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The bigger of the two men gestured around the isolated area. “Don’t see anyone else out here.”
Frowning, I looked past them just as they stopped in front of me. “I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere.”
He put his hands on his hips. “Your car break down or something?”
“I don’t have my car,” I admitted sheepishly. “I kind of left in a hurry.”
“Where are you heading?”
“I’m not sure.” My eyes slid to the other man when he finally spoke. Rubbing my hand over my forehead, I noticed the sun setting in the distance. At some point, I’d lost track of time and knew going back wasn’t an option. I couldn’t even imagine how furious my mom was that I’d missed the wedding. Considering the wedding was at six, it had to be over by now. “California, maybe? Although I’m not sure that would be far enough.”
The bigger man’s eyebrows drew together. “Do you think this is the way to California?”
I laughed without any humor and tried to quickly swallow down the tears filling my eyes. “I don’t even know where I am. I started walking and figured I’d eventually get somewhere far from here if I kept going.”
“Where were you?”
Again, my eyes slid to the other man before I gestured behind me. “At a country club in Butler County.”
“How long have you been walking?” He glanced at where I was pointing. “Butler County’s at least ten miles behind you.”
“A while, I guess.”
Shifting my attention to the bigger man, I watched as his eyes dropped to my dress and only then did I realize how handsome he was, except not in the same way as David. He had dark hair and eyes, with muscles bulging in his arms and chest. I’d never really talked to a man who looked like this. The men who belonged in my family’s circle were all polished and neat with manicured fingernails and expensive clothes. This man had tattoos on his arms and dirt under his fingernails, but I didn’t find it frightening for some reason. It almost felt comforting.
When his eyes lingered on my skirt, I pulled out the sides and spoke with sarcasm in my tone. “I see you looking at my dress. Pretty, right? My sister picked it out. I’m a bridesmaid in her wedding.”
His eyes slowly lifted to meet mine again. “Are you on the way to the wedding?”
“Ha!” I laughed and threw my head back, beginning to feel a little hysterical over what I’d just done. “Nope. No way. It should be over by now.”
“Alright, sweetheart, I have no fucking clue what’s going on here, but do you need a ride somewhere?” he asked, and I studied him for a moment, taken off guard by how much I liked it when he called me sweetheart. No one had ever called me that, except maybe my grandfather, but that had been years ago before he passed away.
Shaking off the feeling, I declined. “I don’t know you.”
His lips tipped in a slight grin. “Can you call someone for a ride?”
I rolled my lips together. “In my rush to leave, I also left my purse behind with my phone and wallet inside.” With a sigh, I pointed behind me, knowing I only had one choice. “I’ll just start walking back.”
“It’s gonna be dark in an hour.” His eyebrows shot up. “Unless you’re planning on running, you ain’t gonna make it. You a runner?”
I almost snorted this time and laughed because I was far from athletic. That was another thing my mother hated about me. Emily was fantastic at soccer, but I didn’t have an athletic bone in my body. I couldn’t dance, couldn’t play sports, hell, I couldn’t even walk without tripping most of the time. “Umm…no.”
He shoved his hand into his front pocket and pulled out his phone before holding it out to me. “Call someone and try to get a ride. If that doesn’t work, tell them you’re with us.” He gestured behind him toward the truck. “Give them the license plate for the truck. Tell them to call the police if you don’t call by tonight.”
I considered that for a moment, but since it was getting dark, I wasn’t sure I had much choice. Glancing down, I thought of all the numbers I knew by heart and decided to call my cousin. She was always on my side, but I wasn’t sure she could even forgive this.
“Jane?”
“Hey, Rachel,” I said as soon as I heard her voice.
“Oh my god, Jane, are you okay? Where are you?”
I studied the man in front of me while I listened to her, my eyes dropping to the muscled biceps when he crossed his arms over his chest. Something fluttered low in my belly before I snapped my eyes away and stared at the ground. “I’m fine. I needed some air, so I started walking and just never stopped.”
“Everyone was worried about you. You just disappeared.”
“Yeah, I know. Can you come get me?”
