Page 1 of Hello Trouble

1

HAYES

A small piece of pink paper stuck out from under the windshield wiper of the car I was about to tow, and it said READ ME in cutesy cursive letters.

So, of course I pulled it open.

PLEASE DON’T TOW ME YET. I just had to get a snackie. I’ll be right back. Promise!

I raised my eyebrows at the note. What the fuck?

A snackie?

I was definitely not in the mood for this nonsense because one, it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, and two, I had half a dozen things to catch up on at my auto repair shop. Waiting for a woman I could never be with to get a “snackie”? Not in my schedule.

I glanced up toward the diner across the street, searching through the windows for her familiar mane of curly red hair. I instantly spotted her, curls spilling from a pink beanie.

She was chatting with the cashier, making him laugh.

My jaw clenched, and I crossed the street, taking long strides to get there faster. But just as I reached for the door covered in town flyers, she came out and smacked into me, slopping hot chocolate all down my front.

“Oh no!” She frowned down at the brown liquid steaming on my coat. “I’m so sorry! Are you burned?”

My jaw clenched. “Just annoyed. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

She looked up at me with apologetic pale green eyes, framed by dark lashes. “But I got you a hot cocoa for your trouble... although I spilled it.” She gestured at my coat. “You can have mine, though!” She offered the cup that was still intact. “Extra whipped cream.”

I shook my head, turning to walk back toward her car across the street. “I don’t drink that shit.”

“Excuse me?” She trailed after me. “You don’t drink hot chocolate?” It was like I told her I hated puppies or something.

“No.” I crossed Main Street, which was empty, to the tow truck, checking the winch again to make sure it was set up right.

She caught up to me and said, “You’re joking, right? Everyone loves hot cocoa. Especially when it’s this cold out.”

I arched an eyebrow at her. “Does it look like I’m joking?”

Even though I was focusing on the chains, I could hear the frown in her voice as she said, “But I even asked for marshmallows.”

“More useless shit to go on top of a useless drink,” I muttered as I finished hooking it up. I knew I was being an ass, but it was a way for me to keep my distance from her. She was my sister-in-law’s best friend, which made her completely off-limits. Even if her full pink lips distracted me as much as her curvy body.

She folded her arms across her chest, making her slick coat swish. “Christmas has been over for a few months now. You don’t have to be a Grinch anymore.”

Ignoring that comment, I said, “Get in the truck while I lift this up.”

“Grinch,” she muttered, walking toward the front of the tow truck. I pushed the button to start the lift. But then she called over. “A little help? I can’t carry my cinnamon roll and my cocoa up the steps.”

I smirked at her. “Sounds like a personal problem.”

“Hayes!” she chastised. “My best friend is married to your brother. Doesn’t that earn me a little special treatment?”

“You don’t want to know what would earn you that.” I sent her a wicked grin where she waited by the passenger side door.

“I’m feeling less and less sorry for spilling hot chocolate on you,” she retorted.

I watched out the corner of my eye while she set her cocoa on the sidewalk, then struggled to open the truck door in her mittens and climbed in.

Yes, mittens.

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