Harper was shaking her head before he’d finished speaking. “I can drive myself. I have a car.”
The muscles in his forearms flexed. “I’d prefer it if you let me take you. Or at least follow me to make sure you’re safe. It’s late, you don’t know this town, and the storm’s pretty wild out there.”
She shook her head vigorously. “I’m okay. I’ve been driving through the storm for hours. Another few minutes won’t hurt.”
He was tempted to tell her it only took a second for something to go wrong in a storm like this. But she probably wouldn’t appreciate the warning. “Okay. To get there, drive straight down this road and turn left at the end. There’ll be a big sign that says Ali’s Cabins, then a long driveway.”
“Straight, left, Ali’s Cabins. Got it.”
He still didn’t like letting her go alone. It went against every protective instinct inside him. “Do you have a phone? I can give you my number in case you get lost.”
She cringed. “It died, and I need to buy a new charger.”
Jesus.He bit back a curse, hating the situation she was in. Moving around her, he didn’t miss her small intake of breath as he brushed her shoulder. He pulled his charger from the wall. “Would this fit in your phone?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t—”
“Take it.” He reached for her hand and set the charger in her palm. Awareness swept up his arm like a wildfire. Damn, her skin was soft. In a gentle voice, he told her, “Charge your phone in your car on the way.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I have a spare upstairs.”
Her mouth opened and closed before she nodded. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll return it—”
“No need.” He turned to his desk, found a loose scrap of paper and scribbled his number onto it before handing it to her. “Text or call if you need anything while you’re in town.”
She took the piece of paper tentatively, staring at it like it held a question she didn’t know the answer to, before finally looking up. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He frowned at the question. Were people notusuallynice to her? Something about that made a vein throb in his temple. “Why am I helping a young woman who walks into my bar, soaking wet and clearly needing help? Because I’m not an asshole.” Maybe that was it. She was used to having assholes in her life.
She swallowed. “Well, thank you, Cody Walker.”
He followed her out of the office toward the door, but before she could step outside, he slipped his fingers around her upper arm. “Wait—”
She flinched, and he immediately pulled his hand back. What the hell? He hadn’t grabbed her tightly. In fact, he’d barely touched her. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”
She shook her head quickly. Too quickly. “No, I’m okay.”
He didn’t believe her for a second, but he let it go. Instead, he went back to the office and grabbed a sweatshirt before returning and holding it out to her. “Here.”
“I have clothes in my car.”
“I don’t have an umbrella down here, so I’m giving you this to hold over your head as you run through the rain. It will keep you dry.”
“I can’t take your sweatshirt.”
“You can return it tomorrow.” Honestly, he wouldn’t care if she kept it. But a part of him wanted to see this woman again.
He thought she’d argue. So when she nodded and slipped the sweatshirt from his fingers, he was surprised as hell.
“Thank you.” She turned toward the door, but before pulling it open, she looked at him one last time. “For everything. It’s been a while since I’ve met a good person.”
His chest twisted. He’d really like to meet these not-so-good people in her life and give them a piece of his mind. “Stick around, and you’ll find plenty more in this town.”
She offered a small smile before slipping out of the bar and into the storm. And for some damn reason, he already couldn’t wait to see her again the next day.
CHAPTER 2
