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The cop scowled but, to his credit, didn’t call her an idiot.
“Driving in a hurricane would qualify as a silly chance. As the sheriff, I cannot let you do that.” His tone softened as he continued. “If you can’t drive, then neither can he. He’ll have to pull off and wait as well. I promise you, Ms. Gamble, I won’t let anything happen to you while you’re in my jurisdiction.”
“You can’t know that.”
Her reply was automatic, and out of her mouth before she’d even thought it through.
This whole situation was a mess, and she couldn’t blame anybody but herself.
If she’d left Kevin a long time ago…
If she hadn’t believed it when he said he would change…
If she hadn’t taken him back more than once…
If she had just checked the weather report before she ran, she might have turned north and waited a few days…
She’d driven straight into a hurricane zone. How stupid could she be? This sheriff probably thought that she wasn’t very bright. No one escapes into a storm. If she’d gone in any other direction she’d be breathing easier now.
“I know that you have no reason to trust me,” the sheriff said. “But I mean it when I say that I’ll protect you. I won’t let him near you.”
“You probably think I’m crazy.”
The officer rubbed at his jaw, his smile crooked. He was really a handsome man now that she was getting a good look at him. He was soaked to the skin, his hair standing up because of the wind, and that was her fault, too. He was standing out in the elements trying to convince her to believe in him.
It was just…she hadn’t believed in much these last few years. She’d barely believed in herself.
“I don’t think you’re crazy, Ms. Gamble. I think that you’re scared.”
“I can’t deny that.”
Her reply came out choked as she tried to swallow down another sob of frustration. She didn’t know what to do. Or how to make a decent decision. Kevin hadn’t liked her to make decisions, and he’d pushed her to the place where she didn’t make many of them anymore except for her work. Now she was on her own, and it was all up to her.
She had to find her voice. She had to straighten her spine and find some strength and independence. Somewhere. Somehow. She’d walked away for her own sanity and perhaps her life, but it wouldn’t mean much if she withered away and didn’t change.
“I’m afraid to go to the resort because he might find me there,” she finally admitted.
This time she’d spoken firmly. She’d made up her mind.
“I can sleep in my car somewhere. Maybe a parking lot,” she went on. “I’ll stay off the roads, I promise. I understand that it would be dangerous, and that you can’t allow me to do that.”
He was leaning against the side of her car, his gaze appraising as if he was wondering if she was telling the truth. He had good reason to doubt her word. Not two minutes ago she’d been talking about driving in the storm.
“First of all, if you did try and drive in this weather, one of two things would happen. Either you’d regret it quickly and have an accident. Or I would come after you and place you in protective custody until the storm was over. My jail is empty right now but it’s not the most comfortable space to ride out a hurricane.”
“You’d put me in jail?”
Mia was scandalized at the thought of being behind bars even if only for one night. As a kid, she hadn’t even been put in timeout.
“Yes, I would. Second of all, I can’t let you sleep in your car either. It’s not safe. If you don’t want to go to the resort, you can stay at my home. Once again, I realize that you have no reason to trust me. I’m a stranger to you. But I won’t hurt you. I don’t want anything from you, except to keep you safe in this storm. In the morning, if the roads are safe to pass, I’ll give you directions to wherever you want to go along with a full tank of gas. My treat.”
Mia didn’t have any reason to trust him. No reason at all. She’d only met him a few minutes ago. But he was currently standing outside her vehicle in a goddamn hurricane to try and convince her not to do anything dangerous. That was more than many people would do.
“I’ll go to the resort,” she relented. “But is there a way I can keep out of sight? Will the people that work there tell anyone I’m staying if they’re asked?”
“No one will know. And no one will tell. My family owns the resort so I can take you in a side door, if that will make you feel better.”
She didn’t really want to sleep in her car. The storm was scary, and she’d been white knuckling the steering wheel for the last hundred miles. She was alone and frightened. At some point she had to trust somebody. Her instincts were telling her that this man could be trusted.
