Home For Christmas

Cold like I’ve never felt takes over me and I close my eyes for the last time. My world goes dark.

Vance, I love you.

Chapter 6

Vance

I stop after only a few feet when I realize that of course Holly would have taken the back road. She wouldn’t have seen it as unsafe. She would have seen it as a prettier drive to get to where she was going. I know it in my bones that she would have taken that path.

I turn back and make my way to the fork in the road, then take the track lined with trees that curves around the mountain. The cliffs that flank the road are dangerous on a normal day in good conditions, but in this storm the way is treacherous.

Gripping the steering wheel tight, I drive down the road looking for tracks that could lead me to her. No one would take this road at a time like this, so odds are if there are tire prints still visible, they’re hers. In a storm like this, with temperatures plummeting, if she has an accident she won’t have much time.

As I drive, I see something up ahead that catches my eye. For a second it looked like something flashed, and I speed up a little to try and catch up to where I saw it. I don’t see anything. I decide to drive a little farther before I double back and look again.

When I turn around and come back to the place I thought I saw the light, a flash of red has me stomping on the brakes. I roll down my window, and on top of a pile of snow is the red sweater that Holly wore in the picture on my desk.

My heart thunders in my chest as I jump out and go over to grab it. I pull on the sweater, but it’s stuck to something in the snow. I dig around to try and figure out what’s got a hold of it, and it’s then I see a car door frame.

“Holly!” I scream and dig faster, using my bare hands to chip away at the ice. I don’t even feel the cold anymore knowing that she’s trapped inside.

When I uncover the door, I grab the handle and pull with all my might. There’s a loud pop when it finally wrenches open, but my relief is short lived when I see Holly slumped in the seat.

“Holly, Holly, baby! Wake up!” I shout as I pull her into my arms. “Sweet girl, don’t leave me.”

“Vance,” she whispers, and my heart soars. “I love you.”

I carry her in my arms to the Jeep and strap her into the passenger seat. I don’t think about anything other than getting her warm. I could take her to the hospital, but it’s on the other side of the mountain and probably more dangerous to get to than taking her home. The weather makes the decision for me and I drive toward my parents’ house.

“Stay with me, baby,” I beg as I take her hand and bring it to my mouth, blowing warm air on it. She’s ice cold, but I can feel a strong pulse on her wrist and that gives me hope.

It takes longer than it should to get to the house; the storm isn’t letting up. When I arrive at my parents’ house I get out and carry Holly inside.

Vance and Autumn are in the kitchen when I come barreling through the front door.

“I need warm blankets,” I shout as I run through the house and into my old bedroom. Thank god someone lit a fire in here. I place Holly on the run in front of it.

I strip off her coat and then realize that she needs body heat to make her warm. I reach down and pull off my sweater as Hunter and Autumn come into the room, their arms filled with blankets.

“Is she okay? What’s going on?” Hunter asks, and I shake my head.

“I don’t know, but I need to take her clothes off, so you both need to get out.”

“I’ll call Doctor Bryant,” Autumn says as they leave the room and close the door.

I stand up and take all of my clothes off, then finish taking off Holly’s clothes. I lie on top of her so we’re skin to skin and pull the blankets over us. I’m sweating from the adrenaline of finding her and bringing her home, but Holly is ice cold under me.

I lie there with her for a long time as her body slowly starts to warm up. The fire is roaring and I say silent prayers over and over that she’ll be okay. I stare into the face of the woman I’ve ached for and dreamed about for five years. There wasn’t a second of every day when I didn’t miss her or want to be with her. Now that I have her in my arms, I’m beggingher not to leave me.