Page 85 of All I Want For Christmas

“We’re going for a ride.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“To show you that the truck starts, runs great, and how to get out of here.”

She folded her arms and lifted her chin. “I'm not leaving.”

“Fine. But this way you’ll know youcan.”

She looked at the truck, then back to him. “This won’t count against me?”

He hated that she felt this was such a strict competition, but that was his fault. He shook his head. “Of course not. I’m just going to give you a little tour of the area. You should have that anyway as part of your plan.”

Savannah stood, clearly considering that. Finally, without a word, she went to the passenger side and got in.

With a relieved sigh—though he wasn’t sure why he was feeling relieved exactly—Theo climbed up behind the wheel.

Chapter

Seven

They drove along the narrow dirt trail that was basically his private driveway. It was more or less just a path that he’d driven over enough times that it now looked like a very narrow, rough road. The windows were down, the truck’s headlights illuminated the tall grass on either side of them, close enough to brush the truck, and the flittering insects and moths.

“I had no idea you could even get a truck down here,” she said after a few minutes of silence.

“It’s not a great idea if you don’t know the area. It’s pretty marshy in spots. It’s not like this is an actual road on any map,” he said, looking over at her. “I prefer my boat and use it most of the time. But sometimes a truck makes sense.”

“Do other people drive down here?” she asked.

“Not really. If people come this deep down the bayou, it’s on boats.”

She just nodded. After a long pause she said, “But someonecoulddrive down here. Or out of here.”

He realized she needed reassurance. He nodded. “Yes. If they knew where they were going and had something with four-wheel drive, they definitely could. Hell, someone couldwalkif they had good boots or shoes and knew which direction to go. It getsless marshy the further you go that direction,” he said, pointing out her window. The bayou was to their left.

“Good to know,” she murmured, her eyes on the path in front of them that was mostly hidden by grass and weeds if you didn’t know where to look.

Finally, Theo asked, “So where does this claustrophobia come from? Did you have a bad experience as a kid?”

God, it tied him up in knots to think that Savannah might have had some kind of traumatic experience that had made her fear abandonment or being left behind.

She looked over at him quickly, and he sensed her surprise.

It took her a moment to answer, and for a second, he was sure she was going to tell him to just fuck off. But she took a breath and said, “Um, no…trauma. I never got locked in anywhere or left anywhere. Nothing like that.”

He looked over at her. Her long hair was being twisted by the wind, and the moonlight shone on her face. She looked breathtakingly beautiful. Not at all like the polished City Girl he was used to seeing—and thinking was breathtakingly beautiful. Clearly, Savannah did it for him in all settings and situations.

She went on before he could reach over and wrap her hair around his hand, holding it back from her face.

“My parents just never went anywhere.” She sighed. “That sounds really stupid out loud. Who develops nervousness because of that?”

Fuck it. He reached out and took her hand. “You did. There’s nothing stupid about it. It’s real for you, and that makes it legitimate.”

He could feel her staring at him, and he looked over. Their eyes met.

Then he had to turn his attention back to the road. But she didn’t pull her hand away.

And she kept talking. “I read a lot growing up. Tons and tons of books. Always fiction. Lots of urban fantasy, where the places look and seem like our real world, but there’s magic and paranormal or supernatural characters and forces.”

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