“He died shortly after I was born. Drunk driver. Patricia had already divorced him and forbidden him from seeing us.”
“That’s terrible. Did they arrest the driver?”
“No,hewas the drunk driver. Fortunately, he didn’t take anyone else out with him.”
“Grady, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Patricia married Haley’s dad shortly after and Haley came a few months later.” He cussed under his breath, but quickly started talking again, as if nothing was wrong. “Apparently, I can thank him for my attitude.” A loud crack shattered the air, and Grady cussed as a thunderous boom resonated through the call.
“Are you okay? What was that?”
“I’m good. Just a tree in the road.”
“Falling? Grady?”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t get killed because of me.”
Long pause.Way to go, Claire.She couldn’t help the thrill that prickled over her, the hope that he was coming to the rescue because he loved her. But she knew he would do the same for any troubled creature. “Come on, it’s a nice day for a drive.”
“I like your attitude. You’re not a pushover.”
He snorted in a derisive laugh. “Nor are you.” After a long pause, his voice lightened, shifting back to safer territory. “What’s your favorite food?” He was too adorable for his own good.
“Anything with green chiles. Can you tell where you are?”
“Shit, shit... Yeah, found the bridge.” His voice strained, he cracked a laugh of relief, reassuring her. “I’m turning around now. Almost there.”
Claire exhaled a sigh of relief. Not only that he was close, but that he hadn’t found the bridge by flying over the side. She quickly flashed her high beams to show him the way. Diffused headlights appeared right in front of her, and he turned his SUV around so he faced the road, barely visible, although he was only a few feet away.
Grady was at her window moments later and eased the passenger door open, scraping through the mass of snow. Heart pounding in her chest, her eyes welled at the sight of him. His cheeks were pulled tight with stress, but he masked it with a devilish grin.
A lightness washed over her face as she released a hitched exhale. “You made it.”
“Barely. I think we’re stuck here for the night.” He glanced back to where the road should be. “Power’s out anyway. We’ll wait until the snow slows down so I can at least see where I’m going.”
She nodded weakly and grabbed her half-consumed water bottle and her winter coat. “Okay.”
He took her coat, and she crawled over the center console to meet him. Knee-deep in the snow, she rose to stand. Thanks to the glow from the car lights, she could make out Grady, but nothing else in the darkness of the night.
Legs teetering as she steadied herself, he wrapped his arm around her and held her tight against him, her worry melting despite the chill. “You okay?” he murmured.
An emotional outburst festered under the surface. She forced it down and nodded. “Thanks for coming for me.”
His eyes were as glassy as hers were. Probably from the cold. He nodded, then stepped back. Close behind, she waded through the foot and a half of snow that had accumulated in the last hour. Maybe it was two feet. Whatever it was, it was past the wheel wells of the stupid sports car Ryder had splurged on. Death trap is what it was.
She gripped Grady’s hand for the lifeline that it was. She couldn’t even see the ends of his car. He held open what she realized was the back passenger door.
As soon as she was inside, he murmured, “Hang on.”
Where could he be going? She couldn’t see two feet in front of her face, and he disappeared completely. While she waited, she noted the stack of blankets. Good thinking. Patricia would be pissed.
Back a few minutes later, he reappeared, looking like Frosty. She pulled him in onto the leather seats next to her and uselessly brushed the mountain of snow him off. Out in freezing weather in nothing but his work clothes, his suit jacket was damaged beyond repair as snow melted into the fabric. He was frozen solid, his cheeks blazing red. And that shiner was glowing in contrast. She traced the edge of the healing bruise with her fingertips.
He stilled her hand and gritted his jaw tight. “I dug out as much snow as I could around the exhaust pipe. We’ll need to check it whenever we turn the engine on in case the snow covers it.”
Grady was soaked to the skin—sopping, she amended—as the massive snowflakes melted in his wild blond hair. Ryder had been on the phone with her and was about to talk through directions. Not Grady. He’d taken the phone and gotten to her in recklessly fast time.
