I blink a few times in even more shock than I was when I almost died. “Excuse me?” I finally ask.
“From the snow,” he explains, looking at me like I have three eyes.
“Oh,” I whisper, feeling like an idiot. “Yes.” I’ve been in such shock, I didn’t even realize my entire backside is covered in snow. It didn’t begin to melt until I climbed into the warmth of his truck. “I’m sorry about your seat.”
“Darlin’, that seat’s been through more than a little water.” He smiles at me as he reaches for the knob to adjust the temperature. “It’s seen some things.”
I grimace, but I don’t ask him what some things are because I don’t want to know. I lift my hands toward the vents, closing my eyes as the heat moves over my skin.
“I’ll handle the cops when they get here.”
“Okay.”
“Hey,” he says in a firm voice, “Look at me.”
I swing my gaze his way because something about his tone makes it impossible for me not to.
“Youaresafe. It’s all going to be okay.”
I may be okay, but based on the hunk of metal I saw near the woods, my car is not. I guess I’ll be spending the weekend car shopping because I have to be able to get to my client meetings. “I know.”
He lifts an eyebrow above his beautiful blue eyes. “Do you?”
I nod. “I almost just died, but I’m alive.”
“Yes,” he says back, smiling.
“I’ll snap out of it,” I promise him.
“You don’t need to snap out of it but settle into it. Realize you got lucky, but don’t take too long.”
“I’ve settled into it. I was just thinking about having to go look at new cars.” I skip over the bit about getting lucky. I wouldn’t have been if he hadn’t been there. I’d be just as mangled as my car.
“Good,” he says.
It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. “When is car shopping good? It’s a nightmare. I’d rather sticktoothpicks under my fingernails than talk to a car salesman.”
He barks out a laugh. “Your words are colorful.”
“Do you like car shopping?”
His headshake is immediate. “Lucky for me, my stepdad is a car salesman. I call him, and he makes it happen without all the bullshit.”
“Can he make it happen for me too?” I ask, wishing the guy could work more miracles in my life, like sparing me from the wheeling and dealing I hate so much. It always feels like a scam to rip people off.
“Sure,” he says, surprising me.
I take a moment to finally look over his features and study his face. The last so many minutes have been a whirlwind of excitement that I don’t want to repeat anytime soon.
The city lumberjack is more handsome than I first noticed. Maybe it’s because of everything that just happened, but his eyes are even more stunning than they were outside. His beard is thicker than I thought but isn’t unruly. The man spends time on it to make it look good. His lips are full and lush, made to spend hours kissing someone.
“Sure?” I ask, wondering if I heard him wrong.
He nods, giving me a glimpse of his straight white teeth. “Randall is always looking for business.”
“I already owe you so much for saving my life, but I’m going to owe you even more if you make car-buying painless.”
“You owe me nothing, darlin’. I was in the right place at the right time.”
