Squinting, she put her hand to her brow to try and see, but all she could make out was the silhouette of a sporty-looking car pulling up behind hers.
Her heart thumped. Derek drove a sports car. It was an older model Dodge Charger he and his dad had spent one summer restoring. Had he come looking for her?
The driver got out of the car, and her heart sank.
The man wasn't as tall as Derek, she guessed maybe five-ten, and he was leaner, too. Not skinny, but not nearly as buff as Derek had become through his recent training. This guy looked like he was a couple of years older, too.
“You stuck?” he asked. His voice was thick like honey.
As he got closer, Charlie got a better look at his features. His brown hair was shorter than Derek's, almost buzzed on the sides but a tad bit longer on top. It was styled in a way that looked a little messy, yet somehow still perfectly put together.
This guy could be a model.
“Yeah.” Charlie cleared her throat and stood a little taller, praying he couldn't tell she'd been crying.
The Good Samaritan's brows turned inward. “Hey, are you okay? Were you hurt?”
The concern mixed with the smooth tone was oddly comforting.
“No.” She shook her head. “I'm fine.”
“Then, why the tears?”
“Oh, um...” Charlie sniffled. “It's just been a bad day, and this didn't help.”
“Well”—the man smiled, showing off a pristine set of white teeth—“let's see if I can't do something about that, yeah?”
The guy seems nice enough.
“Okay.” Charlie nodded shyly, appreciative of the offer. Noticing his suit and dress shoes, she quickly changed her mind. “Oh, wait. I-I don't want you to get your nice clothes dirty. I can call someone to come pick me up.”
She had no idea who, but she'd figure something out.
“What about your car?”
Charlie bit her bottom lip. “Um...” she thought for a minute. “I can just leave it here until tomorrow. I'm sure my dad can get it unstuck.”And chew my ass in the process.
“Don't be silly.” He began rolling up his sleeves. “Hop in and roll down your window so you can hear me. Put it in reverse, but hold down the break. I'll tell you when to go.”
“Really, it's okay. You don't have to—”
“What kind of man would I be if I left a beautiful young woman such as yourself stranded all alone on the side of the road?”
Charlie's chest tightened. He'd called her beautiful. No one but her mother had ever called her that.
Charlie swallowed. “O-okay. If you're sure.”
He gave her a friendly grin. “I'm sure.”
Doing as she was told, Charlie got back in her car and waited for the green light. When the man gave it, she eased her foot from the brake and slowly pressed on the gas.
The car rocked back and forth as he pushed against the front bumper in an attempt to free her from the rut she'd made. Before long, she'd broken loose and was pulling the car back up onto the gravel shoulder.
Putting it in park, she got out to thank the kind stranger. As he walked toward her, she couldn't help but notice the confidence with which he carried himself. And the mud that was now all over the front of his pants.
“Oh, my gosh!” Charlie exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”
The man glanced down at his legs and laughed. When he looked back at her, his dark eyes danced in the light.
