ice-covered roads.
“No thank you,” I replied.
“Then hand me a burger.”
I took out a warm foil-covered burger and unwrapped it somewhat so he would be able to bite into food and not foil. Then I held it up to his mouth.
“What, are you going to feed me now?” he asked.
“Just bite and stop trying to control everything.”
When he parted his mouth, I had a sudden and unexpected urge to kiss him. My hand almost shook with that revelation. When a smudge of ketchup was caught in the corner of his mouth, I leaned in and my thumb reached the spot at the same time his tongue came out.
I sat back so fast I smushed the bag of food with my bottom.
“Are you okay?” he asked as my cheeks heated.
“Yeah, fine,” I said, straightening in my seat.
“Can I have another bite?”
I looked down and realized I still had his burger in my hand. “Sure.”
Feeding him might have been awkward, but the slippery roads left us with no choice. I ended up eating my lukewarm food after I finished feeding him flattened fries and ignoring his enormous smirk.
When we were done, we were left in companionable silence. My thoughts drifted back to extreme worry. I leaned back and covered my eyes when we came to a complete stop.
“What?” I asked on instinct.
Ahead was nothing but a parking lot of brake lights. He checked his phone before he said, “Road’s blocked ahead. It appears there is a pileup and they’ve closed the interstate.”
“Geez, are you serious?”
I felt like everything that could go wrong was happening to stop me from getting to Gran.
“Yes. Looks like we are going to have to find a restaurant or somewhere to hole up.”
He pulled across a couple lanes, following a trail of cars doing the same. With the snow coming down in heavy drifts, the few businesses we passed had their lights off.
“Hotel?” he asked.
I glanced at the time; it was early evening and I shrugged.
He pulled up to one and told me to stay in the car. When he came out twenty minutes later, he shook his head.
“They’re full. I called a few others and they were booked as well. Apparently, the news says the road won’t reopen for hours.”
“And everyone has the same idea,” I muttered.
“Exactly. I did find one place.” It was ominous the way he spoke.
He turned off a side road that didn’t have much light. It was a bumpy and slippery ride to the point I held on for dear life. When we pulled up to what wasn’t exactly a rattrap motel, but more like a fleabag, I automatically felt itchy. The sign flashed “otel” as the M was dark.
“Yeah,” I said on a sigh.
“It will be fine.”
He parked and I followed him in.
Grant didn’t waste time taking the few steps to the desk, where a tall, bedraggled, gray-haired man stood like a stiff breeze would blow him away.
“I called,” Grant announced.
“Eh, eh, eh,” the man said almost slurring.
“Is the room available?”
The man finally looked up as if noticing us for the first time.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
He turned around and took the remaining key off the hook.
“I don’t normally rent it, but considering…” He trailed off like he forgot what he was saying.
“Does it have two beds?” I asked, gaining his attention.
He stood there long enough for me to wonder if he heard me.
“Yes, yes, yes.” He turned a book around. “Could you fill this out?”
Grant took the book, trying to hide his annoyance. Funny, how in such a short time I was starting to be able to read his expressions.
The keeper then rattled off a nightly rate number that was surprisingly high for a dump like this.
“Don’t worry,” Grant said, pulling out his wallet and peeling off a few bills.
The brittle man turned out to be surprisingly agile when he snatched the money up like a viper.
“Check-out time is ten.”
Grant grumbled something under his breath I didn’t understand. I followed on his heels as he swiftly left. I hadn’t noticed the temperature until we stepped out into the cold again. I pulled together the down coat I’d slipped on when I got out of the truck.
He ate up the pavement with his long strides. I had to jog after to keep up with him. Which was how I ended up clinging onto his arm before falling flat on my face.
It might have been funny if not for his irritated expression when he glanced down at my arm and then at me as I righted