Santa’s Mistletoe Playbook

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

DANICA

“ T hat was the worst flight I’ve ever had in my life!” Danica squeaked out as she and Bryson made their way down to baggage claim at Anchorage International Airport. Her stomach still roiled. “All I saw were killer icebergs leering at me each time the plane pitched and rolled.”

He chortled. “We landed in strong Turnagain winds blowing a snowstorm across Cook Inlet. You should be in a commercial fishing boat during one.”

“No, thanks.” She shuddered at the thought of him freezing on a boat in this icy ocean. He’d always been proud of the fish money he’d earned that helped him through medical school.

“Fun, huh?” Bryson smiled, brushing back his auburn hair. “You get used to it when you grow up here.”

“So far, I’m not convinced.” Danica eyed the offending, blowing snow outside. “Did you call an Uber?”

“Yep.” He tapped his phone, then reached over and tugged one of Danica’s massive bags off the conveyor belt. “Jeez, Danni, what do you have in this thing?”

“Every stitch of warm clothes I own.” She hoisted her second large bag from the fast-moving conveyor belt.

Bryson spotted his duffle, grabbed the long strap, and lifted it over his shoulder. Once they had their bags, Bryson led them a short distance outside to the line of waiting cars. “Come on, Danni, the driver is at the back of this line.”

“Great.” The sideways blowing snow made it difficult for her to see. She grimaced at her over-sized bags and spit out a renegade snowflake. “Can’t we wait until he pulls up here?”

Bryson stepped over and grabbed one of her bags, and together they rolled them through the deep snow to the back of the line. How convenient it would be if her luggage wheels were equipped with four-wheel drive.

The Uber driver blinked its lights.

“There’s our ride!” called out Bryson.

Danica couldn’t see much of anything, with cold white stuff blowing across her face, sticking to her eyelashes. She closed an eye and squinted. “Thank goodness.”

The driver hopped out to help them, and Danica winced as he crammed their gear into the small SUV. The bumper was smashed in, which did nothing to calm her nerves.

She tugged at the back door, and it wouldn’t give. The toothless driver gave it a yank. With a creak and a clunk, the door opened, and Danica ducked into the back seat. The driver wrestled it closed, but he had to slam it a few times so it would stay that way.

Bryson got in on the other side, and the driver took the wheel. “Heading up to the Anchorage Hillside, huh?” He shot a toothless grin at them in the rearview as he pulled out, almost side-swiping a speeding truck.

Danica gulped and flicked her eyes at her boyfriend.

“Yes sir, up to Stuckagain Heights Drive on the upper Hillside,” said Bryson.

A clump of snow blew onto Danica’s window, and she jerked her head back.

Once the driver cleared the airport, he picked up speed as if racing in the Daytona, fishtailing down the snow-laden streets. Danica’s nausea percolated into her gut again, renewed by this joker’s crazy driving through this blinding snowstorm.

“Bry, can you please tell him to slow down?” she whispered, elbowing him. “I don’t want to barf all over his car.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll get us there,” Bryson mumbled as the car swerved sharply to the right.

Danica held her breath, expecting the driver to spin a donut. She breathed relief when he regained control of the car and steered straight ahead.

“So, where are you folks from?” asked the driver, peering at them in his rearview mirror as the car swung the other way.

Danica wanted to yell, “ Eyes on the road, buddy!” Instead, she clamped her mouth shut, hoping not everyone up here drove like this piece of work.

The driver punched his brakes and skidded to a stop at a red light, nearly sliding through a busy intersection.

Danica’s heart jumped into her mouth, along with her stomach’s contents. All she had was her large purse, so she fumbled it open and deposited her digested burger and fries into it.

Bryson drew back in disgust. “I can’t believe you just did that.” He scrambled for his handkerchief and handed it to her.

She grimaced. “Couldn’t help it. What else was I supposed to do?”

The stench of vomit filled the car, and Danica turned her face toward the window, where snow morphed into droplets, beetling down the glass.

“Want me to pull over, ma’am?” The driver aimed another toothless grin at the rearview, then prattled on about his buddies getting sick on a wild flight to somewhere she couldn’t pronounce.

Everything was blanketed in white. Miraculously, the Uber made it across town, and the driver started the gradual ascent uphill to the upper Anchorage Hillside, slipping and sliding all the way.

“Probably shouldn’t stop, or we won’t get going again,” joked the driver.

“Then don’t stop.” Danica tried lowering her fogged-up window for some fresh air, but she couldn’t budge it. She wiped the glass with her hand, but the snow stuck to the outside so she couldn’t see anything, anyway.

Soon, they were on a road that headed through the middle of a dense forest. She nudged Bryson. “What kinds of trees are these? Doesn’t the heavy snow break the branches off?”

“Spruce. They’re hearty and strong. Aren’t they beautiful?” Bryson gazed at them like a little boy admiring a forest of giant candy bars.

Danica’s eyes darted nervously from one side of the road to the other, estimating the towering snow drifts must be at least ten feet tall. The driver shifted into low range four-wheel drive, and she prayed they wouldn’t get stuck.

It was a wonder how the driver saw through the windshield with this insane amount of snow attacking it. They passed a slew of mailboxes encompassed in snow, then the Uber made a sharp turn to the right. They rode a short distance, and the driver stopped in front of a house that looked more like a mansion.

“Here you go.” The driver left the engine running and climbed out to unload their bags. At least they were finished with Mr. Frog’s wild ride.

They dragged their bags through the snow, and up the wide steps leading to the sizeable front porch. Bryson tramped to the double doors and punched in the combination to the lock his father had texted him.

“Bryson, look!” shouted Danica, pointing to a cow moose and her calf running across the spacious front yard. They leaped through the snow as if it weren’t there. In hot pursuit were two wolves loping after them.

“Oh, no! They’ll kill the baby! Do something!” Danica watched the animals until they disappeared into the spruce forest.

Bryson chuckled. “Welcome to Alaska. Don’t worry. Mama moose will defend her calf. I’ve seen a cow moose hold off two bears at one time.”

“You didn’t tell me the Discovery Channel would be in the front yard.” Danica wondered what she’d gotten herself into. Wolves and moose running around loose?

“That’s normal for around here.” The combination lock clicked open, and Bryson opened the door. “Let’s get you inside to warm up. I’m sorry you got sick. You should probably clean out your purse.”

“Jeez, you think?” Danica stepped inside and peeked inside her purse. “Oh no, I barfed on my wallet and my phone,” she groaned.

“I’ll help you clean everything,” Bryson assured her.

Despite her misgivings about visiting Alaska in winter, she bit her tongue and refrained from complaining. She was determined to start things off on a positive note with Bryson. The last thing she wanted was to get off on the wrong foot.

“Okay.” Danica took him up on his offer since he was used to his patients vomiting at work.

She was taken aback by the enormity of the lovely home, especially the gargantuan fireplace in the study, where paintings and sculptures adorned walls and tables, like an Alaskan art museum.

Danica beelined for the neatly stacked firewood next to the hearth. She lifted a few pieces and set them on the iron grill. She tucked kindling in between and lit a match from a metal moose mouth holder on a nearby table. Flames licked up immediately.

“Yeah! Heat me up, baby!” yelled Danica. She turned her back to the flames, loving the instant heat.

Bryson entered the study and moved to her. He cradled her face and kissed her. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then we’ll unpack. Hot tub or shower?”

“Hands down, the hot tub.” Danica followed him upstairs to a bathroom that was as spacious as a bedroom. He ran the water into the spacious tub and turned on the jets. Danica stripped down and crawled in.

“Now you can relax,” said Bryson. “Mom and Dad want you to feel at home during your stay. They regret not being here, but they’d already gone to Belize by the time I called.”

“Thank you. I so needed this,” she moaned, sinking into the luscious water.

“I’ll be in the bedroom unpacking and getting us situated. How about a soda?”

“That would be great.” The hot water felt divine, and her stress and anxiety melted away. “Things will get better from here.”

“Of course they will.” He kissed her forehead, then clicked a tiny remote. Several candles all around her instantly lit up.

Bryson returned with a frosty can of Ginger Ale and set it on

“Sweet. I have to get some of those.” The cool carbonation felt good sliding down her throat and also calmed her touchy stomach.

It wasn’t her holiday vacation of choice, but now that she was here, she resolved to keep a positive attitude and support Bryson as best she could.

She wiggled her toes and crossed her fingers in the frothy water, hoping for the one Christmas present that would change her life forever.