The hill down to the road is treacherous, and that’s putting generously. Even though my foot is steady on the brake and I’m only going three miles an hour, we slide and skid off a few times. Even if it’s not plowed, the road toward the B&B is mostly flat, so it should be easier to navigate.
“Are we going to die out here?” Lindsay asks when I turn onto the road. “Because I read somewhere that when you freeze to death, you get all numb and sleepy first, which honestly doesn’t sound like the worst way to go.” She’s trying to sound cool, but her white-knuckled grip on the overhead handle gives her away. “I just want to start mentally preparing if that’s what lies ahead.”
“We ain’t dying out here,” I reply confidently. “I can promise you that.” Though with the visibility being so poor, it might take hours to get back to the main square.
That’s when I feel it, the loss of connection between the tires and the road. My jaw grinds with tension as the steering wheel loses resistance and doesn’t respond at all when I try to turn into the swerve of the truck like you’re supposed to when you hit ice or hydroplane. “Hold on,” I command in a stern voice I don’t even recognize as my own. The truck turns and our bodies are thrown to the right. I feel us descending as the front dips down into a ditch, slamming into the earth and jolting us forward.
It takes a moment for the chaos of the last sixty seconds to register, but when it does, my attention lands on Lindsay, and I’m whipping my seat belt off so I can get to her. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around her, gently cupping the back of her head as I look her over. “Are you okay?”
She’s breathing heavily and looks slightly dazed, but when she mutters, “Yeah, I’m good,” my heart rate drops from ten times its regular speed down to two. Her different-colored eyes are wild as she looks out the windshield. “Jesus, that could’ve been really bad.”
I urge her to move slowly as she hops out of the truck, and I do the same. I’m relieved to see that there’s very little damage to my truck, likely a few scrapes on the grille, a dent in the front bumper, and I might have to replace the headlights. All in all, a solid outcome.
“Is it worth calling that cab driver you told me about? The one who…isn’t a good driver?” Then she lets out a resigned giggle that lights me up from within. “Nevermind. I just heard it.”
“Tilda,” I offer, then check my phone for the time. “She doesn’t drive past eight at night anyway.” Grabbing my keys from the ignition, I lock the truck and come around to face Lindsay. “I’ve got a better idea.”
“Such as?”
“There’s a studio apartment above the bar. It’s where I lived when I first opened, but now it’s a crash pad for anyone who has to work late and is too tired to drive home. I say we stay there for the night, and I’ll get you back to the B&B first thing tomorrow.”
She pulls her leather jacket tight around her and gives me a wary look. “One bed?”
“No,” I assure her. “Two twin beds, a kitchenette, and a bathroom.”
Lindsay kicks her boot through the snow and finally says, “Okay, let’s do it.” Then she points a finger at me. “But if you try to murder me, I’ll murder you first. Got it?”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare. A zombie is no match for a lioness.”
“Lioness?” There’s an edge of amusement in her voice.
Shit. That’s more of a private nickname I’ve kept in my head since she kicked my brother’s ass and kissed the daylights out of me. I never intended to reveal it to her. “That’s kind of how I see you––a fierce, mother lion stalking through tall grass, ready to slash the throats of her enemies.”
Her eyes light up. “I like it. Nickname approved.”
She’s already walking ahead with her back turned, otherwise, she’d be able to see the dopey grin on my face at her approval. She doesn’t get far, though, as the snow on the side of the road is deep, and getting deeper.
I’m tempted to see how long she’ll push through without asking for help. If I were a betting man, I’d say she’d wait until her extremities grew too numb to move. To avoid any foolish stubbornness, I lightly grab her arm and pat my back. “Climb on.”
She laughs. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yes. Your legs are bare under that flimsy dress, and I won’t let you get frostbite. Let me carry you there.”
Her arms are crossed over her chest, but I can tell she’s considering it, especially when her teeth start to chatter. Then she spreads her feet wide, or as wide as she can. “It’s just…I think my dress might be too tight for a piggyback.”
“Oh. That’s no problem.” I grab her purse in one hand and use the other to sweep her off her feet into a bridal carry. She squeals in surprise and wiggles to get free, but I tighten my grip until she stills.
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Her voice is quieter than I’ve ever heard it, and it wavers with uncertainty. When she tugs the front of her dress away from her stomach, I understand her meaning.
Still holding her with one arm, I lift her body into a bicep curl, and have to resist the urge to press a kiss to her gloriously soft belly. “Most of the time, I’m too big for chairs and doorways.What other use for my body is there than carrying a goddess through the snow to keep her feet from getting cold?”
Even beneath the inky black sky, I can see her cheeks turning pink.
“Were you this big before the, um…” she trails off. “Before you were…”
“Turned into a zombie? It’s okay, you can ask about it.”
“Yeah.”
