“Whatever you say, man. Thanks!” She waved him away, and he drove off. As soon as he was gone, she was better able to assess her situation. What if he was telling the truth? She couldn’t see any real reason for him to lie. Either way, he was long gone by now, and she was getting thirsty. She headed back toward her car, where she had some water bottles waiting. At the very least, she should have some fresh water along with her. She’d been impulsive to walk away without it.
The walk seemed longer on the way back than it had on the way out, possibly because it was more steadily uphill this way. But she got to the top of the hill eventually and looked down to see her car, still sitting with its hood open. And leaning against his truck, just to the right, was the man who had stopped to taunt her just down the road. “Oh, great,” she muttered. “Now I get to be inconveniencedandhumiliated.”
The only reason she could think of for that smug expression on his face was that he had come to gloat. Well, she wasn’t about to spin around and march away from him now that he had clearly seen her. Anna’s greatest strength was also her greatest weakness when things really came down to it—pride.
CHAPTER 4
CHARLIE
If Charlie was certain about anything in his currently upside-down life, it was that he didn’t have time for this nonsense. About a mile down the road, he saw what he assumed was the walking woman’s car. An older sedan, pulled over on the side of the road, hood conspicuously popped. Charlie stared at it a moment and debated whether or not to just keep driving, but he was not the sort of person to leave a woman in a bind, no matter how clueless she appeared to be. If he walked away now, without at least ensuring her safety, he’d be up all night worrying about it.
He parked on the opposite side of the road and took a quick look under the hood of the stalled sedan to see if he could determine what was wrong. Before he came to a conclusion, he saw someone making their way toward him over the hill in the distance. It was the woman. She was still holding her phone up, still searching for a signal. He went back to his truck to give her space, but he had no intention of leaving her alone. There weren’t many predators around these parts, but they did exist, and just by the look of this city dweller, he could tell she’d be no match for them.
For a moment, he saw her hesitate when she saw he was waiting for her. Then, she stubbornly plowed on anyway, and he couldn’t help admiring her a little for being so headstrong.
When she came close enough, she shouted, “Stopped to watch the show, did you?”
“Just ensuring you get out of here before dark,” he explained.
“Oh, a gentleman, are you?” Her tone was sarcastic, but he only nodded in response.
He leaned back against the side of his own truck, tipped his wide-brim hat to protect his face from the setting sun, and crossed his legs casually. Her discomfort was obvious, but he didn’t take his eyes from her as she leaned over and examined the engine. Did she really know what she was doing? As he watched her move around the car and look at parts of it randomly, he realized it was all for show and chuckled to himself.
Finally, she said, “I’m pretty sure it’s the battery. It needed a jump earlier today, and that got it going again. Since I’ve provided so much entertainment to you, would it be too much to ask for?—”
He didn’t wait for her to finish before he was in his truck and pulling it up to her car. Without another word, he popped his own hood and pulled out his jumper cables. Once they were in place, he walked back to his truck, turning back only once to say, “Try to start your car now.”
She did as he instructed, and her car didn’t struggle to start. Rather, it didn’t even start at all.
Charlie got back out of his truck and removed his cables.
“Wait,” she said, sticking her head out her window. “Can’t we try again?”
“It’s not the battery.”
“But a jump solved it last time,” she protested.
Charlie just shook his head. “It’s possible the battery needs replacing, too, but I suspect the starter is your problem right now.” He could see her considering it, fighting it, and then realizing he was probably right. Every expression on her face told him the story. She was so easy to read. And, honestly, she was gorgeous. It was too bad so much cluelessness came in such a beautiful package. He didn’t mind watching her while she went back to her engine and examined it for a little longer.
The sunset cast a golden glow, accentuating the shape of her and the way her skin reflected the light. She was like a work of art. Before he knew it, his heart was beating faster than before, and he had to remind himself to look away every once in a while.
Ten minutes later, the sun had dipped completely below the horizon, and Charlie could see the dark approaching. “I can try to fix it for you,” he finally offered, “but my tools are back at my place. Might take a while, though.”
Her head whipped around, and the look on her face could have frozen the sun. Charlie took a step back in shock. Then he leaned back against his truck to hide it, and he gave her the most unimpressed expression he could muster under the circumstances.
“I’m perfectly capable of calling a mechanic,” she said.
He arched an eyebrow at her. “At this hour? No one will come this far.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her options. “Surely there’s an emergency mechanic nearby.”
Charlie snorted and shook his head. “People around here live at a slower pace than you’re probably used to. They’re not going to come out this far until morning.”
She just rolled her eyes at him and walked a little distance from her car, holding her phone up to find a signal. At least she was heading in the right direction this time. It didn’t take her long to cheer for her own success and start dialing. Charlie leaned back and waited. He knew exactly how this was going to end, whether she admitted it or not, and he certainly wasn’t going to let her go home with anyone else. If it was him, he could at least guarantee she’d be safe.
After trying three mechanics and two tow trucks, the woman finally gave up. She slammed her hood closed and slumped against her car with a heavy sigh. “Fine. But I’m staying in my car, and I’m locking it. I don’t trust you.”
Charlie gave her a half bow. “Whatever you like, though I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s going to get hot in the morning if you’re inside a closed car.”
