Evie laughs, and I let myself relax enough to laugh with her. “Not as handsome as you,” she says to my brother, her tone softening enough to make my heart squeeze.
Six months ago, I might have rolled my eyes at the exchange, but lately, I’m less annoyed by how much they love each other and more enamored. Maybe even a little envious.
“If he’s not there in twenty minutes, call us back.”
“I will. Thanks, guys. Give Juno a kiss for me.”
“Will do,” Alec says. “And Megan?” A hint of mischief creeps into his tone. “When he does show up, you’d better behave.”
Two
It can’t be morethan ten minutes after I hang up the phone with Alec that I finally see headlights flashing in the distance, but it feels more like a hundred. I’m not particularly afraid of the dark, and I don’t mind being by myself. But I’ll still choose company and sunshine at every opportunity, so hanging out in the dark, alone, clinging to the side of a mountain is triggering my discomfort on multiple levels.
I sit up a little taller, watching as the vehicle slowly inches toward me, then pulls to a stop directly beside my passenger side door. There’s a Stonebrook Farm logo emblazoned on the side of the truck, and I breathe out a sigh, letting the tension drop out of my shoulders.
I’m more than a little anxious to catch a glimpse of the Hawthorne-brothers-handsome Noah, but mostly I’m just happy to be rescued.
I turn off my car and climb over to the passenger side, tucking my keys into the pocket of my coat before grabbing my purse and pushing open the door. The car is angled enough that it’s difficult to keep the door open, but then a gloved hand appears at the top of the doorframe, holding it steady.
In my semi-crouched position halfway out of the car, my eyes are angled down, so at first, all I can see are his boots. I slowly lift my gaze, trailing up his form. Dark pants. Flannel peeking out from under an unbuttoned Carhartt coat. Trim waist. Broad shoulders. And another gloved hand extended toward me.
“Careful,” he says, his deep voice sending a shiver through me. “The ground is slick.”
I still haven’t looked up to his face. Partly because of my awkward position. Partly because the hot Hawthorne warning left me feeling weirdly anxious.
Which is so unlike me.
I am not the kind of woman who is intimidated by a pretty face. I’m the confident one. The one my girlfriends send across the bar to ask the cute guy if he’s seeing anyone and would he be interested in getting my friend’s number?
But tonight, I’m all out of sorts.
Maybe it’s the snow. Or the half a dozen minutes I spent contemplating what it might feel like to freeze to death. Or maybe it’s just that for the first time, I’m in an unfamiliar place and I’m entirely on my own.
I might be the confident one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate having my friends standing behind me, holding the safety net to catch me should I crash and burn.
I take a steadying breath and slip my fingers into Noah’s gloved hand. Well, I assume this is Noah. I should probably make sure before I climb into his truck.
“You’re Noah Hawthorne?”
“Last time I checked,” he grumbles. There’s a quality to his voice that immediately sets me on edge. He doesn’t sound angry, exactly. But his tone is as chilly as the snow collecting on the shoulders of my pea coat.
Once I’m on my feet, I finally lift my gaze.
Oh.Oh, heishandsome. Strong jaw. Thick brows over stormy blue eyes. Wavy brown hair and a close-cut beard.
And a scowl that makes my heart shrink inside my chest.
“I’m Megan,” I say. “I’m?—”
“I know who you are,” he says dryly. “Are you good?”
“Am I good?” I repeat. Whatever confidence I usually have must not like cold weather, because it’s all I can do not to shrivel under his icy glare.
“Steady on your feet,” he clarifies.
When I nod, he tugs his hand out of mine and tilts his head toward the trunk. “Do you have bags?”
I’m half tempted to say no just to avoid inconveniencing him further. But the thought of my favorite leggings and the oversized hoodie I know are inside my suitcase is too tempting.
