Page 2 of Grateful for You
He took a step closer to me, concern twisting his features. “Are you okay, ma’am?” He lifted his hand and touched the back of his fingers to my cheek. I winced, stepping away from him and turning so that he couldn’t see my bruise and cut. “I-I’m fine. I just need to get back on the road.”
“You sure you don’t need that looked at? It looks pretty bad—”
“I said, I’mfine.”
He nodded, pulling his hand back and tucking his thumb into his belt loop. “You got Triple A?”
Emotion clogged my throat as I shook my head no.
He made a grunted ‘mmm’ sound before crossing to the front of my car and giving a low whistle. “Well, you’re going to need to call roadside assistance to pull you from this ditch… but that’s presuming your car will start.” He lifted a brow, allowing a moment of silence before he added. “Willit start?”
I licked my lips, which were growing dryer and colder by the second, and shook my head. “Probably not.” I left out the fact that I barely had enough money for gas to get me to my sister’s house in Vermont for Thanksgiving… I definitely didn’t have enough money for repairs to a car that was probably irreparable to begin with. “Um… how soon do you think that could happen? Roadside assistance… a tow truck or whatever?”
“At six o’clock, the eve of Thanksgiving?” His tone was all the answer I needed.Basically, outlook not so good, Piper.“Tell you what, let’s pack up your stuff into my car, I’ll drive you into town, and we’ll grab you some coffee and dinner… and I’ll make a few calls. We’ll go from there. But you might want to check to see if there are any vacancies at the Maple Grove Inn in the meantime. Just in case.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’ll do that? Drive me and my dog into town?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Just you. And me.”
His gaze flicked to the cut at my temple. “And your dog. It’s a short drive… five minutes tops.”
My heart pounded. Getting into a car with a strange man was basically any woman’s worst nightmare. Although many would probably feel safe if that man was a cop—the Sheriff, no less—but not me.
I didn’t trust anyone anymore.
I glanced at my car, the engine smoking, little tendrils of gray curling out from under the closed hood.Shit.
I wasn’t left with much choice.
He shifted his weight onto his other foot. “What’s your name?”
My instinct was to give him a fake name. But this was acop. In theory, he could ask for my license at any time and see I was lying. Then what… could I get in trouble for lying to an officer? Hell, then at least maybe I’d be thrown in jail and have a free place to sleep for the night. “My friends call me … Pumpkin.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Does that make us friends?”
Hardly. I ignored his question. “And you are?”
“Mason Brecht, Sheriff of Maple Grove.” He flipped a card from his pocket and handed it to me as I shivered again. My sweatshirt was no match for this New England freezing rain rolling in. “If you’re really uncomfortable riding with me, I can call dispatch and bring out another officer. A woman, if you prefer.”
“It’s five minutes, you said?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I can call in, tell dispatch that you’re with me so someone knows where you are.”
Heat swirled in my chest.He knows.Or at least, he suspects my trauma. Otherwise, why would he be jumping through these hoops for me. I must wear my abuse like a freaking tiara.
I inhaled sharply and tugged my trunk open, grabbing the bag I had managed to pack this morning once my fiancé—no,ex-fiancé—had finally left for work after sleeping off his many drinks from last night. Then, I opened the front door and clipped Athena’s collar to her.
“I can handle five minutes.”
I can do anything for five minutes.
3
Mason
“Thanks, Max,” I said and hung up.
