Page 4 of Big Hefty Trucker

“It’s okay if you’re not, you know. That was a scary thing to go through.”

This time when I nod at him, I’m also fighting back tears. Immediately, I feel a hand on my cheek, brushing them away.

“It’s okay, baby,” he purrs. “Feel what you need to feel.”

Something about this man’s touch feels so comforting in a way I’ve never felt before. I don’t know him at all, but he put his life on the line to save me. He can’t be that bad if he stepped into the line of fire for me like that. It makes me want to learn more about him, to know what sort of person does that for a complete stranger.

“What’s your name?” I ask softly.

The smile he gives me when I ask my question is disarming. I thought he was attractive before, when he was brutal and unforgiving and protective. But that man has nothing on the man looking down at me now. “My name’s Finn,” he says. “What’s yours?”

“Kat,” I breathe, shocked that this man would even look at me twice, let alone gift me with a smile like that.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all this tonight, Kat,” Finn says, his voice low and rough, but still soft and comforting in a way I’d never expect. The shock of tonight’s events aren’t the only things turning my knees to jelly. “Do you think you can give the police a statement?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Can I sit down while I do it? My legs are trying to give out on me.”

Before I can protest, Finn is wrapping his arms around me. He lifts me up gently, and in my surprise, my hands scramble for a hold on his arms. Wow, his muscles are thick. They’re rock hard under my fingers, and yet he lifts me onto the counter next to the register like I weigh nothing. My head swims, but it’s not because I got lifted. It’s because he lifted me.

He sets me down like I’m something precious and delicate, and I can feel my cheeks heat as his hands linger on my body, as if he doesn’t want to let me go. I don’t even get the chance to squeak out a “thank you” before he’s nodding at someone behind me. A police officer appears at our side and starts to ask questions.

The questions the officer asks are standard, so they’re easy to answer as my mind drifts elsewhere. The entire time, Finn is right there next to me. His hands don’t leave me once, as if he knows his touch is the only thing keeping me grounded as I slowly process what happened and tell the officer the facts as best I can. Every once in a while, he lifts a hand to run it through his thick hair, and I get a whiff of his amazing smell. Something like pine and woodsmoke, with a spicy undertone I can’t get enough of. I find myself fighting the urge to lean more into him, to pay attention to the questions the police are asking me.

And yet, I know in my heart that if Finn wasn’t here, comforting me as I talk about having a gun pointed at my head and getting threatened with kidnapping, I wouldn’t be able to get through this. I’m upset enough as it is that I’m shocked I haven’t cried more. And even then, I know I’d feel stupid and useless for it. With Finn’s warm, strong body next to me, grounding me, I’m able to get through the interview with only a few tears and some well-timed deep breaths.

I’m not sure what I would have done if he hadn’t been here tonight. For the attempted kidnapping, or for the aftershocks of it all. Hell, I’m not sure how I’m going to get through the next few days without him. Am I supposed to go back to business as usual after all this?

Just as the officer asking me questions thanks me for giving a statement, Jim walks back into the store, this time with our store manager, Paul. He looks disheveled, like he got out of bed for this. Considering I know he was supposed to come for the early bird shift tomorrow, he probably did.

“Kat,” he cries as soon as he sees me, rushing over to the counter where I’m sitting. I feel Finn stiffen at my side. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I tell him. I look up at my handsome rescuer and smile. “Thanks to Finn, everything turned out okay.”

Paul glances at Finn and his eyes widen as he looks him up and down. He quickly pulls himself together and starts telling me the plan for the store. “I’m going to hang around here and help the police with security camera footage. Corporate wants us to close for the next forty-eight hours, and they want me to draft a new schedule so that we have more people around for evenings, at least for the next few weeks. You’ll still be able to keep your night shifts, I know that’s all your schedule allows for, but we’ll make sure there’s more staff around for everyone’s safety. Are you okay with taking a few days off while I get that sorted out?”

I nod at him, glad for the time away. I feel like if I step foot in the store in the next three days, I’ll disintegrate and have a panic attack or something. Every few minutes, the events of earlier tonight come back to me and it’s all I can do to keep it together in front of Paul and Jim. Maybe if it was just Finn, I’d let it all out, but it’s not. I feel like I have to keep a functioning façade up in front of my boss and my coworker.

“Great,” Paul says, clapping his hands together. “You can go ahead and go home then. Jim and I will get everything sorted out here. Do you want someone to walk you out to your car?”

I flinch, thinking about the flickering floodlight at the back of the store that shines on the spaces where employees are supposed to park. It only works half the time, and it gets so dark back there behind the building. My heart seizes as I think about walking back there alone. What if my failed kidnapper has someone working with him?

What if that person is waiting to finish what he started?

“I’m sure Jim would be more than willing to—”

“It’s okay, baby,” I hear Finn say, bringing me back to reality. Jim sputters at being interrupted, but falls silent when my handsome rescuer gives him a menacing look. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Relief washes over me. I force myself to take a deep breath, my entire body trembling as I let it out and look up at him. His face is soft and open once more, the warning expression he just gave Jim gone as if it was never there at all. My chest fills with warmth as he brushes a thumb across my skin.

“That would be great,” I murmur to him.

Chapter 4

Finn

This is not how I pictured my night going.

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