“Sure.”
She rolled up her window, but left it cracked—accidentally or not, he wasn’t sure—which left him privy to the conversation. A woman in the back staunchly argued not to leave with a stranger before the group decided they had no other viable option. Another debate ensued, this time if they should split up or stay together. Strength in numbers won out.
The window came all the way down, and she leaned her head toward him. “What’s your name?”
“Joel Kingston.” He reached into his rear pocket and took out his wallet. Flipped it open and showed her his license.
After she examined his identification card and studied his face then compared it to the picture on his license, she held out a hand. “Cassidy Frey. Nice to meet you.”
“Same to you, though I’m sure you wish it were under different circumstances.”
The first hint of a smile appeared. “They certainly aren’t ideal, but if you don’t mind, my friends and I will take you up on your offer.”
“How many of you all are there?”
“Five.”
That’s what he’d thought, but he’d hoped the answer was four. He considered himself a law-abiding citizen and didn’t relish the idea of everyone not having a seatbelt, but he couldn’t leave the women stranded. “Do you want to grab your luggage out? I can throw it in the truck bed.”
“Can we get it once it's towed?”
“You could, but I wouldn’t suggest leaving anything valuable in the vehicle.” Despite the darkness, he pointed up and down the interstate. “This road sees lots of travelers who might not think twice about checking out a car alongside the road at night and helping themselves to the contents. Besides, it could be hours until the tow truck gets here.”
Uh oh. The woman’s features tightened. Had he been too honest? Better they know the truth though.
“That’s a good point. We’ll be right out.” She rolled the window up a second time.
Moments later, the liftgate rose, and the women poured out of the side doors. Cars whirred by them, heading west to destinations unknown. Curiosity got to him, and he wondered where they’d been headed. Now probably wasn’t the best time to ask.
He’d thought Cassidy was the leader, but he soon realized that role belonged to a blonde woman in the group. She took charge of removing all the luggage and distributing the bags to their owners before announcing she’d contact the rental company as soon as a signal allowed.
Following behind him as he returned to his truck, they walked in a single-file line as far from the road as possible. They remained surprisingly quiet, and he could only imagine the thoughts going through their heads.
“Hand me the largest bags first.” He took a bag from Cassidy. A small electric shock shot through him when their hands brushed.
What in the world just happened? He’d never experienced anything like that in his life. Maybe it was an unusual effect from eating the meatloaf sandwich, like heartburn, but in his fingers.Yeah, right.Whatever it was, he chose to ignore it. All he had to do was drop these girls off at the wrecker service, complete his good deed for the night, and go home to figure out his next move with the motel.
