“Woman named Christa Evans. Wiped out on Pine Mountain Road. Her car…” Shit. Her car was at the bottom of the fucking ravine. I couldn’t help tightening my arm around her, then cleared my throat to get rid of some leftover adrenaline. “Black ice on the mountain. Her vehicle’s gone.”
“Can you put Ms. Evans on the phone, sir?”
“Just a sec.” I pulled the blanket away and handed her the phone, instantly missing the distance between us. “Go on and tell them.”
“Hello?” She glanced up at me for a few seconds, then away. “Yeah. Christa Evans.” She rattled off an address and appeared to listen. “He’s…” Her eyes met mine. They were dark in her pale face, bottomless. “Are you Mr. Micah Graham?”
I nodded.
“Yes.” Another long pause. “He saved me. Risked his life. I’ll be fine… Yes. Oh. Okay. Thanks for letting me know. Thank you.”
She handed me the phone and I listened, while the operator informed me they’d try to get someone up here, but since it wasn’t an emergency, it likely wouldn’t be tonight. I was also advised not to drive, given the driving conditions.
All the while, the woman—Christa—watched me. She had one of those round faces turned into a heart by a pointy little chin. All of it was sort of framed by super-straight, shoulder-length hair, cut across her forehead. Reminded me of that actress in Pulp Fiction. Except fuller, her rosy cheeks and bright, almost-black eyes making her doll-like. The rest of her was nothing like a doll. Or if it was, it wasn’t one I’d give my kid sister.
“They don’t want us driving tonight. Said the roads are mess in the valley, too.”
“Oh, crap.” Something like panic flitted across her face. “I don’t want to put you out, it’s not—”
“It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry, Micah.”
“Don’t be.” I nodded. “Christa.”
“I’m safe with you, right?”
“Always.”
A big, fat tear formed at the outside corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek. I don’t think she even noticed it. “Thank you, Micah.”
“Any time.”
With a deep, shaky sigh, she got close again. It took a few seconds for me to realize she wasn’t using me for heat and comfort this time, she was thanking me.
After what had to be close to a minute, I shifted back. “You, uh, ready for some tea?”
She sniffed and nodded, let me nudge her off me and get up. I offered her a hand, which she accepted, and pulled her to standing.
“Mind if I call my roommate, Micah?”
“Course. I’ll get you something hot.” I handed her the phone.
With the girls dogging my footsteps—as usual—I went into the kitchen. Well, what I thought of as my kitchen, but she’d probably see as something less. Sink, oven, counter—all shoved into the corner of the cabin’s main room. At least I’d made the bathroom separate. And the bedroom. Which would give her some privacy.
’Cause she wasn’t going anywhere tonight.
5
Christa
Idialed home, hating that I’d be interrupting Gran’s shows.
She picked up on the second ring, a little out of breath. “Hello?”
“Hey, Gran.”
“Christa, hon? What are you doing?”
