Read Online Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) by J.H. Croix - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.H. Croix
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Ginger pondered for a second. The smart thing would be to ask Cam for a ride, but her pride held her back, along with a prick of apprehension. She was betwixt and between about her stupid attraction to him. It annoyed her to keep hearing other women comment on how handsome he was and made her feel she was just like everyone else. Diamond Creek was a small world. Someone like Cam couldn’t breeze into town without being noticed. Another gust of icy air whooshed through her window, making the decision for her. She wasn’t going to sit here and wait to see if her mother called her back. She wanted to be home where it was warm, although her heart fluttered at the thought of asking him for help.
“Actually, my battery’s dead. Would you mind giving me a ride home? I don’t live far from here and it’s the same direction as the lodge.”
Cam’s brows hitched. “Of course not. It’s too damn cold for you to sit around in this. You want me to try to jump the battery?”
“Not now. My mechanic told me months ago this battery was on its last legs. It’s freezing out, and I don’t know if it will work. I’d rather just hitch a ride and figure it out tomorrow before the snow gets too heavy.”
He nodded. “Okay then. Come on over.”
She grabbed her purse and phone, and made sure her car was locked before she scurried around to the passenger side of his truck. He swung the door open from the inside when she reached it. In the brief moment from her car to his truck, she was shivering from the cold and her cheeks stung from the wind driven snow.
She climbed in swiftly and closed the door. In seconds, the warmth of his truck sifted around her. She rubbed her arms and glanced over. “Thank you. It’s freezing out there. I just wasn’t up for trying to do the whole jump start thing.”
He grinned. “Me neither. I would’ve done it if you wanted, but it’s brutal out there. So where to?”
She quickly gave him directions. As he drove along, the snow picked up pace, flying fast and furious against his windshield.
“Damn, looks like we’re in for a hell of a storm tonight. I said as much to Gage this morning. I don’t know how to explain it, but the air smells a certain way when snow’s coming.”
She glanced to him with a grin, almost giddy to find this detail in common. “I said the same thing! It’s hard to describe unless you know what it’s like.” On the heels of her words, the defensive part of herself reared up, reminding her not to be ridiculous. So they both happened to notice how the air smelled before it snowed? Following that, her heart, which was getting rather chatty lately, pointed out it wasn’t so bad to enjoy a small connection.
Cam chuckled. “Snow is snow. I might not have lived in Alaska before, but I’ve spent most of my life in places where it snows a lot.” He slowed as he approached one of the few stoplights in Diamond Creek.
Ginger could feel the wheels go into a brief skid as he came to a stop. He appeared unruffled by the slick road. While they waited for the light to change, a few cars passed through the intersection without incident before a truck came through and started to turn. The driver lost control and the truck spun out and bumped the curb. The truck came to a bouncing stop. The driver waited a moment and carefully maneuvered off the curb before driving away.
Cam shook his head, but didn’t say anything. The snow pelted against the windshield. In the few minutes since they’d left the post office, the snow had steadily gotten heavier and picked up the pace. By this point, visibility was only a few feet ahead. When the light changed, he started driving slowly through the intersection.
“I’m taking it slow, so I hope you’re not in a hurry,” he said.
“Seeing as I’d still be sitting in my car at the post office if it weren’t for you giving me a ride, you definitely don’t need to worry about me complaining about how slow you’re driving. Taking it
“Actually, my battery’s dead. Would you mind giving me a ride home? I don’t live far from here and it’s the same direction as the lodge.”
Cam’s brows hitched. “Of course not. It’s too damn cold for you to sit around in this. You want me to try to jump the battery?”
“Not now. My mechanic told me months ago this battery was on its last legs. It’s freezing out, and I don’t know if it will work. I’d rather just hitch a ride and figure it out tomorrow before the snow gets too heavy.”
He nodded. “Okay then. Come on over.”
She grabbed her purse and phone, and made sure her car was locked before she scurried around to the passenger side of his truck. He swung the door open from the inside when she reached it. In the brief moment from her car to his truck, she was shivering from the cold and her cheeks stung from the wind driven snow.
She climbed in swiftly and closed the door. In seconds, the warmth of his truck sifted around her. She rubbed her arms and glanced over. “Thank you. It’s freezing out there. I just wasn’t up for trying to do the whole jump start thing.”
He grinned. “Me neither. I would’ve done it if you wanted, but it’s brutal out there. So where to?”
She quickly gave him directions. As he drove along, the snow picked up pace, flying fast and furious against his windshield.
“Damn, looks like we’re in for a hell of a storm tonight. I said as much to Gage this morning. I don’t know how to explain it, but the air smells a certain way when snow’s coming.”
She glanced to him with a grin, almost giddy to find this detail in common. “I said the same thing! It’s hard to describe unless you know what it’s like.” On the heels of her words, the defensive part of herself reared up, reminding her not to be ridiculous. So they both happened to notice how the air smelled before it snowed? Following that, her heart, which was getting rather chatty lately, pointed out it wasn’t so bad to enjoy a small connection.
Cam chuckled. “Snow is snow. I might not have lived in Alaska before, but I’ve spent most of my life in places where it snows a lot.” He slowed as he approached one of the few stoplights in Diamond Creek.
Ginger could feel the wheels go into a brief skid as he came to a stop. He appeared unruffled by the slick road. While they waited for the light to change, a few cars passed through the intersection without incident before a truck came through and started to turn. The driver lost control and the truck spun out and bumped the curb. The truck came to a bouncing stop. The driver waited a moment and carefully maneuvered off the curb before driving away.
Cam shook his head, but didn’t say anything. The snow pelted against the windshield. In the few minutes since they’d left the post office, the snow had steadily gotten heavier and picked up the pace. By this point, visibility was only a few feet ahead. When the light changed, he started driving slowly through the intersection.
“I’m taking it slow, so I hope you’re not in a hurry,” he said.
“Seeing as I’d still be sitting in my car at the post office if it weren’t for you giving me a ride, you definitely don’t need to worry about me complaining about how slow you’re driving. Taking it