Stranded On Christmas (2 page)

I
filled up the car with gas along with about a thousand other people
at the local station. It was the last one before you get on the
highway, so it was popular on a day like today. Christmas vacation
was starting, and everyone was on the road to visit their families.
The gas stations here in Chicago were stuffed on a normal day, but
today it was crazy.

Once
I had a full tank, Pumpkin and I were off for good.

I
thought about stopping at a restaurant to get something to eat, but
then I would have to leave Pumpkin in the car. It was too cold for
something like that. Besides, I desperately needed to lose weight.
Less food meant less me, and the less I was, the more men would be
interested in me.

Maybe
I could really do it this time. I didn't have that much to lose, just
two dress sizes. I might even be a knock out if I had a bit more
self-discipline.

Being
loved had to be better than any food could taste?

Jessie

This
was the single most stupid idea that I had ever had. I could hardly
see out of the windshield. The wipers were going as fast as they
could, and I could hardly see the road. I was worried that I would
hit another car or get hit by one driving behind me.

I
hadn't seen another car in over an hour. Of course, I was the only
one dumb enough to be out in a blizzard.

The
guy jabbering away at me on the radio was giving out a storm warning.
I wished I had heard the warning before I took off so poorly
prepared. I didn't have my cell powered up. This was just asking for
trouble.

I
turned the heat down low and started to pray that a city would come
into sight. I was running low on gas and I feared that I wouldn't be
able to keep the car on the road.

I
looked over at Pumpkin. I had not only endangered myself but also
him. I had a very bad feeling about this. I didn't think that we
would make it. But I wasn't about to give up. I had to continue, and
I had to try to stay calm. I could never do this if I lost my wits.

I
knew I was totally lost. I must have missed my turn off. By this
time, I should have been at my aunt and uncle's house. I was going
slowly but steadily.

I
needed a miracle to help me get the car somewhere safe. I needed a
gas station and motel, one that would take dogs.

I
would lie and check in, leaving Pumpkin in the car. Get him in when
it was safe. Great, now I had a plan, but I needed a warm room to
carry out my plan.

I
couldn't do it. The car was starting to make loud noises of protest.
Tears built up in my eyes. The car was slowing down. Then it just
stopped. I turned the key to shut it off. What was I going to do? I
couldn't see a thing. Now no one would see me either.

I
wasn't even positive that I was on a main road. For all I knew I
could be stranded in the middle of a field or inches from running
into a tree. I could even be parked right in front of someone's
house.

I
honked the horn in what I hoped would be the SOS pattern. I did it
over and over again. After five minutes, I gave up.

I
looked over at Pumpkin. He wasn't worried. He had faith in me to take
care of him.

I
had failed him.

I
patted my lap, and he jumped onto it. He cuddled with me, trying to
lick my face, like I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I
started to cry. This was it. I had killed myself, and I was even
taking Pumpkin down with me.

My
car door opened. A man was standing beside me, looking down into my
car. Was he an angel, coming to collect us? He was blond with blue
eyes, supporting my angel theory. His face was cut so fine and yet
rugged. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen.

“
Are
you all right, miss?”

I
lifted my head away from the steering wheel. The cold wind was
blowing in at me. I was freezing now. I figured that heaven would be
warmer, so this must actually be happening. “I'm lost, and I ran
out of gas.” I told him.

“
Okay,
first things first. I need to get you into the house. Are you hurt in
any way besides being cold?”

Him
saying the word cold was making me notice exactly how cold I was. I
was shivering with my teeth chattering. “I'm fine, otherwise.”

“
Great,”
he sighed with relief.

“
I'm
so sorry for this.”

“
That's
all right. Just come on out, and I’ll help you walk to my house. It
isn't that far.”

“
I
have my dog with me.” I leaned back, so he could see Pumpkin.

He
reached in and grabbed hold of Pumpkin, slipping him inside of his
jacket. Pumpkin must have been seriously cold because he didn't bark
at him. He hated strangers, especially other men. He had never warmed
up to Jamie.

Maybe
I could learn a thing or two from my dog. His instincts were,
clearly, better than mine. And his were telling him that this guy was
okay. I got out of the car. My feet sank deep into the snow.

“
I'm
truly sorry for making you come out in this weather,” I told my
rescuer.

“
That's
okay. I have a fire going. Come on, let's get you warmed up. I'd bet
you would love a cup of hot chocolate, too.” He reached around me.

I
was leaning on him as I tried to walk through the snow in designer
boots, cursing myself for wearing tights and a skirt today.

“
Thank
you so much. You’re being really great about this.”

“
Well,
I'm not going to let you die.” He was smiling at me. He looked even
better when he smiled.

It
took about ten minutes to get to his house through the high snow
banks. I still feared that I would freeze to death on the way.

I
exhaled relieved when he had us in the house with the door closed
tightly behind us. It was nice and warm in here. I felt a need to rub
the feeling back into my legs. The cold wind had bitten at them. The
tights were proving to be completely inadequate against the cold.

“
I
need to get your car off the road. I don't think that anyone will
come by tonight anymore, but we don't need another scare tonight.”

“
But
the gas is all gone.” I was a little proud that I had still been on
a road, despite the rest of my stupidity.

“
I'll
get my tractor and pull it off the road. Don't worry about anything.
You can go up to my room and take a warm shower. I'll take care of
everything. Just tell me your name first.”

“
It's
Jessica. And you are?”

“
It’s
a pleasure to meet you, Jessica. My name is Gideon. I'll be right
back. Do you need anything from your car?”

“
Yes,
if it isn't a bother?”

He
waited patiently for me to continue.

“
I
have a couple of suitcases in the trunk and Pumpkin's basket, doggy
dishes and food are in the car too.”

He
grinned at the name Pumpkin, but he didn't say anything. He just
nodded and went back out into the cold. What a great guy, I thought
as I looked around. I loved hearing him say that he would take care
of everything. That wasn’t something that I had heard often in
life.

He
hadn't said that there was anyone else was in the house, but he also
hadn't said that there wasn't. I looked at the hallway and peeked up
the stairs. I went up the stairs feeling like an intruder. I opened a
couple of doors looking for his bedroom.

I
found one that had a gray blanket on a brass bed. It had looked the
most manly.

All
the rooms had been old fashioned with antique furniture, not the fine
kind that you see in auction houses but the simple sturdy kind.
Otherwise, the rooms were very plain, like no one actually lived
here.

I
opened a door and saw that it was his closet. He didn't have much,
mostly work clothes. I quietly closed the door. He was being
exceptionally nice to me. I didn't want to snoop.

I
opened the next door and found myself standing in a very modern
bathroom. I figured that he had bought a fixer-upper and was working
from room to room.

This
one was finished. It looked great. It had a huge bathtub and double
sinks. Unfortunately, he had chosen gray tiles and black slate floor.
The room was very dark but extremely elegant. It was masculine. With
a couple of rose-colored towels and some scented candles this room
could be feminized. From the absence of such touches, I guessed that
he was single.

I
shook my head at myself. There was no way that he would be interested
in me. Not even Jamie, who was going to take me to his parents, was
really in love with me.

I
got undressed quickly and took a warm shower. The hot water felt so
good. I hurried out and wrapped myself up in one of his huge gray
towels. I rubbed my body to dry myself off. My blood was finally
circulating like it should.

Once
I was dry, I looked at myself in the mirror that covered the area
over the sinks from wall to wall and up to the ceiling.

I
noted that I was a little cuddly. Not obese but definitely not model
thin either. My breasts were nice sized because of the extra pounds.
My waist could be tinier. I wished that I had done all of those
exercise DVDs that I'd bought over the years. If I had a bit more
discipline, I would be profiting from it now. Maybe if I were
prettier or smarter, I could be at Jamie's parents' house right now,
and he would be smiling at me. It was a nice dream.

I
snapped out of it when I heard the loud puffing of a tractor outside.
I went to the window and looked out. The snow was really coming down.
Thick heavy flakes were falling on the other side of the window.
Gideon was on the tractor with my car hitched up behind him. He
pulled into a well-lit barn.

Then
I saw him coming out with all of my things. He had one suitcase was
tucked under his arm, and one he held by the handle. In his other arm
he had Pumpkin's basket with the dishes and dog food in the basket.
He closed the barn door with his foot. Then he ducked his head down
because of the cold wind and hurried into the house.

I
heard him downstairs. He was talking to Pumpkin. It sounded like he
was feeding him and talking about laying his basket next to the
fireplace.

This
Gideon was making lots of points with me. I was hoping that I would
be able to pay him back one day.

I
heard him coming up the stairs, so I wrapped the towel closely around
my body. He walked right over to the door. I felt my heart pumping
even harder. Would he just come in?

He
knocked, and even though I knew that he was there I jumped a little.
“Jessica, I have your suitcases right here. I'm leaving now, so you
can come out and get dressed into something warm. I'll be downstairs
making you a cup of hot chocolate. If you need anything, just
holler.” He had spoken loudly. He didn't seem to know that I could
hear him so well in here.

“
Thank
you so much, Gideon. I really appreciate everything that you’re
doing for me. Thank you.”

“
You're
welcome, Jessica.”

I
listened and heard him leaving and closing the door. He went
downstairs. I could hear him talking to Pumpkin again.

I
snuck out, opened up a suitcase, and got out the warmest clothes I
had packed. I went downstairs with my feet packed up in two pairs of
socks. One pair was under my leggings, and one pair was over them. I
was wearing one of those long sweater dresses with a turtleneck under
it. I peeked into the living room and saw my dog in his basket by a
fieldstone fireplace, looking like that was his God-given place in
this world.

“
Jessica,”
Gideon called out to me. He had just walked into the room through a
swinging door from the kitchen. He had a tray with two mugs on it in
his hands.

This
guy was a dream come true.

“
I
was thinking that we should sit down by the fire, so you can warm up
better.”