Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella) Read Online Free

 
    “Do you think we should pull over somewhere?” she asked.
    Alex didn’t want to admit defeat when they were so close, but the roads had definitely deteriorated. “We’ve only got another fifteen miles, and I think we can get there no problem. But it’s gonna take a while, unless a plow comes through and clears a path.”  
    In the distance, he spotted the fuzzy glow of lights at the side of the road. A minute later they came upon a combination gas station/convenience store. The station’s bright overhead lights illuminated the snow-coated building. “What do you say we pull over and see if they have a weather update.”
    “I’m good with that.”  
    Plus, after that jumbo soda, he could use the bathroom. Someone had plowed the station not that long ago, so the lot was much better than the actual highway. Alex turned into a parking spot in front of the store. The strong winds had drilled snow onto one side of the building and wiped it clean on another.
    “Why don’t you go first, because if we both open our doors at the same time the wind will blow everything right out of here,” Alex said.
    Kate slipped into her coat and grabbed her purse. “All set.” She hopped out; the wind blew her hair straight back as she pushed her door closed and ran inside.
    Alex forced his door open. Piercing cold air took his breath away. He squinted to prevent the icy snow from stabbing his eyes and ran the few steps to the entry door.
    “Whew!” He shuddered and shook his head. Snow flew off his hair like a bad case of dandruff.
    “Oh my god, it’s freezing out there.” Katie hugged herself from the cold as she headed to the restroom.
    Colored Christmas lights twinkled from the store windows, lighting up a display of chewing tobacco. The sales counter featured crowded displays of lighters, holiday hard candies, Amish fudge, and a dozen other impulse buys. An older guy, maybe in his sixties and wearing a red, flannel shirt and glasses that reminded Alex of his Grandpa, stood behind the counter. Red foil garland decorated the wall of cigarettes.
    “It’s pretty nasty driving out there,” the man commented.
    “The last few miles have been the worst. Have you heard any updates?” Alex asked.
    “Here, take a look.” The man placed a laptop on the counter and turned it Alex’s direction.  
    The radar showed a huge white blob of precipitation covering upper Wisconsin and extending back into Minnesota. When Alex checked radar this morning, the snowfall predictions were low. “I thought the storm was supposed to be north of us.” He stared at the white cloud that covered most of the monitor.
    “Weather men are no better today than they were thirty years ago. All that high-tech equipment and they only predicted three inches of snow. Now they’re saying twelve to twenty before this thing is done.”
    Alex looked outside at the white-out conditions. “Seen any plows? We’ve only got fifteen miles to go and a plow sure would make life easier.”
    “Not for a while. Hard to say what they’ll do with it being the holidays and all.”
    Katie appeared wearing a disarming smile. She noticed the radar. “Holy crud! Look at that.”  
    Alex held back his grin as she peered at the screen. Her glossy, brown hair flowed over her shoulders. She turned her amber eyes on him, her long, dark lashes waved. “What do you think? Can we get through?”
    “That’s what we were just talking about. If we don’t try to get through now, I don’t know when we will. This is only the front end of the storm. It’s going to last for quite a while.”  
    Katie pursed her lips as she concentrated on the radar screen.
    “If you don’t want to drive any more tonight, there’s a small motel, the Do Drop Inn, up the road a mile or so.” The clerk gestured to the north.
    Alex preferred to drive through the snow and arrive tonight, versus waiting until the snow stopped, but he felt he should hear Katie’s thoughts, too. “What do you