Read Online Midnight Kiss by Robyn Carr, Victoria Dahl, Jean Brashear - Free Book Online Page B
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Poor guy. I hope he doesn’t have a family somewhere.”
“Aw, Drew, you’re just a tender heart.”
“Here’s what we have to do,” he said, moving on. “We’re going to have to walk the rest of the way. Fortunately it’s only a couple of miles.”
“Shouldn’t we stay with the car? I’ve always heard you should stay with the car. What if someone comes looking for us?”
“It will be too cold. I can’t keep it running all night. And if anyone gets worried by how long we’re gone, they’re going to look in Fortuna or Eureka. Or at least the route to those towns, which is where you told them we were going.” He lifted a brow. “Why do you suppose you did that?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want my uncle Nate to think we were going somewhere to be alone. Dumb. Very dumb.”
“I need a phone, a tow truck and a warm place to wait, so here’s what’s going to happen. Hand me the camera case.” She zipped it closed and he hung it over his shoulder. “There’s a big flashlight in the glove box. Grab it—I’ll have to light our way when we clear the headlights. Now slide over here and when you get out, either shield or close your eyes until I lead you past the deer, because the way my night’s going if you get sick, it’ll be on me.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I smell it,” she said. “Ick, I can smell it!”
“Close your eyes and your nose,” he said. “Let’s get past this, all right?”
She slid over, put her feet on the ground and stood. And her spike heels on her boots sank into the frozen, snowy ground. “Uh-oh,” she said.
“Oh, brother. So, what if I broke the heels off those boots? Would you be able to walk in them?”
She gasped! “They’re six-hundred-dollar Stuart Weitzman boots!”
He looked at her levelly for a long moment. “I guess the photography business is going very, very well.”
“I had to console myself a little after being left at the church. Giving them up now would be like another… Oh, never mind…”
“You’re right,” he said. “I must have lost my mind.” He eased her backward, lifted her onto the seat with her legs dangling out. Then he positioned the heavy camera bag around his neck so it hung toward the front. Next he turned his back to her, braced his hands on his knees and bent a little. “Piggyback,” he said. “Let’s move it.”
“I’m too heavy.”
“No, Sunny, you’re not.”
“I am. You have no idea how much I weigh.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s not too much.”
“I’ll go in my socks. It’s just a couple of miles…”
“And get frostbite and from then on you’ll be putting your prosthetic feet into your Stuart Weitzmans.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we’re warm and with help on the way.”
Sunny only thought about it for a second—she was getting cold and she liked her feet, didn’t want to give them up to frostbite. She grumbled as she climbed on.“I was just willing to leave Jack’s so we could talk without everyone watching. I haven’t really talked to a single guy in a year.”
“Close your eyes,” he said. “What does that mean, ‘really talked to a single guy’?”
“Obviously I ran into them from time to time. Bag boys, mechanics, cable repairmen, cousins to the bride or groom… But after Glen, I had sworn off dating or even getting to know single men. Just not interested in ever putting myself in that position again. You know?”
“I know,” he said a bit breathlessly. He stopped trudging up the hill to catch his breath. Then he said, “You lucked out with me—there’s no better way to see a person’s true colors than when everything goes to hell. Wrecked car, dead dear, spiked heels—it qualifies.” He hoisted her up a bit and walked on.
“I’d like to ask you something personal, if you’re up for it,” she said.
He stopped walking and slid her off his back. He turned toward her and he was smiling.
“Aw, Drew, you’re just a tender heart.”
“Here’s what we have to do,” he said, moving on. “We’re going to have to walk the rest of the way. Fortunately it’s only a couple of miles.”
“Shouldn’t we stay with the car? I’ve always heard you should stay with the car. What if someone comes looking for us?”
“It will be too cold. I can’t keep it running all night. And if anyone gets worried by how long we’re gone, they’re going to look in Fortuna or Eureka. Or at least the route to those towns, which is where you told them we were going.” He lifted a brow. “Why do you suppose you did that?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want my uncle Nate to think we were going somewhere to be alone. Dumb. Very dumb.”
“I need a phone, a tow truck and a warm place to wait, so here’s what’s going to happen. Hand me the camera case.” She zipped it closed and he hung it over his shoulder. “There’s a big flashlight in the glove box. Grab it—I’ll have to light our way when we clear the headlights. Now slide over here and when you get out, either shield or close your eyes until I lead you past the deer, because the way my night’s going if you get sick, it’ll be on me.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I smell it,” she said. “Ick, I can smell it!”
“Close your eyes and your nose,” he said. “Let’s get past this, all right?”
She slid over, put her feet on the ground and stood. And her spike heels on her boots sank into the frozen, snowy ground. “Uh-oh,” she said.
“Oh, brother. So, what if I broke the heels off those boots? Would you be able to walk in them?”
She gasped! “They’re six-hundred-dollar Stuart Weitzman boots!”
He looked at her levelly for a long moment. “I guess the photography business is going very, very well.”
“I had to console myself a little after being left at the church. Giving them up now would be like another… Oh, never mind…”
“You’re right,” he said. “I must have lost my mind.” He eased her backward, lifted her onto the seat with her legs dangling out. Then he positioned the heavy camera bag around his neck so it hung toward the front. Next he turned his back to her, braced his hands on his knees and bent a little. “Piggyback,” he said. “Let’s move it.”
“I’m too heavy.”
“No, Sunny, you’re not.”
“I am. You have no idea how much I weigh.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s not too much.”
“I’ll go in my socks. It’s just a couple of miles…”
“And get frostbite and from then on you’ll be putting your prosthetic feet into your Stuart Weitzmans.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we’re warm and with help on the way.”
Sunny only thought about it for a second—she was getting cold and she liked her feet, didn’t want to give them up to frostbite. She grumbled as she climbed on.“I was just willing to leave Jack’s so we could talk without everyone watching. I haven’t really talked to a single guy in a year.”
“Close your eyes,” he said. “What does that mean, ‘really talked to a single guy’?”
“Obviously I ran into them from time to time. Bag boys, mechanics, cable repairmen, cousins to the bride or groom… But after Glen, I had sworn off dating or even getting to know single men. Just not interested in ever putting myself in that position again. You know?”
“I know,” he said a bit breathlessly. He stopped trudging up the hill to catch his breath. Then he said, “You lucked out with me—there’s no better way to see a person’s true colors than when everything goes to hell. Wrecked car, dead dear, spiked heels—it qualifies.” He hoisted her up a bit and walked on.
“I’d like to ask you something personal, if you’re up for it,” she said.
He stopped walking and slid her off his back. He turned toward her and he was smiling.
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