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Blood thundering in her ears, Haylee shot her gaze toward the truck. Two men were sitting on the sides of the truck bed, beers in their hands. One of the men looked like Clint Taylor. She didn’t know the other man and hadn’t seen who was driving.
The truck careened through the lot and shot out onto the road.
Heart still pounding like mad, she rushed over to where Tyson helped the older man to his feet.
“Are you okay, Bill?” Tyson rested his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“Young man,” Bill started in a shaky and slurred voice, a waft of beer following his words. “You—you just saved my life. Thank you, son.”
“Let’s get you to the party.” Tyson guided the man back toward the barn dance. “You’ve had too much to drink. Do you have someone who can give you a ride?”
The man argued that he was fine, but Tyson walked him to a group of older men who were friends of Bill’s. Tyson stood and talked with the men while Haylee waited a few feet away. She still shook, her knees trembling.
Tyson had come close to being killed. He had saved Bill’s life, but at the same time, he could have lost his own.
Haylee couldn’t catch her breath. She was hyperventilating. Seeing Tyson putting his life on the line brought back old memories that came crashing down on her.
One night, during a three-alarm fire, Danny had gone into a burning building to save the lives of others. He got two women out of the house, but the ceiling collapsed on him just as he returned to ensure no one else was inside.
The fire department captain showed up on her doorstep late that night to tell her Danny hadn’t made it.
Haylee had collapsed into the captain’s arms, and that night haunted her even now.
She had lost Danny.
And now she could have lost Tyson before their relationship had even had a chance to grow.
Haylee held her hand to her chest, trying to slow her breathing as Tyson talked with the men. He slapped one man on the shoulder, and she could hear Tyson telling them thanks for getting Bill home.
He turned to her, frowned, and hurried over.
“What’s wrong?” He put his arm around her shoulders. “Are you all right, hon?”
She sucked in her breath, trying to calm herself down, but her voice trembled. “You could have been killed.”
He brought her into his arms and held her close. “Everything’s fine. Bill’s okay, and I’m okay.”
She nodded against his chest, and tears prickled at the back of her eyes, threatening to come forth.
When she drew back, she inhaled then let out a slow exhale. “I’ll be all right.” She tried to keep the tremble out of her words.
He took her hand, and they started toward the lot. “Let me get you home.”
When they reached his truck, he helped her into the vehicle. He brushed his mouth over hers before drawing away and closing the door.
The kiss relaxed her and helped to take away what horrors she’d felt.
“I want you to tell me about it one day,” he said quietly. “Whatever it was that triggered that amount of fear in you.”
She shot her gaze to him. “How did you know?”
He glanced from the road to her. “I saw the same expression when I was in the service. I know how people look when they’ve lost someone, and the memory has returned to haunt them.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay. One day.”
The drive home went by quickly, and Haylee started to wind down. By the time they reached her home and he walked her to her front porch, she was ready to crash. She unlocked the door and opened it before turning to him.
“You’re looking sleepy now.” He hooked his finger under her chin. “Sweet dreams.”
