Her face lights up and she nods eagerly. I grab her toys and set them down on her seat only to have her grab that damn pink truck before coming to stand in the grass with me. She clutches the little thing in her tiny hand and I can’t help but smile and grab her other hand instead. We start our journey, walking along the side of the road, heading in the direction that my phone says to go.
Chloe doesn’t have a care in the world and she rambles on about the grass tickling her legs before bouncing to another subject. Her little mind works in mysterious ways and I followalong with it, talking about whatever it is that catches her eye. A few cars drive past as we walk along the road, but no one bothers to stop. Why would they? My car is a few minutes away from us at this point and we are simply a mother and daughter walking down the back road.
No one knows. I guess no one ever truly knows what is going on inside someone else's world unless they dare to take a peek.
We keep walking and Chloe's small strides begin to shorten, her legs growing tired as she tries to keep up with me. About ten minutes into our walk, I bend down, scoping her up to carry her instead. I don’t want to tire her out because of my negligence with keeping track of how full my gas tank was. As we turn the corner, a white pick-up truck pulls up to the stop sign at the intersection. I lift my gaze, looking up through the windows and my heart skips a beat in my chest.
Cole Wild.
I haven’t seen him in over a week, when he came into the bar for lunch. He slides his window down, his eyebrows pulling together as he looks at the two of us. “Hey darlin’.” He wastes no time and jumps right to the chase. “What are the two of you doin’ out here?”
I stare at him for a moment, trying to wrack my brain for some type of a believable lie but nothing comes to mind. If I tell him that we are out for a walk, he will undoubtedly question that. There is no sense in telling him anything other than the truth. A sigh escapes me. “I ran out of gas, so we are taking a walk to the gas station to get some.”
“How did you run outta gas? Where's your car?”
I point back to the way we came from. “About ten minutes that way on foot. My gauge doesn't work and I forgot to keep track of my miles so I would know when I needed to refill my tank.”
“Get in.”
I tilt my head to the side. “What?”
“I'll take you to the gas station. I'm not lettin’ the two of you walk there and then walk back with a tank of gas.” He pauses for a moment, rolling his lips between his teeth. “El, please get in and let me drive you guys there.”
Conflict laces itself through my body. I hate asking for help, but I hate accepting it even more. Chloe shifts in my arms. She is beginning to feel heavier the farther we walk. Going with Cole is convenient and as much as I don’t want to agree, I have to. It makes the most sense.
“I'm not some kind of damsel in distress,” I say, opening the back door and plopping Chloe on the seat. She’s too small to not have a car seat, but we have no choice. I strap her in and climb in with her, securing my arms around her. Cole watches me through the rearview mirror with a soft smile on his face. I narrow my eyes on him.
“No one said you were,” he reminds me with a pointed look. His white t-shirt is smudged with dirt and he grabs the brim of his baseball cap, lifting it from his head before spinning it around backwards.
“That's what it feels like. I don't need your help, Wild.”
He tilts his head to the side and the muscle in his jaw twitches. “No, you most certainly do not. That doesn't mean I don't wanna help you. And that sure as hell doesn't mean you can't accept it.”
“Sorry,” I say in a hushed voice, regret lingering in my tone. He just so happens to be at the right place at the right time. I can’t fault him for that and it’s only natural for him to want to extend a helping hand. I’m being a bitch to him for no reason. “I'm a little stressed out and this was unexpected. I shouldn't have projected. I apologize for acting that way.”
“Stop apologizing for everything, Ella,” he says softly with a warmth swirling in his gaze that continues to penetrate mine. “Most people would say thank you, but it's okay. I get it.”
I swallow back my emotion. “Thank you.”
“See, that wasn't so hard, was it?” The corners of his lips lift upwards. “Seatbelt,” he adds with a wink as he points over my shoulder.
Following his command, I grab the belt and pull it across my chest before clicking it in place. He waits with a patient smile on his face until I’m ready before he whips his truck around and heads in the direction of the gas station.
“What were the two of you doin’ before you got stranded?”
I glance out the window to avoid studying the side of his perfectly sculpted face. “I have off today so I promised Chloe we would go to that miniature animal farm.”
“It's a beautiful day for it.”
“It is,” I agree, finally looking at him. “What were you doing? I hope we're not interrupting your day at all.”
Cole shakes his head. “Not at all. I was actually on my way home from the store. I had to get some medicine for a few of the horses.”
“Well, thank god for that. If you hadn't shown up, it would have proved to be quite the challenge getting back with a gas can.” I pause and let the smile break out across my lips instead of fighting against it. “I didn't really think about having to lug it the whole way back to my car with a toddler whose legs are already tired.”
He glances at me from the corner of his eye. “It worked out perfectly.” He turns his truck into the station parking lot and pulls up to one of the pumps. “Didn't you have anyone to call or were you too stubborn to ask anyone for help?”
His words aren’t meant to be malicious, but my body immediately tenses. “I called Remi and Iris, but neither of them answered.”
