Knotting my towel between my breasts, I tried to calm my racing heart. I took the still-ringing phone from Noelle as she scooted off like she hadn’t almost given me a heart attack.
I saw Dad’s name flashing on the screen.
“Dad,” I answered.
“Where the fuck are you, Holly? I expected you yesterday. You don’t show up, and you don’t even bother to call. I raised you better than that!”
He started berating me like I was a disobedient teen.
I put him on speaker and started toweling myself dry, waiting until he’d run out of puff before I even bothered to try and explain.
After two minutes and thirty-six seconds, a new record for him, he finally asked a question and shut up long enough for me to answer. “Well? Where are you?”
“Dad, we’re fine,” I started, assuring him. “We’re in Evergreen Lake.”
“Evergreen Lake?”
“It’s the last town before you head up to the resort. There was a minor accident …”
“Accident? Holly, what accident? Is Noelle okay? The car?”
I rolled my eyes. Of course, he was worried about the car before me. It was the only thing I’d taken from him in years, and despite my protests, he still rang every other month to make sure I’d had it serviced and checked the oil.
“Everyone's fine,” I replied, trying to keep my voice in check and not bite. Fighting with him wasn’t going to make this any better. “We’re stuck in Evergreen Lake because of the storm. Most of the roads are already cut.”
“You could’ve called!”
“I tried, but the phone lines have been down most of the day and all last night.”
“Hurmpf,” he grunted unhappily.
“Look, Dad, we’re fine. We’re safe, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to get up there for Christmas,” I told him, biting the bullet.
“Holly,” he replied, and I recognized the tone. It was the one he used when he was about to tell me what a disappointment I was or let me know I was making the wrong decision.
I steeled myself for what was coming because I knew no matter what he said next, it was going to sting.
“Nikkie planned such a lovely Christmas, and you’re ruining it by being selfish,” he started the lecture, and this time, it cut a little deeper than I was expecting.
Selfish? How was I being selfish? The roads were cut. There was a goddamn blizzard out there. No one was going anywhere. He wasn’t coming down the mountain and I couldn’t get up there. Even the very expensive helicopters were grounded. So, unless I wanted to bundle up my six-year-old daughter and trek up the mountain in the blizzard, we weren’t making it for Christmas no matter what Nikkie had organized.
“Everything is planned and paid for. I told you you should’ve flown up with us, but would you listen? Now you’ve gone and ruined Christmas!”
Snatching the phone up, I took him off speaker not wanting Noelle to overhear Dad’s reaction. He was nothing if not predictable and I could pretty much guarantee he was going to have something to say.
“Dad, we can’t get there. Not because we don’t want to,” although now I really didn’t want to, “but because we can’t. There’s no way out so we’re staying put.”
Rarely did I stand up to my father. Most of the time, it was just easier to let him tire himself out making me feel like shit, then I’d go drown my sorrows with a bottle of Prosecco and a box of my favorite dark chocolates. Today, though, I couldn’t let it go.
“We wanted to be there, but we can’t. So, I’m sorry Nikkie’s plans are ruined and you’ve already paid for everything. I’ll reimburse you …”
“You will do no such thing!” he snapped.
“Noelle and I will make the best we can of Christmas, and once the storm passes, hopefully, we can get up the mountain.”
With my phone wedged between my shoulder and ear, I tried to pull on my panties. It wasn’t easy and I was pretty sure I was going to topple over, but somehow, I kept my footing.
After a long pause, he retreated. “Fine. Can you please let Noelle know I have her gifts here?”
