Misfortune: Christmas With Scrooge Read Online Free

before lifting her hair to peek outside her
car window. The last of her dying headlights left just enough light
for Laura to survey her surroundings. Her vehicle had landed in an
awkward position, a near ninety-degree angle, wedged between two
trees. The hood had been forced to a grounded halt down a steep
embankment overlooking the gorge. The gorge itself was blocked from
view by a wall of bush and trees and the night itself, which Laura
figured she should be grateful for. She was already horribly
terrified.
    When the vehicle finally came to a complete
stop, to her amazement, she was still alive. But her feet, she
discovered were trapped under the crushed area of the floorboards.
She was incapable of freeing them due to the seat belt having her
securely strapped in, and because she was basically hanging from it
like a wilted plant, she was powerless to reach behind to unfasten
the latch. She pushed again on the dashboard and tried to pull
herself back into the seat. With both hands occupied, she could not
free herself at the same time. She would need an extra pair of
hands. With a frustrated cry, she allowed herself to drop back
against her restraints once again.
    The only alternative for her at that moment
was to cry for help. Which she had been doing with no success. She
wondered how long she had been down there. At least forty minutes
she figured but, with a resigned sob, she knew no one would be
leaving the party for another three hours. The snow had begun to
fall steadily. No doubt what was left of her tracks would be
completely covered within the next hour. And the fact remained, no
one would be missing her.
    Her situation appeared resolute. The thought
of dying a slow and agonizing death in her seat belt had her
attempting her efforts once more. She refused to give up. Pushing
as hard as her tired arms allowed, she pulled with all her effort
to free her feet. With no luck. Frustrated, she cried out in anger,
slamming her steering wheel with her fist.
    “Hello? Are you in the car?” A male voice
broke through the still night.
    Completely taken by surprise, Laura remained
speechless, until it registered in her brain. She was being
rescued. With a sob of relief, she responded, “Yes, yes. I'm in
here.”
    She heard someone moving about outside and
then a huge form loomed out of the dark beside her driver side
window. She gasped in alarm before she realized it was her
rescuer.
    He bent down and peered into the darkened
vehicle. Even in the blackness, Laura could make out the thick mat
of dark hair, the square jaw, and the cold steel of his narrowed
eyes. Recognition was swift.
    Dexter O’Reilly. Of all people to save her
life, it had to be him.
    Through the glass window, he squinted his
eyes to get a better glimpse of the car’s occupant. It was a woman.
And, non-too-gracefully, she hung like a fern from her seat belt.
She turned her head in his direction, raised a hand and swept a
curtain of chestnut hair from her face.
    Something hit him hard in the pit of his
stomach. It was the woman from the party. He noticed her right
away, the moment he walked in the hall. It had been a long time
since he registered the beauty of a woman, but it only took seconds
where she was concerned. Actually it surprised him, and admittedly,
scared him.
    Quickly, he buried those hazardous thoughts,
not wishing to explore them. “Are you all right? Have you been
injured?”
    She shook her head. “No, but my legs are
trapped.”
    Surveying the situation, he began pulling on
the door handle. It didn't give. Glancing at the vehicle's front
end, it was impossible to see the extent of damage due to the dark
of night. “I'm going to have to break the window. Turn your head in
the opposite direction.”
    She did as was told. In the next instant, she
heard a loud smash before a cascade of broken glass rained down on
her. He quickly reached inside and began brushing the broken pieces
away. Then leaning through the broken window, he examined