I rolled down the window so I could lean out. “What’s wrong?”
She gave me a rueful smile. “Flat. I tried to call roadside assistance through my insurance but I’m just getting a recording about a high volume of calls.” She rolled her eyes. “What the hell is the point of paying extra for assistance if they can’t answer the phone?”
I just gaped at her. “You knew it was flat when I pulled up?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, it’s pretty obvious.” She scowled down at the tire in question. “I must have run over something this morning on my way in.”
Shaking my head, I put my vehicle in park and climbed out. “Gracie, why didn’t you say anything? You were just going to let me drive away?”
She shrugged. “You have a lot on your plate. Besides, it’s only a flat tire. Not the end of the world.”
“Yeah, but you’re standing here in a nearly empty parking lot, by yourself, without any help.”
She almost looked amused when she met my gaze. “This is a safe neighborhood,” she said. “Besides, it’s not close to being dark yet.”
It was the wrong thing to say because now I was thinking about what would happen if ithadbeen dark. My brain immediately drew up an image of Gracie all alone in this parking lot at night with God only knew what kind of assholes passing by.
“Do you have a spare in the trunk?” I asked, already walking to the rear of her car.
“Liam, you don’t have to put on the spare. I can just?—”
I whirled on her. “I’m not leaving you alone when you’re in trouble, Gracie,” I snapped, tone way harsher than I had intended. I took a deep breath, trying to force some calm. “I don’t like the idea of you stranded out here by yourself. Anything could happen.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but as she held my gaze something softened in her expression. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I would appreciate the help.”
Something seemed to pass between us in that moment, some understanding that I couldn’t quite name. Like an essential puzzle piece had finally snapped into place, right where it was supposed to be.
Realizing that I had been staring at her for a lot longer than probably seemed sane, I cleared my throat. “Pop the trunk for me?”
She pressed something on her key fob, opening the trunk, and I got to work on the spare.
CHAPTER 14
Something had shifted between us. I couldn’t say exactly what it was, but watching him change out that tire I just knew that something was very different.
The only thing that could have distracted me from such weighty thoughts was the image of Liam O’Conner under my car, grease smeared across one toned forearm, white T-shirt tight on his chest as he strained to remove the ruined tire.
God, the man was hot. Seriously, how did anyone look that good in a T-shirt and cargo shorts? I didn’t even like cargo shorts on a guy, but somehow Liam made them work. He would probably look good in a damn potato sack.
And there was something even more appealing about the ease with which he worked under my car. This was a man who knew how to do things, how to take care of business. When he offered to help, I’d kind of assumed that he was going to wait with me until a tow truck came. But that clearly wasn’t Liam’s style.
He had the spare on my car before I even would have been able to get through to a human at my insurance company, wiping his dirty hands on his shorts like it was no big deal.
I kind of wanted to jump him.
Okay, not kind of. I totally wanted to jump this man right there in the parking lot.
Get a hold of yourself, Grace Knight.
Apparently, I had a mechanic kink and had never realized it. Peyton would probably have a field day with that.
It wasn’t just the hot factor, though. Watching the range of emotions cross his face when he got here and realized Josie wasn’t around had been heart wrenching. I could only hear his side of the conversation with the grandmother, but I got the gist of it. Josie had asked to stay there because she wasn’t happy with her dad.
I knew Liam well enough to see the self-doubt on his face. It was the same expression he used to get whenever he had a test coming up. I’d always found it so strange that a guy with all of his talents, a guy who was so supremely confident on the ice, could turn around and doubt himself so much when it came to school work.
And now I could plainly see that the same doubt existed when it came to his daughter. He was blaming himself for the tough spot that they were in. He was worried sick about Josie and their relationship.
I wished there was a way to make him see that the mere fact he was so upset about it proved what a good dad he really was. The shitty dads didn’t care when their kids were upset or in need. I knew that from experience—both as a teacher and from the total abandonment of my own father when I was even younger than Josie.
