Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
As if the car heard the irritation in her voice, it dies again, the air around us growing quiet with the whine of the engine gone.
"Damn it," she mutters, walking back toward her car. "Can't catch a freaking break, like ever. What did I do in a past life to deserve this shit?"
She's muttering to herself as she walks back to her car, and I climb out of my truck and follow her in that direction.
"Pop the hood," I say, hating when she turns back to face me as if this whole situation is all my fault, as if I hexed her car so she'd be forced to be near me.
She takes a seat in the driver's seat and reaches for the hood release.
The roar of another vehicle draws both our attention.
She mutters a curse under her breath, but I'm a little grateful that Chase noticed us out here on the road and is coming to help. I feel like the least manly man not knowing how to fix this issue so she's not stranded on the side of the road. God forbid it's on one of the super cold nights and she has Larkin in the car with her.
The idea of it makes my skin crawl. I know I have to do something to prevent that from happening even if it means pissing her off by reminding her of every scenario of what could happen in order for her to accept some help.
"Stay in the car," I tell her, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.
I close the car door before rounding the hood and lifting the damn thing.
By the time I get it open, Chase is pulling up.
When I lean forward, I jolt as the horn blares.
I can't help but smile when I look around the hood and see Claire trying not to laugh. I'll take getting startled a hundred times a day if it makes her happy.
"You just going to leave her in the car?" Chase asks as he approaches. "It's cold as hell out here."
Feeling like a complete asshole, I go back to the driver's side door and pull it open.
"Why don't you go ahead and go up to the house," I tell her, holding out my keys.
I know she doesn't want to appear like we're together, but Chase is already here, so her argument doesn't really hold any weight right now. She looks down at the keys in my proffered hand before reaching into her passenger seat and grabbing her purse.
"Thank you," she says, and I know the annoyance in her tone is about the situation and not about me directly. At least I hope that's the case.
I stay and watch her climb into my truck and adjust the seat before pulling away. She drives the damn thing like it's going to break, but I imagine that it's because it's a newer truck and she's afraid of messing it up somehow.
"You really should buy your woman a better car," Chase mutters as he stares down at the greasy engine.
"I'd do it in a heartbeat if I thought she'd take it. Any idea what's wrong with this damn thing?"
Chase huffs a laugh. "Not a freaking clue. You?"
"She said before that it was a battery harness thing, but it stalled out on her at the four-way. I wiggled some shit a few weeks ago and it started back up, but who knows? The thing is obviously on its last leg."
"We can call Boone," Chase suggests. Although I know that's the best damn plan, Claire will lose her shit.
I pull out my phone because as upset as the woman might be about getting the local mechanic involved, she's going to be even less impressed with this thing sitting on the side of the road.
I place the call and Boone answers, being his gruff, ornery self as always.
"Says ten minutes," I say after hanging up. "That guy is always mad."
"Just his personality," Chase replies.
"Personality?" I say with a huff. "I don't know that I've ever seen the guy smile."
"Some people don't have happiness in their lives. Think the Rangers have a shot at winning another World Series this year?"
"Maybe. I honestly didn't think they'd win this past year."
We shoot the shit and talk about sports. Unlike every other person in town, Chase isn't going to grill me about Claire. He's been the topic of gossip around here for years, and even more so recently with his departure from the Detroit Ice Crusaders and his divorce from his twins' biological mother earlier in the year.
Boone shows up in the tow truck, and rather than bending down under the hood, he simply asks us to move out of the way and then proceeds to hook the car up. I hand him the keys I pulled from the ignition.
"I'll give you a call in a few days with an estimate," he says before climbing back into his truck and driving off.