Grace: A Christmas Sisters of the Heart Novel (8 page)

While she was still in an adrenaline rush, she coaxed her car to the shoulder of the highway. There was really no way anyone could get around her at the moment, but she felt safer with her car off to the side.

For a split second, she praised God for being by her side—and praised Mr. Johnson, her ancient driving instructor. He’d been the one who had made her practice what to do in emergencies in the driving simulator.

After putting her Civic in Park, and pretty much resigning herself that the car was never going to shift into Drive again, she lifted up her emergency brake, just to be on the safe side. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked around.

The highway looked like a parking lot.

Now she was just high enough on the crest of the hill to understand what had begun all this mess. About a mile up ahead, two semis had collided. One was halfway off the road. Only one lane was open, and it was being used by emergency vehicles.

There was no way Leah was going to be going anywhere for hours. Her little Honda’s front bumper was smashed, and the backend was damaged enough to put it out of commission forever.

She couldn’t catch her breath. Tears fell in spurts as she tried to get her bearings. She was okay.

Leah wasn’t sure how long she sat there. Five minutes? Twenty? She felt as if she was looking through the rest of the highway in a daze. As if she was just an observer.

Like the scene around her was in a movie she was watching.

Slowly, she unbuckled. Since a few people had gotten out of their cars, she decided to do the same. With her heart racing, she unlocked her door, and satisfied that other drivers around her were doing the same thing, she got out.

Immediately, Leah regretted that action. The temperature was bitterly cold and the rain and sleet mixture felt brutal against her cheeks. Obviously, it was just a hint of
things to come. Too late, she remembered that the forecasters had predicted more snow and cold in Louisville. Wind gusted and ice shards stung her face—a hint of things to come in Ohio, where likely a huge cold front was already moving in. She had hoped to make it to the inn before the weather turned bad, but there sure wasn’t a chance of that now.

She’d just slipped on her hat and gloves and was wondering who to call—911? AAA?—and had decided to take a closer look at her car’s front end when a very handsome patrolman made his way over.

“You should stay in your vehicle, ma’am. It’s safer for you inside than out here. Warmer, too.”

Since her nose felt numb, she had to agree. But Leah still couldn’t resist teasing him a bit. “Safer from the weather or from other cars?”

He looked around at the long line of fender benders and scowling people. “Both,” he said dryly. “These types of things bring out the worst in people. And it is really cold.”

The officer was tall. At least six foot. He had the kind of jaw and cheekbones that looked carved out of stone. But he didn’t look hard. No, his eyes were kind. And his demeanor was relaxed and easy. Even the cold didn’t seem to affect him all that much.

She lifted her cell phone. “I’ve never been in an accident like this before. I’m not sure what to do.”

“We’ve got some tow trucks on the way. Yours is one of the ones that’s going to need a lift, I’m afraid.” With a frown, he tapped the Civic’s smashed back end. “It’s not going anywhere.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Hello? Officer?” Behind them, an elderly man was calling for assistance.

The patrolman turned the man’s way and grimaced. “He’s in bad shape. Listen, I’ve got to go help him.”

“I understand.”

He stepped away, but looked reluctant to do so. “More officers are coming, but they’re having a hard time getting here, what with all the accidents.”

“Okay.” Why was he telling her so much?

His eyes met hers. “What I’m trying to say is, why don’t you hop back in your Civic and stay put until I come back? Then I’ll help you.”

He
would? That sounded awfully nice. And too good to be true. “You think you’re going to have time to come back my way?”

“Of course. It’s what I’m here for.”

As his calm words registered, her muscles relaxed. Maybe she was going to get out of this mess in one piece and then figure out how to get to the inn.

For a moment, he looked like he was going to touch her arm, but he didn’t. However, his voice did gentle. “I promise, miss. I’ll come back and help you. But in the meantime, I don’t want you to freeze. Go sit in your car, turn on the engine and get warm if you can, and I’ll be back soon.” He turned and started trotting to the man.

Impulsively, Leah called out, “Officer, be careful!”

Looking her way over his shoulder, he winked. “Always.”

Bemused, Leah followed his directions. She got in her
car, turned the engine back on, leaned against the seat cushion—and watched.

He patiently listened to the elderly man who’d been calling out to him, nodded to another, and patted a woman’s arm. He sure did seem extremely capable.

Then, of course, she couldn’t help but smile at herself. What in the world had just happened? Was she really sitting in her car, admiring a highway patrolman?

Uh, yes.

There was something special about him. She felt an unexplainable connection with him that she’d never felt before. Of course, that was really crazy. Right?

Twenty minutes later, he returned. Quickly, she rolled down her window. “You’re back,” she said.

“I promised I would be.” When he bent down to talk to her through the opening, she realized that his eyes were light brown. Almost amber or citrine in color. Almost golden.

“So, are you still okay?”

“I’m fine. Well, as good as I can be, stuck on the freeway,” she amended.

“Good.” He smiled encouragingly. “Just over the bend, four tow trucks are on the way.”

Unfortunately, there were at least six cars surrounding her that looked like they needed to be towed. “It’s going to take a bunch more than four to get this cleaned up.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s a nightmare.” But instead of looking perturbed, he grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve seen worse.”

As a horn blared in the background, the officer rolled his eyes. “Everyone is getting impatient.”

She felt bad for monopolizing him. “Listen, you don’t have to keep coming back to check on me.”

“I want to. It’s just, well … is there any way you’d be able to wait a bit to get rescued?”

“Huh?”

His cheeks flushed. “There’s some folks in a Cadillac a couple of cars over who need assistance, and a woman who’s six months’ pregnant who I’d like to get to shelter as soon as possible, too.” Searching her face, he said, “I’m sure you’ve got things to do, but—”

She cut him off. “I’m healthy and not in that big of a hurry. I can wait.”

“You’re sure?”

“Of course, Officer. I can wait my turn.”

His eyes positively lit up. “I can’t tell how glad I am to hear that. Okay. Here’s the deal, I’m going to work with the other officers to get the worst cases cleared away ASAP.”

“And then?”

“And then I’ll be back shortly with an update.”

The way he looked at her, like Leah actually mattered to him, gave her a little jolt of pleasure. For the last year, all she’d done was go to class, study, and work. She hadn’t had time to date. Certainly no time to start a relationship.

But this man appealed to her. And once more, what was happening between them seemed to be out of her hands—just like the accident. Like it was inevitable.

Slowly, she ventured, “You’ll come back, or will it be someone else?”

“Me.”

“I’m glad.”

White teeth flashed. “I told the other guys that you were all mine.” A look of horror crossed his face. “Oh. Excuse me. I mean, scratch that. I mean, we’re all trying to connect with one or two people out here so y’all aren’t hearing conflicting reports.”

“It’s fine. Go to work.” She looked at his nametag. “Officer Littleton.”

“Just for the record, miss—it’s Zack.”

“I’m Leah.”

He tapped her door with two fingers. “Leah … stay here and be safe. I promise, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she murmured after she rolled up her window and watched him once again try to calm some other accident victims down.

Now she was sitting in her injured vehicle while tow trucks were being summoned and AAA was working with her to get a rental car.

Things being what they were—and the fact that at least eight other cars were in the same position, and given that there was a steady stream of ambulances and fire trucks and police cars around—Leah knew it was time to grab a hotel for the night. In Louisville.

She was scared. She’d never gotten a hotel room by herself before. Plus, Louisville was a big city. She had no idea even where to find a hotel, let alone one that was in a safe part of town. She’d grown up hearing plenty of stories about bad things that happened to foolish vacationers in Louisville or Cincinnati.

Realizing that she was letting her imagination get the best of her, Leah forced herself to calm down. And then she realized she really was being pretty silly. Just being in a big city didn’t mean she was in danger …

Melody was proof enough that bad things could happen anywhere, at any time.

Since she had plenty of time to wait, she called her mom and gave her an update. Her mom, of course, had offered to drive out and get her. But Leah knew if she went home and actually had time to think about making the drive—well, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Her well-intentioned visit to Melody would be just that—a good intention that never went anywhere.

So, she’d done her best to sound braver than she felt. And tried to act calmer than she was with the police officer who kept coming back to check on her.

Zack, his name was. And as far as she was concerned, he was one of God’s angels. He’d been so kind to her, so helpful, she knew that couldn’t have been in his job description.

As if just thinking about him had conjured him up again, he rapped on her window. “Miss? Leah?”

She opened her door and got out. “Yes?”

“You didn’t have to get out again.” He smiled, revealing one tooth that was slightly crooked. “I was just checking up on you.”

“I’m fine. But thank you, sir.”

“It’s Zack, remember?”

“Of course,” she replied with a smile.

As around her, emergency vehicles continued to load injured people and other cars slowly moved past on the far-left lane, he leaned up against the side of her car and crossed his arms over his chest. Just like he was watching a soccer game or something.

With effort, she tried to mimic his posture, hoping to look nonchalant, too. But it was hard. Inside, she was still as nervous as could be. And her body was starting to feel the effects of the crash. “Is it okay that you’re standing here with me again?”

“Of course. You were in an accident, right?” He nodded his head slightly, signaling her to agree.

“Ah, yes?”

“My job is to assist everyone and anyone I can. You count.”

His comment spurred a laugh. “Thanks for that. I’ve been so stressed, I didn’t think I could laugh.”

“The Lord makes sure there’s no journey we can’t handle.”

His statement brought her up short. “You’re a Christian?”

“You bet. You can’t have this job and not be. Well, that’s my opinion. We all need miracles and the Grace of God on a daily basis.”

What a strange conversation they were having. Never would she have believed it was possible to be talking about faith and car accidents all at the same time.

But here they were.

His words made her feel a thousand times better. With Zack standing by her side, waiting on the side of the road didn’t seem all that bad. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Something sweet and genuine flickered in his eyes. “I
hope you don’t find this weird, but I’m glad you’re here, too.”

To Leah’s surprise, she suddenly hoped that her tow truck was going to be stuck in traffic for at least a little while longer.

December 21, 2:00
P.M.

Levi knew the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast was only two miles from State Highway 32, as the crow flies. The driver he’d hired had had no trouble locating the inn, or getting to it fairly quickly—which Levi’s wallet had been thankful for. So he knew that it was fairly close to the city.

But from where he was standing now, surrounded by clusters of shrubs and trees with snow-glistening leaves and limbs, they might have been in the thick of the wilderness. No cars could be heard rumbling near the entrance of the Brenneman property. No echo of semis and trucks could be detected from the interstate.

All that could be heard—outside of Hannah Lundy’s laughter in the barn—were the faint cries of birds as they
darted back and forth through the trees. Those trees had held his interest for some time as he glanced around, noting with appreciation the size of the age-old oaks as well as the peaceful hush created by the layered skirtlike limbs of the pine trees. He didn’t live on a farm, and his work schedule was such that he had little spare time for long walks or hikes.

And his mind, of course, had been unable to do anything but grieve.

But now, as his head cleared and the opportunity arose, he found himself looking forward to being outdoors for a change. He was also eager for the day’s activity. A hunt.

“I could have sworn we were just going to chop wood,” he said when Henry Brenneman came close.

“We were, but then my
daed
had a better idea.” He grinned slowly. “I’d rather track a deer than chop wood any day of the week.”

“I’ll side with you. I’ve never hunted before, but I have chopped my share of wood.”

As they continued to wait for the other men to join them, Henry looked Levi over. “I’m glad you’re wearing layers. It gets warm out here.”

“‘Warm’ is a relative thing,
jah?
It’s near fifteen degrees.”

“Yes, but we don’t hunt like old people. No strolling among the brambles for us.” He pushed his shoulders back a bit. “We men like to carry on at a good clip.”