just said.”
“Sorry,” he began, “tell me again.”
“No, I will not.” She laughed. “Now you’ll just have to wonder.”
He frowned. “Just tell me. I promise I’ll pay more attention.”
“Nope. Now, you need to see a man about a car. I’ll just wait over here.” She smiled at him and pointed to a chair by the window.
She needed to stop doing that, the smiling. It was messing with him in ways he knew he couldn’t...shouldn’t let it.
“Good afternoon, what can I do for you?” the man behind the counter asked.
Bryan leaned on the counter so he could still see Cassidy. “What do you have that’s four-wheel-drive?” he asked.
“Well, we’ve got a few SUV’s to choose from. What did you have in mind?”
He could have some fun with this. “Any Jeeps?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eye.
A short while later, he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a dark green, four-door Jeep Wrangler. It was, by far, not the cheapest thing he could’ve rented. And he had to admit he felt mildly better when he thought of the irritation he hoped he’d cause Derek Gainnes by driving the same vehicle he owned.
He opened the window, and Cassidy leaned against door. “So, what’s next on your agenda? Back to the hotel?” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Just gonna hang out there alone?”
“You could come,” Bryan said, without hesitation.
Cassidy smiled. “Okay. I’ll follow you.”
“See you there.” Bryan put up the window. He paused before putting the Jeep into drive. “What the heck are you doing, taking her to your hotel room?” he asked himself.
She beeped impatiently behind him.
Bryan pulled out of the lot, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Cassidy hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake. Going to his hotel room? She bit her lower lip. What if she gave him the wrong idea? Guys like Bryan were used to women wanting them, and she wasn’t throwing herself at him, didn’t want to. That’s not who she was at all. She just didn’t like the thought of him all alone up there. It wasn’t healthy.
She followed him into the lot and parked beside him. Nervously - her hand was shaking - she turned off the ignition and stepped from her own vehicle. She didn’t want to be anything other than a friend to him. Sure, she found him attractive, who wouldn’t? But she wasn’t looking for anything with him. Bryan was bruised. He needed help. Help that she wanted to be the one to give him.
Because she was a nice person. It had nothing to do with his steel gray eyes or the way he moved in those blasted jeans.
She put on her mittens and walked over, gesturing to his Jeep. “Well, I suppose this was a wise choice, considering the snow that’s in the forecast.”
“Snow?” he asked.
“Do you not pay attention to the weather when you travel?” She shook her head at him. “There’s a big storm that’s supposed to hit New Jersey sometime next week. Either they’ll be right, or it’ll blow over and just be a dusting. You know how reliable those predictions can be.”
He scratched his beard. “We may need to go shopping. I didn’t come prepared for snow.”
“It’s not like you’ll be playing in it, Bryan.” She laughed and elbowed him.
Bryan smiled at her. Why did she make him feel so good?
“This way.” He put a hand on the small of her back, leading her toward the hotel. A jolt shot up his arm and the stone he wore tugged harder around his neck. Bryan winced and leaned forward. Pain. Everywhere.
What the heck?
Cassidy put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” she began. “You’re making me nervous.”
“That makes two of us,” he managed to say.
Maybe the lifestyle he’d been living was catching up to him. Maybe some organ was shutting down. Or he was sick. Maybe dying. Last week, that wouldn’t have bothered him at all. But looking into Cassidy’s worried
“Sorry,” he began, “tell me again.”
“No, I will not.” She laughed. “Now you’ll just have to wonder.”
He frowned. “Just tell me. I promise I’ll pay more attention.”
“Nope. Now, you need to see a man about a car. I’ll just wait over here.” She smiled at him and pointed to a chair by the window.
She needed to stop doing that, the smiling. It was messing with him in ways he knew he couldn’t...shouldn’t let it.
“Good afternoon, what can I do for you?” the man behind the counter asked.
Bryan leaned on the counter so he could still see Cassidy. “What do you have that’s four-wheel-drive?” he asked.
“Well, we’ve got a few SUV’s to choose from. What did you have in mind?”
He could have some fun with this. “Any Jeeps?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eye.
A short while later, he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a dark green, four-door Jeep Wrangler. It was, by far, not the cheapest thing he could’ve rented. And he had to admit he felt mildly better when he thought of the irritation he hoped he’d cause Derek Gainnes by driving the same vehicle he owned.
He opened the window, and Cassidy leaned against door. “So, what’s next on your agenda? Back to the hotel?” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Just gonna hang out there alone?”
“You could come,” Bryan said, without hesitation.
Cassidy smiled. “Okay. I’ll follow you.”
“See you there.” Bryan put up the window. He paused before putting the Jeep into drive. “What the heck are you doing, taking her to your hotel room?” he asked himself.
She beeped impatiently behind him.
Bryan pulled out of the lot, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Cassidy hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake. Going to his hotel room? She bit her lower lip. What if she gave him the wrong idea? Guys like Bryan were used to women wanting them, and she wasn’t throwing herself at him, didn’t want to. That’s not who she was at all. She just didn’t like the thought of him all alone up there. It wasn’t healthy.
She followed him into the lot and parked beside him. Nervously - her hand was shaking - she turned off the ignition and stepped from her own vehicle. She didn’t want to be anything other than a friend to him. Sure, she found him attractive, who wouldn’t? But she wasn’t looking for anything with him. Bryan was bruised. He needed help. Help that she wanted to be the one to give him.
Because she was a nice person. It had nothing to do with his steel gray eyes or the way he moved in those blasted jeans.
She put on her mittens and walked over, gesturing to his Jeep. “Well, I suppose this was a wise choice, considering the snow that’s in the forecast.”
“Snow?” he asked.
“Do you not pay attention to the weather when you travel?” She shook her head at him. “There’s a big storm that’s supposed to hit New Jersey sometime next week. Either they’ll be right, or it’ll blow over and just be a dusting. You know how reliable those predictions can be.”
He scratched his beard. “We may need to go shopping. I didn’t come prepared for snow.”
“It’s not like you’ll be playing in it, Bryan.” She laughed and elbowed him.
Bryan smiled at her. Why did she make him feel so good?
“This way.” He put a hand on the small of her back, leading her toward the hotel. A jolt shot up his arm and the stone he wore tugged harder around his neck. Bryan winced and leaned forward. Pain. Everywhere.
What the heck?
Cassidy put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” she began. “You’re making me nervous.”
“That makes two of us,” he managed to say.
Maybe the lifestyle he’d been living was catching up to him. Maybe some organ was shutting down. Or he was sick. Maybe dying. Last week, that wouldn’t have bothered him at all. But looking into Cassidy’s worried
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