“I know that, but it’s Christmas. I want you to shut everything down and go home. Or go to a friend’s, whatever you want to do. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, and we’ll see how those two boys are doing. We might need to hire some help if they’re going to be out of commission for a bit.”
She opened her mouth, intending to argue with Frank, but snapped it closed as Frank spoke with his wife in the background. She waited until the duo stopped talking and then agreed to close up.
Jinx went back into the kitchen, pulled her pizza out, and shut the oven off. Loneliness hit her hard. She shook her head to clear the unwanted emotion and tossed the half-cooked pizza into the trash. After double-checking the stove to make sure it was off, she went through the bar, making sure she’d locked up properly before heading toward the rear.
Jinx set the alarm and exited the bar. She tugged at the door, making sure to shut it securely. The cold sent a chill down her toes. She shivered and headed toward her truck, stopping dead in her tracks. “Son-of-a-bitch,” she snarled.
Two of her tires were flat. She looked back at the bar and considered going inside, but then she decided to sit in her truck while she waited for the tow guy to change her tires. Luckily, she actually had two spares. One under the bed and one in the back. She’d gotten the sage advice the first winter she’d lived up here to always have two tires on the ready in the winter. Until now, she’d never needed them.
With a press of her key fob, she unlocked her truck. Warmth enveloped her as she sat inside, scrolling through her contacts. “God, I hope Fred doesn’t have the tow driver tied up or vice versa.”
Giving up on finding the guy’s number in her contacts, she did a Google search, hitting pay dirt instantly. She pressed the button to contact Doyle Dunn. She gritted her teeth as the phone rang, and then, as it went to voicemail, she groaned. Jinx left a message explaining she had two flat tires on her truck sitting outside Taps. She hoped he could hear thedesperation in her tone as she asked him to hurry, but if he was with Fred doing god knows what, he probably wouldn’t get her message until the next day.
Jinx banged her head on the headrest. The soft cushion did nothing to soothe her anger. She looked back down at her hand holding the phone. “I’ll just text Viking. Maybe he can give me a lift home.”
She snorted at her words, but she pressed a quick text before she could chicken out. “Hey, whatcha doin?”
Jinx bit her lip, waiting for Viking to respond. Three little dots appeared, making her freeze. As the message came through, she exhaled.
“On my way. Are you safe?”
“I’m good. Sitting in my truck.”
Her phone rang, jarring in the small cab.“Hello?”
“Why are you in your truck and not in the bar?”
She gave him a quick explanation about Fred and Jordan getting into an accident, and then Frank told her to go home.
He made a few grunts, and she could hear the sound of his big truck’s engine in the background.They stayed on the phone, talking about nonsensical things while he drove to her.
When his headlights came into view, Jinx felt the knot in her stomach ease.
Viking backed in next to her, exiting his truck. He walked over to the passenger side of her vehicle and knocked on the window. She hurriedly unlocked the door, allowing him to climb in. While her Ford wasn’t as big as his, she’d never considered it a small truck until Viking sat next to her in it.
“Holy shit, it’s cold out there.” He rubbed his hands together, the sound loud and sexy in the small space. Hell, she had a feeling anything he did, she’d find sexy.
“I know. When I stepped outside, I swore the temps dropped thirty degrees from the time I’d gone in.”
“So, you’ve got two flat tires. I assume you’ve got two spares with you? If you sit tight, I’ll get to changing them, and you can get back on the road,” he began.
She held her hand up. “Ah, that’s a negative, big guy. How about you give me a ride home? And if you haven’t eaten, I will cook us something before youhead home. Of course, if you have plans, then just a ride home would be great.” She pressed her lips together to keep from babbling.
He pressed his finger against her lips. “Okay, let's lock your rig up and see about getting our stomachs filled in town. I don’t want to put you out by making you cook for me. Besides, I bet you don’t have any meat thawed, and I don’t want you to stress out over making me shit.”
Holding his stare, she nipped his finger.
“Oh, you like playing with fire, Vakker.”
Jinx smiled, loving the power she felt at having this big man on edge. “I’m a risk taker.”
He shifted, the leather creaking under his weight. “Hmm, I think I like this side of you. Let’s see how much,” he said, voice deep and rumbling.
She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he reached across the space, slid his hand into her hair, and pulled her closer to him. Jinx reached for him, her hands going around his shoulders, participating in the kiss. They came together in a clash of lips and teeth. Her body arched toward his, wanting to be closer.
“Fuck, if we don’t get out of here, I might embarrass myself.”
“I fear I feel the same. I’ve never made out in a vehicle before,” she admitted.
