I make sure the doors are locked on my little car, and then I push the lever to lay my seat back. My eyes close instantly, and I wish I could sleep for the next two hours, but my mind won’t shut off. All I can think about is the fact that Elijah is on his way here to help me.
I raise the seat back up and flip the visor down. I cringe at the image of myself in the mirror. I have bags under my eyes. My nose and eyes are red from crying, and I look haggard. With a huff of my breath, I flip the visor back up.
My mind goes back to five years ago when I last spent the summer in Whiskey Run. I’d planned to avoid Elijah. I spent most of my teenage years following his every move, and looking back on it, I know I was embarrassing myself. He was always nice to me, but it was obvious he looked at me like a kid. At least he did until five years ago.
One night drinking at the Whistler changed everything. Kane was supposed to pick me up, but it was Elijah instead. We talked for hours that night, and the way he was looking at me, well, he’d never looked at me like that before. The feeling between uswas palpable. I thought I was imagining it until he kissed me. The kiss was everything. Having his arms around me, feeling his heat and hardness was everything. My twenty-year-old brain convinced me that there could actually be something between us. At least until after the kiss, when Elijah told me that he’d made a mistake and nothing could come of us. He said the alcohol was why he’d kissed me. He hadn’t had a drink for hours, but I took what he said as the truth.
So for the last five years, I’ve stayed away from Whiskey Run. I’m only going back now because I don’t have a choice.
My hand instantly goes to my rounded belly.It’s just you and me, kid.
I’ve made so many mistakes, and it’s time I get my shit together. Especially now that I have a baby on the way. No more depending on someone else to take care of me. From here on out, I’m going to take care of myself and my baby.
I bang my hand on the steering wheel.Well, as soon as I get my car running.
I push my seat back and close my eyes. I take a few deep breaths and must fall asleep, because when I open my eyes, Elijah is standing in front of my car, phone to his ear, looking at me through the windshield.
I rub at my eyes and raise my seat. Slowly, I open my door as Elijah pockets his phone and comes around to my open door. He reaches for me, helping me up. His eyes drag down my body and back up again.
And just like always, my body reacts to his gaze. My nipples pebble, and there’s a tug in my lower belly.
“Hey,” I say, almost breathless.
He puts his hands on my shoulders and holds me tightly. “Hey, honey… you doing okay?”
I bite my lip as if that’s going to stop me from crying. “Uhm, how long have you been here? It’s almost dark.”
He tilts his head to the side and watches me. “Awhile. I didn’t want to wake you up. You need your rest.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “So you’ve just been waiting for me to wake up?”
He nods and gestures to his truck. “Hop in.”
I put a hand to my belly. “First, I’m not going to be hopping anywhere. And second, I thought you were going to look at my car.”
He looks at my car and then back at me. “I did look at it.” He points behind me. “That’s what the wrecker is here for.”
I gasp, and heat rushes through my body. I bring my hands up to my face. “Oh my God, Elijah, and you made them wait? You should have woken me up.”
He grabs my hands and pulls them from my face. “Honey, they’re fine. You’ve always worried about everyone else when you should be looking out for yourself.”
I shake my head side to side. “You were supposed to just help me get my car started and then?—”
He cuts me off. “Get in, honey.”
“But—” I start.
Before I can get another word out, Elijah walks over to his truck, opens the passenger side and then walks back to me. He scoops me up in his arms and holds me to his chest.
I gasp and blink up at him. “My car… my purse… my things.”
He looks into my eyes. “I’m going to get it all. Don’t worry.”
He sets me in the truck, and I fully expect him to walk away, but he puts one hand on my shoulder and the other on my knee. I thought I’d gotten over my feelings for him, but they’ve suddenly come raging back into play. My whole body tingles from his touch.
I open my mouth, but he lifts his hand and puts a finger to my lips. “Let me get this squared away. We can talk the whole way back to Whiskey Run.”
I should stop him. He just showed up and took over. I’m not some kid anymore, and I should stop him, but a part of me wants to just let him take care of it. It’s been a while since anyone has taken care of me, and I’m not—I stop my thoughts and I shake my head. No, I need to take care of myself… and I will as soon as I get back to Whiskey Run.
