I turned up the music and sang along, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel.
I slowed to take another bend. A small red car was stopped by the side of the road. The driver's side door opened and a woman stepped out.
"Well, you don't see that every day," I said under my breath. Since I couldn't think of a good reason why a woman in an enormous wedding dress would stop by the side of the road, I figured she got herself into some trouble.
I pulled in behind her and turned off the engine.
"Hey, you need a hand?" I called out the window. I was out of my truck and walking toward her before she could respond.
"I don't suppose you have any spare gas on you?" she asked. "I should have filled up at the last gas station." She leaned back against her car and slid the sunglasses from her eyes up to the top of her head.
"I don't suppose I do," I agreed. Half of her hair was up, the other half down in a mess of tangles and curls, like she pulled half the pins out and left it like that. I'd spent enough time in the city to know it wasn't a new trend.
Also, the defeated look in her light blue eyes suggested she was having a terrible day.
"I can give you a ride up to Aurora Hollow," I offered. "You can buy gas and get a ride back down here."
She blinked at me, then frowned, like she hadn't really looked at me until now.
"Shit." She kicked at a stick beside one of her tires.
"I guess you don't like country music," I said with a shrug. Her reaction wasn't one I usually got when I was recognised. Generally, she would have asked for a selfie by now.
She looked back up to me. "Oh, I do. It's…" She shook her head, making more of her hair tumble loose. "It doesn't matter. It's a long story."
"I bet it is." There had to be a reason why she was standing beside her car in her wedding dress. "Did your ex get the dog?"
She squinted at me. "What?"
I gestured toward her satin dress that hugged her figure and showed off her breasts. Glorious ones, if I'm honest.
"I'm guessing you're not getting married today. There's an old joke about country songs and the ex taking the dog. You know what, it doesn't matter. Fact is, you need a ride into town and I'm going that way."
"How do I know you're not a serial killer?" She planted her hands on her hips and raised her chin, giving me a scrutinising look.
"Because I'm not my cousin," I said easily.
She laughed, but I could tell she didn't know if I was joking or not.
"Look, it's gonna get dark in a couple of hours. Unless you want to walk all the way to town, then let me give you a ride. I promise, I'm harmless." I held my hands out and smiled, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.
"That's what a serial killer would say." She gave me the side eye. "How far is it to town?"
"About five kilometres," I said. "All uphill."
She glanced up at the sky, as if trying to decide whether or not I was right about the time of day. "I should be able to make it before dark."
"There're bears up here," I pointed out.
She snorted. "Yeah, I've seen those memes. I choose the bear." She hitched up her skirt, turned and started to walk.
"Literal bears," I called out to her back.
She raised a hand over her shoulder dismissively and went on walking.
I sighed softly and trotted back to my truck. Starting the engine, I steered past her hatchback and drove up alongside her. For a few minutes, I crawled along, keeping pace with her.
"What are you doing?" She glanced over and frowned, but went on walking.
