Page 15 of Howling Night

“Dirt,” he said softly as if the one word explained everything.

The moment his skin connected with mine, something like electricity shot through me, starting at my face and racing down my spine. I couldn’t move, breathe, or think of anything except the warmth of his fingertips against my skin. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, the whole world narrowed to just us standing there on that dusty road.

It seemed like Ryder felt it, too. He quickly jerked his hand away like he’d been burned and took a quick step back. Ryder looked out toward the woods as he cleared his throat.

“Are you absolutely sure I can’t give you a ride home?” he asked, his voice rougher than before. “It’s the least I can do after nearly turning you into road kill, right?”

“I’m fine,” I said with an edge to my voice as I fought to regain my composure. “I’m almost back anyway.” I gestured vaguely in the direction of my house, trying to ignore the lingering warmth on my cheek where he’d touched me. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from the fire you were rushing to put out.”

Ryder let out a genuine laugh, the sound surprisingly warm and rich. It caught me off guard how it transformed his face, softening the hard lines around his mouth, making him seem almost… likeable for a second.

My gaze dropped to my shirt, and I noticed the large brown stain setting in the middle. I shot a look back at the road where my coffee cup lay on its side at the edge of the gravel.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered. “I dropped my coffee.”

Ryder winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Shit. I am so sorry. Really. I hope it washes out.”

“I’m not worried about the shirt,” I said, peeling it away from my skin. “I’m worried about the lack of caffeine.” I stared longingly at my empty cup. “That was my one good thing today.”

He laughed again… the sound doing strange things to my stomach, which I refused to acknowledge. As quickly as it appeared, his laughter vanished with a darting look toward the woods. His entire body tensed like a predator sensing danger.

“I’m sorry again,” he said distractedly, as he backed away toward his truck. “For everything.”

Before I could respond, he was jogging back to his truck. He jumped in with surprising agility for a man his size, the engine roaring to life. Within seconds, his truck was disappearing down the road, leaving me standing there with dust settling around me and coffee soaked through my shirt.

I looked toward the trees but only saw shadows between the pines and birch trees. Perhaps he was late for a meeting or something and just remembered.

I spent the rest of the day trying to make my new house feel even more like a home. I arranged the furniture and found places for everything I’d taken with me from my apartment. By evening, the place was starting to look like someone actually lived here instead of a storage unit with a bed.

After a quick dinner, I double-checked all the windows and doors, worried about what Ryder had seen in the woods that made him flee so quickly. Then again, I’d seen him out at night surrounded by wolves, and that hadn’t fazed him in the slightest.

Living alone in the country was different from my apartment in the city. Every creak and groan of the house settling made me jump. I wasn’t used to the symphony of night sounds that drifted in from the surrounding woods — crickets chirping, leaves rustling, and occasional animal calls that I couldn’t identify.

I was starting to miss the hustle and bustle of noisy city life, but I couldn’t go back. Everyone would say, “I told you so,” and that was the last thing I wanted to hear, even though my boss said I was welcome back when I realized I was making a huge mistake.

I settled into my bed and made a mental note to get some better curtains for the bedroom windows. Really thick ones that would block out the morning light and block anyone from looking into my bedroom. Not that there would be anyone out here trying to look into my room.

Ugh! I was seriously losing it.

I fell asleep faster than I expected, probably from the exhaustion of the day’s work and the lack of sleep over the last couple of days. It was the best sleep I’d gotten since I’d arrived, which I hoped meant I was getting used to the place.

It was morning when the rumble of an engine pulled me from sleep. I blinked at the ceiling, disoriented for a moment before I registered that the sounds of tires on gravel weren’t in my dream. By the time I scrambled out of bed and made it to the window, I caught only the retreating tailgate of a familiar truck pulling away from my driveway.

“What the hell?” I muttered, pushing my tangled hair from my face.

I made my way to the front door, peering cautiously through the curtains before opening the door.

There, sitting on my welcome mat, was a large cup of coffee with steam streaming out of the small opening. Beside it was a small paper bag with the top folded over. I looked up and down the road, but Ryder’s truck was long gone.

I picked up the coffee and bag, bringing them inside before closing the door with my hip. The rich aroma of fresh coffee filled my kitchen as I set everything on the counter.

Opening the bag, I found a handful of coffee creamers and sugar packets, obviously swiped from his office break room. Underneath them was something else. I pulled out the fabric, shaking it to reveal a T-shirt with “Black Construction” emblazoned across the front in bold white letters.

A replacement for my coffee-stained shirt. And a fresh coffee to make up for the one I’d lost.

I felt a smile tugging at my lips before I shook my head. Coffee and a free T-shirt weren’t going to change my mind about him, but nonetheless, I’d accept the caffeine.

I sipped the coffee, which was surprisingly good — strong and rich, just how I liked it. After a moment’s hesitation, I reached for the t-shirt. It was soft and smelled like the construction office, but it was clean. I held it up against me — a bit large, but it would do.

---