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Brooke cupped her palm on Mia’s bicep, her brows dipped in concern. “Don’t worry about lunch, or dinner for that matter. Let me take you home, and you can relax.”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. Brooke meant well, but how was she supposed to relax? A plop of rain landed on her forehead, and she wiped it away. She struggled for a response, a thought, a damn sentence to explain what she wanted right now, but no words came. Her nerve endings danced a tango and the idea of being alone scared her more than she wanted to admit. But she didn’t want to burden her employer and reject her generosity.
“I’ll take her,” Chet said, fisting his keys. “I’m heading there anyway. No need to waste anyone else’s time.”
The punch of gratitude for his offer warred with her desperate desire not to spend time trapped in a truck alone with Chet. The drops of rain grew larger, and she let them slide down her face. “Are you sure?”
“Yep.” Without waiting for her answer, he marched back to his truck and started the engine.
“Guess I’m going with Chet. Thanks for everything, Officer.”
“I think it’s time you call me Lincoln,” he said with a snort. “I’ll be in touch soon about your vehicle.”
She nodded her thanks, waved goodbye, then headed for the truck—her steps heavy with dread. The drive home was no more than ten minutes, but she had a feeling it would be the longest drive of her life.
5
By the time Mia sprinted the short distance to Chet’s idling truck, the sky had opened and rain pelted down. Water dripped from the ends of her dark hair and her blue t-shirt clung to her body—the stiff, wet denim of her jeans heavy and uncomfortable.
Chet might have missed the downpour, but moisture from the earlier sputter of rain mussed his brown hair, spiking it in wayward peaks. He peeled off his ever-present flannel, exposing bulging muscles under his gray shirt, then tossed the discarded clothing between them on the bench seat.
Mia kept her focus out the windshield as Chet swung onto the narrow mountain road, the wipers swinging back and forth in a flurry of motion. Temptation to ogle the chiseled body he always kept hidden under his stupid flannel had her tightening her jaw. The last thing she needed was to be impressed by any part of her neighbor. His handsome face was already annoying enough. “Thanks for the ride,” she said, needing to fill the quiet space with more than tension and the sound of swooshing wipers.
“No problem.”
More awkward silence pulsed between them. Mia clenched her hands together in her lap. Needing to expel the nervous energy zipping through her body, she crossed her legs then wiggled her dangling foot. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without my car.”
“Lincoln shouldn’t have it long.”
She waited for him to say more, unsurprised when he didn’t. Conversation wasn’t his strong suit on a good day. “Even when I get it back, I can’t buy new tires.” She blurted out the words, rambling as the car slowed to round a sharp curve in the road. She wanted to ask who he thought could have done something like this but was afraid of the answer. “I’ll call my insurance company, but I’m not expecting much. Is there a cheap place around here I can get some wheels?”
“Going cheap on tires isn’t a good idea. Especially around here.” He flicked his gaze in the rearview mirror then refocused ahead of him.
She rolled her eyes. “As if I have a choice.”
He cast her a quick glance, his curiosity plain in his furrowed brow.
She shifted, his attention making her uncomfortable. She’d kept her reasons for moving to Pine Valley to herself, not even confiding in Brooke or Zoe. The last thing she wanted was to spill her most embarrassing mistake to Chet—expose how loving the wrong man left her without a penny to her name and a shattered heart.
Thick lines circling Chet’s wrists caught her attention, and Zoe’s earlier words came back to her. Maybe if she wanted Chet to tell her his story, she should be more open about hers. She weighed her options before deciding to open up a little. What could the truth of her situation do? Make their relationship worse?
Slumping her head against the back of her seat, she sighed. “My ex-boyfriend emptied out my savings. He took everything from me. That’s why I moved here. To start over and build back the life he stole. If I want to make rent next month, I’ll have to go bare bones on the tires.”
“I’m sorry.” The grunted words grumbled from deep in his throat and practically made the air vibrate. “Guy sounds like an ass.”
She snorted out a laugh and turned her head to face him. As much as she hated talking about Aaron, it was nice to focus on more normal aspects of her life. No matter how depressing they were. “Ass might be an understatement.”
“Why Pine Valley?” he asked.
His interest caught her off guard. “I don’t really know. I like the small town. And Brooke needed a kitchen assistant. I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant, so it seemed like a good place to gain experience.”
“I didn’t need any help.”
She shook her head in irritation. He made it so difficult to have a conversation. “Well, Brooke didn’t agree. So here I am.”
“Hmm,” he said as his phone rang from his pocket. He yanked it out, flipping open the phone then pressing it to his ear.
She suppressed a giggle. Who still used a flip phone? As he listened to whoever was on the other line, she let her gaze travel from the large hand pressing the phone to his ear down to the scars on his wrist and up the corded muscles of his forearm.
