The Noel Bridge

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

T he next morning when her alarm went off, Alicia rolled onto her back and tried to gain focus through the gray light filtering in through the window of her room. After everything that happened the day before, she’d been as exhausted as she was when she had long shifts at work, and she’d fallen right to sleep. And, surprisingly, she hadn’t stirred in the night once.

As she lay there in the light of day, Leo’s missing father was the first thing that came to her mind. Was he out there struggling somewhere while she’d been cocooned in her soft bedding? The image gave her a shiver.

The fire Mr. Fairlane had started for her last night had been reduced to glowing embers. All she wanted to do was throw another log on it and curl back up under her fluffy blankets and close her eyes. But her mind was too busy, she had a flight to catch, and she’d promised to meet Evelyn for breakfast.

She climbed out of bed and started the shower, testing the water until it was warm enough to get in. After a deep breath, she leaned into the spray to let it run over her face. Eyes closed, her mind plunged into the memory of standing inside the bridge in the darkness, that all-too-familiar phrase filling her mind: I knew this would happen .

It had only been nine months, but already she couldn’t be sure if it had been Bo’s voice she’d heard. How could she not be sure? Was she already forgetting what he sounded like?

She didn’t want to think about it, so she put her focus on washing quickly, drying off, and getting ready for the day.

With her suitcases packed and the room tidied, she lugged her bags down the stairs, then opened the app on her phone to check in for her flight. The app wouldn’t load. With a sigh, she swiped it closed and then reopened it.

Mrs. Fairlane came around the corner. “Checking out with no breakfast?”

“I’m meeting Evelyn Baton at the coffee shop.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. I’ll bet the two of you have some catching up to do.”

“Yes,” Alicia said to be agreeable.

“I hope you can get out,” Mildred said. Before Alicia could respond, the woman was already moving away from her. “Stay right there. I’ll get Clyde. I’m sure he’ll want to see you off.”

Alicia wasn’t sure she had time to wait, but she did want to see Mr. Fairlane. It would be nice to tell him goodbye. She tried again to get the app to open, but it wouldn’t.

“You’ll have to connect to our Wi-Fi or I doubt you’ll get service,” Clyde said, coming down the hallway. He pointed to the sign with the log-in and password.

“Why’s that?” Alicia put the phone into her back pocket.

Mr. Fairlane tugged open the front door and an arctic blast took her breath away. She gaped at the thick blanket of white covering everything, including her Tahoe. Only a haphazard path about a foot wide had been shoveled out to the road.

And the snow continued to fall.

Her first fear wasn’t how she’d get to breakfast or if she’d make her flight. She thought of Leo’s dad. No one could survive outside in all of this. She wanted to check on Leo to see if he was okay and if there was any news about his father.

“We’ve had blizzard conditions over the last two hours. The plow’s gone through on the main roads, so you can probably get into town, but my parking lot is still a block of ice and snow. I called a snow removal company, but they’re backlogged, as you can imagine.”

“How long until they can get here?” she asked while switching her phone over to Wi-Fi and logging in to her airline’s app.

“They said three hours at the least.”

Her shoulders fell. “I’m going to miss my flight.”

Mr. Fairlane closed the door. “On the news this morning, they said the storm was pretty wide. There are considerable delays and cancellations. It’s worth checking to see if your flight is still scheduled.”

With a sigh, she rubbed the cold off her arms. “Well, is there any way I can tack on another night or two here?”

Indecision spread across his face. “I’m sorry. The room is booked and the couple is already here.”

“How?” she asked, more to herself than as a question for Mr. Fairlane.

“Their friends somehow managed to drop them off this morning. I have no idea how. They’re waiting by the fire in the lounge until the room is ready. It’s their anniversary.”

“They couldn’t stay with their friends for a few nights, since it’s an emergency?” She felt terrible even asking, given that they were celebrating.

“I’m not sure.” His gaze moved back and forth as he considered. “You could stay on the sofa in our suite.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind,” she said.

She didn’t want to put them out or sleep on their sofa, but what other option did she have? She needed to call Evelyn and let her know she was snowed in and then try to call the airline. And she needed to alert the rental company that she wouldn’t be able to return the Tahoe today.

Alicia patted her suitcases. “Do you mind if I leave these here and make a few phone calls?”

“Not at all. Come, come.” He beckoned her. “Sit by the fire. Would you like a mug of cocoa or anything?”

“No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”

“All right. Let us know what you decide.”

“Okay.”

The couple taking her room was deep in conversation, laughing over a half-empty carafe of mimosas. Alicia went over to one of the chairs in the corner by the Christmas tree. She searched for the airline’s number and called them first. As expected, the line was busy, so she tried the car rental company’s number from her confirmation email. No luck there either. With only ten minutes until she was supposed to meet Evelyn, she called her friend.

“Hey, I’m sort of… stuck,” she said when Evelyn answered. She explained the situation quietly so as not to disturb the happy couple across the room.

“Don’t worry,” Evelyn replied. “My car’s been in the garage under my apartment in town all night, and the garage opens to the main road. Everything between here and the Fairlanes’ has been plowed. I can be there to get you in about five minutes. ”

“Okay,” Alicia said.

“See if you can make it out to the main road.”

Alicia ended the call and slumped back into the chair. She should’ve gone to Key West with her family. What was she supposed to do now?

She took in a slow breath and let it out, trying to clear her mind. She’d had harder days than this, and she knew what she had to do: take things one step at a time. She’d focus on getting to breakfast. Once she was in town, she could try the airline again and hopefully still get a flight out today.

She buttoned up her coat and tightened the belt. Then she found the Fairlanes to tell them she was going into town and she’d let them know if she couldn’t get a flight. With resolve, she took a suitcase in each hand and went out into the frigid air to make her way up to the road.

It wasn’t long before Evelyn’s Honda appeared. Her friend stopped in front of her and popped the trunk. Alicia put her suitcases in and shut it. Then she climbed into the car, relishing the warmth.

“Can you believe all this?” Evelyn asked as she turned the car around in the middle of the empty street. “We haven’t seen snow like this in ages.”

“It’s unbelievable. I’ve got a rental vehicle I’m paying for by the day, and if I can’t get to my flight, which may already be canceled, I’ll have to sleep on Clyde and Mildred Fairlane’s sofa. They’ve already booked my room for tonight.”

“You can stay with me. I’m off for Christmas break except for the Christmas production, and I need to spend”—she threw up air quotes—“ quality time with my parents and make our annual gingerbread house. It usually takes us a couple days, but otherwise, with all this snow, I’ll be bored stiff. We can bake Christmas cookies, drink too much wine, and binge on late-night movies.”

The offer was definitely more enticing than her alternative accommodations.

“It’ll be fun! Like old times.” Evelyn made the turn to head toward downtown.

Alicia tried to decide which option would be more exhausting. Spending time with Evelyn had been easier than she’d expected. And it was bound to be a few days before she could get out.

“It’s really not an imposition, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Evelyn said. “I have a two-bedroom apartment, so you’d have your own room.”

Her own room… “All right,” Alicia said. “I’ll just have to let the Fairlanes know.”

Evelyn squealed in excitement.

Was she really up for this? Alicia wondered. Since losing Bo, she hadn’t spent a full twenty-four hours being social with anyone.

Evelyn pulled into an open spot near the coffee shop and they got out of the car. Despite the snow, the shop was still busy. The small chalkboard sign outside boasted, The warmest spot in town! with little holly leaves drawn around it.

Alicia immediately thought of Dean again. There was something tragic about the situation that had settled in her gut and wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Hey, do you mind if I run down to the diner really quick? I want to talk to Leo.”

“The owner?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” Evelyn pointed through the window. Leo was inside the coffee shop, standing in line.

An unusual sensation washed over Alicia this time—relief. While she’d spoken to countless people at work and in the days after Bo’s passing, she couldn’t deny the difference between those experiences and the one she’d had yesterday with Leo when he’d told her he’d lost his mom.

Evelyn reached around her, opened the door, and they went inside. “I’ll get us a table and breakfast menus.”

“Okay,” Alicia replied, already focused on Leo. “Be right back.” She crossed the busy shop and tapped him on the shoulder.

Leo turned and then stepped out of line to greet her. Her pulse raced with worry at the sight of the dark circles under his eyes.

“Hey, I was about to run over to the diner to check on you. Any news on your dad?”

He shook his head, his lips turned down in anguish. “I’ve been up all night looking for him. I drove the streets until it was too dangerous to drive.” Tears welled in his bloodshot eyes, and he cleared his throat. “The sheriff’s office has been combing the woods. Dad was in the military… He can survive this, right?”

Leo’s question didn’t have a helpful answer. The reality was that Dean was an older man battling dementia, and it seemed impossible for anyone to survive exposed to the elements they’d had recently. But Alicia spoke the same unwritten language as Leo: the language of grief. Leo was in the moment just before it all came crashing down and his world changed forever.

She remembered that space in time vividly. She’d been in that state in the hospital when she’d gotten the call that Bo had been in an accident and was clinging to life. She recognized all too well the sour mixture of hope and agony that soaked through every ounce of Leo’s body. This was the wait before the irrevocable answer that could change his life forever.

She put her hand on his arm and gave him an affectionate squeeze to soothe him. To her surprise, he pulled her in for a hug. As her face lay on his chest, the scent of cotton and cedar filling her nose, she realized he needed her to help brace his emotions. The feelings were so big it took both of them to manage them. The same spirit of helping others that had drawn her to nursing gave her strength now. She shouldn’t have any left, given how she’d handled her own grief, but with Leo, she felt strong.

“I knew this would happen,” he whispered.

Her breath caught and she understood that the whisper she’d heard at the bridge had been his. Until that second, the phrase had been locked away in her memory, but now it was tangible, as if it had its own form and floated in the air between them.

He let go of her and looked into her eyes. “I can’t get it out of my head. I knew it would happen.”

She had to force the words out. “How could you know?”

“The day I left him at home, something told me not to. But he seemed fine, and I had a ton of work. Getting the staff fully trained and the business side of things up and running was so much… I worked later than I should have, and the whole day I kept feeling that I should go home. But I’d reassure myself that I’d left Dad food in the fridge and he’d just be sitting in his chair reading when I got there.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“Excuse me,” the barista cut through their conversation. “Are you ready to order?”

Alicia looked around. The line had disappeared, the last person now waiting for their coffee. As Leo stepped up to put in his order, Alicia spotted Evelyn waving from a table across the room. She leaned toward Leo.

“I’m here with a friend, but I’ll catch up with you.”

“All right.”

“Don’t leave without coming over.” She pointed to Evelyn’s table.

“Okay.”

Alicia moved across the room toward her friend.

“Wow, you move fast,” Evelyn said with a wink as she approached.

The statement was jarring after her conversation with Leo, and she struggled to make sense of it. “What?”

Evelyn nodded toward Leo. “You’re only here a couple days and you’re hugging the most eligible man in Noel. I like your style.” Her eyebrows bounced.

“Oh,” she said, gathering what Evelyn must have witnessed. “It isn’t what it looks like.” She didn’t want to get into it right then, so she left it at that, but Evelyn clearly wasn’t convinced. Alicia picked up her menu and focused on the choices, finding a few that sounded great. “Why don’t we go order while the line is down?”

They got up and went to the counter to order their breakfast. Leo was already at the other end, waiting for his coffee.

“Introduce me,” Evelyn whispered.

Given Leo’s state, Alicia felt the need to protect him. “I told him to come see us before he left. I’ll introduce you then.”

“Good idea.” Evelyn nodded. “That way it looks less contrived.” She grabbed Alicia’s arm and pulled her close. “You know, every single woman in town is itching to get to know him. ”

“Really?”

“Yes. But he doesn’t give anyone the time of day. We started to wonder if he was already taken, even though we’ve never seen anyone on his arm.” She turned and gave the barista her order, then motioned for Alicia to do the same.

“I’ll have an oat milk latte and the egg and bacon croissant, please,” Alicia said.

Leo took his coffee to one of the chairs by the fire and pulled a book out of his coat pocket. When he opened it, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually reading it. Surely she was the only person who pretended to read in public places.

“I can’t believe you’re on hugging terms already,” Evelyn continued once the barista had rung them up. She handed the woman her credit card and the woman handed her their table number. “You must be able to work miracles.”

“Believe me when I say I cannot work miracles.”

Evelyn shrugged off her coat and draped it over her arm. “It appears that you can.”

They made their way to the end of the bar and when their coffees were ready, they took them to their table.

Alicia slid her coat off, hung it on the back of the chair, and sat down. “I’m not sure he’s in the mood for socializing.”

Evelyn glanced over at him. “Why?”

“His dad’s missing.”

Her friend’s eyes rounded. “I’d heard that the other day. No one’s found him? I’d assumed they had.”

“No.” Alicia fiddled with the lid of her coffee.

“That’s terrible.”

Her friend turned toward the door and stared silently. Alicia imagined she was thinking if Dean was out there, there was no way he’d survive.

“I wish I could help him,” Alicia said.

Evelyn took the lid off her coffee and blew on the steaming drink. “If anyone can, it seems that it’s you.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Well, don’t make it obvious, but out of the corner of my eye I can see him, and he keeps looking over at you.”

While Alicia had originally wanted to stay clear of people, Leo was different. She felt a connection with him, an unspoken bond, and she couldn’t let him sit there if he needed her for any reason.

She got up. “Call me if the food comes. I’ll go see if he needs anything.”

Evelyn’s face was written with uncertainty, but Alicia walked over to where Leo was sitting. He closed his book and set it in his lap.

“You’re welcome to sit with us if you want to,” Alicia said. “My friend is overly chatty and maddeningly positive, but she means well.”

He leaned around her and surveyed their table. Evelyn offered an unsteady wave.

“I’ll have to pass today,” he said, offering her a small twitch of a smile.

“I get it,” she said. “Let me give you my number. I’d like to know when they find your dad.”

He pulled out his phone and she gave him the digits, then her phone pinged in her back pocket.

“I just texted you so you’ll have my number too. Check in any time you want.”

“Okay. ”

Evelyn beckoned her over as their food arrived. When Alicia turned to walk back to their table, her feet were frozen in place. Every fiber of her being wanted to go back to Leo and help him find his dad.