Read Online Grace: A Christmas Sisters of the Heart Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shelley Shepard Gray
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Love Stories, Christmas stories, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Amish, secrets, Ohio, Amish - Ohio, Bed and Breakfast Accommodations - Ohio
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was aware of where the rest of the cars were at all times.
Then the cars in front of her screeched to a halt. She slammed on her brakes.
Around her, cars swerved and then perilously slid on the already slick pavement. Metal crashed into metal, horns blared, people yelled, and airbags flew open.
Leah gripped her steering wheel hard as she could as she tried her best to not only get out of the way of careening cars, but to escape hitting the Toyota in front of her head-on. As she felt the vibrations of the antilocks doing their best, panic rose in her. She had no control over her vehicle. No way of stopping. “Please, God,” she whispered. “Please—”
Her body reverberated against the seat belt as her Civic met the inevitable. Luckily, it wasn’t quite hard enough to send the air bag out, but the impact was jarring.
She was shaking now. Shaking. Crying. “Please God. Please God.”
All around her, a dozen cars fell into the same situation. Each slammed or rolled into another vehicle, or the median. Or the shoulder. Or the railing. One right after the other with enough force to push a long line of vehicles smack dab into one another—just like a row of cards or dominoes.
Leah was thankful that the jolt she’d received hadn’t done too much more than bruise her slightly and leave her emotionally shaken. She was sure others hadn’t been near as lucky.
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 ofthings 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
Then the cars in front of her screeched to a halt. She slammed on her brakes.
Around her, cars swerved and then perilously slid on the already slick pavement. Metal crashed into metal, horns blared, people yelled, and airbags flew open.
Leah gripped her steering wheel hard as she could as she tried her best to not only get out of the way of careening cars, but to escape hitting the Toyota in front of her head-on. As she felt the vibrations of the antilocks doing their best, panic rose in her. She had no control over her vehicle. No way of stopping. “Please, God,” she whispered. “Please—”
Her body reverberated against the seat belt as her Civic met the inevitable. Luckily, it wasn’t quite hard enough to send the air bag out, but the impact was jarring.
She was shaking now. Shaking. Crying. “Please God. Please God.”
All around her, a dozen cars fell into the same situation. Each slammed or rolled into another vehicle, or the median. Or the shoulder. Or the railing. One right after the other with enough force to push a long line of vehicles smack dab into one another—just like a row of cards or dominoes.
Leah was thankful that the jolt she’d received hadn’t done too much more than bruise her slightly and leave her emotionally shaken. She was sure others hadn’t been near as lucky.
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 ofthings 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
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