Page 5 of Chance Encounter

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CHANCE

Maddox stands stockstill just inside the doorway, looking like he wants to bolt at any second.

I push past him and grumble. “Is the bear a better option than me?”

“Maybe. At least I’d know where I stand with Sally.”

Wait. What?

“Who the fuck is Sally?”

He looks at me like I’m the stupidest person on the planet as he rolls his eyes. “The bear. Who else?”

“I have no fucking clue. Who the fuck names a bear to begin with?”

Maddox huffs. He’s so damn dramatic. “I do. That’s who. For a moment there, I thought I was going to die, and it seemed better to be killed by something that had a name.”

Wow. He really doesn’t get out much.

“She probably would have killed you if I hadn’t come along.” I look him up and down. I can’t see much of him since he’s bundled up in a pair of snow pants and a thick coat, but I know what’s underneath. Well, I don’t. Not now, anyway. I’m sure he’s in even better shape than he was back in high school. “Did you piss yourself?”

“Close, but no cigar. I guess you’re lucky I didn’t shit myself and stinking up your place.” His blue eyes sparkle from across the room, pissing me off. Maddox steps toward me, but after one step, he winces in pain. “Fuck,” he hisses out.

I rush over and put my arm around his waist to help him over to the couch. “Sit down, and let’s take a look.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” He asks as I guide him down to sit.

“Because I’m not as big of an asshole as you think I am.” I step back and watch as Maddox tries to pull up his pant leg. “Where did you get hurt?”

“My fucking ankle,” he shakes his head as he continues trying to pull the pants up, but they barely move.

I eye the layers he has on. “I think you should take off your pants. Yoursnowpants,” I amend. I certainly don’t want him to think I want him to take off all of his clothes.

“I don’t plan to be here for long,” he looks up and stops what he’s doing as our gazes lock. For one brief second, I see something other than disdain staring back at me, but just as quickly as it appeared, the look is gone. “In fact, if you could just give me a ride home or to the gas station, I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Why do you have to be so difficult?” I kneel in front of him and start to unlace his boots. “Let’s look at your ankle, and then I’ll happily take you wherever you want to go.”

Maddox pulls his leg away, and I see the way he bites the inside of his cheek from the pain. “Stop being a little bitch. I’m not going to cut your leg off or anything like that. The longer you wait to put ice on it, the worse it’s going to get.”

“Oh really? I didn’t know you became a doctor.”

“Fucking hell, Mad, it’s simple logic. If I take you to get gas, you’re going to have to walk to your vehicle. Get some fucking ibuprofen in you along with some ice, so I don’t have to help you hobble all the way to your snow machine.”

“Don’t put yourself out. I’ll be fine,” Maddox huffs.

“Like you were fine when I had to save your ass.”

Maddox tries to push up, probably ready to storm out, but I’m not having any of it. Putting my hands on his shoulders, I push him back down. “Stop being a pussy.”

“Stop being an asshole,” he grits out.

“Not going to happen. It’s in my DNA. Why do you think I live out here far away from everyone else? Alone.”

Unzipping his coat, his eyes flick around the room. “Because no one wants to be around you.”

What was I thinking having Maddox here? I should have thrown him in my truck and dumped him on the side of the road.

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