I groaned. “In the morning?”
“Yep. And rehearsals after, not to mention appointments in town almost every night.”
“Maybe we should just let her get a rental. She needs her freedom.”
“No.” Janice shot me an all-too-familiar look. It garnered no arguments. To Mari, she said, “Leo will drive you. He’ll have to be going to town more often anyway to help Cath. Good. So it’s settled.”
Mari opened her mouth, nothing having been settled, but the fire truck siren coming up the street cut her off.
CHAPTER 13
MARI
The morning following my car being pulverized, Leo pulled up to my apartment building promptly at 6:15 a.m. like I’d asked. I’d waited at the bottom of the stairs, ready to go. There was no way I wanted him to see the pathetic apartment I called my home.
After the volunteer fire crew made sure the tall pine stopped burning, they’d helped clean up, and Beau Winston towed away the remnants of my car. Pin Dick arrived home just in time to argue that it wasn’t his fault. He insisted his insurance didn’t even need to get involved. Leo glared at him until he gave up his information.
I had to hope it wouldn’t be totaled, but regardless, I needed a car quickly. This rideshare thing was not a long-term solution. After just a few minutes alone with Leo, I’d been distracted by his shy smile, gentle voice, and strong fingers. I couldn’t be trusted.
Leo was borderline comatose this morning, mumbling, “Hey,” as I got in the car.
Our close calls yesterday had been on my mind all night. I thought for too long about those capable fingers, the strength of his arms as they banded me in place, and his surprising ferocity as he saved me. And after, the fear I saw in his eyes as he checked me over for injury and the gentle way he’d removed my shoes and dried me off when I’d been too shell-shocked to do anything other than stare. The anger he showed when he didn’t let Pin Dick weasel out of his responsibility.
Ultimately, a literal tree crushing my car as he’d been about tomaybekiss me was a sign from the universe.
Stay focused.So that was what I would do. This attraction was fun, but it would pass. I was stronger than my desire.
“Daisy’s is on the way. Want to get a coffee?” I asked, clearing all the repeating thoughts with a plan. I needed some breakfast too. I had no food at the house, but that wasn’t new. Usually, I had time to stop and get something.
Leo grunted.
“I think that was a yes. I’ll run in, just pull up.”
There was a small queue as Rebecca poured my coffee and handed me two of the daily specials. She raised a brow and nudged her chin in the direction of the waiting car outside.
“Long story,” I said, following her gaze.
She’d hear enough from Daisy after the next bunco night.
I thanked her and made my way quickly to the car.
We each ate our donut in silence. By the time we got to the school, Leo had drunk half of his to-go cup. His blinks weren’t as slow, and his frequency of yawns was cut in half. “Go ahead and pull into the teacher parking lot,” I instructed. “The front office doesn’t even come in for another hour. Yeah, here’s good.”
He parked and turned in his seat expectantly. “What time should I come get you?”
“I can get a ride home from Clara.” Though even as I said it, I remembered that Clara already had her hands full playing chauffeur for Gracie and her sprained ankle. “You don’t need to worry about it. I know this is a pain. There are probably a dozen better options.”
He yawned behind his hand. “It really isn’t a big deal. Also, there’s no arguing with Janice once she’s decided.”
I knew that firsthand.
“I always admired that about her.” I sighed and relented.
“I’ll drive you until it no longer works.” He shrugged as if the extra time together didn’t matter to him at all. Well, how nice for him. If he wasn’t worried about it, then neither was I. We were adults, after all, with fully developed frontal cortexes designed for smart decision-making.
Maybe mine had been damaged at some point, and that was why my temper often got the best of me? Food for thought...for another time.
“Five should be good. You can pick me up at the field,” I said.
