out and tossed it on the floor of the back seat before scampering behind the wheel and slamming shut the door. Her clothes were drenched and her hair was matted flat against her head. She checked her reflection in her visor’s mirror, spying droplets dripping from her bangs like tiny diamonds. April showers, ha! She nabbed some tissues from the box wedged in the console to dab her brow, then flipped the visor back up. Well, at least no one had to see her like this but her calico cat, Buster. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mistake her for a giant drowned rat when she got home.
Angie cranked the engine and the automated windshield wipers clicked on, whipping back and forth. She waited until a large SUV drove by, then cautiously edged out of her parking spot next to the curb. A split second later, there was a harsh crunching sound and she was thrown forward with a lurch. Angie slammed the brakes and clutched the wheel, her heart pounding. She peered over her shoulder at the smoldering white truck with its hood popped open, realizing she’d been hit. She instinctively opened her door to see what had happened and a man raced toward her in the rain.
“Geez,” he said surveying the damage. “I mean, geez , that looks bad.”
Angie’s eyes traveled to her sagging rear bumper that scraped the road, then back up to his gaze. He squinted in the rain, light brown hair plastered to his head. “I’m so sorry, lady. I didn’t see you.”
Angie hadn’t even paid off the loan, and she’d forgone collision insurance to save money. “No joke! Look what you’ve done to my car!” She glanced at his truck. “Why weren’t your lights on?”
He shot her a grin in an effort to be humble. “Only the right one works.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I was waiting until the end of the month.”
“For what?”
“To fix the left one.”
Perfect. This guy was just as broke as she was. She squinted at the lettering on his truck. Colonnade Construction. No wonder. Since the recession, there hadn’t been any new building in Chandelier. The existing houses weren’t selling either. “I hope you have insurance?”
Horns honked behind them, but he didn’t answer. He just stood there staring like he’d seen a ghost.
Jason didn’t know how it was possible, but somehow it seemed he’d dreamed this girl up. He remembered seeing her many times. He just couldn’t say where. But that petite figure, that pretty face, and those eyes…yeah, especially those eyes. Though there was something slightly different about them. “Have we met?”
“What?” she shouted above the commotion of other cars and the rain.
“I mean, you and I…” He gestured between them. “Hold on. Are you from Northside?”
“Northside? No!” She appeared mildly irritated. Okay, more than mildly. The fact was she was fuming. “I’m from right here. Chandelier.” Damn, she was pretty, even though she was soaking wet. He couldn’t imagine her all cleaned up and dry. She pulled a purse from her car and extracted a cell, punching in some numbers.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling 9-1-1.”
“Hey, now.” He dropped his hands to his sides, palms open. “Why would you do that?”
She grated between clenched teeth, “I have an accident to report.”
That’s all he needed. To lose his license on top of his job. Not twenty minutes ago, Jason had been let go from Colonnade Construction. Nothing personal. Just a sign of hard times. He was to turn in the company truck tomorrow. He already owed repairs on it. And now, it had been creamed.
A voice crept through her speaker. “9-1-1. What is your emergency?”
Jason pressed his palms together, pleading. “Just give me five seconds. Five seconds, and I swear—”
She covered the mouthpiece and stared at him. “What?”
He whispered hoarsely through the rain, hoping to sound convincing. “I’ll make it all go away. Fix everything. It won’t cost you a dime.”
Her forehead rose and droplets streamed
Angie cranked the engine and the automated windshield wipers clicked on, whipping back and forth. She waited until a large SUV drove by, then cautiously edged out of her parking spot next to the curb. A split second later, there was a harsh crunching sound and she was thrown forward with a lurch. Angie slammed the brakes and clutched the wheel, her heart pounding. She peered over her shoulder at the smoldering white truck with its hood popped open, realizing she’d been hit. She instinctively opened her door to see what had happened and a man raced toward her in the rain.
“Geez,” he said surveying the damage. “I mean, geez , that looks bad.”
Angie’s eyes traveled to her sagging rear bumper that scraped the road, then back up to his gaze. He squinted in the rain, light brown hair plastered to his head. “I’m so sorry, lady. I didn’t see you.”
Angie hadn’t even paid off the loan, and she’d forgone collision insurance to save money. “No joke! Look what you’ve done to my car!” She glanced at his truck. “Why weren’t your lights on?”
He shot her a grin in an effort to be humble. “Only the right one works.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I was waiting until the end of the month.”
“For what?”
“To fix the left one.”
Perfect. This guy was just as broke as she was. She squinted at the lettering on his truck. Colonnade Construction. No wonder. Since the recession, there hadn’t been any new building in Chandelier. The existing houses weren’t selling either. “I hope you have insurance?”
Horns honked behind them, but he didn’t answer. He just stood there staring like he’d seen a ghost.
Jason didn’t know how it was possible, but somehow it seemed he’d dreamed this girl up. He remembered seeing her many times. He just couldn’t say where. But that petite figure, that pretty face, and those eyes…yeah, especially those eyes. Though there was something slightly different about them. “Have we met?”
“What?” she shouted above the commotion of other cars and the rain.
“I mean, you and I…” He gestured between them. “Hold on. Are you from Northside?”
“Northside? No!” She appeared mildly irritated. Okay, more than mildly. The fact was she was fuming. “I’m from right here. Chandelier.” Damn, she was pretty, even though she was soaking wet. He couldn’t imagine her all cleaned up and dry. She pulled a purse from her car and extracted a cell, punching in some numbers.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling 9-1-1.”
“Hey, now.” He dropped his hands to his sides, palms open. “Why would you do that?”
She grated between clenched teeth, “I have an accident to report.”
That’s all he needed. To lose his license on top of his job. Not twenty minutes ago, Jason had been let go from Colonnade Construction. Nothing personal. Just a sign of hard times. He was to turn in the company truck tomorrow. He already owed repairs on it. And now, it had been creamed.
A voice crept through her speaker. “9-1-1. What is your emergency?”
Jason pressed his palms together, pleading. “Just give me five seconds. Five seconds, and I swear—”
She covered the mouthpiece and stared at him. “What?”
He whispered hoarsely through the rain, hoping to sound convincing. “I’ll make it all go away. Fix everything. It won’t cost you a dime.”
Her forehead rose and droplets streamed
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