“Faith is the first thing I have ever done right in this world,” he told Frank.
“I certainly doubt that.” Frank leaned forward and wiped some fog from his side of the windshield. “Oh, no.”
“What is it?” Seth’s eyes followed Frank’s line of sight until he saw the cause of worry. And just like that, the ten-hour trip he’d been hoping for slipped through his fingers as quickly as Faith had seven months ago. “Are you kidding me?” Yellow flashing lights lit up the orange sign on the side of the road. ROAD CLOSED 5 MILES AHEAD. “Now what are we going to do?”
Seth slowed the Malibu. “The storm must be worse here than in Nashville.”
“There has to be a small town or a rest stop or something ahead. We can get off at the next exit and figure out a way around this mess,” Frank said.
A small town, an exit, a way around this mess. It all added up to more time. Time he didn’t have. Time Faith didn’t have.
“There,” Frank said, pointing to a green exit sign. “That’s got to be the last exit before the road closes.”
Seth eased onto the ramp, slowing his speed. He watched as the speedometer dropped further and further. They drove a few miles for what seemed like hours looking for a small town, but bad luck had seemingly followed them. A lonely stretch of snow-covered road led to more snow-covered roads. “Over there!” Frank pointed to an isolated gas station surrounded by barren fields.
Seth pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of the BP gas station.
“We should probably fill up now,” Frank said. “The last thing I want is to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no gas.”
Seth nodded. “You want me to get the gas?”
“No, I can do that. Why don’t you see if you can talk to the attendant and find a way out of this mess?”
“Sounds good.” Seth opened his door. A powerful wind caught it, nearly tearing it from his grasp.
“I’ll be in after I top her off.”
Seth nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, making his way through the snow. Each foot disappeared into a cloud of white powder, reminding him of winters they used to have growing up in Northern Indiana.
A digital bell rang when Seth opened the door, sounding his arrival. The man behind the checkout counter gave him a nod. “Can I help you?” His accent was as thick as butter. Tennessee through and through. He stood well over six feet tall and had tufts of dark hair springing from a red baseball cap.
Seth quickly scanned the counter before picking up a state map. “My friend and I just got off I69. Looks like the road is closed just north of here. Do you know of another way?”
The attendant stared at Seth and produced a Pepsi can from behind the counter. Without so much as blinking, he spit brown liquid into the can and set it back down. “You from around these parts? You sure do look familiar.”
Seth just waited, knowing that the clerk would figure it out. Yep, there it was. The clerk smiled. It was a smile of recognition. The same smile Seth had enjoyed during the beginning stages of his music career but had grown to hate since. “I do know you,” the clerk said, nodding. “You’re that famous country singer. The one who just got out of one of those fancy rehab joints.”
Seth nodded. The rehab singer. Nice. “What do you say, buddy? Is there a way north?”
The tall attendant slapped his hand on the counter. “Man, my girlfriend ain’t gonna believe this. She has your last CD.” He leaned forward and placed a hand to the side of his mouth, whispering, “Not my cup of brew. A little too girly for me.”
Nice. He took the high road. “Well, I’m glad your girlfriend likes it.”
“She sure does. She pulls out the CD booklet and stares at it when she listens to it.” He scratched his head. “I guess she likes reading the lyrics.”
Seth thought it wise not to tell him that his last CD hadn’t come with printed lyrics. A decision made by his manager, Adam. If your fans
“I certainly doubt that.” Frank leaned forward and wiped some fog from his side of the windshield. “Oh, no.”
“What is it?” Seth’s eyes followed Frank’s line of sight until he saw the cause of worry. And just like that, the ten-hour trip he’d been hoping for slipped through his fingers as quickly as Faith had seven months ago. “Are you kidding me?” Yellow flashing lights lit up the orange sign on the side of the road. ROAD CLOSED 5 MILES AHEAD. “Now what are we going to do?”
Seth slowed the Malibu. “The storm must be worse here than in Nashville.”
“There has to be a small town or a rest stop or something ahead. We can get off at the next exit and figure out a way around this mess,” Frank said.
A small town, an exit, a way around this mess. It all added up to more time. Time he didn’t have. Time Faith didn’t have.
“There,” Frank said, pointing to a green exit sign. “That’s got to be the last exit before the road closes.”
Seth eased onto the ramp, slowing his speed. He watched as the speedometer dropped further and further. They drove a few miles for what seemed like hours looking for a small town, but bad luck had seemingly followed them. A lonely stretch of snow-covered road led to more snow-covered roads. “Over there!” Frank pointed to an isolated gas station surrounded by barren fields.
Seth pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of the BP gas station.
“We should probably fill up now,” Frank said. “The last thing I want is to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no gas.”
Seth nodded. “You want me to get the gas?”
“No, I can do that. Why don’t you see if you can talk to the attendant and find a way out of this mess?”
“Sounds good.” Seth opened his door. A powerful wind caught it, nearly tearing it from his grasp.
“I’ll be in after I top her off.”
Seth nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, making his way through the snow. Each foot disappeared into a cloud of white powder, reminding him of winters they used to have growing up in Northern Indiana.
A digital bell rang when Seth opened the door, sounding his arrival. The man behind the checkout counter gave him a nod. “Can I help you?” His accent was as thick as butter. Tennessee through and through. He stood well over six feet tall and had tufts of dark hair springing from a red baseball cap.
Seth quickly scanned the counter before picking up a state map. “My friend and I just got off I69. Looks like the road is closed just north of here. Do you know of another way?”
The attendant stared at Seth and produced a Pepsi can from behind the counter. Without so much as blinking, he spit brown liquid into the can and set it back down. “You from around these parts? You sure do look familiar.”
Seth just waited, knowing that the clerk would figure it out. Yep, there it was. The clerk smiled. It was a smile of recognition. The same smile Seth had enjoyed during the beginning stages of his music career but had grown to hate since. “I do know you,” the clerk said, nodding. “You’re that famous country singer. The one who just got out of one of those fancy rehab joints.”
Seth nodded. The rehab singer. Nice. “What do you say, buddy? Is there a way north?”
The tall attendant slapped his hand on the counter. “Man, my girlfriend ain’t gonna believe this. She has your last CD.” He leaned forward and placed a hand to the side of his mouth, whispering, “Not my cup of brew. A little too girly for me.”
Nice. He took the high road. “Well, I’m glad your girlfriend likes it.”
“She sure does. She pulls out the CD booklet and stares at it when she listens to it.” He scratched his head. “I guess she likes reading the lyrics.”
Seth thought it wise not to tell him that his last CD hadn’t come with printed lyrics. A decision made by his manager, Adam. If your fans
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