Burn this memory, no, burn this feeling, into your mind. Never forget this. You may never experience it again. Certainly not in San Francisco. Movement in the trees interrupted Tiffany’s thoughts. “Look over there!” She pointed to some tracks near a stream they had come upon.
“Alright.” Chad pulled on the reins to stop the horse. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” He helped her from the sleigh.
Carefully, so as not to lose her balance, she stepped through the deep snow to the nearest pine tree. “Look! Moose tracks! They’re just like the ones on the chart!” Tiffany had to contain herself from jumping up and down with excitement.
Chad bent over to take a closer look. As he did, she noticed a smile slowly spread across his face.
“Well?” Her eyes were open wide with excitement. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Uhm...not exactly.”
“What do you mean?” She pointed to the ground before pointing again to the chart. “These look just like them.”
“Sorry, Tiff, but these tracks are from a rabbit.” He gave her an apologetic look.
“A rabbit! But—” She held her breath, waiting for his response.
“It’s a common mistake that lots of people make, but these are from a snowshoe hare.” He shook his head as he spoke. “No moose around here, I’m afraid.”
Tiffany gave him a sheepish grin. “I guess I am a little out of my element here.”
“It’s perfectly understandable.” He reached out to take her hand as they started back to the sleigh. “Listen, I brought some snacks along for us. I know it’s getting late, but I thought I’d show you the rustic camp we own. We rent these cabins out during hunting season, as well as in the summer. They’re all empty now, but I thought we could take a little break there before heading back to the lodge.”
Tiffany shrugged. “Sure.” Any more time she could spend with him would be fantastic. In fact, she wished this afternoon didn’t ever have to end.
A few minutes later, they were back on the trail, heading in the opposite direction from where they came. Tiffany was so content to be bundled up alongside her very handsome tour guide that she hardly noticed when the clouds rolled in, and the wind began to pick up. It wasn’t until she saw Chad nervously looking up at the sky that she became concerned.
“Chad. Is something wrong?”
“I don’t like the way the sky is looking.”
“Maybe we should go back,” Tiffany didn’t really relish that idea, but Chad seemed nervous, so maybe it was for the best.
“We’re awfully far away. Since your grandmother didn’t come along, I over-shot our trip a bit.” A large snowflake floated gently down in front of him as he spoke. Soon another followed.
“Oh look! It’s snowing!” Tiffany clapped her mittened hands together.
“It wasn’t supposed to snow until tonight.” Chad reached into his pocket for his phone and punched in some numbers.
“Hello? Hello?” He pulled it away from his ear to look at it before shouting into it again.
“It is? What? I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up!” Chad smacked it against his leg a few times.
“What did that poor phone ever do to you?” Tiffany teased.
Ignoring her question, he put it back to his ear. “Oh, there you are. Stupid reception!” He paused again, clearly listening to someone. “Okay, we’re close to the primitive camp. I’ll call you from there.” He put the phone back into his pocket just as a gust of wind-driven snow hit them head-on.
“What’s happening? I can’t see a thing!” Tiffany felt like a kid who just realized the water in the pool was too deep, and she couldn’t swim.
“Well, on top of getting a monster snowstorm a few hours too early, a ground blizzard is starting. The wind is picking up the snow that’s already on the ground and blowing it around. It’s a double whammy,” he shouted back.
“What should we do?” Tiffany lowered her head to bury her nose in the parka’s high collar.
Chad pointed ahead of him to a cluster of small cabins. “There’s our primitive camp. We can take shelter there for a bit.” He stopped the sleigh in front of the first one and got out.
“What about the horse?” Tiffany asked as they got out of the sleigh.
Chad took his keys out and got the cabin’s door unlocked. “There’s a stable in the back. I’m going to put him in there.” He swung the door open. “Go on in. I’ll be back soon.”
Once inside, Tiffany looked around. Besides a main room with a fireplace, there was also a small kitchenette, a bathroom and a bedroom. It was a bare bones hunting retreat, but at least it was protection. Trying a light switch, she realized the electricity was off. Not sure what she should do, she simply stood at the window and watched as heavy snowflakes fell from the sky. After what seemed like forever, Chad returned, carrying a large insulated box and something long that was wrapped in a blanket.
“Your horse is alright?” Tiffany hurried over to close the door behind him.
Chad nodded. “I blanketed him and gave him hay. He’ll be fine for the night.”
“The night?”
“I’m sorry, but you won’t be having dinner tonight with your grandmother’s cousin.”
“You mean we’re stuck here? Chad, I have to get on a plane tomorrow!”
“Yeah, well, change of plans.” He shrugged. “I just talked with Brian. The storm rolled in much earlier than they thought. It happens. In Minnesota, you just learn to go with the flow.”
“How long will we be here? My grandmother will freak!”
“Relax.” Chad reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. “He’ll tell her. She grew up here. She’ll probably stay in tonight as well. She knows what it’s like sometimes—”
“But what about my flight?” Tiffany protested.
“Is there something urgent you need to get back to?”
“I have a lot of resumes circulating around. I could miss out on a job opportunity.”
“Oh...I see. Well, I’m pretty sure another day here won’t ruin your career.” Tiffany noticed a bit of rejection in his voice.
“But...” Tiffany began before Chad placed his finger on her lips.
“No buts. Now let’s get a fire going and see what the kitchen crew packed for us.” He turned toward the box. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving!”
* * * *
Darkness descended early as the storm raged on. Tiffany was only too glad her grandmother knew she was safe. When she finally accepted the possibility that she might miss the plane, it made relaxing in front of the fire with Chad even better than she imagined. After numerous cups of hot chocolate, mixed with shots of the peppermint schnapps that he produced from his jacket, Tiffany was feeling very mellow indeed. The bittersweet irony was that the storm might actually be over with by morning, which meant she just might have to take that flight after all. That would almost be a bummer.
“You ready for another game of backgammon?” Chad interrupted her thoughts.
She gave him a sleepy smile. “Are you prepared to be taken down again?”
He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head as he gave her a mischievous smile. “Just how far do you want to take me down?”
Tiffany blushed, but her embarrassment was short-lived. The sound of a lone howl bolted her upright from the sofa. “Is someone here?”
Chad jumped to his feet, and Tiffany followed. “No. I think...” But before he could finish, a chorus of barking could be heard over the crackling fire.
“We have company in the woods tonight.” He crossed the room and reached for his parka. “I need to make sure the stable is secure. I’m not sure I locked it.” He pulled up the zipper on his coat and reached for his hat.
“Are those wolves?” Tiffany’s knees grew weak, and it wasn’t from the schnapps.
“Yep. Moose don’t howl.” He opened the small closet and took out the long blanketed item he’d brought in from the sleigh.
Tiffany had completely
forgotten to ask about it earlier. But she was pretty sure she knew what it was now. “Is that a gun?”
Chad unwrapped it from the blanket and laid it on the table. “It’s a rifle.”
“You brought a loaded gun with us today?” Her mouth dropped.
“It was under the seat, and the safety is on. For what it’s worth, we’ve never had to use one in front of our guests.”
“But...guns aren’t safe,” she protested.
“Really?” His voice got defensive. “Who told you that?” He began putting on his gloves.
“Well, you just see so much in the news,” she stammered.
“Tiffany, in case you haven’t noticed, this is not San Francisco. No city lights. No Chinese take-out. No street cars. We are in the wilderness. And even though it’s not likely to happen, things can go wrong.” He picked up the rifle.
“Are you just going to leave me here?” She gave him a dumbfounded look.
“I need to protect my horse. Lock the door as soon as I’ve gone. Don’t worry. Nothing’s getting in here.” Then his voice softened as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I would never let anything happen to you. It’ll be okay. I’ll be right back.” He lit the gas lantern and, holding it in one hand with the rifle in the other, disappeared into the storm.
Tiffany paced the room while she waited. Minutes suddenly felt like an eternity without him there. He was right about the rifle, of course, but as the granddaughter of a peace-loving hippie, it was still hard to accept that she had unknowingly been in the presence of a loaded weapon. Don’t be ridiculous. Rednecks in the south display them on racks in the windows of their trucks, just for show. He’s still the same gentle guy he was a few minutes ago.
When she heard the key in the door, she rushed at him as soon as he appeared.
“How’s the horse? You’re covered in snow.” She began to brush snow off his coat as he stomped his boots clean.
“All safe and secure. There are a few tracks out there, but it’s snowing so hard, it’s difficult to tell what they’re from.”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she sighed.
“I wasn’t gone that long,” He smiled as he began to roll up the sleeves of the flannel shirt he wore.
“Yes, but it felt colder when you left.” Oh no! I did it again! That was a stupid thing to say. Even if it was the truth.
“Well, let’s take care of that then.” He crossed the room and picked up another log to add to the fire. Tiffany couldn’t help but marvel at how good looking he was, especially with the glow of the fire surrounding them. The thought of the gun vanished from her mind. Everything would be all right.
“Listen, I don’t know what you want to do about our sleeping arrangements, but I think you should take the bedroom. I’m going to stay up a while and make sure those wolves have moved on. I’ll watch from here.” He pulled a chair over to the window by the door and propped his feet up. “I’ll take the sofa if you don’t mind.”
What am I supposed to say to that? Yeah, I do mind actually. I was kind of hoping you’d rip my clothes off and keep me up all night. Tiffany glanced toward the bedroom. “It’s a lot warmer out here by the fire. Why don’t I start out here? You can always wake me up later when you want me to move.”
“Alright then. It’s super late. You’d better get some sleep now in case your flight doesn’t get canceled. You’ll have a long day of travel tomorrow.” Chad got up and took a pillow and an extra blanket out of the closet for her.
“Will the storm be over by then?” Tiffany now secretly hoped it wouldn’t. Being stranded in a secluded cabin during a snowstorm with the man of her dreams was hardly an inconvenience. Of course, it was too bad he was being the perfect gentleman.
“Hard to say, but Brian said it’s supposed to be a fast moving clipper, so we should be able to get back in the morning.” He put the pillow down on the end of the sofa, and she settled on to it.
“I suppose you want a bedtime story, too?” He opened the blanket to cover her up.
“Only if it has a happy ending.”
Chad gave her a sad smile. “Get some rest,” was all he could think to say.
Tiffany pulled the blanket up under her chin. Always a happy beginning...but there’s never a happy ending for me. How am I ever going to fall asleep?
* * * *
For once, the weatherman was right. The snow did stop before morning. Chad reluctantly hooked up the horse to the sleigh, and two hours later, they were back at the resort.
“I trusted Chad would get you back here in time.” Judith embraced her granddaughter warmly.
“That I did, Mrs. Sebastian. But sadly, I wasn’t able to deliver a moose sighting for her.”
“How much time do we have?” Tiffany asked anxiously.
Chad thought he detected sadness in her voice.
“Not much. I packed your bags, so if you hurry, you’ll have time for a quick shower before it’s time to leave. I grabbed you a bagel to eat in the van.” Judith hustled her granddaughter away.
“So...what happened, lover boy?” Brian grinned.
“For once in your life, would you just shut up?” Chad pushed past him.
“So the sparks didn’t fly, huh?” Brian followed his friend.
“Nope. The only thing that flew was the snow. You know me. I’m not really all that good with the ladies. There just wasn’t enough time...” Chad sighed.
Brian slapped him on the back. “So invite her back. Tell her to come for a visit in the summer.”
“Yeah, and then what? She leaves to go home so I can just be tormented all over again?” Chad shook his head. “I need to let it be.” Then he stopped as a thought came to his head.
Turning to his friend, he asked, “Will you cover for me for a bit? There’s something I need to do, and I don’t have much time.”
“What are you going to do? Go drown your sorrows at the bar? I’m not sure they’re open yet.”
“No. I need to go to the gift shop.”
* * * *
Tiffany bent down and scooped up a handful of snow. She let the fluffy flakes slip through her fingers and fall to the pavement. Was that what she was doing with Chad? Letting him slide through her fingers? How was it possible to be so close to him last night and yet so far away at the same time?
“It’s time to go.” Her grandmother’s voice sliced through her thoughts.
“Here, I brought you something.” Chad held out a bag to Tiffany. “Sorry it’s not wrapped, but I didn’t have time.”
Tiffany smiled as she took it from him. He had bought her a present? As she peered inside, she let out a delighted gasp.
“Well? What is it? Let us see.” Judith peered over Tiffany’s shoulder.
“It’s a moose!” Tiffany pulled an adorable stuffed animal out of the bag.
“Now you can officially say you saw a moose in Minnesota.” Chad smiled weakly.
“I’ll cherish it forever.” She gave it a slight squeeze as a lump formed in her throat. It may be all I’ll ever have to remember you by.
“I don’t think moose do so well in San Francisco,” Judith mused as she studied her granddaughter’s face for her reaction.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Tiffany finally spoke. “It’s perfect. Better than the real thing actually. I can look at it every day.” Not wanting to draw out their goodbyes any longer, she took a deep breath and announced, “We need to get going, or we’ll miss our flight.” Or I might start blubbering and how dumb would that be?
“Yes.” Judith took both of Chad’s hands into hers. “Thank you so much for everything. Tell your parents they’ve done a magnificent job with this place. I’m proud to say I once called this my home.”
“Please come back any time at all.” Chad opened the door to the van, and they got in. “Why don’t you call and let us know you got back to San Francisco safely?”
“I’ll have Tiffany call you.” Judith nodded.
Tiffany felt as though her
heart would break as the van pulled away from the lodge. Waving goodbye until he was out of sight, she looked down at the moose and put it back in the bag. “You’ll miss this place, too, I guess,” she whispered softly.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know. I was just thinking about how frozen everything is.” Tiffany nodded out the window at the passing landscape.
“Well, yes. It is winter.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Look outside. Everything is frozen...and dead. No wonder you left here.”
Judith piped up, “Dead? I don’t see anything dead. These plants and trees are all very much alive. They’re just taking a break that’s all, waiting for the right moment...and all the possibilities that come with a new season.”
“Like me,” Tiffany lamented. “Always waiting for the right moment, except I never quite recognize it, even when it’s right in front of me.”
* * * *
The airport in Duluth was busily trying to catch up with the flights delayed by the snowstorm. Tiffany watched as people eagerly awaited word for their departures.
“We will now begin general boarding for Flight 792 at this time.” The flight attendant’s voice brought Tiffany back to reality. That’s us. This is it. I’m leaving Minnesota, and I’ll never see him again. I’ll never know what might have been.
Judith stood up and motioned to their carry-on bags. “Don’t forget anything.”
Tiffany reached down to pick one up, when suddenly she realized that something was missing. “Where’s my moose?” She frantically looked around the seats where they’d been waiting.
“It was in the bag in the van. Don’t you have it?” Judith put the book she’d been reading in her purse.
“I...I don’t think so. I guess I thought you were carrying it,” Tiffany stammered, clearly disappointed her memento had been left behind.
“Well, I’m sure Chad can mail it to you. You can ask him when you call him tonight.”
Tiffany stopped in her tracks. She just couldn’t get on that plane. A look of despair seemed plastered on her face.
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 27
