Page 204 of Mountain Men Heroes

I threw the truck into park, as if that mattered at this point. Resting my head back against the seat, my eyes drifted closed. What else could go wrong today?

Reaching for my phone with a sigh, I hesitated with my thumb over the list of contacts. Which one of my brothers should I call for help?

I wrinkled my nose at the thought. I could always just call the local garage. Jammie would be happy to come give me a tow. The only problem with that, the man had a big mouth and held friendship status with my brothers.

So it wasn’t like calling him meant my damsel in distress moment wouldn’t get back to my entire family within the hour.

As I looked over my contacts one more time, a name popped out at me.

Eeli. I couldn’t fight the grin that took over my face. Maybe the universe was going to help me with my plans after all. Eeli was known all over Kodiak and beyond for being able to fix anything with an engine.

Before I could second-guess myself, I pressed the call button and held my breath as the phone rang twice.

“Clara.” Eeli’s terse voice came through the speaker.

“Eeli, thank goodness you answered. I’m stranded. I was headed up to the old hunting lodge off Route 47 and my truck just...I don’t have a clue but dead is a pretty good way to describe it. It started bucking a little and making all these weird noises and then just killed over right in the middle of the road. I need some help up here.”

Silence met my rambling for several long seconds before Eeli responded. “Hang on.”

“Eeli?” I asked, but he was gone.

“You’ve got Sawyer,” my brother said a few seconds later.

“Shit,” I swore under my breath.

I blew out a sigh and rolled my eyes up to the ceiling of my truck. Couldn’t I get even a tiny break? “Put Eeli back on, Sawyer.”

“Clara? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just give Eeli back the phone.”

“Is something wrong? Why do you need to speak to?—?”

I took a page out of Trinity’s book and dug deep for my inner drill sergeant. “Put Eeli on the phone now, Sawyer. I’ll explain later.”

“Fine. But don’t think I’ll forget that you owe me an explanation,” he grumbled before I heard him shuffling the phone back to Eeli. At least I hoped he was giving it back.

“Clara?”

Relief washed through me at the sound of Eeli’s voice.

“Eeli, I called you because I wanted to talk to you.” I used my best friendly voice so as not to scare him away. “Sawyer is just going to call Jammie to come out and get me when I have a job to do, plus we all know he likes to jack up prices when he has to leave his shop. I just need a quick look. Can you come look under the hood? If it’s nothing major, you could probably fix it without me having to go through the bother and expense of having it towed and repaired. Please.”

Again silence.

“With sugar on top,” I wheedled.

A few more beats and then, “Where are you?”

Score! I ignored his flat tone as elation poured through me.

I gave him directions and sat back and waited. If they were at the Kratos offices it could take a good fifteen or twenty minutes before he made it to Hardwood and then out this far to the lodge. I spent the time coming up with a plan of attack for when he arrived.

Of course, those plans were immediately canceled the second he pulled up. And that’s because he wasn’t alone. I watched the shiny SUV pull up behind my battered truck. Eeli jumped down from the passenger side and Dyson followed from the driver’s side.

Why hadn’t it occurred to me they’d be together? I shook my head and sighed. Strike two, universe. What are you trying to tell me?

I watched in the rearview mirror as they walked toward the truck. My eyes locked on Dyson and I could feel that same stirring inside me come to life. Like a pure ball of magical energy or something. I don’t know. It just leaves me breathless for several heartbeats. I drank in the sight of him like a woman who made it through the Mojave.

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