Page 12 of Need Me
She asked him for advice about a couple of things, but it wasn’t as though they were having a clinical discussion. The way Brooke made eye contact and her eager responses told Robert that she was genuinely interested. He decided to let her guide the conversation to keep it thatway.
They were halfway done with their meal when her cellphone went off. It was low, but Robert could hear what sounded like an ambulancesiren.
“Oh, damn,” Brooke said softly. Her eyes filled with regret. “There’s an emergency at the hospital. I’msorry.”
Although deeply disappointed, Robert said, “It’s okay. Go ahead andanswer.”
Brooke tapped the answer button. “Hi, this is Brooke.” As she listened, her eyes widened and she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I’ll be there just as soon as I can. I’m about a half hour away. Right. Okay,bye.”
Robert had caught the urgency in her voice and he flagged down their waiter. “We need our check right away. We have anemergency.”
“Of course,sir.”
The waiter hurried off. Robert slid out of the booth and helped Brookeout.
“I’m so sorry about this,” shesaid.
“What happened?” heasked.
“Twenty-two car pile-up on the east bound lane of the highway closest to Cooper’s Creek,” shesaid.
“Shit.” Instant concern for those involved in the accident rose in Robert. “We can’t go home that way then, but I know a backway.”
The waiter brought their check. Robert quickly paid the bill and they left. Even though they were in a hurry, he still opened the car door forBrooke.
Getting in, he said, “Buckle up really good. Things are gonna getbumpy.”
* * *
Brooke hungon for dear life as Robert sped along the rutted dirt road. She didn’t know where they were, but Robert drove with complete confidence. It looked like it was a million miles from civilization because there were no houses along theway.
He put his hand on the console between the seats and flipped a switch on it. “Hold on. This is going to get pretty crazy, but it’ll be all right. Just don’t grab me or shout,okay?”
Heart thumping in her chest, Brooke said, “Okay,” and prayed that he knew what he wasdoing.
He downshifted, bore to the left, and stomped on the gas. Brooke barely refrained from screaming as they started up a steep incline at what seemed like a hundred miles an hour. Robert shifted again and soon they reached thesummit.
Brooke let out a huge breath of relief until they started going downhill again. She closed her eyes and tried not to panic. It felt like they were on a roller coaster. Her stomach dropped, making hernauseous.
“Brooke, don’t worry. I got this. Nothing is going to happen, honey. You can open youreyes.”
Brooke instantly looked at him. “Why are you looking at me? Watch the damn road, Robert!” The dashboard lights revealed his poorly hidden grin. “Don’t you dare laugh atme.”
“I’m sorry, but you looked so cute with your eyes closed, hanging on like that.” His voice was thick with laughter. “I come out here to climb a lot, so I know the road by heart. We’re through the worst ofit.”
Even as he said it, the road leveled off and smoothed out. Brooke’s heartbeat slowed and she relaxed. “I’m so sorry I snapped at you likethat.”
He snorted and then broke into loud laughter. Brooke wasn’t the kind of person who took herself too seriously. The humor of the moment got to her and she laughed withhim.
“I think we just had our first argument,” Robert said when he could talk again. “Watch the damn road, Robert!” hemimicked.
Brooke hit his arm and they were off on another laughing jag. By the time Robert pulled into her driveway, her stomach hurt from laughing sohard.
When he helped her out of his car, she smiled up at him. “Well, that was an interesting firstdate.”
His right eyebrow lifted. “Firstdate?”
She gave him a playful look. “You didn’t think you were going to get away with only half a date, did you? I still haven’t forgivenyou.”
