“Ah, but you didn’t, so win-win.” I point a finger at him with a wag of my brows.
Unaffected by my girlish charm, he carries on as though I’m a child. “For a skunk? Why didn’t you let the skunk die?” That’s when it hits him, and those baby blue eyes widen as he glances at his tow truck. “There’s a skunk in my truck.”
“He won’t spray. Cooper loves everyone.” I shake my head, dislodging the snow from my curls as I try to assure him.
“You named a skunk you found on the side of the road?” He swings his head back to me, and there’s a little vein pulsating in his forehead.
“Oh no, we’ve had Cooper for years.”
“Let me get this straight—you willingly have a skunk for a pet, and he still sprays.”
I roll my eyes. “Hardly ever.” I shiver, my wet butt causing a bone-deep chill. Coffee and a hot bath are the best remedies for a bone-deep chill.
He looks skyward, his mouth counting down from ten. He’s adorable, and a part of me wonders just how crazy I can drive this man.
His chin falls to his chest, snow fluttering to his cheeks. He towers over me by a good eight inches, and I’m not a small woman at five foot six.
“Let’s go back to why you were in the middle of the road.” He tries so hard to control his voice.
“Cooper ran out, but I was in the road because I saw your headlights.”
“And you thought it was a great idea to what? Step into the middle of the road?”
“How else was I going to get your attention?” I blink up at him. “We had a bit of a spin, and the car won’t start.” I hook a thumb over at my busted up bug.
“Is that a Volkswagen?” he growls. “In New Hampshire? Are you insane?”
My brow furrows. “Oh no.”
“That can’t be good.” He looks around at my panicked voice.
“New Hampshire?”
“You don’t even know where you are?” He throws up his hands and walks away, his boots stomping through the snow.
“Okay, in my defense, I didn’t know that I’d lose service halfway to my destination.”
He stops, his shoulders heaving as he glances back at me. Those blue eyes of his smolder in the fading light. “Don’t you have a map?” His words are slow and controlled.
“Of course I have a map, it’s in the glove box.” I snort in annoyance as I pull my sleeves down over my hands.
“Don’t you have a coat?” He eyes my sweater as though the pink wool offends him.
“Sweater.” I wave my hands all around me. “Driving doesn’t call for a coat. Besides, I have a jacket.”
“A coat,” he grumbles as he continues stalking over to the driver’s side of the bug to pop the hood.
“I have one of those.”
“Put it on.”
“Excuse me?” Propping my hands on my hips, I do my very best to give him the evil eye. High-handed mountain man.
“The sun is dropping, and it’s November, so it’s about to get really cold, really fast. We need to move and get you back on the road.” He props the hood up and hovers over it, scanning the Legos hidden there.
I probably shouldn’t tell him it looks like Legos.
Glancing over at Lark, I find her with her feet on the dash while she naps. Instead of arguing, I march through the snow, the melting slush seeping through the thin material of my boots, wetting my socks. Popping the trunk, I rifle through my suitcases until I find the one with my jacket.
