2

Sunlight streamed through the windows, and Lauren yawned and stretched. Sometime during the night, the snow stopped. She risked a glance at the clock. 9:30! She hadn’t slept so late in years. Granted, she never stayed up until 3:00 AM, either. She pulled on a robe, slid her feet into fuzzy slippers, and padded out to the kitchen. By 10:00, the coffee was brewed, the bacon was frying, and she was flipping pancakes. A shuffling sound told her Justin was on his way.

He grinned at her as he crossed the room. “You are absolutely adorable.”

A rush of pleasure surged through Lauren. “You’re not so bad yourself. If you want to take a seat in the living room, I’ll bring you some breakfast. How’s your knee today?”

“My entire body is stiff and sore, but I’ll manage. I want to sit at the table with you.” He made his way to the kitchen table, keeping his leg as straight as possible.

“Any lingering headache? Sensitivity to light?’

“No, nurse. My head is fine.”

Lauren set a mug of coffee and a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him.

“You are an angel,” Justin murmured.

“Excuse me?”

“Last night, when you were taking care of me and I was half asleep, I thought you were an angel.”

Lauren’s cheeks warmed as she sat at the table with her own breakfast. “I can’t say anyone’s ever called me an angel before.”

“I’m proud to be the first.”

“Have you looked outside yet?” Lauren asked. “You can’t even tell where the property ends and the road begins. Your car isn’t buried, but it’s close. Judging by the sky, it will be a clear, snow-free day today, but I can’t say when the plows will make it out this far.”

Justin’s face fell. “I hope Eric isn’t too worried about me. I told him I’d be there by lunchtime today.”

“Why were you up here last night?”

“I didn’t think I’d be ready to come last night since there was so much going on at work. We finished early, so I came up to beat the storm.” He gestured to his leg. “Unfortunately, the storm beat me, instead. I told him I’d try to make it last night, but not to be surprised if I couldn’t come until today. He doesn’t have cell service either, so I couldn’t reach him to tell him my plans changed.”

“If he lives anywhere near here, he wouldn’t be expecting you to make it through this snow.”

“I’ve seen pictures. His place isn’t as remote as yours. He’s in more of a neighborhood.”

“What’s his address?”

“Twenty-four Spruce Lane.”

Lauren nodded. “I know where he is. He’s only about ten miles away.”

“Ten miles might as well be a hundred miles with my leg like this.”

“I can give him a message for you.”

“How? You can’t walk ten miles in the snow.”

“Cross-country skis. I can do a good 8 miles an hour. I could make it to Eric’s neighborhood in no time at all.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

Lauren grinned. “You didn’t ask me. I volunteered. It’s a beautiful sunny day. If you weren’t here, I’d be out skiing anyway. This gives me the perfect excuse, and it gives me a destination. Eric may even be nice enough to give me a cup of coffee before the return trip.”

Ten minutes later, Lauren stepped out into the snow and inhaled the fresh air.

The world slept under a thick blanket of glistening white. The sky was a cloudless sea of blue, and the sun shone bright. Her tinted goggles lessened the glare, but not the beauty.

The city could never compare to the mountains. Sure, she needed to be in a populated area to do her job, but her soul always came back to the cabin to refresh.

She set out to the north, her skis making tracks behind her–the sole evidence of humans in an area previously only marked by deer tracks and bird prints. Her breath burst out in white puffs as she hit her stride. Her spirit soared as she praised God for the blessing of the cabin and the beauty of His handiwork. In this area, the cabins were few, but the trees grew lush and full.

Expertly gliding through the woods, Lauren hummed Christmas carols as she traveled. Her pace slowed as she entered Eric’s neighborhood. Here, while still not plowed, snowmobile tracks differentiated the roads from the grass. Following the numbers along Spruce Lane, she slid up to number twenty-four and rang the bell.

The door opened to reveal a flannel-clad man with bright eyes and a thick beard. Confusion colored his face.

Lauren extended her hand. “I’m Lauren Russell. You must be Eric. I have a message from Justin.”

“A message from Justin? How on earth did he manage that?” He glanced at her skis and understanding dawned. “I see how you made it here, but from where? Wait, no, before you tell me, please come in.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside for her to enter.

After leaving her skis on the porch, Lauren followed Eric into the cabin. Newer and more modern than her grandparents’ cabin, it was still cozy.

“Can I get you something hot to drink? Coffee, tea?”

“Coffee would be lovely, thanks,” Lauren said, as she shed her outerwear.

“Please, sit. I have no idea where you came from, but you must be frozen,” Eric said, moving into the kitchen.

Lauren padded into his living room in her stocking feet. “Thanks. I’ve been out a little over an hour. It’s not too cold out there, but the wind gets to you after a while.”

Moments later, seated on Eric’s sofa, Lauren blew on her coffee before taking a sip. “Ahh. Thank you. That hits the spot.”

Eric leaned forward in his chair. “What is the message from Justin?”

“He sends his regrets,” Lauren said. “He was hoping to make it up before the storm and started driving on Friday. Unfortunately, he took the turn by my family’s cabin a little too wide and his car and one of our trees got a little too close. He’s fine, other than a dislocated kneecap. His leg isn’t up to skiing the ten miles here to visit you.”

“Wow. Is he staying with you?”

“It was either take him in or let him freeze to death. I decided he was worth saving.”

Eric chuckled. “Well, I’m glad. We’ve been friends for a long time. I’d hate to lose him because the owner of the tree he ran into decided he wasn’t worth the trouble.”

Lauren laughed as well. “He’s been no problem. We ate dinner, talked, he watched me decorate the cabin, and listened to me read the Christmas story…”

Eric sat straighter in his seat. “Wait, what? Do you mean the Christmas story from the Bible?”

“Of, course,” Lauren said, confused. “Why?”

“He let you read the Bible to him?”

“Well, to be truthful, he had no choice. He’s kind of laid up on my couch at the moment. He mentioned something about his father and the Bible being full of God’s judgment, but…” She trailed off. Maybe she was saying too much.

Eric’s eyes were kind. “Lauren, Justin has been angry with God for almost as long as I’ve known him. I’ve prayed for him for years, but nothing seems to penetrate his shell. His willingness to listen to you read the Bible is huge. You must have made quite an impression on him.”

A sense of gratefulness welled up in Lauren’s chest. God was using her talent to do good things. “When I pulled him out of the car, I prayed I could save his life.”

“You might, Lauren, you just might.”