Page 5 of Scarred Mountain Man
“I’ll finish up here,” she said. “It should just take a few minutes. Go ahead and figure out what’s going on with your car.”
This had nothing to do with my car, and we both knew it. But I’d give Daisy credit—she was doing her best to keep a straight face.
I knew her. We’d been best friends since I moved to her hometown in sixth grade. That hometown was only an hour’s drive from here.
I couldn’t argue with her, though. If I did, she’d press for details, and I wasn’t prepared to say what was going on. I didn’t even know myself. Was it physical? Emotional? Maybe a little of both. But I barely knew the guy, so it was probably just physical.
I headed around the desk and grabbed my purse from the cabinet. It was still open from when I’d retrieved my keys.
“If you need a ride—or anything else—you know where to find me,” Daisy said as I straightened and started toward the door.
I hesitated there, looking back at her. I knew that look. She was battling a smile. I puzzled over that as I walked through the door, but once I was in the parking lot, it hit me. She knew I wasn’t going to call her. My best friend had it in her head that I’d found my very own mountain man, and she was excited for me. What she didn’t realize was that I was hoping with all my heart that she was right.
I was definitely all in where this guy was concerned. I just didn’t know if he felt the same about me.
4
RYDER
The car didn’t start. It was the best-case scenario for me. I had to jump it off.
It wasn’t good news for Summer, of course, but I didn’t feel guilty about that. I knew she was in good hands. I’d not only make sure she had a new battery, but I’d drive her to work in the morning if she needed it. Hell, I’d drive her anywhere she needed to go for the rest of her life.
“So I guess we just need to drive it around,” she said.
“Yeah, I called over to Brock Solid Repairs. That’s the repair shop in town.”
I turned and looked at her as she walked toward me after exiting the shop. She wore a T-shirt and jeans with a cardigan tied around her waist. How could something so simple be so sexy?
I closed her hood. I’d already put the cables away and was prepared to stand by while I idled until she came out.
“They’re closing up,” I said. “But if we get it there in the next few minutes, they’ll hold it to look at first thing tomorrow.”
Summer stopped several feet away from me and looked from me to the car. “Then I won’t have a ride.”
“You have a ride. Your friendly neighbor will take you wherever you need to go.”
“By ride, I meant car. But yeah, that makes me sound pretty ungrateful, doesn’t it?”
“No.”
“I’m so grateful for all you’re doing. I just…I hate to be a huge inconvenience.”
“No inconvenience,” I said. “I’m happy to do it.”
She eyed me for a long moment. Was she trying to figure out my angle? Did she not get it? I was beyond attracted to her. I was hoping like hell she felt it too. But maybe not. It was possible she was just used to men having an angle. A beautiful woman like her had probably been hit on in every possible way.
“Thank you,” she said. “Do I just drive this to the shop?”
I nodded. “I’ll meet you there. Actually, no, I’ll follow behind you, just in case.”
I knew it was very unlikely she’d have car issues on the five-minute drive from here to the shop, but I felt the need to keep an eye on her, anyway. I had a feeling this sudden protective urge had very little to do with her car.
I followed her to the shop and parked next to her. By the time I reached the door of her car, she’d rolled down her window, and now she stared at her dash as though scared to make the next move.
“It hasn’t been thirty minutes,” she said.
I smiled. “It’s all right. Brock will take care of you. He’s the guy who runs this place.”
