Page 20 of Fastlander Phoenix

Timber froze, and couldn’t believe her eyes. No.

Slowly, she leaned into the car, squeezing past the tightness of the driver’s seat, and pulled the plastic baggie of candy from the cupholder.

It was all reds, oranges, and pinks. No yellows.

There was a folded piece of notebook paper inside. With trembling hands, she pulled it out and opened the note.

You’re still breathing. Everything will be okay.

Wreck

She closed her eyes against the burning tears and rolled her head forward, rested it on her forearm against the driver’s seat. She blew out three long, steadying breaths.

Wreck had been here. He’d checked on her car. He’d foreseen the hard moment and reminded her that her life wasn’t over.

When she felt steady again, she pushed off the car and stood, turned, clutching the candy and the note to her chest, and nearly ran into someone.

She looked up, startled, to find the man who had saved her. “Wreck,” she whispered.

It had been a week since she’d seen him, though she’d looked for him during every errand she ran, and in every man’s face who passed her on the street.

“I was just going to leave the candy, but I couldn’t leave,” he said, shifting his weight to the other side. He pointed to her face. “You’re crying.” Slowly, he slid his hands behind his back in a formal gesture, straightened his spine, and lifted his chin higher into the air. “Would you like a moment to compose yourself?”

Awkwardly, she wiped her damp cheeks, but two more tears spilled. She wiped her cheeks again and hung her head. “It’s hard seeing the aftermath. I think I was supposed to die that night.”

He cleared his throat and looked up at the sky, as if searching for inspiration. “I didn’t want you to do this part alone. I didn’t think your parents would be here.”

“Oh.” She swallowed hard and looked back at the scrap-metal car she’d nearly died in, then back to him. “I haven’t even talked to them. Sasha offered to come with me on her day off, but it’s not for a few days, and the insurance company wanted the car towed to the junkyard quick. I’m tough, anyway.”

His eyes dipped to the tears streaming down her cheeks. She huffed a soft laugh and hung her head so he wouldn’t see her weak moment. “If you would’ve shown up in ten minutes, I would have been all put back together again.”

“Maybe I like this moment better than the put-together one.”

Startled by his admission, she dragged her gaze up to him. He stood there with earnestness in his eyes and a grim set to his mouth. He held her gaze completely captured, but broke the moment and looked at the car. “Why is your insurance company making you pay the tow fee?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never done this before. It’s a small-town insurance. They cut me a check though. It was for less than I thought the car was worth, but that’s okay. Looks like I’ll be car shopping.”

He rocked back on his heels and feigned disinterest. “Sounds horrid.”

She surprised herself with a laugh. “I haven’t gone car shopping in a long time. I’ve had that one forever. It was paid off.” She inhaled deeply and wiped her cheeks again, and this time the tears had stopped. “Maybe I’ll find my dream truck.”

“Truck?” he murmured. God, he looked so handsome here in the saturated afternoon light. His eyes were a light gold color, almost yellow like flames, and his cheekbones were chiseled. It looked like he hadn’t shaved this morning, and perhaps yesterday morning as well. She liked the short scruff. He was taller than she remembered, and wider in the shoulders. Today he wore a loose white tank top and gym shorts, like he’djust come from a workout. His tanned arm muscles were all bulked up and added to his sex appeal. He wore black sneakers, and a black hat that cast a shadow over his eyes and made them glow like flames.

She forced herself to stop checking him out and asked, “Late workout?”

He chuckled and ducked his gaze, pulled his hat off and put it on backward. “I work out between jobs. There’s no early or late. It’s just whenever I can. My gym is just up the road from here. Figured I would check on your car.”

“Good timing,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Crazy that you showed up right when I did.”

“I’ve been here for two hours. Hallie told me what you said in your phone call. I’m not stalking. Again, I just didn’t know if you should do this moment alone.”

Timber crossed her arms over her chest to ward off the sudden chill that had taken her, lifting gooseflesh on her forearms. She looked at her car again and shook her head. “You just keep seeing me in vulnerable moments, Mr. Itall.”

“Maybe you’re the one catchingmein a vulnerable moment,” he said mysteriously.

“I can’t imagine you’ve ever had a vulnerable moment. You are just so…so…”

“So what?”

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