A raindrop plopped on my cheek as I headed back to my truck. I swiped it away and glanced at the sky.
Time to get moving.
I’d only just pulled out of Discount Automotive when the storm hit. Water pelted, and I bent forward, squinting through the deluge pounding the windscreen. The road was empty except for old ghosts barrelling towards me. I was useless driving in thisstate. Slowing to a stop at the turnoff, I forced down a steadying breath, took one hand off the wheel, flexed my fingers, and shook off the nerves. Then, I did the other hand.
Focus. You can do this, you weak bastard.
The windscreen wipers whipped across the glass, but it was impossible to tell where the rain ended and the road began. Everything was a soggy haze of grey… Except…
Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I narrowed my eyes on the spot of pink on the horizon. The spot grew bigger and bigger until it was a person.
“Goddammit, Lola,” I muttered to the empty car. “Why the hell are you out in this rain?”
Her skirt wasn’t floating around her knees, tempting me to flick it up. The fabric plastered to her legs like a second skin. I thumped my palm into the steering wheel. The wind was like ice. She’d catch a cold. If a big rig came hurtling down the road, she’d be hit.
I crawled my truck to a stop beside her and put down the window. She didn’t stop. She kept on walking.
“Lola!”
Her head turned, golden hair flat against her face. Raindrops dotted her glasses, hiding her eyes, but her mouth speared down. Shivering, sopping wet, she still hated me. Too bad. I couldn’t leave her there.
Worry edged my voice when I barked, “Get in!” She didn’t budge. “There’s a storm.”
“Oh,really?I hadn’t noticed!” She hiked up her chin, defiant until the end, snapped around on her heel like a soldier, and kept marching down the road.
I dragged my hands down my face. There was no chance she’d get in willingly, but I couldn’t let her walk down the road to her death. I pulled the truck off the road, shifted into park, and after rummaging around in the back for what I needed, I took off afterher. My boots sloshed through the water as I chased her down the road.
“Lola!”
Hearing my voice catching up behind her only made her walk faster. “Hell will freeze over before I accept help from you, you…you…big beast!”
“You’re going to freeze to death. You’re already soaked through, and it’s ten minutes into town on foot from here!” I planted myself in front of her, blocking her way, and popped a black umbrella open over her head. “Are you going to be difficult about this?”
“Absolutely!” To prove to me just how determined she was to reject my help, she marched on.
“I hope you like company then.”
Lola jolted to a stop, her mouth dropping open. “You wouldn’t.”
“You’ve got two options. You can get rid of me real quick by letting me drive you home. But if you want to be stubborn and keep going on foot, I’m with you every step of the way.”
Her eyes slid past me to where I’d parked off the road. “I’m never getting in your truck.”
“I hope you like walking then.”
“Iloveit!”
And off she went. Perfect, stubborn, sweet little thing. I would’ve laughed if I didn’t think she’d take a swing at me. Easily keeping pace beside her, making sure the umbrella shielded her from the worst of the rain, I glanced down. Goosebumps prickled her pale skin.
“You’re cold,” I said.
She stuck her nose higher in the air, but only until I started fumbling with the buttons of my shirt.
“Wha—” Pale eyebrows popped over the top of her glasses.“Whatare youdoing?”
With one hand gripping the umbrella, I managed to shrug off my flannel, the white T-shirt underneath instantly soaking through. The wind whipped past. Damn, it was cold.
“Making sure you don’t catch your death,” I said, slinging my flannel over her shoulders. “There.” She was nothing but a head and slim legs swamped in blue and green checks. “Better.”
