Page 7 of SEAL's Patience
Quinn pulled his truck in front of her car since there were cars parked on either side of her. If they were lucky, no one would need to get past him until they were done. He left his truck running and grabbed the jumper cables out of the toolbox in his truck bed.
After connecting the cables to both batteries, Quinn stepped back and leaned against his truck. The more distance between them, the better as they waited to see if her car would take the charge.
“I hope this works.” Patience glanced back and forth between her battery and Quinn and chewed on her bottom lip.
Quinn fought his desire to pull it away from her teeth and tell her to stop before she drew blood, but it wasn’t his place. As he studied her more closely, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She was exhausted.
“You must be worn-out after your shift. Why don’t you wait inside your car? There’s no reason for us both to be out in the cold and snow. I’ll let you know when you can try to start it.”
She squinted up at him. “I’m okay.”
Quinn shook his head. She was sweet and stubborn. Her shoulders sagged and rolled her neck as she looked everywhere but at him. Did she think she would look weak if she got out of the snow? “I didn’t say you weren’t. But you just worked a long shift, and I know you’re in medical school. Don’t be so stubborn. It won’t hurt to give in.”
“You know I’m in med school?”
“Yes, I do. Out of everything I just said, that’s your takeaway?” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her answer.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I didn’t think you cared enough to find anything out about me. You barely speak to me except to order. The other guys always chat a bit.” She shuffled her feet and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth again.
It reiterated his need to pull her into his arms and hold her. She just seemed so young. He knew she traveled the world with her parents, but it hadn’t taken away her innocence. As much as he wanted to cup her cheek and feel her skin beneath his fingertips, or be the one to bite her lip, it would be wrong.
Sighing, Quinn shook his head. “I know more than you think, Patience. You’re in medical school and will graduate soon. Your parents are also doctors, and you’re an only child. They’ve taken you with them wherever they go to practice with the organization Doctors Without Borders. Shall I continue?”
“Holy shit. Seriously? How do you know all this? And why would you care? You’re always so…” Her words trailed off as she gazed up at him.
He quirked an eyebrow, waiting to see if she was going to finish her comment. Quinn was six foot six. Patience was maybe five foot two or three, but no more. She barely came up to his pecs.
“I’m always so what?”
“Never mind. Has it been charging long enough?” A pink color stained her cheeks as she turned away and studied the engine of her car like it had the answers to world peace.
Quinn had been curious to see if she’d call him out on his perpetual rudeness. Patience might be young, but she didn’t seem to take any shit from anyone, especially any of the handsy guys in the Ready Room. He ran his hand over his head, and it came away wet.Dammit.It was getting late, and the snowfallhad gotten heavier. Hopefully, the ten minutes the battery had been charging would be enough. “Yeah, see if you can get it to start now.”
He shut off his truck, then disconnected the battery cables. Patience watched him like she expected him to pounce. His lips twitched with the need to laugh, but he’d bet she’d think he was laughing at her.
“Can I try it now?”
“Yup. If it’s just the battery, it should start now.” Quinn tipped his chin to encourage her to get into the car. He held his breath as she slid into the driver’s seat. The car was old and probably needed a complete overhaul. If a mechanic had looked at it last week, he’d done a piss-poor job.
CHAPTER 4
PATIENCE
Patience climbed into the car and met Quinn’s piercing green eyes through the windshield. She couldn’t really see the color with the shadows surrounding his face, but she’d stared at them enough over the last few months to know what shade they were with her eyes closed. She couldn’t believe he’d offered his help.
His actions, since the first time she’d seen him, had made it clear he’d wanted nothing to do with her. Not that she’d let it bother her. Livie told her she was pushy, and she supposed that was true. Her parents had taught her from the beginning that if you wanted something, you had to work for it. If you waited for someone to hand it to you, you’d wait forever. Besides, Livie told her constantly that he watched her whenever she wasn’t looking. That was something, anyway.
After Quinn nodded to go ahead, she stepped on the brake pedal and pressed the power button. Patience wasn’t sure if she wanted the car to start or not. Wait, what was she thinking? Of course, she wanted it to start. Except it didn’t start. Had she jinxed herself by wishing for more time with Quinn? Nope, she wasn’t going there. Instead, she tried the sequence again, firstthe brake, then the power button. But nothing. Dead in the water or snow. It was coming down even harder now.
Craptastic.
Now what? Her parents were overseas in Swuyji. Livie and Theo were away for the weekend. Her only option would be to call an Uber. There weren’t even any busses that went close enough to her apartment that she wouldn’t freeze to death walking. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take too much out of her tip fund. She’d been hoarding it to donate toward medicine for those who couldn’t afford it. Still, she didn’t have any other choice.
She jumped again when Quinn’s voice broke into her thoughts. When had he moved to lean on her open driver’s door?
“No luck?”
“Nope, unfortunately. I really appreciate your help. It’s too late to do much else now. I’ll have to call the garage in the morning. Hopefully, they’ll be able to come and get it and get it fixed. I can’t be without a car for long.”
