Page 39 of Cold Foot Komodo

“Hello?” he answered.

“I got nervous last night about work, and I couldn’t sleep well,” she blurted out.

“Well, that’s probably normal.”

“Probably? Were you nervous for your first day here?”

“No. I don’t get nervous.”

She scoffed and poked the address of the hospital into her maps function. “Is that a shifter thing?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really talk to anyone about that stuff. Just so you know, you’re going to be just fine. They’re going to love you.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

The street only had a thin sheet of snow on it, even though it was coming down in big flurries now. She pulled up to the stop sign to turn onto the main road out of her neighborhood, and to the right, the road was cleared, and salted, looked like. But to her left, it was still packed with snow. She frowned as something began to dawn on her. She turned right, as her GPS instructed, and followed the cleared road for a bit before she was instructed to take another right, and again, the road she needed was cleared.

“Reed?” she asked.

“Yep?”

“Why are you up so early?”

“I picked up the early shift. One of the guys called last night asking to switch. His lady is pregnant, and she’s having one of those ultrasounds this morning. He wanted to be there. I’ve been clearing since three.”

Another turn, another perfectly-cleared road leading her straight for the hospital. She should just ask. “Reed, did you clear the way to the hospital?”

He cleared his throat. “I’ve got to get going.”

“Wait! Did you?”

She could hear him blow out a breath. “I don’t know how much experience you have on icy roads.”

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered, in awe. She didn’t even need GPS directions. Every turn was cleared so obviously.

He’d cleared the snow on a thirty-minute drive.

“Thank you, Reed. You’re spoiling me though. I have experience driving in the snow, and I’ve got my four-wheel drive truck with a winch on the front if I slide off a road. Plus, some hot guy fixed my tire. Don’t worry.”

He blew out another breath, and admitted, “I couldn’t sleep last night either. And just so you know, I don’t worry. It’s not my way. You’re fucking with my head.”

He’d cursed, but it sounded like a compliment. “I am?”

“Big-time.”

“It’s because I text you wieners, isn’t it?”

He chuckled. “It does add to your charm.”

“You think I’m charming?”

“Are you fishing for compliments?”

“Umm, yeah.”

She loved the sound of his laugh. “You have me charmed, Sasha. I’ve got a call coming in. It’s my boss, I’ve got to take it. Good luck at work today. Text if you need anything.”

“Okay. Bye, Hot Reed. That’s what I have you saved as in my phone.”

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