“Okay, let’s get back in the truck and wait for the tow rig. It’s damn cold out here,” Holden said as he headed back toward his pickup where Ossie, his adorable dog, was standing on his hind legs with his front paws on the dashboard watching us.
We got in, and Ossie’s tail went nuts as he jumped into my lap. I had the thought that Happy might have somehow scared him earlier, and since I wasn’t hearing her color commentary on my life, I assumed she was gone, though I was sure it was only temporary.
“Aside from what happened here, how was your Christmas?” Holden started the engine to turn on the heat, which I appreciated.
“My mom tried to fix me up with the son of a friend of hers. It was truly awkward, but the guy was nice. He’s already in a relationship with a couple, but his mom doesn’t know about that yet, and she and Mom decided he and I would be perfect for each other. He told me about being with an established couple. It sounded damn complicated to me.”
Holden chuckled. “Yeah, it sure does. Having one relationship can be difficult. Trying to manage three together is something I wouldn’t want to do.”
That was interesting. “Are you speaking from experience?” What the hell was wrong with me? It wasn’t my business.
“I’d like to know the answer too, so hush.”
I almost responded out loud to Happy, but I’d done it a few times already, and I didn’t want Holden to think I was unhinged. He didn’t scoff at me telling him my mother tried to fix me up with a guy, which was promising. Was he just open minded but not interested? Did I even want to find out?
I glanced at Holden and decided I sure wanted to find out. The man was definitely a snack, even in the baggy jeans.
“Not so much personal experience. I gave up on dating a while back, but I’ve seen my friends go through some shit, and I’mdefinitely not interested in diving into the dating pool anytime soon.”
“That’s bullshit. Ugh!”
Yeah, Happy was still around, and poor Ossie knew it. He hopped over the console and jumped into Holden’s lap. I got it. I’d heard it said that dogs and babies were sensitive to supernatural phenomena.
Ossie proved to me that Happy was a ghost…a spirit. Who knew I’d become enlightened at twenty-four?
“Thank you, Avery. Keep asking him questions. You’ll draw him out, I’m sure.”
“Do you go out see your parents often? I don’t go as much as I should because my mom—who I love to death—drives me nuts.”
Holden’s deep laugh sent a tingle down my spine. “Oh, I can relate to that. I love my parents, too, but some of the things… Well, let me say I owe them an apology. I stormed out of their house the day of your accident, but they need to heal from my sister’s death, and they’re not actively trying to do it.
“I told them I was sick of the usual Christmas mourning that we’ve been doing since she was killed. I just can’t do it anymore. Every Christmas is a damn wake.” Holden sounded upset, and of course, I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Ask him out for tonight. He needs a friend to listen to how hard it’s been for him. You can be that guy, Avery.”
I wanted to say something, but my mind went blank. Why was she pushing me toward Holden Rose? Did she know him when she was alive?
Before I could decide what to do, the tow truck pulled behind us. I’d given them a pin to find us, and then I’d become consumed with Holden—his looks, his personality, and that body that made me want to bite my fist.
“We need to get out. Where do you want the car towed?” Holden asked.
We were about forty-five miles from Baltimore, but I had no idea what the hell to do with Brooke’s car. “I’m not sure.”
Holden nodded and got out, so I hurried to follow him. He walked over to the driver while I stood back. “Hey, man. Thanks for coming out on such a shitty day.” The two men shook hands.
“Sure. This looks bad. Was it fatal?” They were both standing near the sliced-open door, and once again, I was damn grateful to be alive.
I stepped closer and extended my hand. “Hi. Thankfully, I’m still alive. Can you tow it to your garage? Will you give me your business card and I’ll have the owner contact you when she returns from the holidays?”
I retrieved my wallet and handed the guy a credit card. “You can charge it to this. I’ll pay for the tow and whatever storage fees you need to charge to house the car. Once Brooke returns home, I’ll contact you and pay to tow the car wherever she needs it to be.”
The guy took a picture of my credit card before he nodded and went about hooking up the Prius and pulling it onto the back of his tow truck. “I’ll wait for the owner to reach out.” He hopped into the cab of the truck and drove away.
“You ready to go back to Baltimore?” I glanced at Holden. The man was staring at his phone, but the surprising thing was Happy standing behind him.
“I thought you went away.” Yeah, I said it out loud
She smiled.“This guy is a keeper, Avery. He’s perfect for you. You just need to convince him of the same.”
