Page 11 of Secrets of Riverside

Well, hot damn, she had sass, and he liked it. ‘Wild guess, I suppose.’ Her hint of a smirk was both cute and challenging.

‘Well then, you guessed right.’ She threw a quick glance over her shoulder. ‘And as much as I’d like to say I don’t need any help,’ she flung her reflective gaze back to him, ‘I’ll have to humble myself and say I do.’

‘In that case, I’m at your service.’ He offered her a smirk in return before grabbing his hat from the dashboard – it would help keep his face somewhat dry. He tugged it on, shoved his door open and stepped out. ‘You can come too, buddy, if you don’t mind getting wet.’ Scruff didn’t need any more of an invite to follow him.

It was only when Jarrah neared her that he caught sight of the mesmeric sea-green of her eyes – he’d never seen a shade so intensely yet calmingly beautiful. In an instant, she innocently dragged him into fond memories of swimming in the ocean off the glorious coastline of Western Australia, without a care in the world, and a twangy country song playing in his heart. And with his next intake of breath, it made him ponder what it would feel like, diving into all that made this stunning woman quintessentially her. Such a deep contemplation made him breathe a little faster and take a little longer to find any decipherable words. And that left them in a strange kind of silence, with him standing in the glow of her flashing hazard lights, with the rain slowing but still falling in a soft sheet. Time seemed to stumble, stall, then stand still. He sucked in a breath, and so did she. Her inquisitive yet cautious gaze went to the burn scar on his left cheek and loitered there. He understood it gave him a scary-looking edge, and he didn’t want her to get the wrong impression of him, so he turned to the other side, blocking it from her view.

‘So who’s your friend?’ Her voice broke through his thoughts and her gaze motioned to Scruff, now sitting on the toes of his boots.

‘Ahhh.’ He ruffled his best buddy’s head. ‘This here is Scruffball, or Scruff for short.’

‘Scruffball hey? Cute name.’ Her diamond-studded left brow lifted a little. ‘Is he friendly?’

‘Uh-huh, he sure is.’ Glancing down at Scruff – who was now keen to doggy-welcome this new person, but unable to because Jarrah had his finger looped through his collar – he chuckled. ‘Maybe a little too much for his own good at times, though.’

‘Hey, buddy.’ She crouched down to give Scruff a ruffle on his head, and he lapped it up. ‘You’re a sweetie pie, aren’t you?’

His tail slapping the gravel by the side of the road, Scruff gave her a sneaky lick up the cheek.

Even though she didn’t seem the least bit put off by dog slobber, Jarrah was quick to remind Scruff of his manners. ‘Oi, you scallywag, you know that’s not cool.’ But too wrapped up in this pretty woman, Scruff didn’t acknowledge his reprimand.

‘Aw, all good, he’s just saying hello, aren’t you, buddy.’ She chuckled as she straightened.

Jarrah noted that she didn’t even bother to wipe her cheek. A person that loved dogs was his kind of human. Especially one as cutely packaged as this woman.

‘So, let’s see what’s happened here, hey.’ He peered beneath the bonnet, thankful for the reprieve from the intensity of her striking gaze. ‘It looks to me like you’ve got yourself a cracked radiator.’ He glanced to where she was standing closely at his side. She was short and petite, and he felt like a high-rise next to her. ‘I’m afraid I don’t think we’re going to get this fixed here, or anytime over the next couple of days for that matter.’ He grimaced at her pained expression. ‘Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the local mechanic has gone on a fishing tournament for the weekend, and won’t be back until Tuesday, at the earliest.’

‘There’s only one mechanic in Banshee Bay?’

‘With just under four hundred and fifty residents around here, I’m afraid so.’

Her huff could have blown him to Timbuktu. ‘Oh bloody hell.’ Stomping left to right, she kicked the front tyre, and then planted her hands onto her hips. ‘I seriously don’t have time for this crap.’

Jarrah had to stifle a grin, now wasn’t the time, but holy hell she was attractive when she was mad. ‘You got something important to get to?’

‘Yeah, something like that.’ She bit her bottom lip and her brows furrowed in thought.

‘Can I give you a lift to wherever it was you were going?’ It was the least he could do. ‘As long as it’s not an age away, that is.’

‘Oh, that’s really kind of you, but …’ She looked to her broken-down old beast, then back at him, blinking really fast.

Oh lord, was she about to cry. He couldn’t stand here and witness that, especially not when he couldn’t comfort her. Maybe she didn’t have anywhere to be, or to go? He hadn’t stopped to think of that. ‘You can come back to my place and have a hot shower and a good couple of nights’ sleep,’ he said hurriedly, trying to somehow soothe her. ‘And then, as soon as the mechanic gets back into town, we’ll get him on the job as quickly as we can so you can be on your way again.’

Sniffing and squaring her shoulders, she folded her arms and assessed him through her piercing eyes. ‘How do I know you’re not going to take me back somewhere to have your way with me and then murder me?’

‘You don’t.’ He chuckled, but then zipped it when he noted she was deadly serious.

Her suspicious eyes narrowed. ‘That’s not funny.’

‘Sorry.’ Grimacing, he held his hands up. ‘I’m not trying to be.’

More thunder rumbled overhead, and a crack of iridescent lightning shot across the sky. She glanced upwards, into the soft pitter-patter of rain, cursing. ‘Oh, for god’s sake, really? Haven’t you watered your garden enough already?’

‘What did you just say?’ He couldn’t hide his chuckle now.

‘Oh, that.’ She looked a little embarrassed. ‘My mum always told me that when it rained, it was God watering his garden.’ Her shoulders lifted in a little shrug. ‘Not that I believe in all of that religious stuff much these days.’

‘I like her analogy, it’s very sweet.’ Jarrah noted she was talking about her mum in the past tense, and his heart squeezed for her loss. He knew all too well what that felt like, to lose a mother. ‘I don’t think this is the safest place for you to be camped out all night.’ Grabbing his wallet from his back pocket, he plucked out a business card. ‘Here, this might make you feel a little better about coming back to mine.’

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