Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“The kiddo has it. And thanks, you didn’t have to work any miracles…” My cheeks are on fire.
Rather than meet his gaze and see the concern flashing in his eyes, I work on getting Arlo out of the car.
He’s wrapped up in my purple coat, absurdly large on him, now trailing halfway behind him in the snow.
“Mr. Rory!” Arlo says with genuine delight the minute they lock eyes. “I knew you’d come with the cool car.”
Patton sends me a quick glance before switching his attention back to Arlo. I think my little boy keeps trying to find hidden James Bond guns and booby traps that pop out of secret compartments since he’s convinced my boss has superpowers.
“Let me help you up to the escape pod, little man,” Patton tells him.
“Wait, he needs his seat,” I say, wrestling it out of the back seat and wishing it didn’t look so beat up next to Mr. Everything New.
I get the seat in the vehicle while Arlo dances around in the snow, seemingly oblivious to the temperature. Now that Patton’s here, Arlo’s chattering a mile a minute, full of stories about the snow and karate and the big crash and what he hopes to have for dinner.
At least someone’s feeling better.
“Come on,” I say to Arlo. “Let’s get you in here.” I brush off the snow and help him up, strapping him in securely. He squirms, making it difficult, and it’s hard not to snap at him to sit still.
He’s just a kid.
He doesn’t know how stressful this situation truly is.
How close we both came to being hurt.
And without my knight in shining jeans charging to our rescue… tonight would easily be a bigger mishap than it is.
“There, all set,” I tell Patton, shutting the door and brushing my slick hair back from my face. “I’m so sorry for putting you out again. The tow trucks were just tied up tonight and—”
“Jesus, Salem.” He cuts me off, sounding irritated and worried. “You’re freezing your face off and the kid needs a meal. Don’t apologize.”
“I’m fi—”
“You’re not. Hold still.”
I don’t have time to finish lying before he slings his coat around my shoulders.
I’m instantly silenced.
It’s insanely warm. I snuggle in before I can help myself.
There’s also no escaping his scent, this woodsy aftershave that’s so heavenly I’m able to forget the hell we’re in for a second.
Who knew this would be the night I’d want to breathe Patton Rory? And right now, he smells like manly salvation.
When I look up, he’s eyeing me curiously.
Maybe I should stop looking like I’m in a fabric softener commercial.
“What happened?” he asks.
“The roads were so slick. Another vehicle lost control and almost clipped us. I tried to swerve out of the way, but the ice was crazy, and I just—” I stop and shake my head. My hands are trembling. Shock, I guess, from how close we came to a bigger disaster. “We veered over and hit the sign instead.”
“Are you okay? Both of you?” He gives me a sharp look.
“I’m sure we don’t need an ER visit. It was a pretty slow impact, just scarier than it looked. We’re good.”
“You crashed. Your ride’s banged up. You don’t have to keep telling me you’re fine.” His anger feels sharp, lashing my feelings raw until they start climbing up my throat again.
I turn away so he doesn’t see the way my mouth turns down. My nose stings.
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
Get a grip. You’re overreacting. It was a minor accident, and he’s worried about you. Arlo’s fine. You’re fine. Everything’s fine.
Patton looks at the hood and sees the oil dripping on the snow, frowning the entire time.
“When the tow truck shows up, I’ll have it sent to the shop I use. They do excellent body work. If it’s salvageable, it shouldn’t take more than a couple days.”
“Honestly, dude. This is— You’re going to have to tell me how much it costs. I’ll call my insurance tomorrow.”
I want to scream that he doesn’t have to do this, but I know it’ll slide off him like the melting snow. There’s no changing this man’s mind once it’s made up.
“Screw the insurance. Don’t worry about the damn cost until you’re warm, fed, and you’ve gotten some sleep,” he growls.
For a second, I squint, wondering who I’m seeing.
Thick snow dusts his hair and shoulders, and the wintry shadows all around us bring out the blue witchfire of his eyes. It’s a strange sight, seeing him in jeans that are so stark against the winter anti-wonderland.
This is wrong on every level. But I don’t know how to begin to understand it.
Arlo bangs on the window, pressing his nose against the glass.
I jump.
“Listen to the boy, he wants to get moving,” Patton says. “Your car will be fine, I promise. I work with good people.”
What else can I do tonight but trust him?