Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 13

Kodi Pov

“Are you staying at Harrison’s inn?” I asked the question as soon she crawled into the passenger’s seat beside me. Having her climb into my truck only emphasized how tiny she really was. At the pub, I had needed to look down when I was speaking to her, but I didn’t mind bending a little to see her.

She whipped her head to the driver’s side, scrutinizing me. “How did you know that?”

“How many Hiltons did you pass on your way into town?” This question quieted her and she settled into her seat. “If we’re going to start working together, you ought to trust me a little more.”

“Trust doesn’t always come so easily to me,” she spoke quietly as if her mind had taken her to a different place.

I revved the engine. It was only a short drive to the inn, but not short enough for it to be safe to make the walk at night, especially for a small woman like Echo. My upbringing might have been a little rowdy with it being just Lyle and I at the cabin, but he still taught me how to be a gentleman.

“Well as coworkers, we should have each other’s backs, Echo. I’m a patient man.” This comment merely caused her to raise her brow at me. “You don’t have to trust me right away, but I bet that I’ll have your trust before you know it.”

She shrugged, not quite believing me but not wanting to fight me on it either. I didn’t say anything either as that simple movement caused a wave of her lavender perfume to rush towards me. Realizing that we were now encased in a tight space together, there was nowhere for me to retreat as her perfume persisted to be just as strong as when I had walked into the pub.

Not wanting to make a big deal over how much her perfume had become suffocating, I pressed the buttons of my car door to roll down the windows. We had just begun to get out of the parking lot. Luckily, the night air was just cool enough for it to make sense to have the windows down.

I let out a small breath, relieved that the tingling of my nostrils was calming down with the fresh air.

“Is something wrong?” Echo asked.

“No, of course not.” If I wanted her to start trusting me, I couldn’t leave her guessing. I started to find a way to excuse my actions. “I’m sorry, I should have asked you if you were alright with the windows down. The A/C in this old truck can be a little unpredictable sometimes so I prefer the fresh air on the nights that the weather is nice.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t mind.” She turned her head away from me to watch the silhouette of the trees as we drove past them. We weren’t moving very fast, there wasn’t a way to predict what kind of animals were ready to pounce onto the road, but we were going fast enough for the wind to blow her hair back.

This road had no street lamps to illuminate the passenger side, but my hunter sight had already adjusted to the darkness. There were only a few times that I glanced over to see the soft curve of her jaw and the way her lips were in a slight pout as if she was saving one last smile of the night for something special. She was beautiful and the ride was about to end too soon.

When we pulled up to the front of the inn, Echo didn’t waste a second to unbuckle herself.

“That eager to get away from me?”

Her eyes widened as she shook her head. “Of course not. It’s just been a really long night.”

I couldn’t explain it, but I wanted nothing more than to calm her. It left me unsettled to be the reason she was so on edge.

“You’re right. I won’t keep you any longer, but I’m just glad to see you make it back to the inn safe.”

She nodded as she pushed open the door. Before she responded to me, she braced her hands on the seat and the door so she could jump down with grace. “Thank you for the ride.”

“Anytime. I guess I will see you around at the pub.”

She allowed herself to give me a small smile that made me want to high five myself. “I guess you will. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

When she shut the door, I didn’t leave immediately. I waited until she reached the door before I made my way back on the dirt road that would lead me to the cabin.

Of all the ways I had expected the night to go, I never thought I would be meeting a woman from out of town as beautiful as Echo, nonetheless working with her.

Our remote town would get visitors from time to time, but they never planned to stay long enough to pick up one of the few jobs available here. Part of me couldn’t help but be grateful for the chance to work with Echo so I could take advantage of the chance to get to know her better. She seemed hesitant as though she was unsure of where her journey would lead her, but there was a spark within her that I suspected would ignite once she was in her element again.

Usually, I spent too much time between the woods and the pub to advance any relationships with women. Neither of those were places that fine young ladies frequented. Echo had caught my attention without even trying, and I had a feeling that spending more time with her was just what I needed to step away from the work that consumed my life.

Echo had been skittish with me, nervous to share too much. If her goal had been to gain my curiosity, she had achieved her goal ten times over.