet face.
‘So what do you suggest we do?’ A flicker of panic licked at her mind, like a flame curling around a log.
‘According to my satnav there’s a village up ahead with a pub, and I’ve had a quick look on my phone and it says they serve hot meals and have rooms available. Let’s hope they’re not fully booked, because I don’t fancy spending the night in the truck.’
Seren regarded him with concern, noticing the tightness around his eyes and mouth. For the first time since they’d hastily packed Dippy up as the twirling flakes had turned first into a flurry, then into a blizzard, she realised he was more worried about the situation than he’d let on.
‘OK, let me grab the takings.’ Seren switched the engine off and hauled herself out of the driver’s seat and into the back of the van, quickly checking that everything was secure. There wasn’t much else she could do, so after having a swift look around, she picked up the cash tin and got out.
Immediately the wind hit her, dashing fat white flakes into her face, and she staggered.
Daniel grabbed hold of her, pulling her close. Seren leant into him, garnering strength from his solidity as he walked her around the passenger side. The snow was already ankle-deep and drifting in places, the road ahead merging with the verges. The hedges lining either side of the road at least gave some indication of where the road was, and Seren was relieved she was no longer behind the wheel – she didn’t think her nerves could stand it.
Walking gingerly, thankful that her fur-lined boots protected her feet from the worst of the cold, she clung to Daniel as he opened the door to the truck and helped her climb inside.
Brushing the snow from her shoulders, she realised her lashes were wet with flakes (or tears), and she used her scarf to wipe her face as Daniel started the engine.
‘OK?’ he asked, and she nodded, too choked up to speak. If he hadn’t been here, she didn’t know what she would have done, because immediately as the truck pulled off she could sense how grippier its bigger tyres were on the slippery road, and how much more substantial a vehicle it was compared to Dippy.
Poor Dippy, she was designed for sunshine and hot tarmac, not for blizzards and ankle-deep snow.
‘I’m so glad you came,’ she said to Daniel, as she gazed at the rapidly obscured van in the wing mirror. They’d only gone a short distance and already Dippy was barely visible. ‘I’d have been stuck, otherwise.’ She shuddered at the thought of spending the night in the van.
‘If I hadn’t been here, you wouldn’t have attempted to drive home,’ he pointed out.
True… They’d made the decision together to risk the journey, but if she had been on her own, she would have found a B&B and wouldn’t have dared set foot on the road.
‘Who knew it would come down so fast?’ she said. ‘One minute there were a few odd flakes, the next it was a whiteout.’
Daniel was concentrating hard, leaning forward, his eyes glued to the winding ribbon of smooth snow between the hedges, which Seren hoped was the road. ‘You looked very cute with your tongue stuck out. What do snowflakes taste like?’ he asked.
‘Didn’t you catch snow on your tongue when you were a kid?’ She realised he was trying to distract her, but she wasn’t fooled – she could tell that he was getting more worried by the second. But she played along anyway, grateful for the attempt at normality.
‘I don’t think so,’ he said.
