Christmas Tempest (Holiday Heartwarmers #12)

Chapter Five

Dexter Hall never left anything to chance. It was his way. He’d spent precious time researching the weather conditions. But, he’d had so much work to accomplish in a short period that he’d prolonged leaving Carlton Grove too long.

Over the last months, he’d been in a huge battle to adopt his brother’s son Dillon, and the final papers had been emailed and signed just yesterday. Dillon’s maternal grandmother, Margot, had custody of him at the moment.

For a man whose business acumen couldn’t be doubted, and his reporting skills were requested by many different newspapers, his brother’s personal life had been a shambles. Both Max and his partner Doreen had done nothing to organize care for their son or their belongings in case of their demise.

Sadly, they’d been killed in a stupid hotel fire while working together on an overseas assignment which left Dillon an orphan. The police had notified the nanny who had the name of the grandmother as a person to call in case of an emergency and the battleaxe had grudgingly stepped up.

Having had multiple conversations with his brother and listening to the disparaging remarks he’d often make about the older woman, about her greediness and sharp temper, Dex couldn’t allow his nephew to grow up with that kind of frightful personality. He needed to step up and would.

Not surprising, she’d battled against his plea for custody until he’d waived all rights to Max and Doreen’s worldly goods, including their savings, as long as he got to keep the boy… and of course, Dillon’s personal belongings. That had been the key to success. Things suddenly began to move. Arrangements were finally put in place for him to pick up the boy, and he couldn’t wait to do so.

In fact, he’d been on his way to Seattle to get Dillon and bring him home for Christmas. Unfortunately, having a growing law practice to run and in need of staff, he’d been working fifteen hours a day for months. Giving up his one-bedroom, luxury loft that had been fine for a bachelor, he’d used the few spare moments he had in a day to buy a new home. Organizing additional furniture had to be put off. Deciding to wait until Dillon arrived so he could have a say in his own décor made sense to a man with no time.

Knowing how important it would be for the boy to have good roots near a school and a neighborhood filled with families who he could engage with, Dex wanted him to have a different experience than he’d had while growing up as a city kid. Carlton Grove would provide him with a good life and would be perfect.

Because his brother and Doreen had strong ambitions, they’d moved from place to place, eventually settling in Seattle. With both of them being workaholics, Dex had often felt bad for his nephew. The boy had become studious… too quiet for an eight- year-old who’s shyness hid a rather keen intellect and a good sense of humor.

Accepting that his social skills had not developed the way Dex would have liked if Dillon had been his own son, his first goal would be to encourage the boy to spread his wings. Help him settle into this strange world of Carlton Grove where there were many possibilities of new friendships to explore.

In hopes of making things easier, he’d taken on a pet called Pretty Girl. A lovely dog he’d grown very attached to as a pup.

When his middle-aged secretary – who from time to time took in rescue animals – began bringing the puppy into the office, she’d begged Dex not to get mad. “I promise I’ll find a place to leave her during the day, but it’s been so busy, I haven’t had time. I will soon.”

And so, the dog became an office fixture. Changing from a playful puppy into a lovely dog, Dex had become enamored, and Pretty Girl had become so devoted to Dex that she soon became his shadow.

When his secretary suddenly got called home to Canada to take care of her sick mother, she’d gladly left Pretty Girl with Dex, and he’d happily become her new owner.

Thinking about her, he called out. “Hey Pretty Girl, you’re being awfully quiet back there. You can come up front and sit with me, you know.”

When he looked in the rearview mirror expecting to see his dog’s smiling face pop up, his heart stopped and started again at a much faster beat. What the hell?

“Pretty Girl.”

Again, no response. He tried angling his body so he could see in the back of the SUV where she usually slept on a pallet he’d set up for her but there was no sign of the animal.

Slowing carefully to pull over on the shoulder, his mind tumbled over his fears. Christ, when was the last time he’d seen her. Finally, after slipping and sliding on the treacherous snow, he had the car stopped safely. Cussing his dress shoes that gave little traction, he floundered to the back, opened the liftgate, and what awaited made his stomach curdle.

Empty. No sign of the dog. She wasn’t in the big SUV. His fist hit the floor of the vehicle in frustration. I’m such an idiot rushing around like a fool.

What could have happened to her? She had been there when he’d stopped at the garage for gas. She’d peered out at him through the window, making him laugh with her open-mouth grin.

Then he’d gone inside to grab a few snacks and a coffee, and she’d been… oh, no! Had she been inside? Because his heater had warmed the vehicle to where he’d become sleepy, he remembered leaving the door partly open to cool the interior down.

He had no doubt if his dog wanted out, she’d have just pushed through the gap. Yet why hadn’t she followed him? He would have seen her if she had.

Jumping back inside the idling SUV, his brain kicked in, and he began planning just how far he’d come since the turnoff from the Carlton Grove road onto the main highway. Checking the clock, he figured a couple of hours had passed, plus the time it had taken from the convenience store to the highway.

Blasted hell! Hauling his phone closer, he checked the number for the convenience store. Once he got through, he tried to control his worry and make his voice calm. “Sorry to bother you, Barney, it’s Dex. Dexter Hall. I was there a few hours ago, and it seems my Samoyed, Pretty Girl, left the car. I just realized she’s missing and figure she had to have gotten out when I stopped to gas up and buy a coffee. Have you seen her?”

“Hey, Dex, hold on, I’ll check outside.”

“Yeah. She’s here. I just tried calling her to come in but she’s ignoring me. When I went too close, she ran away. It looks like she’s waiting for you. I’ll give her some food and water. How long will it be before you get here?”

“I’m turning around now. Hopefully, just a few hours.”

“Okay, I’ll be here unless this storm picks up. My wife doesn’t like being alone then. So’s you know, it’s snowing harder, and the forecasts say it’s gonna be a blizzard, so be careful.”

“Will do. I’m on my way. Maybe I can beat the bad weather.”

Accepting that he had no choice but to go back in the direction he’d come from, he slowly eased back onto the right lane. Since the I-5 was a split highway, Dex, frustrated as all get-out, understood he’d have to keep going in the same direction until he found a junction where he could make a U-turn.

He drove for another half an hour before finding a safe turnaround, and during that time, the sky darkened, and though thin, the driving snow became like a sheet of fury. Thankfully, road plows had maintained the conditions and so driving was hazardous but doable.

Hunched over the wheel, he drove carefully, watching the miles creep by. To help pass the time, he listened to a podcast called The Climate Question that kept his mind active. Looking out the window reaffirmed their supposition that many of their normal weather conditions had drastically changed, and records were continuously being broken.

All was quiet… until a car came up behind him too fast, swerved to pass, and realized there was a truck ahead. Losing control, it skidded off the inside shoulder, dropping out of sight. The logging truck carrying a huge load, trying to give them room, failed. Instead, it also lost control, twisting across the two lanes, swaying so badly the consignment broke free from its chains. The trailer eventually slid backwards into the ditch, but not before loose logs were rolling in every direction.

Sweat pouring down his forehead, Dex fought the wheel. Worried about the car that had passed him; while trying to pull over safely behind the truck, he stiffened and used every bit of common sense to steer clear of the danger.

By the grace of the good Lord watching over him, he was able to stay on the road, albeit at a crazy angle, and without colliding with any of the runaway logs. Slowly backing away from the danger, he pulled to safety, angled himself on the shoulder, and stopped.

Quickly reaching into the back where he kept a pair of winter boots, he changed his footwear and then forced his way through the wind to where the driver hung halfway out of the large truck, upchucking his last meal.

Crouching back from the partially open door, he called out. “Hey, man, are you okay?” Using his cellphone’s flashlight app, he held it up and could see the other man looked stunned. “You need to get out of there if you can.” First kicking snow over the stinky mess and using brute force, he maneuvered the door to open wider and reached in to help. “Here, take my hand.”

“I’m o-okay. Just bumped my head. Shit, man, see my load? Blasted hell, I knew I shouldn’t have taken this last trip. Started off bad and went downhill from there.”

Dex helped the driver from the truck and bolstered the man when his knees gave way. “Here, take a minute. You’ve had a scare.”

“Is everyone okay? There was a-another car trying to pass me. He started sliding into my lane. I tried to go around. That’s when I hit the icy shoulder.”

“Hang on. I’ll see if they’re okay.” Dex helped the man to balance on the running board.

“Good. I’ll reach out for highway assistance.” The driver had his cellphone out, pressing the numbers.

Dex went down the hill to the other car now deep into the shadows and called out but got no response. Not sure if anyone could hear him over the wind, he went closer to bang on the window, but his feet hit ice and the next thing he knew, he went headfirst into their back bumper. Struggling to his feet, he forced his way to the driver’s door and was thankful when the older woman lowered her window. Peering inside, he saw the senior couple who appeared very shaken. “Everything okay in here?”

“Ye-es. I think so.” The woman looked at her passenger. “Honey, are you alright?”

“Nothing that a change of underwear won’t fix.” He grinned and reached across to his lady. “I’m fine, Dolly. Accidents happen. Don’t worry. We’ll get out of this in one piece, I promise.”

“I was going too fast and the car ahead seemed further away. Oh, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking of trying to pass in these conditions. I’m sorry.” Dolly squinted up at Dex. “I guess we’re okay. But you’re bleeding. Did you hit your head?”

Dex grinned self-consciously. “Slipped and bumped into your car just now. I’m fine.” He swiped at the blood, making light of the injury.

“What about the truck driver?”

“He’s a bit shaken and upset about his truck and the load, but things like this happen, especially in this kind of weather. He’s calling for assistance now. Sit tight. It shouldn’t be too long. Do you have everything you need?”

“We’re just fine, young man. And thanks for checking.”

With the highway blocked by the various logs strewn in every direction, the decision to continue driving had been taken out of his hands.

For the rest of the uncomfortable night, Dex and the truck driver settled into his vehicle. Once the other man started snoring, Dex sat wide awake, adrenalin working overtime, metaphorically rethinking the past few hours.

Disparaging opinions about his stupidity for not checking on Pretty Girl took root in his head. He should have made sure she was safe. Calling himself every name in the book, his worry wouldn’t stop. Finally, he drifted off, only to be woken in the early morning hours by the folks coming to their rescue.

Once they were finally allowed to continue driving, he again started in the direction of Carlton Grove to find his poor dog. As soon as daylight filtered through the darkness, he could see just how much snow had fallen and concerns about his Pretty Girl resurfaced. He prayed that Barney had been able to talk her into his store where she’d be safe. Though he’d tried to call again, there was no answer… obviously Barney had gone home to his lady.

Thankful for the highway’s conditions being maintained, nonetheless, he noticed fewer and fewer vehicles traveling. The snow had worsened, and though the winds had been hazardous before, they’d gained strength and were fiercer.

Finally, he reached the turnoff. On this road, the flakes differed from the thin sleet-like shapes he’d witnessed the night before. Now plumper, they were rapidly building. Not surprised to see how circumstances had deteriorated, it still shocked him that many others had pulled over rather than continue. Relieved that he drove a vehicle with bigger tires and four-wheel drive, he hesitated, but didn’t stop.

If he had a braincell left, he’d do what others had chosen and wait things out. But every time he thought about pulling over, he saw his Pretty Girl all alone, waiting for him.

Once he arrived at the convenience store, he spent some time fighting his way around the grounds, calling for his dog. Seeing a building totally shut down and a vacant lot, he had to accept that the dog was nowhere to be found. Again, he called Barney, this time getting through.

“Got home just before dark, Dex. I saw your dog in the distance on my way back to Carlton Grove. Tried to talk her into the car, but she ignored me.”

“Thanks, Barney. I’m on my way there now.”

Never experiencing survival in the wilderness, Dex worried that Pretty Girl would be terrified. Son of a…. grrr!

Feeling terrible about the wasted time, he had no choice. He needed to get back there and find her.

Driving carefully, putting his vehicle into the proper gear for the conditions, the miles passed slowly. He drank the hot coffee the volunteers had filled his thermos with and rubbed at his reddened, irritated eyes. Not having enough sleep made him jumpy and prone to feeling stiff. First, he exercised his hands. Then stretched his back and rolled his head to give his neck a workout.

Checking the roadside, he realized he hadn’t seen another vehicle for quite some time and began to feel alone in the world of whiteness. The road had at least a foot of snow and still building. Massaging his forehead, trying to fight off the budding headache, he didn’t see the wall of white in front of him. Not until he crashed into it and his airbag exploded.

Jolts of panic slithered over his body. As his vehicle slid into the ditch, his mind exploded.

What the hell just happened?