Page 10 of Every Sunset
“Max…” That was all I got out before we both turned at the sound of a car pulling off of the road and stopping behind us.
“Hey!” I recognized the deep voice instantly and I closed my eyes as I realized my humiliation was complete. Of course my hot and sexy landlord would drive by at the exact moment I was sat on the ground, bleeding like a kid who fell in the playground. “Everything okay?” he asked in that deep rumbling tone that did things to me I wasn’t sure I had ever felt.
“Logan,” Max swiped at his eyes as he jumped to his feet and moved behind me. “Thanks for stopping. Can you give us a ride home?” he asked, and I hated the wobble I heard in my son’s voice. He was close to tears, or had already cried and that was all on me. “Mom tripped. She walked too far. I need to get her back.”
“Max!” I snapped, embarrassed by the way he spoke of me like I really was a child. I forced my aching body to get to my feet and turned to face them both. “I’m fine! Stop bothering Logan, and help me grab the groceries!”
“It’s fine, Anna. I’m on my way home anyway. I can give you both a ride,” Logan cut in. I looked over to him and internally groaned at how damn good he looked in black jeans, and a crisp white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The white contrasted perfectly against his flawlessly sun kissed skin. He was wearing a pair of aviators that only made him look sexier too, and there I was sweaty, bleeding, and with my wild hair in a state of complete disarray. The jeans and black t-shirt I’d pulled on that morning were covered with filth from the side of the road when I’d taken my spill. In short, I was a fucking mess, and one of the sexiest men I had ever encountered was looking me up and down.Perfect! Just Perfect!
I moved my hands to straighten up my wild hair, but stopped myself when the throbbing in my palms reminded me they were still covered in blood.
My arms fell heavily to my sides and I tried hard to keep my inner turmoil from showing on my face. I was just so exhausted. In the last week I felt like I’d aged ten years , and before that I’d already felt a few decades older than I actually was. Tears of despair filled my eyes and I fought to keep it together.
“Anna? Are you hurt?” Logan asked, and when I lifted my head he was right there before me. He caught my hands in his and lifted them between us so he could study them the way Max had.
“I’m fine!” I argued as I tried to pull my hands free, but he wasn’t releasing me.
“Mom, please. Just let Logan give us a ride,” Max pleaded and it was impossible to miss the desperation in his voice.
“It’s all good, bud. Why don’t you grab the groceries and put them in my trunk? I’ll help your mom into my car, then we can all get home,” Logan suggested and I felt this odd relief when Max seemed to take a breath, then nod in agreement. He walked away to start gathering our groceries, which left Logan and I alone, him still clutching my hands between us.
“I’m really sorry about this. I guess we really are city slickers at heart.” I laughed, but it felt forced, and Logan didn’t even crack a smile as he just looked down at me.
“Your son’s worried about you.” I didn’t need to answer that. It was all pretty obvious to anyone with eyes.
“I had a kidney transplant recently. Some genetic kidney disease in my family,” I explained, knowing I had to give him something. “Max worries too much. I’m doing okay. I might just have pushed a little too hard today, but to be fair to myself, I didn’t realize the cab company around here would be so shitty.”
“Yeah, never try to get a cab in Grand Lake,” Logan laughed. “They have a total of two cars and it’s run by an eighty year old woman.”
“I was hoping to find a garage for my car in town, but I didn’t see anything.”
“The one and only mechanic around here lives out of town, but you don’t need to call them. I told you Maddox will look at your car. I reminded him this morning.”
“Was he even conscious this morning?” I asked.
“He’ll live,” Logan shrugged. “And he will fix your car, but until he does don’t walk to town again. It’s not safe walking along the edge of this road.”
“I think I can determine for myself what is or isn’t safe,” I threw back.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just….I can give you a ride if you need one, okay? You have my cell number. Just call me if you need anything,” he told me on a deep, almost frustrated sigh.
“I appreciate the offer, but we’re fine,” I cut in quickly. I didn’t want this guy getting too close to either Max or I. I didn’t know him, and he was way too handsome and sexy for his own good, and mine.
“You don’t like to accept help, do you?” he asked with a smirk, as he seemed to study me hard.
“I don’t need to. I’ve been on my own for a long time, and I’ve done just fine so far,” I snipped back. It was a complete lie, but he didn’t know that.
“Maybe, but you’re not in the city anymore. You’ll find out here in Grand Lake, we like to help each other out where we can,” hetold me. Before I could think of anything else to say to push him away, he had his arm around me and was leading me over to his car. I was so shocked by how good it felt to feel the heat of him wrapped around me, and pressed beside me that I didn’t even argue.
It had been so long since I felt anyone close to me that way – anyone other than Max anyway. Dating with a kid in tow had never gone well for me. I had no family to help me out, and I refused to leave Max with a strange babysitter when he was younger, so dating didn’t exist back then. Then Max got older and I considered dating again, but it never seemed that big of a thing. I’d never really had it in my life, so I didn’t miss it. I’d been on a few dates in recent years with guys I worked with, or men I met through work, but they’d never gone further than a first date because it just hadn’t felt right. Then there was Callum, and look how that ended.
But Logan being so close to me made me realize that maybe I did miss the closeness of having someone in my life. It made me want someone to hold me every now and then, someone I could feel safe with and not feel guilty for that.
Logan’s car was tall, so I had quite the climb into the passenger seat, which was not easy when I was trying hard not to touch any part of the luxury interior with my bloodied hands. Logan helped me in, then pushed away my hands when I reached for the seatbelt, pulling it over me himself instead, leaning in so close that I could smell his aftershave as he fastened the thing too.
“I have first aid supplies at home. I’ll clean your hands up when we get back,” he offered.
“There’s no need…”
