Not Quite Forever (Not Quite #4)(71)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“No, really. You’re a loyal wife, devoted in a way I didn’t see coming.”

JoAnne huffed, but didn’t say a word.

“You raised two great children. Brenda’s just a doll.”

Dakota kept searching for the rock, didn’t see it. Probably up ahead. Going as slow as she was, it was a wonder they had gone so many miles.

“Did you like Larry when he and Brenda first started dating?”

“Larry was always a gentleman.” Yes, but Dakota knew that JoAnne had given him trouble at first.

“Bless his heart. A gentleman will always win a woman’s devotion.”

JoAnne scoffed, peered over the dash. “I think you missed the turnoff.”

Dakota slowed the car, which didn’t take much. “I did?”

There weren’t any lights ahead or behind them. “Should I turn around here, or is there someplace wider up ahead?”

JoAnne sat back, crossed her arms. “There’s another road a half mile or so up, we can go around the back way. Driving downhill in this isn’t nearly as easy as driving up.”

Dakota wanted to argue. Her shoulders were killing her for all the tension she was holding. Deep inside, the baby kicked her. I’ll get us home.

The half a mile came and went, still no turnoff. “Is it farther up?”

“It must be.”

They kept driving. Two miles later, Dakota took her time turning around. She put the car in low and crawled back down.

JoAnne pointed. “This is it . . . I think.”

“You think?”

“This is it. I do live here.”

Dakota stopped the car, looked down the snow-laden street, the tall pines were covered with snow and it was coming down so hard the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up even at the highest speed. “Now is not the time for grandstanding, JoAnne. Getting lost out here isn’t something I want to do.”

“That isn’t likely.”

Everything was a blanket of white, all landmarks were gone, and the dark made it even harder to see.

Dakota turned down the road and watched the tracks behind her fill with new snow.

Walt checked his watch for the third time in fifteen minutes. He huddled over his cup of coffee and checked his phone.

He left a third message at home and still he hadn’t heard from Dakota. The snow was coming down, which added to the anxiety crawling in his chest.

Finally, he called Brenda. “Hey, sis.”

“Oh, no. Is everything OK?”

“Dad’s fine. Stanley’s right. He’s a tough bastard.”

His sister sighed. “Oh, good. How are you holding up? Did they find you a bed? Those foldout chairs kinda suck.”

“No, not yet. Listen, have you heard from Mom or Dakota?”

“No. They left when we did.”

“I know. It’s just, they haven’t called and it’s been an hour and a half.”

“You know how it is driving up there in the snow. Slow. I’m sure they’ll call soon.”

He needed to hear that. “Do they still plow the road?”

“Of course. There’s been some new housing developments going in, so it might take them a little longer to make the rounds, but they go nonstop.”

“Good. Well, if you hear something from Mom, call me.”

“Why don’t you just call Dakota’s cell? The service up there isn’t that spotty.”

“Her phone died.”

“Call Mom’s then.”

Good point.

He hung up and dialed his mother’s number. When it went directly to voice mail, he started to panic all over again.

As the clock struck ten thirty, Walt woke Larry. “No one is answering. There’s no way it takes two and a half hours to get up that hill.”

“We’re lost.”

“We are not lost. I’ve lived here for thirty-five years.”

“I don’t care if you’ve lived here for sixty years. We’re lost.” Dakota stopped the car, put it in park. “The more we drive in circles, the harder it will be for anyone to find us.”

JoAnne stared out the window. “Find us? You’re not suggesting we just sit here.”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”

“I’m sure the way back to the main road is just up ahead.”

Dakota blasted the heat a little higher. “That’s what you said a half hour ago. We almost got stuck, which is why I know we made a big circle.” She pointed out the front window. “Our tracks are still here.”

JoAnne glared out the window. “We’ll just call Larry. He’ll come and get us.”

Dakota reached her hand out, palm up.

“What?”

“Your phone?”

“Mine is at home.”

Dakota shivered.

“What?” JoAnne’s word stiffened Dakota’s spine.

“My phone lost its charge hours ago.” She reached over, opened the glove box. The charger inside wasn’t the one her phone used. Freaking perfect.

On the dash, north was behind them, but the information was close to useless. They knew the main road was east of them, but the path east was filled with forest and trees and not a road.

Dakota tried to calm her kicking baby, and tried even harder to ignore her bladder.

While the car idled, she turned the radio back on, found a news station.

For the first time in hours, JoAnne didn’t question her as they both listened to the weather report. The report earlier said this storm wasn’t going to come in until two in the morning, but instead it blew in early and seemed to be parking itself over the mountain.

“It’s almost midnight. We have just under half a tank of gas. The more we drive around, the less gas we’ll have to keep warm during the night.”

“If we stay here, the car will get stuck.”

“And if we keep driving, we might get stuck. Getting out now to put on chains wouldn’t be smart.”

JoAnne wiped the condensation off the window with her hand. “We should try and find the road.”

Instead of arguing, Dakota found a compromise. “We drive for another few miles. If we don’t find it, we stop. Agreed?”

For once, JoAnne didn’t argue.

Five miles later they stopped.

With the engine still running, and the heater still blowing, Dakota set the parking brake and managed to climb into the back of the car. She unfurled two blankets and handed the water bottles to JoAnne.

“What is all this doing in here?”