“Oh, you poor thing! My son tells me you’re having to stay there with him because of your car and the storm. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Her voice is chipper and sweet, putting a smile on my face. “That’s very nice of you to offer. I think my plan is to wait for the roads to improve and then call for a tow truck. Thank you, though.”
“But you have a safe place to stay in the meantime, that’s the important thing,” she suggests.
I scan the warm cabin. While not large, it’s certainly comfortable and appears to be safe. “Yes, I got lucky that Ledger allowed me to stay.”
“Izzy is your name, he said?”
“Yes. Uh—Isadora, actually. Isadora Blake. But my friends call me Izzy, I prefer that.”
“Isadora?” Ledger mumbles under his breath, but I catch it. I shoot him afuck offlook, and he holds his hands up in retreat.
“Well, that’s a lovely name. Do me a favor and make yourself at home. I know my son is a little shy, but he’s a good man, I can promise you. He’s also singl?—”
“Mom.”
I didn’t realize I was standing close enough for him to hear her end of the conversation, and I snicker with a hand over my mouth. We don’t know each other, but her comment about him being shy makes me think twice about my first impression of him.
Sure, he doesn’t say a whole lot. But he damn sure wasn’t shy when he helped me off the ground, and then demanded I stop being scared and get into his truck.
A surprising curiosity creeps its way into my thoughts. I can’t help but wonder more about what he’s like.
“Shame on you for eavesdropping, Ledger. Don’t you have things to do? Go chop wood or something while I chat with Izzy.”
I raise my eyebrows, not hating the idea of him wandering off to find the nearest axe. Bravery hits me, and I can’t help it, deciding to jump in on the banter. “Shoo. We need firewood.”
His eyes narrow and he runs his tongue over the top row of his teeth on one side of his mouth. I double down by pointing to the back door.
His mom’s cackles ring through the phone, and it puts a smug smile on my face. “I love it. He needs someone to boss him around just like that,” she says.
The fact that he remains in place, stubborn and unmoving, disproves her suggestion. Shy, my ass.
If anyone is going to be giving orders around here, I think it’s him. I’ll be speaking to my therapist in a few weeks about why that makes me want to squeeze my thighs together.
But then again, I don’t need therapy to help me figure out that I’m pathetically attracted to this man. Maybe it’s just rebound hormones. I get them every time. Not ideal to be horny and stranded with a hot stranger if I don’t want to make a fool of myself while I’m here, but it’ll fizzle out once I get some sleep.
I hope.
“You can call me Gina, by the way. Gina Cole. My number is on speed dial if you need to call for anything.”
She’s incredibly sweet, and it puts me at ease a bit, considering I’m trapped with a stranger for the foreseeable future. “Thank you, Gina.”
“Oh, shoot. Sarabeth! Wait for me to open that oven! I’ve got to go, dear. Have a great time.”
The line clicks and then goes silent. Have a great time? Ma’am, my car doesn’t work and I can’t go anywhere. I might not even make it to my next job location before I’m supposed to be there. And your son is a grumpy pants deluxe. I doubt I’ll be having agreat time.
I shrug and hold the phone out to Ledger. He takes it and places it back in the drawer behind him.
“Satellite phone,” he clarifies.
“Ah. Gotcha. I was wondering how you had service up here.” I pull my own phone out of my pocket, checking the screen again, even though I know what I’ll see. Zero bars.
“You can use it if you need to contact someone,” he suggests.
“Oh. Okay, thanks.”
He nods, rubbing his full beard along his jaw. I tuck the ends of my sleeves into my palms and cross my arms, trying to look anywhere but at him. His eye contact is piercing, and it makes me fidget with the rings on my fingers.
