Page 4 of Once Upon A Snowfall
I resume counting then step back down from the bus. “I’ve got room for eighteen more,” I tell him and adjust the toboggan I’m wearing so that it covers my ears. “Do you think there’s going to be anyone else?”
He pauses for a moment as he does the math inside his head. “Sixty-two. That sounds about right. I’ll get that number confirmed so we can be on our way. The longer we wait to pull out, the longer it’s going to take us to get there. I’ll be right back.”
While I wait for my uncle to return, I go ahead and close all but one of the doors to the storage compartments. I’m ready to get going too. I was running late this morning, and instead of using the parking garage for my Jeep, I’d pulled into the first spot I’d come to in the main lot. Not the smartest thing to do in these conditions, but I’m hoping the building will at least have shielded some of the drifts, enough so that I’m able to get out and get home.
Uncle Barry walks out a few minutes later and I look up to see him swirl his pointer finger in the air. “Let’s go, son. Try to stay behind me as best you can but keep a safe distance. We don’t need any accidents.”
“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to this,” I reply.
I shut the last compartment door on the bus, making sure the latch clicks properly, then turn to climb on.
“Wait! Wait!” a woman’s voice calls out. “Wait for me!”
I look up to see someone running out the door of the airport, one hand waving in the air to get my attention, the other dragging an over-sized suitcase. I should’ve known—there’s always that one who wants to grab something to eat or they want to pick up something from one of the giftshops. I roll my eyes at how ridiculous she looks. If she’s not careful, she’s going to—
No sooner did the thought enter my mind, when one of her boots loses traction on the icy sidewalk and she lands on the ground with a hard thud. I know it’s not funny, but out-of-town folks are the worst for not paying attention where they’re going. You can’t run, or even fast-walk, in these conditions. I rush over and quickly kneel down beside her. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, dear,” a soft-spoken voice says. The young woman shoves her fuzzy hat up over her eyes so she’s able to look at me. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“That was a quite a fall. Are you okay? Can I give you a hand?” I ask, carefully placing my glove against her elbow. I don’t want to say it, but the longer she stays on the ground, the more soiled her clothes are going to get. But if she’s injured, she needs to stay put until I can get someone from airport security to assist. I should’ve known we’d have some kind of delay to deal with.
“I think so,” she replies and pushes a beautiful mane of golden brown hair over her shoulder.
I have to say I’m most intrigued by how much younger she is than most of the guests that go on these trips. Yeah, if I had to guess, I’d say she’s probably closer to my own age, give or take a few years.
“Is there someone I need to get to help with your things?” I look over at the bus, then back to towards the terminal. Surely, she’s not by herself.
She begins to shiver as she shakes her head. “Unfortunately, I’m traveling alone. I was supposed to meet my sister, but her flight was cancelled at the last minute, then the rental car place closed down early because of the weather and…and…” She brings her hand up to her cheek, swiping away a lone tear that’s escaped her eye. “I’m sorry. It’s just that nothing is going like it’s supposed to.”
“I hate to hear that. Tahoe is quite a lovely place. Your sister would most definitely enjoy it.” I know now’s not the time for small-talk, but I can’t imagine vacationing there alone. It’s one thing living here and being single, but the beauty of this place is almost indescribable—definitely some place you’d want to experience with a significant other, or in her case, a family member.
“Do you mind if I use your arm to hold onto?” She shifts her legs out to the side as she attempts to stand.
“By all means. Here, let’s get you up and out of this cold.”
Once she’s on her feet, I give her a moment to regain her balance before leading her towards the bus. “Is this the only suitcase you have?”
She nods. “Yes, and my backpack.”
I grab hold of her bag while she loops her arms through the straps of her backpack. “The bus will be much warmer.”
“I sure hope so. I knew it would be cold, but I wasn’t expecting this.” She reaches up to keep her hair from flying all over the place. “Man, this is some kind of wind.”
I hate Uncle Barry got a head start on us, but tending to the young woman was way more important. When she’s safely up the steps of the bus, I hurry to get her bag into the storage area so we can be on our way. I don’t know what she has packedinside, but it’s no wonder she took a tumble, dragging that heavy thing behind her. Two bags would’ve made things so much easier.
I climb on board and quickly shut the doors. I reach in the overhead compartment above my seat and pull down a small, folded blanket. I know it’s not much, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. When I reach her seat, her face lights up.
“Thank you,” she says and immediately begins to unfold it. “Thank you so much.”
“It should warm up soon.” I can’t help noticing her pink cheeks and I quickly turn and head towards the front again. “Alright, folks. Let’s get this bus on the road.”
After taking my spot behind the wheel, I fasten my seatbelt and adjust the mirror above my head. Her gaze is focused on something outside, but I can see she has the blanket all the way up to her chin. I lean over and crank the heat up a little more.
Chapter Five
Annie
I feel like the biggest fool, darting out the door of the airport like I did. I was so afraid the bus was going to leave me, though. I can only imagine what everyone must’ve thought, seeing me land on the ground like I did. There was nothing graceful about that fall! I’m just thankful I didn’t break anything.
