Page 145 of Fish out of Water
“Um.” Clara rolled her lips together, hating that she was going to have to admit to running out of gas. “It’s more of a user error.”
The man chuckled, his smile revealing deep dimples and straight white teeth. “I’ve had a few of those myself.”
Before she could ask if he had a gas can, the man was out of the truck and heading her way. He paused, boots scuffing across the pavement as he caught sight of Wyatt in the front seat. “Well, hey there.” His dark blue eyes came Clara’s way. “You wouldn’t happen to be on your way to Red Cedar Ranch, would you?”
Clara glanced back toward the truck. It was brand new. Clean. Well-kept.
Did serial killers drive nice trucks?
She turned to give the man a once over.
He was tall and muscular. Handsome, but way too young for her to consider him anything more.
He didn’tlooklike a serial killer.
“Damn.” He clicked his tongue. “Don’t tell my momma I didn’t introduce myself first thing.” He reached a hand her way. “Brett Pace. I believe my momma is who hired you.”
“Yourmotheris who hired me?” She’s spoken with Mrs. Pace more than a few times over the past month. Never once would she have guessed the woman was old enough for this man to be her son.
Brett’s smile widened. “It’s not me you’re nannying if that’s what you’re worried about.” He shot her a wink.
“Are you a cowboy?” Wyatt was up out of his seat, his head poked through the open driver’s window.
“You could say that.” Brett opened the door. “Come on out, partner. Let’s get you and your momma someplace safe.”
Wyatt immediately jumped out of the car, his attention focused on the open window of Brett’s truck and the canine hanging out of it. “Is that your dog?”
“Sure is.” Brett reached into the car, twisting the keys until he could roll up the windows, before pulling them free of the ignition. “You need anything out of here before we go?”
Did he just think she was going to pack her child up in his truck and let him drive them off to God knows where? “Can I see your driver’s license?”
This man seemed to know who she was and why she was there, but getting murdered in the mountains of Montana would be a fitting end to the past year of hell she’d been through.
And the day already wasn’t promising.
Brett studied her for a second. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No.” Clara held her hand out. “I’m gonna need proof you are who you say you are before I get in that truck.” Mrs. Pace was a friend of the attorney who now had most of the money Clara managed to wrangle away from Richard, but that didn’t mean this man actually knew her.
And she’d blindly trusted a man before.
Which is exactly what led to her standing on the side of a deserted road in Moss Creek, Montana, next to a useless car packed with everything she and her son owned.
Brett reached into the back pocket of his well-worn blue jeans, pulling out an equally well-worn wallet. “Don’t judge a man by what he looks like without his hat.” He passed over the plastic rectangle. The same handsome face smiled out at her, his dark hair matted down close to his head.
The address listed matched the one she’d entered into the map app on her phone three days ago.
“Thank you.”Clara passed the identification back. “Sorry to be so difficult.”
The apology came before she could stop it.
He tucked it back into place. “Don’t be. It’s nice to see someone who doesn’t know every damn thing I’ve done since I was born.” Brett turned to the truck and whistled between his teeth. “Back seat, Duke.” The black dog bounced around a second before doing a full spin and jumping into the back of the truck’s cab.
Wyatt’s brown eyes widened. “He listens real good.”
“Sometimes.” Brett opened the door, catching Wyatt with one palm as the little boy tried to jump in. “Ladies first, little man.”
Wyatt didn’t miss a beat. He backed away, tucking in close at Brett’s side in a way that made her heart ache.
