Page 23 of Just A Dash of Holiday Magic
Chapter 2
GABE
I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the silver sedan drive past me, and Nikki was staring right at me. I know we haven't seen each other in years, but it's like she didn't even recognize me.
My hurt was quickly replaced with panic when I saw before she did the brake lights of the car in front of her. She swerved and drove right into the ditch in front ofDi’s Pies. The very same pie shop that we'd spent so many afternoons after school eating pie and falling in love. Granted, she will claim that I fell in love with her first, but how could I not. She took my breath away when Mr. Mack introduced her to the class after her family moved to town.
Thankfully it wasn't too hard to get over and pull off to the side of the road behind her. The car next to me saw what happened to her and waved me ahead of him to help her out.
I brushed my fingers through my hair nervously as I walked down the steep ditch to her driver’s side. It isn’t until I can see her head resting on the steering wheel that I panic. I knock against the window.
“Are you okay?”
She lifts her head and turns to look at me. It's like no time has passed. All the feelings I've spent years trying to push down and forget begin to rush up the moment her beautiful brown eyes meet mine. This time there is no mistaking it. I can see the recognition in them.
“Gabe?”
"Nikki," I say, pulling on the door handle, but it's locked. "Are you okay?"
Please let her be okay.
It didn’t look like much from where I was, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t hit her head or something.
Nikki hits a button, and the lock in the door jumps up. I pull at the handle again and open the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw what happened to you.”
She takes my outstretched hand, and I pull her out of the car. I cup her face in my hands and study her eyes. I’m looking for any signs that she might have a concussion, but everything seems normal.
“Did you hit your head? Anything hurt?”
She shakes her head. “Just my pride.”
I choke out a laugh as a rush of relief sweeps over me. “I’m just glad you are okay.”
“Thank you,” she says, but her voice sounds uncertain.
It’s at this moment that I realize that I’m still holding her face in my hands. Reluctantly I let go of her and step back. It's only there for a moment, but I swear I see something flash in her expression like she didn't want me to let go. It's gone before I can be sure it was even there.
“I should,” I point over my shoulder at my truck. “I should get the hook to pull you out.”
“You don’t have to,” she says. “I can just call someone.”
“Nik,” I chuckle. “I am the one you’d call.”
NIKKI
I can just call someone.
I am such a moron. Of course, he's the one I would call in this situation. But apparently, my brain doesn't function at full capacity when Gabe Anders is around me. My knees nearly buckled when he held my face. I thought he was going to kiss me.
God, I wanted him to kiss me.
Why is it that I haven't seen this man in years, but the second he's around me again, I can't stop thinking about what he can do with his lips?
"This shouldn't take very long," Gabe says as he pulls a long chain with a hook on the end of it from his truck. “I just need you to get back in your car and put it in neutral.”
