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CHAPTER1
Noah Baker stood at the rental car counter with his best friend and glared at the woman behind the computer. He refused to let her ruin this trip.
For the first time in years, he was going to spend his Christmas holidays with his father and his father’s new wife. After all the crazy they had experienced over the years with his mother, he was hoping that this time his father had found happiness. “I rented a four-wheel drive vehicle just in case of a storm.”
“Sir, we have your vehicle ready, but what I’m telling you is that you are not going anywhere. The highway between here and Whitefish has been closed. I’m suggesting that you call this hotel right now and book a room before they’re all sold out.”
Stunned, he glanced at Hannah. Had she heard what this woman was telling them? The roads were closed? Why would they close the roads? And hotel rooms selling out? It wasn’t like a rock concert was in town or anything.
“What do you mean sold out?”
“The biggest storm of the season is expected to hit this afternoon. Right now, there are still hotel rooms available. Soon they will be filled with travelers getting off the highway, unable to go anywhere. You can take your vehicle, but you’re not getting out of town.”
She spoke to him, a doctor, like he was an idiot. This would be his first Christmas with his father since the elder remarried and he wanted to get to Whitefish. But it looked like they were going to be delayed getting there.
Hannah had taken out her cell phone and called the hotel the girl recommended. Surprised, he watched her level-headed way of taking charge when he seemed reluctant.
This was why they worked so well together. Sometimes he got caught up in the details and Hannah just went with the flow.
The blonde-haired woman stood off to the side of the counter making the phone call.
“Yes, ma’am. We just landed at the airport and they’re telling us to find a hotel room. Do you have any available?”
She started laughing. “All right, we’ll take it. Let me give you a credit card number to hold the reservation. We’ll be there just as soon as we leave the airport.”
It appeared they had hotel rooms and would not be traveling to Whitefish today. He’d need to call his father and let him know the roads were closed.
“Thank you,” Hannah said to the clerk behind the counter. “It’s all taken care of. We got the last room. Let’s get the Jeep, load up our suitcases, and go.”
The girl behind the counter seemed relieved and he glanced behind them. There was a long line of people trying to get cars before this storm hit. Maybe he should be thankful they had a Jeep and now it appeared they had a hotel room.
Once they walked away from the counter, he caught up to Hannah. “When we get our vehicle, check the local news websites to make certain the roads are closed. I can’t believe they would close a major highway before a storm began.”
Wasn’t this when the snowplows were used? Was the girl lying to him?
“You’ve never lived where there are snowstorms. In Wyoming, they have gates that come down and lock across the roads so people like you don’t get stuck in the snow and expect to be rescued.”
Never would he have expected the roads to close, and besides, he was a smart man who would not take a chance if he didn’t think he could get through. And yet, right now, he wanted to get on the road to Whitefish. He wanted to see his father and meet his new stepmother. It had been so long since they spent time together and he was looking forward to seeing his parent.
At least his father was happy once again.
When they found their vehicle, they packed in their suitcases and then climbed into the Jeep.
As much as he wanted to meet his stepmother, he was glad that his best friend Hannah had agreed to come with him. She didn’t have a place to go so he invited her to tag along. Besides, he liked her being with him during difficult times and this felt stressful.
Friends for over six years, they had helped one another get through medical school, their residency, and now worked side by side at a hospital in Houston, Texas. And no, there wasn’t snow in Houston most winters.
She had her phone out, checking the highway department website for road closures.
“All roads between Missoula and Whitefish are closed because of blowing snow. Evidently the storm is already impacting the area north of here that leads to Whitefish. We’re screwed. I’m glad I managed to get us a hotel room.”
“You only got one room?”
“That was all that was left. I had to give her a credit card number to put a hold on the room, otherwise, it would have been gone when we got there.”
With a sigh, he followed the GPS directions to the hotel. As much as he and Hannah were close friends, he had kept it on a strictly friends basis. He’d watched his adoptive parents try to work together and the fights that ensued.
He wanted to keep his relationship with Hannah platonic. If they were to become lovers, he feared losing their professional relationship. And yet, there had been many times over the years that he’d longed to kiss her and do even more.
