Page 56 of Highway To Destiny

“Spencer plans on hitting Boise. He’s needing some Evan time for sure, as well as time with his family. I’ve decided to go back home to Portland for the week. I’m at a good place in my thesis paper, so that’s not an excuse not to visit.” He paused. “You’ll be happy to know I plan on clearing the air with Kyle while I’m there.”

“I’m glad, babe. It’s been almost a year since you’ve even spoken to each other.” I tried not to keep pushing him about setting things right with his brother when we chatted by phone. It pleased me to hear things might get resolved between the two of them.

We caught each other up on the past couple of days and I told him I’d be on the road through most of December. He’d stuck his lower lip out in protest. “I know, baby, but I’m hoping to take a longer Christmas break this year to spend more time with you. It’ll be worth it.” His face lit up once I said that.

“Maybe this year, if you’ll be in Portland longer, you can help put the lights on the Christmas tree. I hate that job,” he said with a furrowed brow. I laughed at the thought.

“Your break is coming up in another two weeks, so enjoy the time with your mom, and I hope you and Kyle get things squared away. I also hope he’ll be able to look past our age difference,” I replied, scrunching my face. Connor gave me a crooked smile in return.

After a few minutes, we both said our tender goodbyes, but neither of us said ‘I love you’ before we hung up. I almost did, but my brain won out over my heart, so I held back. I did love the man, and perhaps this Christmas, I’d be brave enough to tell him.

The trip Jimhad planned would take me up into northern Idaho and then finish outside Seattle. I planned to give Jack and Sylvia a call to see if they would have the time to visit when Thanksgiving finally arrived, which was a week away.

The weather forecast didn’t look that great, with a polar blast headed through the Pacific Northwest. It would be a very cold turkey day with a threat of snow in Seattle, which was rare early in the year. I knew I’d have to traverse the Cascade Range—the mountain snow had already fallen, and I knew the temperatures would plummet even more.

Once I headed out of Spokane, picking up the latest freight, I traveled west over I-90. My delivery was to be unloaded in Ellensburg, and luckily, I would have help. The cargo consisted of heavy boxes that were wrapped and on pallets. I made sure the strapping belts were tight and secure.

It was late morning, and it had been snowing for most of it. I’d put chains on when the snow had started, knowing I’d be dealing with icy conditions. It was a necessity and required over the pass anyway, after I left Ellensburg for Seattle. I always kept under the speed limit on drives like that—most of the big rig drivers did. I’ve done it many times over numerous snowy passes through the years.

The snowplows had done a good job keeping the lanes mostly clear, but the issue was the underlying ice that remained fused to the highway through tough winters. The plows and salt trucks could only do so much.

I was almost to Ellensburg, and the wind had picked up. The issue with wind and semi-trucks is the high center of gravity that can cause the rig to be pushed around. Things were going smoothly until I came across a large swath of ice. A gust of wind hit me, causing the trailer to slip. Even with chains, slides were possible.

I knew instinctively not to overcompensate, so I used my fingertips to steer in the direction of the slide lightly. I removed my foot from the accelerator and hoped I wouldn’t jackknife my truck. I’d had it happen to me in the past, and my truck had always come out unscathed.

The rig was on a slight downgrade, and there weren’t many vehicles on the interstate around me, which I was thankful for. I came off the patch of ice and got traction again. It jarred the rig but not enough to cause further issues. The truck straightened out, and I took a deep breath, regained control, and continued to Ellensburg. I promised myself I’d try to get Jim to keep me in the southwest states during the winter if possible. There was probably a fat chance of that happening.

When I arrived at the drop-off location, there were two gentlemen to help me out. I knew the forklift operator, Frank, from past freight deliveries. We stood around while I stretched my legs and talked about the weather, which led them to talk about their holiday plans. Not wanting to waste more time, I needed to get the truck unloaded quickly and hit the pass before dark if possible, so I asked them to get the forklift as I unlatched the back doors.

I swung both doors open and pulled myself up into the trailer to assess the freight and take care of it quickly. The guys had come back with the forklift and had it in place to take the pallets down. I undid the strapping belt to the pallet nearest the door. The last thing I remembered was a heavy weight coming down on me and intense pain.

Then everything went black.

36

CONNOR

My phone rang abruptly, but thankfully, it woke me from a dream about taking a final exam where I wasn’t wearing pants. I reached for my phone and noticed the time was six a.m.—I groaned in disbelief at the unknown number. Normally, I would have just ignored it and let it go to voicemail, but I also noticed multiple calls had happened during the night when my phone was in privacy mode.

I opted to answer it. “Hello?” I said sleepily as I sat up in bed.

“Am I speaking to Mr. Connor Olsen?” replied the cautious female caller.

“Yes, I’m Connor,” I replied as my heart beat faster. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Olsen, this is Harborside Hospital in Seattle, Washington. My name is Emily, and I’m a nurse in the Trauma Center here. Mr. Mason Hardy was airlifted and admitted late yesterday, having sustained multiple injuries in an accident. Your name was the only one listed as his emergency contact in his cell phone.”

My head spun, and nausea hit me. So many things raced through my brain, and I still hadn’t fully woken up.

“Where…what happened?” was all I could get out. I tried to take a deep breath, but my lungs wouldn’t let me.This can’t be happening. Was he in a highway accident? He’s always a safe driver.I had so many questions but knew there was only so much they could say over the phone.

“Mr. Hardy suffered a severe head injury and multiple fractures. He’s stable and under continued supervision. Do you know if he has any immediate family?” she asked calmly.

“No, he doesn’t, but…but I’m his boyfriend,” I answered as my voice wavered. As soon as I said ‘boyfriend,’ it dawned on me that we’d never used that word to explain our relationship.

I heard her take a deep breath. “Okay, since he has no family, and unfortunately, since you’re only his boyfriend, you cannot make medical decisions for him. Do you know if he has any other friends or someone that might have authority or power of attorney?”

I tried to comprehend everything she was saying, so I sat there, wracking my brain for answers. My breath was labored, and I could feel my pulse rush through my ears. “Uh, wait. Do you have his cell phone contacts available that you can access?” I asked.

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