“Are you sure?” I asked, yanking my phone out of my pocket. There was a strict no phone policy at the dinner table, but this was different.
“Pretty sure.”
“Yeah, I saw something about it online too,” Ashton said.
I pulled up a weather app and typed in Garland Grove. Sure enough, wintry conditions were coming, including a blizzard and maybe an ice storm as well. “Fuck,” I muttered. “She could go to Connie’s, but I don’t know if she will. That situation is uncomfortable.”
“You should call her,” Ashton said, as if he knew anything about relationships. Hell, he might know more than I did at this point.
“Yeah. Excuse me.” I got up and went into the other room, dialing Noelle’s number. I had a feeling she wouldn’t answer, and she didn’t, so I left her a message.
“Hey, just wanted to check in because of the storm coming. Please be careful and call if you need anything, okay? I’d really like to talk, babe. I’m sorry we argued. I think we were both being a little stubborn. Will you call me back? Please?” I disconnected and went back to the dinner table. There was nothing else for me to do.
* * *
I watched the weather the next day with growing alarm. Noelle hadn’t called me back and the storm was hitting Garland Grove hard based on what I saw on the news.
“Nothing from Noelle?” Mom asked, sinking down beside me.
I was in my father’s old den, sitting in one of the chairs across from his desk because I never felt comfortable behind his desk. I missed the crotchety old bastard and was a little pissed off he’d died before we could work out our issues. I still had so many questions that would never be answered and that made it even worse.
“No,” I said to my mother in response to her question. “She’s stubborn.”
“I know a few other people like that,” she said softly.
“Who? Me and Dad?”
“And Kingston.”
“Not Ashton?”
Ashton snorted out a laugh from the doorway where he’d been standing.
She smiled. “Ashton is my most easygoing child. You’re my most driven. Kingston is the free spirit. The three of you are all so different, but I love how close you are. I hope you never lose that.”
“I don’t plan on it,” I said. “Dad put a rift between us but I’ve fought to build it back for years. It’s hard with us in three different places, but I think we’re pretty close considering everything. Is Kingston going to make it for Christmas?”
“He said he’d be here on the twenty-fourth unless there are weather delays. His flight’s supposed to land at two in the afternoon.”
“I’ll go get him,” I said.
“You need to go get Noelle,” she said gently.
I looked at her. “Mom, I don’t know what to do. She obviously doesn’t want to be with me.”
“She doesn’t want you to know how down and out she is. There’s a difference.”
“How do you know that? You met her for, like, two minutes.”
“A woman recognizes another woman who’s holding on to her pride by a thread. Believe me, I would know. Different circumstances, but I would have done anything to keep your father’s infidelity a secret. It made me feel like a failure. As a wife, a mother, and a woman. Noelle is probably dealing with the same type of thing. I don’t know what happened to her, but there was something in her eyes. The young woman I met seemed strong and independent, but extremely guarded, which means she cares about you.”
“I love how women just know all this stuff,” Ashton murmured, shaking his head. “I feel like I need to date older women.”
“There’s something to be said for older women,” I told him.
“Can I see a picture of this woman you’re screwing up with?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah.” I pulled out my phone. We had a lot of pictures together for two people who hadn’t known each other long. But my favorite was still the one of us in front of the tree, the night she’d complained she didn’t have lipstick on.
“Oh, she’s pretty,” Ashton said, leaning over. “How old?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Well, if she dumps your sorry ass, can I have her?”
I playfully punched him. “Sorry, kid. This one is mine.”
“Is she?” My mother arched one perfectly rounded brow. “Yours?”
Something twisted deep in my gut. I hadn’t meant it in a misogynistic way; I was just crazy about her and unwilling to let her go without a fight.
“Go,” Ashton said, making a shooing motion with his hands. “You know you want to.”
“I don’t know if I can get back up the mountain,” I said, already getting to my feet.
“Take the snowmobile,” Mom said.
Ashton and I both turned to look at her. “The what?”
Her cheeks actually turned pink, something I didn’t think I’d ever seen happen to my mother. “Edward bought me one for my birthday. He likes to go snowmobiling and wanted me to be able to join him.”
I had so many things to say to that, but I was too worried about Noelle. “You know what? We’re going to have a talk about this Edward person,” I said, “but not until I get back.”
“It’s on a trailer in the second garage,” she said, ignoring what I’d said. “You can hitch it to my SUV and if the roads are bad, just leave the car in the nearest parking lot and take the snowmobile.”
“Right. I need to change first.”
“Don’t forget to leave me the keys to your rental!” Ashton called. “So I have wheels while you’re gone.”
“Got it!” I ran upstairs to my room, pulling on the Under Armour I usually wore to work out, a long-sleeve thermal T-shirt, two pairs of sweats, and a hoodie. I had a waterproof winter jacket I’d wear on top of it, and that would have to be enough. I packed a small backpack I could wear on my back with a change of clothes, a toothbrush, deodorant, phone and charger, my wallet, and I’d grab protein bars and a few bottles of water before I left.
I had no idea what conditions I was going to find, but hopefully I wouldn’t need the snowmobile.
“Be careful,” Mom said, handing me three bottles of water and a few protein bars.
“You read my mind,” I said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
“Take these.” She put some little packets into my hand. “They’re hand and feet warmers. It gets cold on the snowmobile during non-blizzard conditions, so I imagine you’ll be extra cold tonight.”
“Here.” Ashton handed me his ski mask. “This’ll protect your face.”
“Thank you. Both of you.” I looked around. “I think I’m good.”
“I hooked the trailer up to Mom’s SUV while you were getting ready,” Ashton said. “So you just have to hit the road.”
“Please be careful,” Mom said. “And for the love of everything holy, text or call to let me know you got there okay.”
“Don’t worry, I’m good.” I squeezed her arm, lightly punched Ashton in the arm, and headed out to Mom’s waiting vehicle.