CHAPTER 61
Sarah used her hand to block the glare of the headlights but could not see the face of the driver who had opened the truck’s cab door and leaned out.
A man spoke over the rush of the rain. “That your truck back there along the side of the road?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said.
“You need a ride?”
“I’m all right,” she said. “I actually don’t have far to go.”
The man stepped down from the cab and hurried around the hood to where Sarah could see him. She assessed him in one word. Gorgeous. In fact, he looked like the Boss in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and worn work boots. His biceps stretched the fabric of his shirt, which was getting wet and sticking to his chest. “What happened?”
“I think I ran out of gas,” she said.
“I’ll bet that made your night, huh?” He pulled his hair back off his face and folded it behind his ears. His smile made his eyes light up. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. I’ve done the same thing. I try to see how far I can stretch a tank, you know.” He pointed a thumb at his truck. “I got a gas can in the back. Unfortunately, it’s empty. But I think there’s a gas station in Cedar Grove.”
Sarah said, “Not sure if Harley is still open. He usually closes around nine on Saturday.”
“You live there?” he said.
That had been the point of using Harley’s name. She was a local. She knew people. And people knew her. “Just outside town a bit.”
He started for the cab. “Come on, I’ll give you a lift.”
But she didn’t move. “Where are you coming from?”
He turned back, speaking across the hood. “I was in Seattle visiting my folks. Nice night to be driving, huh? Should have stayed, but I needed to get back. I live over in Silver Spurs. If the gas station’s not open, I don’t mind dropping you at your home.”
“It’s not far,” she said, trying to sound casual. “I can walk.”
“Come on, that’s got to be, what, another five miles?”
“It’s not that far.”
“Yeah, but tonight you might drown.” He smiled. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll drive ahead and see if the station’s open. If it is, I’ll get the gas and come back and we can fill up your tank. If it’s not, I’ll drive to your house and let someone know you’re stuck.”
Sarah knew Harley was closed and no one was home. Tracy was out with Ben and her parents were in Hawaii. She’d be sending him on a wild goose chase. “You don’t need to do all that.”
“No trouble.” He approached and held out his hand. “I’m Edmund.”
“Sarah,” she said. “Sarah Crosswhite.”
“Crosswhite? We got a Ms. Crosswhite over at the high school in Cedar Grove. Teaches science, I think.”
“You work at the high school?”
“I’m one of the night janitors.”
“I’ve never seen you.”
“That’s because I work at night. Only vampires see me. Nah, I just got the job.”
She smiled. Gorgeous and funny.
“She’s blonde, isn’t she? Looks a lot like you.”
“We get that a lot.”
He nodded. “She’s your sister. I can see it in the face.”
“She’s four years older. She teaches chemistry.”
“I’ll bet that’s an easy A, huh?”
“Oh, no. I graduated. I’m going to the U-Dub in the fall.”
“So you’re one of those brainiac types?”
“Hardly.” She felt herself blushing. “Tracy’s the brains in the family.”
“Yeah, I got a brother like that, a real junior Einstein.”
The rain fell harder, another gush of water. His hair hung nearly to his shoulders. His T-shirt, now saturated, showed every ripple of his chest and stomach. He rubbed his arms.
“Well,” he said, “why don’t you wait under the trees by that mile marker over there, so I know where to find you, and I’ll go see about getting you some gas.” He started for the cab.
“It’s okay.”
He turned. “What’s that?”
“I’ll just go with you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. It’s fine. I don’t want to make you drive all the way there and back.”
“All right then.” He hurried around the hood, climbed into the cab, and reached across, pushing open the passenger-side door and smiling down at her. “Let me help you with that.”
Sarah handed him her backpack and used the door to swing up into the cab. She took off the Stetson and shook out her hair, craving the heat blasting from the vents. “I guess I’m lucky you came along.”
“Instead of some freak job,” he said, putting the car in gear. “Guy like that picks you up out here and you could disappear forever.”