Page 11 of Hesi-Dating
A black truck pulled into the lot. Three minutes too early to be Seth. It didn't stop at the book drop like I'd seen five cars already do. It pulled close by me.
I squinted at the solo occupant of the truck, unable to make out much.
With Seth's phone number on my home screen, my finger hovered over the green call button as I watched a man get out of the car.
Oh, thank God.Black cowboy hat.
My head fell back against the seat. I released a shaky breath.
Seth with his squared-off jaw looked more ready to be an actor in a war film or an old west cowboy or an adventurer about to lead a group through the jungle than the sheriff of San Diego County. He wore a dark button-down shirt and jeans, which made me wonder if he changed out of uniform before going home each night. Or maybe he'd been at home when I called. Several things were attached to his belt, including a large gun.
He removed a jack from the box behind the cab and stalked my way. Flutters started in my stomach. I pressed my lips together to keep from grinning.
"Hi," he said in that low, smooth voice that sent chills straight through my shoulders. He leaned down next to the driver's window and tapped on it. His voice was muffled through the glass, but I still him heard loud and clear. I wasn't sure if my chills were from the sexy tone or excitement to see him in person again.
I unlocked the car and hopped out. Without thinking, I jumped at him and gave him a hug. I buried my nose in his chest because he was that much taller. His warmth mixed with the scent of deodorant and an addictive smell that was all him made me want to stay there. "Thank you for coming. I owe you big time for this."
"No problem," he said gruffly as I stepped away.
I held out a hand for the jack.
"I'll get it." He walked around to the deflated passenger side tire and knelt by it.
"I can do it. I swear."
"Got no doubt of your abilities." He took off his hat and rifled a hand through his hair before replacing it, which gave me a glimpse of his full head of dark hair with the graying edges. Using a flashlight, he examined the tire. With his thumbnail he picked at a piece of metal sticking out of the tire. "The gash is bigger than a half inch. Do you remember running over something?"
"No."
He glanced around as if assessing the area. "You'll need to replace the tire. Do you have a spare?"
"No. My brother borrowed the jack and used my spare tire last week when he got a flat."
"Real considerate of him not to return them," Seth said sarcastically. He stood and dusted off his pants. "It's a miracle I was nearby. What if I hadn't been?"
"But you were." I tried to smile, but something about the way he kept glancing around had me on edge. "What's wrong?"
"This isn't the best place to be stranded and alone. There isn't good camera coverage for this lot."
"It's a library."
"One that's closed."
"What aren't you telling me?"
His jaw tightened. "There was an incident here a few weeks ago at night. We couldn't see crap on the camera from the front of the library." His breathing changed. Even if only a subtle shortening of breaths, I realized this was him having an internal freak fest. He was decent at hiding it, but I was a pro at reading people.
"Everything's good. You're here now. Let's not borrow trouble worrying about what-ifs. If you hadn't been able to come, I would've called someone else or gotten an app ride."
His body seemed frozen, everything gone to granite. His eyes, lit only by the dim parking lot lights, looked tortured.
"Hey, what's going on in there? What's wrong?" I touched his forearm, which seemed to shake him out of whatever horror played in his head. "I'm glad you were free to help me."
"There's so many things that could've gone wrong in this scenario. There's a group that's causing flat tires. Then they pose as a helper but rob the person. They raped a lady last week. We've been trying to catch them for a month now. This could've been?—"
"But it wasn't."
He cleared his throat and ruffled through his hair. "I know a good tire place nearby. I'll arrange a tow and give you a ride home once they come for the car."
