Page 81 of Fought and Freed

Jace shook his head. “I don’t think so. He didn’t last week.”

“He needs to.” Maddy shifted restlessly. “He needs to find out if the baby is his or not.”

“I agree.” Jace reached over and rested his hand on her thigh. “We’ll call him tonight and get on his case.”

Maddy looked out the window and noticed Jace had missed a turn. Her head snapped toward him. “Where are we going?”

Jace grinned. “I thought you might want to practice a bit.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yup, I found a completely abandoned outlet mall.” Jace pulled into an empty parking lot and into a parking spot. “You ready?”

“I’m nervous.” Maddy nibbled her bottom lip. “What happens if I wreck your Jeep?”

Jace reached across the seats. “I trust you, Maddy. You won’t crash.”

Maddy nodded, got out of the Jeep, and switched places with Jace.

The first thing Jace taught her was about the mirrors and the seat position.

Once she had those all adjusted, he had her take her right foot, put it on the gas pedal, then move it to the brake, repeating the motion several times to get a feel for it.

“You ready?” Jace asked.

She wiped her hands down her jeans, then put one hand on the ten position while using the other to shift the Jeep into drive.

She slowly lifted her foot off the brake and tapped the gas, making the Jeep jerk forward.

The Jeep crept forward, but she was too afraid to go any faster. She’d die if she wrecked Jace’s Jeep. Then again, she had enough money to buy him a new one.

“You can go a little faster than a snail, if you want,” Jace teased, chuckling.

She could do this.

She gently gave the gas more pressure.

Before she realized it, she was driving around the lot like she’d been doing it for years.

“We better get home. It’s getting late, and I’m sure Cody is worried. Do you want to drive home?” Jace stretched out in the passenger seat.

“Not yet.” Maddy pulled into a parking spot. “Maybe around the neighborhood, but not on big roads yet.”

They got out to switch sides, and Jace checked out her parking job. “Not bad.”

She was still slightly over the white line, but it was much better than her first attempt.

She grabbed Jace by the waist and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for doing this. This has been a dream of mine for a while.”

“I’m glad I can help with one of your dreams.” He smiled down at her.

She wound her hands behind his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. When Jace kissed her, it was like nothing else mattered, just her.

“Hmm, I love you,” she hummed once they broke apart.

Warmth filled his chocolate-brown eyes. “I love you, too, baby girl.”

They climbed back into the Jeep, and her phone rang before they pulled onto the main road.

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