“What is it?”
Don’t ask. Don’t. There’s no need to know.
“Do you ever think I’m too much?” My voice is small and cracked.
He releases a rough noise, practically crushing me in his embrace. “No. You’re not too much.”
A fresh wave of tears flow at his firm contradiction of my fear. He swipes them away, whispering reassurances until they dry.
My fingers tangle in his coat. “I should email the event organizers that I can’t make it because of the storm.”
“Let’s get off the roads first. Do me a favor? Find us a hotel for the night. We’ll keep an eye on the weather. In the morning, we’ll get there. You still can make it tomorrow.”
I nod feebly. Find a hotel. I can do that.
It doesn’t occur to me until I’ve skimmed through nearby options and picked one that he offered me the task to give me a minute to catch my breath. I reset our GPS, accepting the situation.
While we’re following the detour signs, Dad calls. I startle, nearly dropping my phone. Cole takes it from me and pulls over to the shoulder to answer it. Dad’s brusque voice comes through the car’s speakers.
“Hey, Eve.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m with the team on the bus to play Vermont, but we got snowed out. I wanted to check that you’re not on the road, either. They’re a mess in this storm.”
“We’re not,” Cole says. “We’re a little under an hour from Middleton and they just closed the highway.”
“Sorry the storm stopped you, honey.” Dad’s voice muffles, pulling away from the phone. “What? No, you can’t talk to them. Sit the hell down, Blake.”
A huff leaves me. Cole smirks.
“We’re going to try to get there tomorrow morning,” I say.
“Alright.” Dad’s pauses. “Take care of her, Cole.”
I exchange a look with him. He stares at me, hand resting on my knee. The corner of his mouth lifts.
“I will,” he promises. “She’s safe with me.”
“Good, good. I knew I could count on you.”
We smile at each other. I fight back a laugh, feeling lighter than I have all day. He squeezes my leg.
“Looks like you didn’t have to call out after all,” Dad continues. “Today’s game will be rescheduled sometime later in the season. We’re heading for a hotel. Get somewhere safe and hunker down. Call me when you do.”
“We will,” I say.
“Drive carefully.”
“You too. Thanks, Dad.”
He hangs up, shouting something at the players to keep them in line. We pull back onto the road and head for the hotel I booked.
“There was only one room left. It’s a king,” I say.
His head jerks with an amused huff. “Only one bed. Just like your current read.”
I smile at the paused audiobook on my lock screen. “Look at you, learning the tropes.”
