“Ralph, Claire’s dad, former firefighter, and still have many friends on the police force down in your neck of the woods,” the man explained.
I bit back a smile. So that was where she got her gumption from. Claire dropped her face into her hands and mumbled, “For crying out loud.”
“She’s on the side of the road,” I explained to Ralph. He’s a man who would understand the risks. “It’s a one-lane mountain pass with poor visibility.”
Ralph clicked his tongue. “Claire Bear, I taught you better than that. If you heard all the stories …” Her father went on, and she glared at me.
I shrugged off her malice. “It’s not a designated pullover,” I said.
I had thought something was wrong when I spotted Claire’s small SUV on the side of the road. I assumed the worst and rushed to park without thinking. Now, we were both taking up so much space a single car would barely fit by. I shot a worried look back to Ripley. She stood on her hind legs, barking with her paws on the window and adding to the tension in my neck. I glanced up the road again. We needed to hurry this along, and though I knew I was being gruff, we didn’t have time for coddling.
Now that Claire wasn’t glaring so hard, I took a moment to really look at her, something I had been avoiding. This closeto Claire, my first time really seeing her in the light of day, she was too pretty to look directly at. My gaze flicked to take her in pieces; her cheeks were splotchy, and her eyes red-rimmed and glassy, her dimples nowhere to be seen. Not as bad as she’d been in the store, but upset, nonetheless.
“What’s wrong?” I asked before I could remember that I wasn’t supposed to care.
“Why’s he asking what’s wrong?” Ralph asked.
“Nothing,” she said.
“She’s crying,” I said at the same time, leaning forward so her father could hear me over her protestations.
“Okay, can you two stop ganging up on me?” She turned toward me, causing our faces to be closer than I intended. Her warm scent, like coffee and sweetly floral shampoo, filled the tight space. Her gaze moved from my eyes to my beard and lips. A little furrow formed between her brows. She swallowed and leaned back slightly. I was too close. I clenched my jaw and pulled my upper body out of her space.
“I’m fine. Dad, I’ll call you back tomorrow. Love you,” she said.
I stepped back and examined the road, pretending I couldn’t hear the exchange.
“And you’re okay?” he asked.
“Yes. But he’s right. I better get out of here now to appease you both,” she said tightly. I flicked a glance her way to find her shoulders at her ears and fists balled against the steering wheel, staring straight ahead and avoiding my gaze too.
“Love you. Don’t worry about the calls, sweetie. Wheneveryou’re able will be fine,” the older man said. “Bye, Levi. Make sure my girl gets home okay.”
With hands tucked in my jeans, I studied the trees and loudly said, “Yes, sir. Nice to meet you, Ralph.”
She closed the window as I glanced nervously up and down the road, listening for any cars. “Get in your truck if it’s dangerous,” she yelled through the glass.
“I’m making sure you go,” I said, arms crossed.
“I swear—” The rest of her mumblings were cut off by the start of her engine. She maneuvered a three-point turn and headed back in the direction of the house. My palms didn’t stop sweating until she was safely out of sight. I got in my truck just as a larger one came racing past, speeding twice the limit. He swerved into the dirt where Claire had just been, kicking up a cloud of gravel and dust.
He had his middle finger out his window and yelled, “Get off the road, fuckwit!”
“Good idea,” I said with a sigh, even though he was long gone.
I caught up with Claire soon enough, following at a safe distance until she turned off into my drive. She parked in front of the guest cabin but moved quickly to stop me before I could go the rest of the way up.
She knocked on the window, foot tapping impatiently. I put the truck in park and rolled down the window, a reverse of the scene just a few minutes ago.
Ripley jumped across the cab, pointy paws jabbing into my goods. “Oof,” I said, wincing.
“Hello, darling.” Claire scratched Ripley behind the ear, causing her back leg to thump repeatedly against my junk. Some of the anger melted from Claire’s features as Ripley’s sharp tail whipped my face.
I had planned to head straight back to the house and hide for the rest of the day. My socializing quota for this week had been surpassed. Yet I wasn’t agitated by the growing silence between us. If anything, I found myself hoping that Ripley would cause more distractions, extending this unexpected interlude. Claire debated with something internally before finally letting out a sigh.
“Thank you for the food. And the water. And the various supplies and sundries. And the coffee was so good. Really, you saved us both with that one.” She chuckled but pressed on when I didn’t do anything but scratch the back of Ripley’s neck. Our fingers accidentally brushed, but I didn’t pull back. “I was a disaster yesterday and completely abandoned my hopes for provisions, so I really appreciate it. Tell me how much I owe you.”
I growled and narrowed my eyes, putting an end to that. “It’s part of the rental.” I stared at the dashboard.
