Christmas Blackout by Maggie K. Black

Author:Maggie K. Black
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Benjamin looked down onto the living room from the second-story balcony as he dialed his sister’s cell phone number. Below him, Piper was curled up on the sofa in front of the fire, blue backup glasses on her nose and a blue-and-white Maple Leafs hockey jersey draped over her frame. A police officer and Dominic flanked her on either side and the dog was curled in a ball at her feet. The grandfather clock read four thirty.

Meg answered on the first ring. “Benji?”

He turned his back on the scene below. There was no easy way to say this. “My truck’s been stolen. I’m not going to make it to the rehearsal.”

His sister sighed. “But are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He slid all the way down until he was sitting on the floor. “But I had everything in that truck—my bag, my passport, my airline ticket, emergency credit card, traveling money. It’s all gone. Literally all I have now is my driver’s license and twenty bucks.”

She gasped. “Oh, Benji, I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, sis. Me, too.” He stared up at the wooden beams crossing above as wind howled outside. The predicted storm had arrived full force, bringing heavy snow once again. The town was still without power, but Dominic had brought over a portable generator and hooked it up to a few essential circuits, including a couple of standing lamps. “A friend of Piper’s has offered to lend me his car, as long as somebody’s able to drive it back down to him after the wedding.”

“Of course, we have several guests heading back that way. But what about your flight?”

Benjamin blew out a long breath. “Doesn’t look good. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to get a new passport issued in time, not with everything being shut down for Christmas. And the airline won’t refund my flight. I’m just hoping that once I get home to the island and visit a government office there, they’ll be able to do something. I’m about to hit the road now and I’ll grab food on the way. I should be there around midnight.”

“The bridge to the island is closing tonight until tomorrow morning,” Meg said gently. “It’s iced up and they’re saying a whole lot of snow is going to keep falling overnight. Stay there, get some sleep and get here as soon as you can in the morning.”

“But tomorrow’s your wedding!”

“Yup. Ironic, I know. I’m a wedding planner who spent years panicking about the safety of her baby brother, and now circumstances are conspiring to keep you from making it to my wedding. The old Meg would be hanging from the ceiling by her fingernails.” She chuckled. “Maybe God’s showing me just how far I’ve come in the past year and a half, and just how ready I am to marry Jack tomorrow. Fortunately, all the other guests have now made it here safe and sound. We’ll all pray that you make it here on time.”

He closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands.

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