Page 8 of Take My Heart
She clears her throat. ‘Yes.’
‘And what happened? You change your mind?’
‘It’s a long story. I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘Why not?’
‘I just don’t,’ she says, sounding annoyed. She looks behind her at the back seat. ‘Can I use that blanket?’
It’s an old wool blanket I keep in the truck in case I get stranded in a storm like the one I’m in right now.
‘Go ahead, but just so you know, the thing’s covered in dirt. I dropped it in the mud last fall and never got around to cleaning it.’
‘Forget it.’ She faces forward again. ‘I don’t need it.’
I’ve got the heat on high, but she’s still shivering.
‘You plan on wearing that again?’ I ask, motioning to the dress.
She looks down at it and sighs. ‘Probably not.’
I keep one hand on the steering wheel while my other hand reaches to the back seat for the blanket. I grab it and drop it on her lap.
‘What are you doing?’ She rears back, looking horrified, like I just dropped a snake on her.
‘Warming you up. That blanket will have you going from shivering to sweating within minutes.’
She looks at it, her hands raised like she’s afraid to touch it.
‘C’mon.’ I laugh. ‘It’s not that bad. And if you’re just tossing the dress, why do you care if it gets dirty?’
She stares down at the blanket, then slowly and carefully unfolds it and drapes it over her lap.
‘Better?’
She nods. ‘It’s really warm.’
‘It’s wool. Been in the family a long time. Used to belong to my grandparents.’
‘Then shouldn’t you take better care of it?’
‘Nah, it’s old. My parents were just gonna toss it. I took it just to keep in the car for emergencies.’
She smiles a little. ‘Like when you’re rescuing a girl stranded in a snowstorm?’
‘I wasn’t expecting that, but sure.’ I yank my stocking cap off and toss it on the dash. It’s freaking hot in here with the heat on high. ‘You warmed up yet?’ I ask, hoping I can turn the heat down.
‘No, but I’m getting there.’ She pulls the blanket up over her shoulders. ‘I just need to get out of this wet dress.’ She turns to me, so fast the blanket falls off her. ‘My bag! I left it in the car! We have to go back!’
‘We’re not going back. We’re not even supposed to be on the roads right now.’
‘But what am I going to wear? I have to get out of this dress.’
‘I can loan you something.’
She looks me up and down. ‘Um, yeah, thanks, but I don’t think anything of yours will fit me.’
‘Just throw on one of my hoodies. It’ll be so big it’ll cover you like a dress.’
