Page 8 of Found By You

“Snow,” she quips at me with a giggle. I grin at the airy light sound. She leans her head back against the headrest, hugging into herself with a heavy sigh. “Have you ever just wanted to go somewhere where no one knows your name? No one knows your story…”

My chest tightens. Yes. Fuck, yes, I do.

“That’s in Alaska,” she adds. “If I ever make it there.”

“Where were you coming from?”

“Oklahoma.”

I scoff. “Christ, you’re lucky you made it this far. Your transmission looks like it’s been dying for a while with that oil pan fucked, I’m surprised you didn’t blow the entire engine.”

Maci’s nose scrunches adorably. “It’s really bad, isn’t it?”

“Well, I’ll need to get under it, take a good look, but she’s not going to be a cheap fix. And finding a transmission isn’t going to be a cakewalk either. Probably take a week to get between the storm and shortages. Tack on another few days to go through the motions before you’re up and running again.”

“Oh.” Her voice is straining as I glance at her, the tears already welling in her eyes when she asks, “Do you know a ballpark on how much all that might cost?”

“Hard to say,” I grunt. “It’ll depend on the transmission and pan cost, but you’re looking at over three grand without labor.”

She drops her head in her hands, whispering, “Shit.”

“You’ll have the weekend to figure out what you want to do,” I say. “I’ll call around Monday, get you a quote priced out, then we’ll go from there.”

At her silence, my gaze drifts to her with a hand over her stomach. Eyes closed and taking in slow, steady breaths. A split second later, her eyes snap open, and she covers her mouth with a heave. “Pull over,” she chokes out, her body leaning forward like she’s about to puke.

“Ah, fuck,” I bite out, slamming on the brake and pulling off to the side of the road.

Maci swings the door open, nearly collapsing into the snowbank. I throw my truck in park and jump out, racing to her side. I come up behind her as she clings to the open door, throwing up right in the snow. I reach for her, holding her hair back even as she tries to wave me off. I don’t listen, finding myself rubbing her back with my free hand.

She throws up a few more times before she catches her breath enough to stand upright. I release her hair, grab a handful of napkins from the center console, and hand them to her. “Here.”

“Thank you,” she sniffles, wiping her mouth and hands.

I try not to grimace when I notice… “Your coat.”

She looks down.

“Could this day get any worse?” she mutters, wiping and smearing the bit of vomit from her coat.

I don’t think twice as I grab a fistful of snow, using the hunk of ice to wipe off the bottom of her coat. Maci tenses at my actions, and I don’t blame her—this is out of pocket from one stranger to another. But I have to do something for her right now.

I chuck the snow in the ditch and take a napkin from her hand before wiping my own. “Take off your coat,” I grunt. She just looks at me strangely as I take off my jacket and toss it on the front seat. I tug my hoodie over my head and hand it to her. “Put this on.”

Her gaze is locked on the extended offering. “I’m okay.”

I scowl. Is she going to argue with me at every turn? “Your coat is wet. Take it off and put this on before we both freeze out here.”

She huffs, gracing me with an emerald glare before unzipping her flimsy excuse of a coat and revealing the body of a goddamn goddess. Hourglass curves are prominent in her tight, light grey long-sleeve, showing off a bodacious chest that matches her pouty-plump lips and ass.

Fuckin’ hell, woman.

She hands me her coat and takes the hoodie, quickly dragging it over her head. I shake out her damp coat and hang it in the backseat on a hook, then yank back on my heavy jacket. “You good now?”

Maci folds the droopy sleeves over her chest, hugging herself as she stares down at my hoodie that looks far too good where it falls well past her ass and hangs loosely around her. “Yes, thank you.”

I nod, helping her into the truck. I don’t bother trying to ignore the extra thump in my chest over seeing this woman wearing the hoodie right off my back as I stride around the truck and get in.

I’m a nice guy, I attempt to reason with myself, it has nothing to do with…her.

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