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She was so busy looking at the door of the house that she almost missed the turning onto Oak Street. The car skidded as she yanked on the wheel, but she kept it under control and then turned again into London Road and drove towards the motorway.
She switched on the radio and sang along with all the old Christmas songs that always played on the radio year after year. She loved doing this and yet somehow everything to do with Christmas had lost its sparkle and joy since yesterday. What a difference a day makes?
She tried to tune into another station that wasn’t playing Christmas songs, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack, two weeks before the Big Day.
Her windscreen was misting up so she turned the heater up and used the washer and wipers to clear the outside. The mist inside wasn’t clearing and she could hardly see the road ahead and then she heard the bang and the car skidded off the road and onto the grassy verge.
She braked and managed to stop half on, half off the verge but her car had cut out and no matter how much she tried she couldn’t get it to restart.
‘Perfect!’ she said.
She looked in her handbag for her phone but it wasn’t there. She had picked it up from the kitchen table and she’d had it when she put on her boots because she’d read a text from a supplier. And then she’d put on her coat, scarf, hat and gloves, and then looked outside.
‘Damn it!’
She had left her phone on the hall table. Someone would see it when they went out, but that wouldn’t help her now.
She remembered that it was wise to get out of the car but it was freezing outside and this wasn’t a motorway, just a B road leading towards one.
She wasn’t that far from the village. Maybe a twenty-minute walk. But she’d have to leave her car here and it had just started to rain. No, sleet. No! Snow! Granny had been right.
Now what should she do? Stay here and wait to see if someone drove past and stopped to help? Or start walking back towards the village and get help?
Walking was her only option.
She sighed loudly and was about to get out when a black, Toyota four by four pulled up behind her car.
Rescue had arrived and she thanked her lucky stars until she saw the person who had got out of the other vehicle and was marching towards her front window.
This could not be happening!
What was Griff bloody Betancourt doing driving up this road?
He tapped on her window and she pressed the button to let it open looking straight ahead as she did so.
‘I thought it was your car,’ he said. ‘What’s happened? Have you broken down?’
‘No. I thought this was a good spot to stop for a cup of coffee. Of course, I’ve bloody well broken down.’
He raised his brows. ‘Not really the time for attitude, is it, Grace?’
‘Oh bugger off. I’d rather take my chances.’
‘Why the hostility? I’ve stopped to help.’
‘How utterly gallant of you. What a shame you only choose to play the decent guy when it suits you, and not to actually be one?’
‘Erm. I’m not sure what I’ve said or done to deserve this, Grace. But we can deal with that later. Let’s get you home safely first. And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s snowing out here.’
‘I don’t want you to get me home safely. I don’t want anything from you. I want a car that works. I don’t want to see you ever again. Or hear you voice. Or…’ She let her voice trail off.
Okay she was taking this a bit too far. Her car had died. She was stuck miles from the village and it was freezing and snowing. Griff had a lovely warm and comfy, four by four that would take her back to her door.
His brows knit together and he looked genuinely hurt by her outburst.
‘Then I would suggest you buy a four by four, Grace. Less chance of them coming off the road in bad conditions. And if they do come off the road, they are perfectly happy and will get you back on it.’
‘Thanks for that. I will add it to my Christmas list.’
