A Country Music Christmas

by Maggie Carpenter

"I need to see if mom and dad are around. They said they'd try to Skype when they got home from the neighbors."

  "You go ahead, sugar," he said, slowly getting up then helping her to her feet. "I'll see you in bed."

  "Thanks. I won't be long."

  "Take as much time as you want. Check the weather while you're online."

  "Oh, good idea. I will."

  As they headed down the hallway, he paused at the door of his den and brought her into his arms.

  "It's sure been a helluva a Christmas Eve, and except for findin' you in a ditch I wouldn't have changed at thing."

  "Me too," she sighed, leaning into him, "but even the ditch part is okay. It's what made all this happen."

  "Yep, I guess you're right about that. See you in a minute. Tell your folks I said hi."

  As he kissed her warmly and walked away, Summer watched his long, easy stride. She'd been crazy about him for ages, but now it was more than that. She was absolutely, positively, madly in love.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Ambling up the stairs Summer could feel the fatigue moving through her body. Her muscles ached, and she had a dull throbbing in her head. The low fire flickering in the fireplace welcomed her as she entered the bedroom, and seeing Liam waiting for her she let out a grateful sigh. The room was warm and cozy, and she couldn't wait to curl into his arms.

  "Hey, you," he murmured with a sleepy smile. "What's the news?"

  "Do you want the good news, the good news, or the good news?" she asked, removing her clothes and collapsing into bed.

  "I already know some of the good news."

  "You do? What?"

  "You're in my bed," he replied wrapping her up, "and that, sugar, is very good news."

  "I agree," she said sighing happily. "You should consider yourself extraordinarily lucky."

  "Cute, and for the record, I do. Now, spill. What's happenin'?"

  "I was able to talk to mom and dad and you are officially invited to Christmas dinner tomorrow, assuming we can get out of here."

  "Thanks, Summer. I'd like that. Next?"

  "The storm is moving out. The nasty stuff ends overnight."

  "That's not good news, that's great news. What's the third thing?"

  "Oh, actually those are the three things. Talking to mom and dad, you're invited to dinner, and the storm's clearing out."

  "Ah, I see."

  "Liam?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I feel like I've been hit by a bus. I don't think I've ever been this tired, and I feel weird, like, achy."

  "You want some aspirin?"

  "I found some in the powder room."

  "You need a good night's sleep, probably more than one, and we'll lounge here in the mornin' and recover."

  "Yes please," she muttered snuggling next to him and closing her eyes. "I'm sure you're right. A deep sleep and a lazy morning."

  With the fire's light cloaking them, they closed their eyes and drifted away, and though she was utterly exhausted and physically drained, she was happier than she could ever remember being.

  It wasn't quite daybreak. She was standing on the roof of Liam's house. She was cold, as cold as she'd been when she'd been trapped in her car. Gazing up at the mountain's peak she saw the huge white wall moving towards her. There was an eerie whooshing sound, loud, like thunder. She had to escape. Liam had to escape. The mountain was about to fall on top of them.

  "NO!"

  She'd screamed out the word, bolt upright, and startled from a deep sleep Liam's eyes flew open.

  "Hey, Summer, bad dream?" he asked, sitting up and putting his arms around her. "Damn, girl, you're shakin'."

  "We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here now!"

  "What the hell are you talkin' about?" he asked, switching on the beside lamp.

  "There's going to be an avalanche. It's going to hit this house," she said frantically. "We have to get out of here, right now, right this minute."

  "Easy, sugar, it was just a nightmare."

  "No, no, no, it wasn't. You'll think I'm crazy but…shit…Liam, I have these visions. Not all the time, just, dammit I can't explain this. There's no time. We have to leave."

  "Even if this house gets covered in snow we'll be safe until we're dug out," he remarked, then realized how ridiculous he'd sounded.

  "NO! We have to get out of here NOW!" she said frantically. "Please, you don't understand. Please, I'm begging you."

  "And how are we gonna do that? My Rover can drive through snow, but not when it's real deep and it's bound to be by now."

  "Shit. Let me think, let me think," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Skis! Do you have skis? Can you ski?"

  "Yeah, I'm a real good skier, but—"

  "Listen to me," she said urgently, gripping his upper arms. "This happens to me. Dad has it too. We see things, and I'm telling you, Liam, we must leave. We have to be out of here before daybreak. That's when it's going to happen."

  He could see the fear in her eyes, her fingers were digging into his skin, and her voice had been deep and grave and filled with barely-controlled panic.

  "How do you know it wasn't just a dream?"

  "I'm twenty-two years old, Liam, and I've had this since the day I was born. I know the difference. We! Must! Leave!"

  Though he wasn't completely convinced, he paused for only a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. If there was even the slightest chance that she had some kind of strange psychic gift he had to do as she asked. God forbid he didn't, then suddenly found they were in the path of a cascading wall of snow.

  "Okay, Summer. I believe you. There are skis in the garage. What size shoes do you wear?"

  "I'm a seven."

  "Thank, God."

  "Your sister?"

  "Yep. Her ski suits will be in her room."

  "Thank you," Summer managed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

  "Let me check how bad it is outside."

  Breaking from her arms he quickly moved off the bed, and hurrying across to the windows he pulled away the drapes.

  "It's still snowin' but things have sure calmed down a bunch. Not much wind. Looks like the worst is over, but, uh…"

  "What?"

  "There's a ton of snow. I hope the gates will open. They should, they're heavy and the motor's strong," he said thoughtfully, then feeling a wave of doubt he turned back to face her. "I've never heard of avalanches in Apple Valley."

  "There have been a couple. They were ages ago and they weren't on this mountain, but Liam, I'm right, I swear!"

  "Sorry. It's just hard to wrap my brain around."

  "I know, but you have to," she exclaimed jumping from the bed heading for the door. "I'm going to get changed."

  Liam's mind was spinning, but as he entered his closet he realized an avalanche was possible. The mountain behind the house was steep, and it had been one heck of a storm.

  "Visions?" he muttered as he pulled on his ski suit. "Summer has visions? What the hell?"

  He was still trying to come to grips with what was happening when he spotted his knapsack laying against the back wall; he paused.

  "If we're gonna do this we should have some emergency supplies," he mumbled, "huh, and I should have a change of clothes."

  Picking it up he packed a few things, hurriedly turned off the fire, then headed from the room and down the hall.

  "I'm going to grab some things just in case we get stuck," he called as he walked past his sister's room. "I'll be in the kitchen."

  "I'll only be a minute," she called back. "I can't find any goggles."

  "Oh, you won't. They're in the garage with the poles and skis."

  "Okay, I'm coming now."

  He waited, and as she came out of the bedroom he had to smile. She had chosen a suit that was bright pink and trimmed in white fur.

  "You look great."

  "Thank you, but you do understand we're in dire circumstances?" she quipped. "Seconds might count."

  "Hey, take
a breath. Panickin' isn't gonna help, and you should email your dad," he suggested as they moved down the stairs. "If we're not at your house by the time he wakes up and reads it he can send out some help."

  "I will, yes, that's a great idea."

  While Liam moved swiftly to the kitchen to search out essential items and stock the backpack, Summer made her way to the den, but when she walked in she felt a wave of sadness.

  "I hope this room makes it through," she mumbled looking at the awards and memorabilia, then sitting in front of the computer she powered it up, opened her email account, and began to write.

  Dad. It's about five-thirty as I write this. An avalanche is going to hit Liam's house. We're leaving on skis. In my vision it was daybreak so I think we'll get out okay, though I don't know how far past Liam's house the snow will travel. I also don't know how long it will take us to get home, but we'll stay on the main roads. Hopefully we'll run into some snow plows or the sheriff or someone who can pick us up. Just in case something bad happens, I love you and mom more than anything, and now I know what you meant when you told me that loving someone special is the most important thing in the world. I'm sure I'll see you soon. You're the best dad ever. Love you, love you. Summer.

  As she hit SEND, though she swallowed hard and tried to fight them, she couldn't stop a few stray tears. Wiping them from her face she rose to her feet, and as she turned around to leave she saw Liam waiting for her in the doorway.

  "You okay?" he asked walking up to her.

  "Yeah, I am. It's just…"

  "I know, but hey, the good news is we're gonna get outta here."

  "You're right," she nodded, fighting through the surge of emotion. "I hope your neighbors will be okay."

  "We can't do anythin' about that, and if you're right we sure as heck can't stand here talkin' about it."

  "Sorry, Liam. I suddenly felt like a deer in headlights. Let's go."

  "Sure wish I had time to put the shutters up," he remarked as they made their way down the hall, "but that'd take me a while."

  "No. You can't risk it, and I'm not sure what good they'll do against tons of crashing snow."

  "Don't worry, sugar, I'm not even gonna try," he assured her as they marched into the kitchen.

  He stopped to strap on his knapsack, then entering the garage he opened a stand-up metal cabinet. Summer stared in awe at the high-end equipment. She'd skied her whole life, but she'd never used anything like the upmarket skis and boots Liam was showing her.

  "Holy cow. Are those the new Kastle FX95 HP's?"

  "Yep, I just got them about a month ago."

  "And Salomons? Dynastars? How often do you ski?"

  "As much as I can. I love it. Pick your poison."

  "For what we'll be doing, um, I guess the Dynastars. What do you think?"

  "I agree, and we need to wear headlamps."

  It was only a few minutes later that he pulled the garage door remote control from the glove compartment in his car. The Rover was tuned to operate the door from the rear-view mirror, but Liam made it a point to keep the old-style remote control boxes in case of any glitches. Stuffing it into the front zippered pocket of his jacket for their return, he pushed the button on the wall and waited. Though he could hear the motor above his head trying to crank up the door, it wasn't moving.

  "Shit," Liam grunted, hitting the button again to reverse it. "The snow must be weighin' it down. I should've checked."

  "Now what?"

  "Let's try the kitchen."

  "Oh, right! It leads out on to that covered patio. The snow won't have banked up against the door."

  "Exactly."

  "I'm getting scared," Summer muttered as they moved back inside, carefully carrying their skis and poles. "I hope we get out in time."

  "We will. Keep the faith."

  Liam opened the kitchen door, but as they stepped outside they were both shocked by what they saw.

  "Oh, my gosh," Summer breathed. "Liam! I've never seen anything like it. Have you?"

  "Can't say I have, and I've got a bad feelin' about that gate."

  "Why?"

  "The bars would probably move through it okay, but there's a three foot solid base. I can't see it pushing through all that."

  "Not even enough for us to get through?"

  "If we go down there and it doesn't work we're screwed. Where would we go?"

  "Shit. So, what do we do?"

  "I just had a thought. Maybe around the side of the house. The wall there is six feet high. From the looks of things the snow could have reached the top."

  "You're a genius," she exclaimed. "That's it, that's how we can get out, and once we're over it we'll have the protection of the trees in case—"

  "Don't even go there," he grimaced, cutting her off, "and I'm not a genius yet. Let's check it out."

  The snow was almost up to the patio, and walking to the steps they found only the top four were exposed.

  "No wonder there could be an avalanche," Liam muttered as they moved cautiously down and locked on their skis. "How much frickin' white stuff did we get?"

  They pushed off, their headlamps lighting the way, and as they turned the corner of the house they looked at each other with wide relieved smiles. The snow was just a couple of feet below the top of the fence; it was their way out! Skiing forward they found the most advantageous place, and though they had to pull themselves up, the brick wall was wide and easy to maneuver. The snow on the other side though, was lower, and they had to jump, but they both landed safely.

  "Shit," Summer exclaimed, "that was hairy."

  "We're gonna be fine now," he said reassuringly. "Once we get to the road it'll be a breeze. It's all down hill."

  "I know, but…"

  "What is it?"

  "Liam, you're my hero. You are. You're my superhero. You believed me and you're saving us."

  "Hey, you're the one who had the dream. Are you okay? Are you ready to do this?"

  "Yes, absolutely, but once we get home you have to hug me for an hour."

  "You got it."

  Cautiously they skied slowly through the trees, and when they finally reached the road they could see the sky lightening over the mountain. Sunrise! Unnerved by the approaching daybreak they attacked the slope, sailing down the winding, snow-covered blacktop. It was silent and still, almost eerie, but their speedy trip made up for the slow pace through the forest. Reaching the bottom of the hill just short of the main road into town they pulled to a stop. Lifting their goggles they turned to look at the mountain behind them. It was a magnificent sight. A myriad of colors was splashed across the sky, strangely shaped clouds were hovering low, and the jagged peaks looked surreal.

  "It's like an oil painting," Summer said breathlessly. "I've never seen it look like that."

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so, I just haven't skied in a while. I guess I'm out of shape," she panted, thinking her slight giddiness was due to her huffing and puffing. "At least we're safe now. We can take a minute."

  "We're at the bottom of the hill," Liam said gravely. "We might be safe, we might not. It depends on how big the slide is. We should keep goin'."

  "Liam, look. What is that? What am I seeing?"

  "The backpack, the side zipper, there's a pair of binoculars."

  Moving behind him she opened up the pocket, but as she retrieved them she felt a wave of dizziness.

  "Here," she said, leaning against him as she handed them off.

  "Summer! You're right!" he exclaimed, staring at the mountain through the powerful field-glasses. "It's startin'."

  "Really?" she muttered, holding his arm as the light-headedness passed. "Let me see!"

  Liam gave her the binoculars, and raising them to her eyes she studied the snowy peak. The fissure was plain to see, and what looked like a thin white cloud was hovering above it.

  "Oh, my gosh."

  "We need to go," Liam said urgently. "It could travel all the way down and those things move fast!"


  She quickly put the binoculars back and they started off, but she wasn't feeling very well, she wasn't feeling well at all. Her legs were weak and she was having trouble focusing, then suddenly the world began to wildly spin.

  "Liam…I…," but before she could finish her legs buckled underneath her and she tumbled to the ground.

  "Summer? Summer!"

  She could hear his voice but it was far away, she had a vague impression of lights, she was being lifted, and the last thing she remembered was being cocooned in Liam's lap.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Used to rising early, Keith Brown checked his email while waiting for his coffee to brew. Reading the alarming email from his daughter he raced back to his bedroom to rouse his wife.

  "Janet, Janet, get up."

  "What? Why? What's wrong?"

  "It's Summer. She and Liam Taylor have left his house. They're on skis! They're trying to get back here."

  "What the hell? Why?"

  "She saw an avalanche hitting his house."

  "NO!" Janet exclaimed jumping from the bed. "What should we do?"

  "We don't have any kinda phone service so I'm gonna get myself over to sheriff's office and find Cain. I just hope he's there this early. If anyone can help us he can."

  "I'm coming."

  "You should stay here with Harry."

  "What makes you think I'm gonna stay here?" Harry declared standing in the open doorway. "You think I'm gonna sit around waitin' to find out what's happened to Summer? Besides, I might be able to help."

  "Then get dressed," Janet ordered as she hurried into her closet.

  "What? No, I'm goin' by myself!" Keith exclaimed. "I'm not puttin' either of you in danger."

  "You're outvoted dad. I'll be thirty seconds."

  "Why did you do that?" Keith demanded following Janet into the closet.

  "This is a family, and do you honestly think Harry would just sit around here twiddling his thumbs? He'd likely take off in that heap of his and try to find her himself. He's not a little boy anymore, Keith. He's nineteen. There's no way he'd stay here."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right. Dammit."