“I’m making a mess in your truck.”
“Trucks are for messes.” I stole peeks at her as she took down her hair, squeezed the water out of it with the Vandy sweater, then slipped into my own. I shook my head, palming my neck. So much for not giving her any ideas. She was in my truck, wearing my sweater, and wrapped in my blanket.I forced my eyes back to the road as she pulled her hair back up into the bun—or whatever it is girls call it these days.
I didn’t want to notice how beautiful she was, but I’d been noticing all evening. Any guy would. Julia was fit and sporty but still had soft and generous curves. She didn’t look done up, like she’d tried to be pretty. In fact, she looked the opposite. Sloppy and like she didn’t give two hoots. But the careless look was incredibly appealing on her.
Heat rushed to my face, and rational thinking became a challenge for the hundredth time. Part of my brain urged me to floor it and get her out of my truck. But the other part begged to linger here. As annoying as I’d found her before, I kind of liked her company.
Beat being alone at the very least.
My stomach rumbled, and I checked the dash. 8:45 p.m. Way too late for dinner, but I hadn’t eaten anything most of the day. “Going to swing into a drive-thru. You mind?”
“Not a bit. I’m pretty hungry, too.” She threw her wadded-up sweater into the floor board. “I was supposed to be water skiing today at Old Hickory Lake with some friends. The off and on rain ruined my plans.”
“You any good?”
“At skiing?”
I nodded, and she shrugged as I turned into a burger joint. “Not particularly. I just like the adrenaline rush of being out on the water with the wind whipping through my hair.” The dreamy smile on her face was distracting. “Have you ever been skiing?”
“Nope. Prefer dry land.”
“That sounds boring.”
“I’m a boring guy.” Conversation stopped when we pulled behind the glowing menus and gave our orders. She ordered two deluxe double cheeseburgers and a large fry. I’d never seen a woman eat that much. For two seconds I wished I could have dinner with her—see if her stomach was as big as her eyes. It had been a long time since I’d shared a meal with a woman.
Julia put up a fierce fight when I paid for both of our orders. Almost flew out the driver’s window trying to get her debit card to the cashier. I plucked it out of her hand and threw it onto the floorboard, which was a mistake because her cut-off jeans hugged her hips as she bent forward to retrieve it. The jolt of the drive-thru window sliding open was a welcome call back to reality. The pit stop was a bad idea. I needed to get a hold of myself and get her out of my truck as soon as possible.
She sat up, flushed and giggling. “I can’t find the stupid thing. Watch! I’m going to have to stand out in the rain, with the door open, looking for it!” Her angst made me smile, and I handed her our bag of burgers and drinks.
Julia dug into the fries before I even pulled away from the window. Against better judgment, I found myself teasing her. “Those better not be mine.” I kicked the wipers up another notch. The brake lights ahead blurred in the downpour and driving at speed would be a challenge. The two minute journey home was going to take longer than expected. I cautiously accelerated to thirty miles per hour and wondered if that was too fast.
“It is really coming down.” She squinted through the windshield. “Be car—“
I slammed on the brakes, and rubber screeched. I cut the steering wheel hard to the right to avoid joining the collision ahead. Julia’s body lurched forward, and I pressed my palm against her torso on instinct. A small sedan had t-boned a truck in the intersection. Looked bad. Thankfully, I wasn’t driving too fast or we would’ve joined the pile up.
I navigated to the shoulder past them. Julia was gripping my hand, clutching it against her belly. Her nails dug into my forearm. “You okay?” I asked.
Our fries had scattered around her feet and a couple of the burgers had tumbled out of the bag. She nodded and mumbled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
I slowly pulled my hand back. It slipped from her grasp as she stared straight through the windshield, eyes wide as saucers. I punched the emergency flashers and put the truck in park.
A glance in the rearview mirror showed no one was moving around the cars yet. I dialed 9-1-1 and told Julia I’d be right back.
EIGHT
Julia
Iwas alone in the truck. I trembled and gasped for the air around me. Why was it so hard to breathe?
The screech of tires resounded in my ear. The weight of the airbag crushed my chest and shards of glass pressed into my thigh. He was moaning. But where was he?
“Where are you?” I called out. But my voice was a hoarse whisper. He wouldn’t hear me. My legs hurt so bad I couldn’t move.
The moaning sound generated panic in my gut. Was he dying? I had to get help. I fumbled with the door handle, but my hands slipped. Was that blood on me? No, it was vomit. I smelled it now. I tried again. The door was jammed.
“Help me. Help me.”
We were stuck here. I had to get out. Had to help him. I beat on the window. I wanted to kick it out, but I couldn’t move my legs.
