Pulled(76)
Author: A.L. Jackson

Damn it.

I was late. I didn’t anticipate having to stop by the office this morning, but I couldn’t leave without everything being in place for the new partners who started after the first of the year. Dad had already picked up so much slack for me, all owing me what little time I had with Melanie during the day, so there was no way I could leave him hanging two days before Christmas.

I whipped into the first spot I could find in long-term parking, grabbed my suitcase from the trunk, and practically ran across the lot to catch the shuttle. My knee bounced in anticipation as the bus made slow progress along its course. As soon as it stopped, I rushed off. The double doors slid open as I raced toward them. My eyes swept the terminal, hoping I’d made it there before she had.

Melanie was to leave her car in a long-term parking lot, go to the decoy terminal, and then she would ride the tram around to meet me at the check in counter.

It was impossible to miss the most beautiful girl who ever lived. Her mass of curly brown hair bounced around the col ar of her black, knee-length coat, the belt tied firmly around her waist. She stepped carefully from the transit in her black boots, pulling a huge suitcase behind her, looking a little flustered and lost—until she felt me.

I could see the moment she did. Her eyes darted up to meet mine, and a wide smile spread over her face as she walked to me. I hastened to her, grabbing her as soon as she was within arm’s reach. It had been far too long.

I breathed her in, savoring. “Mmm.”

She giggled at my mumbling against her neck.

“Did you miss me?” she teased, kissing me lightly on the lips while she looked up at me, her eyes gleaming. I could feel excitement flowing from her.

“You have no idea.” I drew her back for a deep, lingering kiss, showing her just how much I had.

“So, where are we going?” She scanned the flights, looking for some hint of our destination.

I pulled the tickets from my pocket and handed her one. She looked up, biting her lip as she bounced on her toes in excitement. “Tahoe?”

I nodded, and she threw herself at me, kissing me as she mumbled, “Thank you.”

“That okay with you?” I don’t know why I felt the need to ask; I’d already seen her honest reaction.

“Oh, my gosh! It sounds like the best place in the world to spend Christmas with you.”

I smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

“You’ll love it there. It’s so beautiful this time of year.” I knew she’d never been to Tahoe. She hadn’t left Il inois once in nine years.

We made our way through the line, checking our luggage and breezing through security. Once they called us to board, we found our seats, and Melanie and I got settled.

Her posture stiffened as we began to taxi down the runway.

She pressed her back into the seat and held my hand a little firmer than normal.

“You okay?” I squeezed back.

“Yeah. I just haven’t flown in so long. I kind of forgot what it feels like.”

She held her breath as the plane ascended, wincing when the plane dipped slightly just as it pulled from the ground. Her body slowly relaxed into mine the higher we climbed. She watched out the window as Chicago disappeared from view. She looked deep in thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

She snapped her head up in surprise.

“Oh.” She looked back out the window as the last of the city fel away. She sank into me when I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her near. “I was just thinking about when I first came to Il inois, how it felt like it was a death sentence. Now,” she said, playing with my fingers, “leaving for the first time,” she turned enough so she could look at me before she continued, “it feels like I’m leaving it all behind.”

She was leaving it all behind. I just wasn’t ready to tel her yet.

Instead, I wrapped her up in me. I kissed her softly, reverently, making a silent oath to her and myself that this was exactly what we were doing, leaving the past behind and flying toward our future.

Carefully, I maneuvered the rented SUV over the snowy roads, relying on the GPS to guide me through Tahoe City. We traveled slowly as we made our way out to the smal cabin I’d rented in North Shore. The forest was dense and thick, the night sky covered in heavy clouds as snow flurried around us. The headlights reflected against the white, creating a blinding bril iance that had me gripping the steering wheel while I contended with near zero-visibility. I turned onto a dirt road, wet and muddied, and followed the narrow path to a smal clearing that housed a gray stone and wood cabin.

Lights glowed from within; the porch il uminated by the lamp hanging beside the door. The snow on the deck had been shoveled, providing a cleared walkway. The rental agent made arrangements for everything to be ready for our arrival; the lights and furnace on, a fire waiting, and the kitchen stocked with everything we’d need for our stay.

Melanie squealed, clapping her hands together when she took in her surroundings for the first time. She unbuckled and leaned forward to get a closer look as the SUV slid to a complete stop. “Daniel…this is amazing.” I couldn’t help but smile. She was carefree without a worry, joyous, and exactly the way I wanted to see her every day of her life. This kind of freedom was something I was determined to give her. She stuffed her head into her snowcap and wrapped her scarf around her neck. Her hair bil owed out beneath the cap, the brown locks wild and frizzy from the long day of travel and the humidity in the air.

She looked absolutely adorable. I didn’t realize I was staring until she looked at me, grinning. “What?” I shook myself out of it and beamed at her. “I’m just so happy right now.”

She reached out, touching my cheek. “Me too.” I nodded against her palm, reaching up to press it further into my face before moving it to my mouth, placing a smal kiss on the soft, pink skin.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded vigorously, opened the door, and cautiously stepped out into mounds of soft, white powder.

We were both laughing by the time we made it to the porch, grabbing each other for support as we more slid across the ground than walked.

I slipped the key into the lock, turned the knob, and pulled Melanie into the warmth.

“Oh, Daniel,” she whispered with a sharp intake of air and squeezed my hand, rewarding me with a smile.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s perfect.” Her eyes scanned the room, roaming over the darkened planks of the wooden floor. She glanced at the smal kitchen and round dining table to the right, but was drawn to the spacious living room. A fire was roaring in the massive fireplace; the entire face of the wal surrounding it had different variations of gray stone. They meshed perfectly with the wal s of rustic, gray wood that completed the rest of the room. The wal of windows that faced the lake was now black and reflecting the flames.