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Gusts of wind, which had been a light breeze when she arrived, now threatened to rip her coat off her body. On and off through the week, minor storms had been blowing in, bringing bursts of powdery snow, too brief and too light to stay on the ground. But this time the wind and the murky clouds stampeding in from the west were different. This weather meant business.
Her temporary, cockroach-ridden home was an hour away. But the Taurus was a big, solid car with new tires. She’d driven in worse weather than this, Jess reminded herself as she forced the car door open and braced it while she slid into the driver’s seat. Released, the door slammed shut behind her, leaving her in sudden silence.
Only then did she realize how exhausted she was.
She’d slept poorly last night and been on the go all day. Between the rift with Cooper and the situation with the McCoy family, worry had chewed her nerves raw. All she wanted to do was sleep. But first she had to drive back to the motel. And even then, if her neighbors were going at it, she’d be lucky to get much rest.
She started the engine and switched on the headlights. The clouds blowing in could mean snow—even a rare Texas blizzard. But for now there was only wind. By the time the full storm blew in, she’d be at the motel.
She made it to the highway, wind battering the side of the car. Two huge semitrucks had pulled off the shoulder of the road to avoid the danger of being blown over. But her car was much lower. She would be all right.
A cardboard box flew across the road, hitting her windshield and blocking her view for a moment before it flapped away on the wind like a clumsy bird. Ten miles out of town, she could feel the need to sleep creeping through her body. Turning on the radio, she punched the Christmas music up to full volume and sang along.
“Jolly old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way. Don’t you tell a single soul, what I’m going to say . . .”
Would Saint Nicholas really not tell, or would he be like Cooper Chapman and start digging for more information?
Ridiculous question. But it made her so angry that she turned off the radio with a click. So much for Christmas spirit. Maggie had called Cooper a Scrooge. Now she was becoming one, too.
Jess could see no other cars coming toward her on the road. She switched the headlights on high beam. Tumbleweeds from a nearby field flowed like a ghostly tide, bounding and rolling across the road. Slowing, she eased a path through them and continued on. She was getting sleepy . . . so sleepy.
The blast of a horn and the glare of lights in her eyes shocked her awake. She swerved hard right as a heavy truck flashed past her in the night. Shaking, she pulled onto the shoulder of the road. She must’ve dozed off and wandered over the center line. Only split-second timing—and luck—had saved her from a terrible accident.
She couldn’t risk going on—not while she was a danger to herself and others. She would find a safe place to pull off the road and take a short nap before driving the rest of the way to Cottonwood Springs.
She crept along the edge of the road for another mile before finding a wide graveled area that marked the spot where a side road turned off toward a cluster of feed silos. Leaving plenty of room for anyone who might happen along, she pulled onto the far edge, locked the car doors, reclined her seat, and lay back.
Her position wasn’t very comfortable, but she didn’t plan on sleeping long—just long enough to take the edge off—maybe fifteen or twenty minutes. She would leave the parking lights on for safety. The car was warm inside. By the time it cooled, she’d be awake and ready to get back on the road.
She closed her eyes. Wrapped in her coat and lulled by the wind, she let sleep close over her like a downy quilt.
* * *
She woke to the glare of headlights from behind the car and a furious tapping on the side window. She turned toward the sound, struggling to sit up. The air around her was chilly, her limbs stiff and aching. Heavens, how long had she slept?
“Jess!” The familiar voice, raised to a shout, reached her through the glass. Half lit from behind and framed in snow, a face was visible. Cooper’s face.
She lowered the window partway and raised her seat back. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, emotions clashing.
“Looking for you. I was worried, damn it.”
“Why were you even looking? I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“You did. But I’ve got things to say—things you need to hear. Grace told me you’d be on the road after the shower, so I waited by your motel, hoping we could go somewhere and talk. Finally, with the weather getting worse and no sign of you, I drove back to look for you. Thank God you’re all right.”
“I was just sleepy. So I pulled over to rest. What time is it?”
“Last time I checked, it was about eleven thirty. You must be freezing in your car. Come on back and get in the Jeep, where it’s warm. We can talk there.”
“No.” Her distrust kicked in—although she distrusted herself more than she did Cooper. “If you want to talk to me, get in my car, and plan to leave as soon as you’re finished—or when I’m finished with you.” She clicked the automatic button to release the lock. Cooper went around the car, brushing the snow off his coat before climbing into the passenger seat. Snowflakes glistened on his dark hair.
Jess started the engine and turned up the heat. “All right,” she said, turning to face him. “I’m listening.”
He exhaled, fogging the chilled window. “I just wanted to apologize,” he said. “The first time I met you, I was intrigued—and attracted. I wanted to know more, not in order to exploit your secrets but to understand you. And the more I learned about you, the more I came to care about you.”
Jess’s gaze dropped to her clasped hands. She sensed what was coming, and she wasn’t ready to hear it. “Don’t,” she said. “I don’t want to be backed into a corner, Cooper. I know you’re a decent man. But what you need is a sweet, uncomplicated woman with no dark past and no trust issues. There are plenty of those in Branding Iron. Just open your eyes and look around.”
He was silent for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to back you into a corner, Jess. All I’m asking is that you take some time before you make a final judgment call. Give me a chance to prove that you can trust me.”
