Page 81 of Wild Dreams

I catalogued my injuries. Pain in my head and my neck.

Someone rapped on my window, then wrenched the door open when I didn't answer. "Are you okay?"

I licked my dry lips, still disoriented. "I think so."

The man held up his phone. "I called the police. I saw the other vehicle ran a red light."

"Are they okay?" I asked as he helped me unbuckle and step out of the vehicle. I held my arms, the cold air making me shiver.

"I'm heading there next. Wanted to make sure you were okay first."

I waved him off. "Go. I'm fine."

I moved on shaky legs to the curb and sank to sit. I couldn't stop the trembling. A few seconds later, there were sirens. An ambulance and fire truck pulled up.

A paramedic stopped in front of me. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. You should check with the other driver."

"My coworker is already with him."

"Oh, good." He dropped to his knees next to me. "Where are you hurt?"

"I think it's mainly my neck and back. I struck my head." I must have tensed when the vehicle was spinning.

He checked my vitals, then my body for any injuries. "Did you want to go to the hospital to get checked out? It looks like mainly whiplash to me. You'll be in pain for a few days."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"You need a ride home?" he asked just as a tow truck pulled up. The entire side of my car was pushed in, and I wasn't sure it was drivable.

"I can call someone—" I said just as a man said, "I've got her."

Chance dropped to his knees in front of me. He was in uniform, and his hair was messy like he'd been running his fingers through it all day. His hands settled on my knees. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." My heart was thumping harder now that he was here.

Chance looked over his shoulder. "They're towing your vehicle."

"I don't want to go to the hospital."

His forehead wrinkled. "Let me take you home."

I didn't have anyone else to drive me, and I didn't want to call Scarlett or Eli to come back in this weather. "Yeah, okay."

Chance helped me stand, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. It felt nice, even though he was just being friendly. He wasn't declaring me to be his in frontof everyone. Not when he'd ghosted me for the last couple of weeks.

He opened the passenger door to his vehicle and an officer appeared at his side. "You taking her home?"

"Her name is Marigold, and she's my girl." Then his gaze flicked to me. "If she'll still have me."

I didn't hear the rest of the exchange because there was a roaring in my ears.

"You don't have to answer that. Not right now." Then he ushered me into the vehicle, carefully buckled my seat belt, and closed the door. I watched as he crossed the hood and got into the driver's side of the car. He turned on the heat, directing the vents toward me.

Chance looked at me. "Where do you want to go?"

"Home. Oakley's there."

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