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“We have to get off the highway, or we risk getting stuck in the pile up down the way. We don’t have a choice. If we go around, we’re gonna end up in a far more rural area, and then we risk getting stuck way off the beaten path. It’s our only choice.” He paused for a moment, pulling into the gas station which had two other cars parked there. Once he had the truck in park, he took a deep breath and ran his hands down his own face. “I know it’s not ideal, but this storm is way worse than anyone predicted. It’s not even a matter of Texans not taking it seriously. We’re stuck here, at least until they can clear up some of the accident and we can get by. I’m gonna go inside and see if there’s any place we can stay. Do you want to come, or do you want to wait in here?”
“I’ll come,” she said quietly. Coralee knew he was right. But the apprehension about staying someplace while the storm passed was eating away at her. Secretly she hoped they’d have to stay in the same room or something because she was getting a bit scared about being stranded.
The little bell on the front door of the convenience store jingled, and an older man, probably in his seventies looked up from the book he was reading.
“Hey there. We’re trying to get to El Paso but sounds like the storm has caused some problems on I10, so we’re wondering if you can help us.”
“What can I do for you two?” the gentleman replied with a smile.
“Do you know anyplace open we could get a room or something? A warm place we can wait out the storm and get back on the road tomorrow?”
Ugh.There it was. Tomorrow. The implication had been there, but now it was real. She was going to be stuck, overnight no less, with the hottest of the Corriente brothers. The one she’d always loved. The entire night.
“The motels are all booked up with wayward travelers like yourself, but we have a couple trailers left out back. We rent those out too. It’s not much, but it’s got heat, hot water, a small bathroom, and a bed. So you can get some rest. We’re just about full with other folks getting stranded just like yourself. Haven’t been this busy in years!” the old man said with enthusiasm.
Jake glanced at Coralee, clearly looking for her approval. She shrugged her shoulders and nodded, what else could she say? It wasn’t like they had a five star hotel to check into.
“We’ll take it,” Jake replied. “Coralee, why don’t you grab us a couple of things we can pull together for dinner. Maybe some instant soup so we can warm up a bit?”
“Good idea,” she replied, and wandered through the aisles of the small store. The thing about roadside gas stations and rest stops was they always had the most random assortment of items you could buy. She picked up a few noodle cups, grabbed some plastic spoons, and also some more water for them to share. It was almost like camping, but without the fire and the fun.Oh well. We’re here now. Might as well make the most of it at this point.
Jake handled the arrangements with the owner and got instructions on how to make the heat and water work. Once he had the key in hand and Coralee had purchased their makeshift dinner, they headed back out into the brutal cold to move the truck over by the trailer they’d be staying in.
“I thought it best we stay together. He had one more trailer left, but hopefully we’ll be out of here bright and early tomorrow.”
“Oh, I don’t think I would want to stay by myself. This is all very awkward, but I don’t even know how half of this shit works. You’re gonna have to protect me,” she said on a laugh. The fact of the matter was, not only was she enjoying her time with Jake, but she honestly didn’t want to stay by herself in some trailer off the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm. Not a chance. She did want him to protect her. Even if she wasn’t sure what all these feelings bubbling up were. Briefly she considered whether this was something they might end up discussing while stranded in a trailer for the night.
“I wouldn’t let you anyway. I was going to pretend to give you the choice though,” he said with a bit of a laugh himself. Coralee thought he seemed tired, and although she would’ve been fine staying on the road, even at a snail’s pace, she was just riding along as a passenger. She didn’t have the stress of driving them through a blizzard safely.
They got out of the truck and ran up to the trailer, the wind whipping around them brutally. Once Jake got the door opened, he ushered Coralee in, and flipped on a light. It wasn’t much, but it would keep them warm, dry, and safe for the night. The trailer opened to a small seating area adjacent to a makeshift kitchen, much like an RV would have. There was a small stovetop, a microwave, a half-size fridge and freezer, as well as a sink. They both explored for a moment, finding the bathroom at one end, and at the other, the bedroom. As she suspected, one bed.
Coralee knew it would only have one bed, but part of her had kind of hoped there’d be something else that would magically appear. The bench seat in the living area looked like it probably folded out into a rock hard bed of some kind, which she’d offer to take, but she knew he wouldn’t let her. He wasn’t that kind of guy, and there was no way she was going to let him sleep on it. Hell, he probably wouldn’t even fit. She decided not to say anything, and just wait for the time to come and deal with the sleeping arrangements later.
“I’m gonna grab some stuff out of the truck, why don’t you get the heat going? I’ll grab your bag too,” Jake offered.
“Sounds good. Are you hungry? I can start boiling water for our dinner?”
Jake stopped with one hand on the door and looked at her. “That would be really nice.”
Coralee found his response odd; as if he wanted to say something else, but she let it pass and busied herself looking for something to boil some water in and trying to get warm. The trailer had clearly not been used in a bit, and she was freezing. By the time she got a pot of water on the little electric stovetop going, Jake had come back in and shaken the snow off his jacket at the door.
“Did the heat kick on?” Jake asked.
“I didn’t notice, I’m still freezing,” Coralee said, rubbing her arms.
Jake walked over to the thermostat and adjusted the temperature control. “I made sure the propane tank was on, so we should have some heat in here any minute now.” Just then, the vents loudly kicked on and started blowing warm air through the trailer. “Ah, there it is.”
“Thank God,” Coralee said. This whole experience, from her flight getting cancelled, to agreeing to the road trip, and then this moment, sharing a trailer in the middle of nowhere with her ex-boyfriend was becoming a bit too much. She opened the soup packets, poured them in the boiling water and let it cook for a minute or so before she turned off the stovetop.
Jake had sit down on the bench seat at the table and pulled his phone out. “It looks like the storm should subside overnight tonight, and we can get back on the road in the morning. I’m sorry we didn’t make it back tonight, there wasn’t any point in sitting out there on the highway with the pile up and the bad weather. This probably doesn’t feel like it, but it’s better than being stuck out there all night.”
Coralee sighed. “It’s fine, Jake.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
“I may not know you now, but I know what ‘I’m fine’ means, Coralee. What’s going on?” Jake’s voice had become more stern, but also concerned.
