Page 8 of Dirty Secrets

A nurse is waiting with Artie’s mom at the Emergency drop off, and they take him in to get patched up right away. Taking Jocelyn by the elbow, I guide her to the nurses’ station. They’ve all seen me rushing people here over the years.

“Disinfectant wipes?” I ask.

One of the nurses smiles at me in greeting, then her gaze catches Jocelyn’s wide eyes and drops to her bloody hands. “Oh, sweetie – come with me.”

They disappear into a side room for a few minutes, then Jocelyn comes out, scrubbed clean and drinking a can of ginger ale. “She’s a bit rattled,” the nurse murmurs. “Rest and a snack, okay?”

“I’m on it. Thanks.”

Once we’re back at the car, I wrap an arm around her, cuddling her soft body to my side. I can feel that she needs a few moments of silence. Stillness. After a minute, she takes another sip of ginger ale, then nods decisively. “Thank you,” she whispers.

“Thankyou, sweetheart. That was incredibly impressive.”

“What was?”

“The way you just jumped in and took control.”

“Oh. Yeah. I had to take a bunch of first aid courses when I was a babysitter. I didn’t even think about it.”

“I didn’t know about lowering your heart rate to slow down any bleeding.”

She smiles sheepishly. “I have no idea if that’s true. It’s probably a load of hooey. I just had to give him a task to focus on to distract him from the pain. Feels logical, right?”

Staring into her lovely blue eyes, I feel another wave of passion washing through me. This time it isn’t physical. It’scompletely mental. Even though she’s delicate, Jocelyn can kick ass when she needs to. Which means she’s a mountain woman at heart, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.

I kiss her forehead, and we start heading back toward Old Hemlock Valley.

After a few minutes, she leans over to check the speedometer. It makes me chuckle. “Yes, I’m careful to go precisely at the limit or just under it for an hour after doing a speed run. Have to re-calibrate.”

“Like how they don’t let race car drivers drive regular cars?”

I laugh again. “Something like that.”

This time she’s the one to reach over and squeeze my hand. It feels like a perfect little moment, like she’s becoming comfortable with me.

“So, where would you like to go for dinner?” I ask. “It’s not too late to turn around and head back to West Stoneburg.”

Her head shakes, sending her auburn hair fluttering around her cheekbones. “To be honest, I could use a bit of quiet time. Is that okay?”

“Of course. If you need to be alone, I can drive you home. Or if you want to come to my place, I could make you dinner.” I mentally scan the contents of my fridge. “I think I have everything for chicken fajitas?”

She smiles brightly. “Sounds perfect.”

As I drive slowly to my house, I realize we’re going to be all alone. Yet I have no intention of doing anything worthy of the “dirty boy” cracks I’ve heard all my life. My only thought is to comfort Jocelyn after her stressful ordeal.

And to start showing her that my feelings are kicking into high gear as much as my souped-up cars.

5

JOCELYN

In many ways, I’ve felt like an adult since I was around fourteen and was juggling my first two jobs. I’ve always thought I was more mature than friends my own age. But I’ve never gone to a man’s house before on a date. Somehow, that feelsincrediblyadult. Especially with the glances he keeps giving me.

We walk into his amazing wood and glass house and kick off our shoes, and I catch him studying my face as if analyzing my reaction to the place. “It’s beautiful,” I exclaim, giving a dramatic twirl in the front hallway. It really is. The hallway leads into a large, comfortable living room with two huge couches and a massive bookshelf. The books are definitely not just for show – they are arranged in a way that suggest themes and reading orders.

He gets right to work in the kitchen, pouring me a glass of ice water with lime, then setting out some cheese and crackers, so I can snack while he cooks.

I can’t help ogling every inch of his chiseled body as he moves around the kitchen. The man is a work of art. His massive shoulders and thick biceps could make him a bulky,lumbering man, yet Walker’s movements are graceful as he chops vegetables and sautés the chicken.

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