When he was ten, Dallas had witnessed Jessica Drummond in action, and she’d left a lasting impression. Fire-breathing dragons had nothing on the Drummond matriarch.
“Sometimes,” she agreed.
Dallas’s hands tightened on the wheel. He’d love to play with this one and discover how deep herbadran.Down boy. “We’re almost at the pass now.”
Up ahead, he caught a flash of red and blue lights through the windshield.
“Looks as if they’ve closed the pass,” Dallas said. “You should be able to get a ride back to Napier with the police.”
He slowed his truck and came to a stop when a man flagged them down.
Laura sighed. “I’m gonna be in big trouble.”
“When is the actual wedding?”
“Next Saturday,” she said. “With the way this rain is falling, I doubt they’ll open the pass soon. On the plus side, my bridesmaid dress is hideous. Orange—no, pardon me—apricotwith a truck load of ghastly ruffles. Can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure, but reception is bad here.”
A cop rapped on Dallas’s window and he rolled it down.
“Oh, it’s you, Dallas,” Mason, one of his older brother’s friends said. “We’ve closed the pass. Had lots of rain this afternoon, and a couple of slips have come down. Road’s blocked.”
“Are you going back to Napier?” Laura asked.
Dallas already knew the answer. Mason had a house not far from here.
Mason’s gaze narrowed when recognition struck him. His lean body stiffened and his welcoming smile turned cool. “Nope, I’m heading back home. Came out to put up the signs.”
“Looks like you’re stuck with me, Dallas,” Laura said. “Do you know if the phone lines are down?” She directed this to Mason.
“Not so far.”
“Would you do me a favor?” she asked. “I need to get a message to my family to let them know I’m safe. Tell them I’m driving back to Napier and will return once the pass is cleared.”
“But you’re—” Mason stopped and scowled at Dallas. “Are you with him of your own volition, Ms. Drummond?”
Sudden strain sucked the air from his truck, pushed tension across Dallas’s shoulders. “Fuck you.”
Laura reached over and patted Dallas’s hand. It was knuckle-white and clenched around the wheel. “Of course I am. I had a flat tire, and Dallas offered me a lift.”
“Why didn’t you fix it?” Mason’s gaze was cop-intense and a scarce millimeter from interrogation.
“Because my idiot brother stole my spare tire. Aaron is the one you should go after, Officer. Not Dallas. Are you frightened of my mother?”
“No,” Mason said quickly. Too quickly.
And just like that, the tautness dissipated in Dallas. He winged a smirk at Mason and waited.
“I asked you to ring her because she’ll accept your word. If I ring from Dallas’s house, she’ll ask questions. Heck, she’ll ring the law and demand you retrieve me from the devil’s clutch,” Laura said. “Wouldn’t you prefer to go home and dry out? Stay in the warm?”
“I’m beginning to see your point of view,” Mason said. “I’ll make the call. Dallas will you be okay getting home?”
“The road was clear this morning, and with four-wheel drive, it shouldn’t be too bad.”
“Take care,” Mason said.
“Officer?”
