Page 7 of Belong With Me

Chapter Three

Sienna

The song blaring through the car’s sound system cut out as my cell’s GPS informed me I was to turn left at the next intersection I zoomed around the corner, perhaps a little too quickly, but there was no one here to curse me out about my driving. Plus, I was enjoying how well the little Beetle handled the roads.

What I wasn’t expecting as I followed the navigation system’s directions was the scattering of dirt and small rocks that were spread on the road that appeared out of nowhere. In Louisiana, I was used to the perfectly sealed blacktop. I swear, everything in the car bounced as I handled the rough transition.

As I hit a particularly nasty pothole, my cellphone fell from its spot on the passenger seat beside my handbag. It clunked as it landed in the foot well. Usually, I’d leave it there till I reached my destination, but it had disconnected from the aux cord and I couldn’t hear any directions over the road noise.

Maybe I should have gone with the Range Rover like the hire car guy had suggested when I first asked for it, but the bright red Beetle had seemed so right. It felt daring, it felt like me. Either way, it was too late to reconsider my choices.

I was in the bug, on a unfamilliar road, casing out one of the three ranches I was sent here for. And I had absolutely no idea where I was, so I needed that phone within easy reach.

Keeping my eyes on the road, I leaned over and reached for it, but didn’t feel anything but carpet under my fingers as I blindly searched for it. Frustrated, I stretched out more, and still found nothing. “Where are you?” I groaned aloud. I could hear the GPS say something, but it was muffled. I’d had enough. I wasn’t getting stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. I leaned further and brushed it with the tips of my fingers, then took my eyes off the road for no more than half a second.

But that half a second was all it took.

Finding purchase, I quickly grabbed the cell and focused back on the road. That’s when I saw a goddamned deer. Right in the bloody center of the road! I swore, loud and clear, cursing to high heaven, and swerved to miss it. But it was too late.

There was a sickening crunch as the deer and vehicle collided. As the animal cleared the bonnet and hit the windscreen I released the wheel with a shriek and almost wet myself in fear.

It sounded cliché, but it was as if time slowed in that moment, and I could see in perfect clarity as the car careened off the black top and right into a ditch. I got a quick glimpse of a fencepost before I hit it, and the airbag went off in my face.

Once it had slowly receded from around me, I did a quick assessment of my body. The rapid beat of my heart echoed in my ears along with the music still somehow playing in the air around me. I smacked at the power button then lifted my hands and counted all ten fingers. My neck hurt a little and there was a bit of pain where the seat belt tightened against my chest and shoulder. But all in all, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Sending up a quick prayer to God Almighty, I crossed my chest and exhaled a breath.

Once I felt steady, I opened the door and took a shaky step out, my heels wobbling on the uneven gravel. To be fair, I didn’t intend to get out of the car until I got to the bed and breakfast. Which was why I hadn’t chosen flats for the travel portion of this trip.

Steam rose from under the hood, so I staggered towards the engine, hidden under the crumpled mess of metal. I already knew I was going to need help to get me out of the ditch but by the amount of steam rising from the damaged engine, I knew I was screwed.

Now, I’m no mechanic, but it didn’t take a genius to know that the car wouldn’t be moving under its own volition anytime soon.

Standing a couple of feet back, I looked at the crumpled hood and felt the heat emanating from the engine and radiator. Not thinking, I reached out and placed my hand on the bent metal, hissing in a breath as it burned. It finally registered that steam and stench enveloped the entire space before me, smelling both terrible and expensive at the same time. I backed away, waving an arm in front of me, coughing as the smell worked its way into my throat. The movement of my arm was not all together comfortable, it seemed I’d hurt it in the accident, but I stepped back from the car until the steam was no longer as bad.

A loud bark came from behind me, making me jump as a pair of dogs came bounding forward. I half turned, just as one ran full pelt toward me, followed closely by a slightly smaller one and before I knew it, they’d knocked me to the ground.

I landed on my hands, hard, just managing to keep myself from face planting. My knees though weren’t so lucky. And if this blouse wasn’t ruined from anything the engine did to it, I couldn’t imagine the dogs were doing it any good as they pawed at me.

A sharp whistle from somewhere nearby told the dogs to leave me, and they ran to an approaching figure I saw as I looked over my shoulder. “Get back up there,” the deep voice told them, motioning them up the embankment to where a truck sat further up.

Brushing the hair back from my face, I startled. The distant silhouette was now a man standing directly in front of me. Wow. He was a fine specimen of masculinity.

He was wearing an undershirt, that not only stretched across his chest but also showed off his toned arms. As I glanced lower, dirty blue jeans concealed what I could only presume were equally muscular legs. Boots completed the cowboy before me who looked like he’d just stepped off the front cover of the romance novel I finished recently. I wondered briefly if he would sweep me off my feet, just like that character had done to his love interest.

As my eyes lingered on him, I couldn’t help but think that he was attractive. Right down to the messy light brown hair that was revealed when he took off his hat and waved it in front of him.

“Well, darlin’, ain’t you just a damsel in distress?” I glared at him with as much venom as I could muster from my position on the ground.

It probably wasn’t a good idea, considering this stranger was likely my best shot at possibly getting out of this mess, but I couldn’t help myself. “I’m not a damsel,” I shot back. “I’m only distressed because your mutts bowled me over.”

Running his hand along his stubble-flecked jaw, he looked at me with eyes the color of the ocean. “So, the wrecked Beetle beside you has nothing to do with it? Nothing at all?” He gave the fence post an experimental wriggle then leaned against it casually when it didn’t budge. “There’s no need to insult my dogs, but at least you didn’t give me more fencing work to do.” He pushed off the fence and walked around the car, frowning. “You sure did a good job of this, though.”

“I’m literally here, on the ground next to a crashed car, and you’re complaining because I insulted your dogs? You haven’t even asked if I’m okay!” I pushed to my knees and then stood to brush my skirt and shirt off, trying to regain at least a little bit of dignity. But I quickly realized that my white shirt wasn’t white anymore. Instead, it was now transparent in some places, and dirt stained in others. So much so that my bra was clearly visible through the material.

Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, I discovered there was also a decent sized rip where one of the dog’s paws had apparently caught the material.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide my bra. “Are you just going to look at the car or are you actually going to help me?”

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