Page 2 of The Lies We Told Ourselves

“Good girl, Val,” he grumbled. “I need you to tell me you’re back with me so I can put out the fire.”

My head snapped up. Fire?

And then I saw it behind him, the black smoke that poured out from under the hood of my car.

“No! Everything I have is in that car.”

“I got it.” He stepped back, looking at me with concern. “Stay there.”

I nodded numbly. Those tears I’d wanted to hold back finally broke free.

He swore softly when he saw them and then reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out a small fire extinguisher. I watched as he jogged back over to my car, popped the hood, and then hit it with a blast from the extinguisher.

I was actually surprised when the smoke stopped. It would be just my luck for the whole thing to explode and take everythingI had with it. It had been foolish to think that beat up old thing could have been my escape route, anyway. But it was one more thing that I was clinging to from my past. A reminder that I’d once had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, and I could get back to that if I was just brave enough to try.

The cowboy reached inside the hood and then swore as he burned his fingers. He quickly pulled off his flannel shirt, revealing a white undershirt and more muscles than I knew could possibly exist on a man. I tried not to drool as he wrapped it around his hand and started to do something with the engine.

It was impossible not to stare as he walked back to me. I was even embarrassingly aware that my mouth was hanging open as I did.

“I’ve disconnected the battery, which seemed to be the problem, but that car isn’t going anywhere,” he said when he reached me.

My teeth clicked together as I snapped my mouth shut. Now was the time to respond, but I was starting to think I’d forgotten how to form words.

“And for the future, when your car sets on fire, you’re supposed to get out of it.”

That strange mixed expression of annoyance and concern was back.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

“Don’t be sorry. Be safe.”

I nodded numbly. That was actually pretty sound advice.

“So…what’s the plan?” he asked.

I looked back at the completely trashed car and then around me at nothing but open fields, and my heart sank. I had absolutely no idea. I was out of money, without transportation, and had nowhere to go even if I had some. I’d basically just thrown what I could salvage of my life into the back of the carand drove with no destination in mind. I didn’t even have a phone, not that I had anyone to call.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

This would have been the moment to start crying. The point when I realized I was completely out of options apart from the one thing I never wanted to do—go back. Instead, I took a deep breath and built up the walls inside me. Tears wouldn’t get me through this. I needed options.

“Okay, well, you got a place to go? Someone you can call?”

I shook my head and then focused back on the man in front of me. “Thank you for helping me.” I hopped down off the tailgate of his truck and patted the head of his dog. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your time.”

I had a backpack in the car somewhere. I’d take only the important stuff, walk to the nearest town, and see if I could find a job. Anything. Maybe if I pushed the car off to the side of the road, I could sleep in it tonight. Or if there was someplace nearby I could push it to and leave it parked, I might get a couple of weeks out of it. I wasn’t above sleeping in my car until I could get my feet under me.

I walked back to the car, but then his hand on my arm stopped me.

“Wait. I can’t leave you here without knowing you’re going to be safe.”

“I’ll figure something out. It’s okay.” I gave him the best smile I could summon, but I could tell he wasn’t fooled.

I slipped from his grip and headed back to the car. I could do this. I’d gotten this far, and I wasn’t turning back now.

I heard him swear softly behind me before he jogged to catch me up. “Will you just wait a second?”

I turned and looked at him expectantly. I shouldn’t be annoyed. He was only being kind. Kindness might be somethingI wasn’t all that familiar with anymore, but that didn’t mean I had to be rude to him.

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