Chapter 4
799 Words
CHAPTER 4
Ginger slowed to a crawl as soon as she saw the man standing in the middle of the road. At least she assumed it was a man because of his height and bulky shape. Pretty hard to tell from this distance, with the snow coming down steadily now.
“Okay, Max. Time to look lively. I need to know you’ve got my back if this guy turns out to be bad news.”
She turned the wipers up higher and rolled the car slowly towards the hooded figure. “Please don’t be an axe murderer.”
Max whuffed and slobbered all over the window.
“I know, right? Well, if he tries anything funny, he’ll find out pretty quick we’re not an easy mark!” And hey, maybe she’d finally get to use some of the moves she’d learned from Gareth. Ginger snorted. Way to find the bright side.
The car gradually came to a stop, and Ginger rolled down the passenger-side window when the man approached. “You okay?”
“Better now.”
He pushed back his hood and she choked down a laugh at the white knit hat with red snowflakes on it. If he was an axe murderer, at least he was one with Christmas spirit.
“Car slid off the road a ways back. I could use a lift.”
Max chose that moment to pop up from behind the seat and do her best guard dog impersonation, which in Max’s world meant barking like a maniac and drowning her prey in a puddle of drool.
The man jumped back a step, taking his hands off the edge of the passenger-side window and leaving a little distance between him and the car. She tried not to laugh, but the idea of this big guy being scared of her big baby of a dog made her chuckle.
“It’s okay. She won’t hurt you unless she thinks I’m in danger. Which I’m not, right?” She kept a light tone in her voice like she was joking, but she couldn’t quite suppress the wobble of fear.
When her eyes connected with his, she sucked in a breath. She’d never seen that colour of blue before. Icy like the snow—and intense. His face was all angles and planes, highlighting his strong cheekbones and providing an excellent backdrop for the sexiest stubble she’d ever seen. She just sat there and stared. Then she remembered her question, and that he hadn’t actually answered it. “You’re not an axe murderer or anything, are you?”
“No.” Just one word—but he made eye contact while he said it, and for some reason she believed him. Although he must have been freezing, he didn’t make a move to open the door and get into the car.
“Where were you headed?”
“My buddy said I could use his cabin at the lake for the holidays. I decided to take him up on it last-minute, and I wasn’t really prepared for the weather to be this bad.”
She couldn’t see too much of him through the passenger-side window, but she met his eyes and stared him down for several seconds, long enough to make most people uncomfortable. He held her gaze and didn’t look away. Hmm. Interesting.
She couldn’t get a solid read on him, which was unusual for her. He might be telling the truth, he might not. But whatever his reasons for being out here, she wasn’t about to let him freeze to death in the snow.
She reached over and opened the door. “Okay, you’d better get in.” She turned to the back seat. “Max, don’t even think about moving.”
By some miracle, the dog chose that moment to listen and laid back down on her blanket. “Good girl.” She tossed a treat from the baggie she kept in her coat pocket and watched Max slobber all over it.
He slung the pack off his back and brushed a fair bit of snow off the bag, then hesitated.
“What’s the matter? She’s not gonna hurt you, but if you don’t get in here quick and close the door, we might all freeze to death.”
“I’m soaking wet. Do you have a towel or something? I don’t want to wreck your seats.”
Polite was good. Although she’d heard Ted Bundy was polite too. Polite didn’t mean a damn thing in the real world. Clint had been real polite.
Ginger shook her head. “Max has her blankie, but I don’t think you want to share that.”
Eli glanced into the back seat and shook his head, taking in the puddle of drool which was now turning a disgusting brown colour as Max ate her treat. “Yeah, no thanks.”
He climbed in and settled uncomfortably in her passenger seat, putting his backpack at his feet. He held out a hand, and Ginger shook it.
“I’m Ginger. The slobbering beast in the back is Max.” Damn, he has cold hands. What did Anna always say? Cold hands, warm heart? Well, here’s hoping.
“I’m Eli.”
- Writer
