Page 17 of Sunflowers and Surrender

“Thanks.” I hang up the call and reach into my backseat for the duffel bag I use for the rescue squad. It has some medical supplies if I should ever respond to a call from home, a few granola bars, a bottle of water that appears frozen solid, and a sweatshirt. I pull the thick gray sweatshirt over my head and pray they get here quickly.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Max. This is Tuesday. I was on my way there when I hydroplaned and hit a guardrail. I’m okay, but I’m waiting on a ride. I just wanted to let you know I’m probably going to be late.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I’m glad you’re all right. We could definitely use the help, though, if you can still make it. We’ve had one call after another today, and most are car accident or fall related.”

“I understand. I’ll get there as soon as I can. I have to go. My phone battery is almost dead.”

“Okay. Be careful. See you when you get here.”

Hanging up the call, I drop the phone into my bag and again attempt to warm up my body by rubbing my hands up and down my arms and legs. I’m so distracted by my efforts to fight the chill that I scream like the scene of a horror movie when someone knocks on my window. My hands fly to my heart, and panic sets in as I can’t see through my window now.

“It’s me, Sunny. Open the door.”

What?Slowly, I push the car door open to find Alex leaning against the car. He’s wearing thick overalls, heavy Timberland boots, and a red and black flannel shirt. A beanie covers his thick dark hair, so all I see is his beautiful dark eyes and dreamy smile. “Hi.” My voice comes out broken after that scream. I’m going to kill Grace.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just cold. I have squad duty tonight. They really need all hands on deck with this weather.” My voice is shaky. I’m sure this is due to the cold, not his nearness. I’m too mad at him to let him affect me anymore.

Before I can give this any further consideration, he steps forward, reaching into the car, and scoops me into his arms in one swift motion.

“Alex-”

“Hush.” He carries me to his truck, parked on the shoulder directly in front of mine. Dropping me onto my feet, he reaches for the door handle and pats my backside, encouraging me to climb in. Any other time this would do all sorts of things to my brain, but I’m so overwhelmed with his being here I can’t think clearly.

Once I’m seated, he steps up and buckles me in. The smell of diesel fuel is replaced by an earthy, masculine scent that has me swooning as it envelopes me. It’s so him. As the metallic click of the seatbelt snaps into place, my eyes flick up to meet his. He tucks a damp tendril of hair behind my ear with his snow-covered glove. The action makes me jump, but I’m again unsure if it’s the connection with the cold mitt or him that’s causing me to be so jittery.

It’s the cold, Tuesday. He’s not getting to you again.

“Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” He descends to the ground, closing the door behind him, and I watch through the rear window as he starts gathering what he needs to secure my car to the truck. He manages to lift my car behind the tow truck and returns to the driver’s seat in no time.

“I can’t believe you did that so fast. And by yourself.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” He winks. The action sends my heart into overdrive. What is happening here? Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the truck?

I train my gaze on the road in front of us, trying not to let my mind wander to places that are best left alone. Besides, my tears might freeze solid once I leave the warmth of his vehicle.

Alex carefully steers us off of the shoulder and onto the highway when his voice breaks the silence. “Sunny. We need to talk.”

Chapter 14

Alex

God. I’m not prepared for this. I went with my friend Mick to visit a friend in North Carolina for a few days, hoping the mountain air would clear my head. While it’s gorgeous there, all I could think about was how much Sunny would like it. I tried to force myself to consider the pros and cons of starting a relationship with my best friend’s little sister. But neither side seemed to win out. I feel stuck.

Returning home hadn’t given me any clarity either. And as much as I knew I needed to talk to Tuesday about what happened on the ship, I wanted to wait until I’d thought this through carefully and could come up with the right words to say to her.

Yet when Grace called telling me Tuesday was in trouble, I was out the door before giving it another thought. That right there should be my answer. She’s worth whatever risks come with dating her. The big question is, can I have a relationship with her, or anyone, for that matter, without hurting them in the end?

“What do we need to talk about?”

Is she kidding? There’s no way I’m alone in this. “That kiss.”

“Oh, it was nothing. We just got caught up in the night. That’s all. I’ll never speak of it. You don’t have to worry about Ainsley finding out.”

My hand immediately covers hers. I’m surprised I still feel a zing of electricity, given we’re both wearing sopping wet gloves.

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