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I catch her before she loses her footing, and when she looks up at me, my stomach tightens. Britt Bailey’s bright green eyes meet mine, and her full pink lips part. It’s been six months since I’ve seen her, but her scent, the fresh flowers…
“Aiden Stone!” Her voice is a dazed whisper. “Did you save me?”
I release her at once, placing my hands on her upper arms and moving her arms-length away from me.
“Are you hurt?” My tone is gruff, and I lean closer to inspect her pupils.
They’re not dilated, and I step away again, giving her small, curvy body a cursory glance. Everything seems miraculously fine—if I believed in miracles.
She shakes her blonde head. “I think I’m okay.”
Anger and frustration war in my chest, and my tone is stern. “You could’ve killed somebody just now.”
“The brakes went out! I was pumping them as hard as I could and trying to downshift…”
Hesitating, I make sure she’s not going to collapse before leaving her beside the open door and walking to the front of the truck.
A good-sized dent is on the right fender, and a loudBang!makes me jump back. The new sign drops onto the hood, facing up like a portent.Who watches over you?
“Lord have mercy, Britt? Is that you?” Doug scuffles around the back of the truck to where she’s standing. “You nearly flattened me like a pancake.”
“Doug! I’m so sorry!” She rises on her toes to hug him, and I tear my eyes away from the edge of her cutoffs rising dangerously high on her perky ass.
“What happened?” Doug continues, and the two of them walk to where I’m standing at the front of her orange death mobile.
“My brakes went out,” she starts, then she gasps, clutching her hands. “Oh, no! My truck!”
“When’s the last time you had this thing inspected?” Doug leans down to look inside the tires.
Her nose wrinkles. “Is that a thing?”
I shake my head. “Looks like you’re due for an upgrade.”
“No! I can’t part with my truck! It belonged to my dad.”
“Now, now.” Doug pats her shoulder. “Nobody’s making you get rid of your dad’s truck.”
He’s treating her like she’s made of glass, and I exhale a growl of frustration. She’s just arrived in town, and the mayhem has already begun.
“I couldn’t believe it when I hit the brakes, and it didn’t stop. I thought that only happened in movies.” She shakes her hands again. “I’m still kind-of… freaked out a little.”
“You’ve had a shock. Come inside and have a glass of water.” Doug takes her arm. “We’ll call and see if Bud can tow it to his garage and give it a good once-over.”
“All my stuff is in the back—”
“Aiden’ll take care of it. Won’t you, Aiden?” Doug’s paternal tone is starting to annoy me.
“Sure. I’m not doing anything.” I shake my head, lifting an enormous suitcase out of the truck bed.
Turning, I catch Britt’s eyes fluttering from my shoulders down to my arms, and her cheeks flush pink.
“I guess that’s what you call starting off with a bang?” She gives me a cautious smile that hits me in the chest in a way I don’t like.
“It’s all good.” Doug nods to the sign on her hood. “Someone was watching over you.”
It takes all my strength not to lose it entirely. That’s just the sort of shit Edna needs to hear.
“I’ll meet you inside,” I grumble, rolling her suitcase into the courthouse while Edward trots along beside me.
