Chapter One
Hayes
A SMALL PIECE of pink paper stuck out from under
the windshield wiper of the car I was about to tow, and
it said READ ME in cutesy cursive letters.
So, of course I pulled it open.
PLEASE DON’T TOW ME YET. I just had to get a
snackie. I’ll be right back. Promise!
I raised my eyebrows at the note. What the fuck?
A snackie?
I was definitely not in the mood for this nonsense because one, it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, and two, I had half a dozen things to catch up on at my auto repair shop. Waiting for a woman I could never be with to get a “snackie”? Not in my schedule.
I glanced up toward the diner across the street, searching through the windows for her familiar mane of curly red hair. I instantly spotted her, curls spilling from a pink beanie.
She was chatting with the cashier, making him
laugh.
My jaw clenched, and I crossed the street, taking long strides to get there faster. But just as I reached for the door covered in town flyers, she came out and smacked into me, slopping hot chocolate all down my front.
“Oh no!” She frowned down at the brown liquid steaming on my coat. “I’m so sorry! Are you burned?”
My jaw clenched. “Just annoyed. I don’t like to be
kept waiting.”
She looked up at me with apologetic pale green eyes, framed by dark lashes. “But I got you a hot cocoa for your trouble... although I spilled it.” She gestured at my coat. “You can have mine, though!” She offered the cup that was still intact. “Extra whipped cream.”
I shook my head, turning to walk back toward her car across the street. “I don’t drink that shit.”
“Excuse me?” She trailed after me. “You don’t
drink hot chocolate?” It was like I told her I hated puppies or something.
“No.” I crossed Main Street, which was empty, to the tow truck, checking the winch again to make sure it was set up right.
She caught up to me and said, “You’re joking, right Everyone loves hot cocoa. Especially when it’s this cold out.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. “Does it look like I’m
joking?”
Even though I was focusing on the chains, I could hear the frown in her voice as she said, “But I even asked for marshmallows.”
“More useless shit to go on top of a useless drink,” I muttered as I finished hooking it up. I knew I was being an ass, but it was a way for me to keep my distance from her. She was my sister-in-law’s best friend, which made her completely off-limits. Even if her full pink lips distracted me as much as her curvy body.
She folded her arms across her chest, making her slick coat swish. “Christmas has been over for a few months now. You don’t have to be a Grinch anymore.”
Ignoring that comment, I said, “Get in the truck
while I lift this up.”
“Grinch,” she muttered, walking toward the front of the tow truck. I pushed the button to start the lift. But then she called over. “A little help? I can’t carry my cinnamon roll and my cocoa up the steps.”
I smirked at her. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
“Hayes!” she chastised. “My best friend is married
to your brother. Doesn’t that earn me a little special
treatment?”
“You don’t want to know what would earn you
that.” I sent her a wicked grin where she waited by the
passenger side door.
“I’m feeling less and less sorry for spilling hot
chocolate on you,” she retorted.
I watched out the corner of my eye while she set her cocoa on the sidewalk, then struggled to open the truck door in her mittens and climbed in.
Yes, mittens. Why a grown adult was wearing those things, I didn’t know.
After two trips up and down the steps in her mittens, she had her cocoa and “snackie” in the truck. Satisfied the car was hooked up correctly, I went to the driver’s side and got in, shutting the heavy door behind me.
Della greeted me with a major side-eye. “You’re a real piece of work, Hayes Madigan. Not liking cocoa...” She shook her head with an air of disappointment.
Why did her annoyance amuse me so? I shouldn’t
be feeling anything for her other than that of an
acquaintance. Of two people who lived in the same
small town. Of the mechanic about to take care of her
car. “What’s the deal with your ride anyway?” I asked
as I fired up the truck. The diesel engine rumbled to
life, making our seats vibrate.
With a heavy sigh, Della said, “The heater’s on, but
it’s not blowing any air.”
I stared at her, my hand still on the gear shift. She called a tow truck... because it’s not blowing hot air?
“What?” she asked over a bite of cinnamon roll. She had a fleck of frosting on her pink upper lip that I
ignored.
“You can drive a car without a heater!” I protested.
“You could have brought it by the shop without taking
me away from other projects.”
She shrugged, completely unbothered. “Technically, I could have driven it to your shop... but my insurance pays for a tow to get it fixed and I get a ride in a warm truck with fabulous company.” She winked at me.
I let out another groan and put the truck in gear. “Okay, Moonshine. Let me get you home... and out of my truck,” I added under my breath.
“Heard that,” she sang back, completely unaffected. “But you know, most people don’t utilize all the benefits their car insurance companies offer. In fact, I’m doing the world a service with this tow ride.”
I turned down the street toward her house and
sighed. “I’ll take the bait. How are you doing the world
a service?” I was actually interested to hear her take. It
was sure to be wild.
“Because, you towed me on Main Street. Everyone in the diner’s going to be talking about it. When they ask me what happened, it’ll be easy to start a conversation about the services our company offers to its clients. Boom, more clients, more business for you, too. It’s a win-win.”
I studied her in my periphery. There was a fine line between genius and crazy, and it was sitting right next to me sipping hot chocolate in mittens. “You should get paid to make Super Bowl ads,” I teased. “Marketing genius like that.”
She proudly brushed invisible lint off her shoulder. “Just another day’s work.”
“I was being sarcastic!” I groaned. “Call an Uber next time, Moonshine.” I parked in front of her house, eyeing the pink siding and white trim. It looked like a damn dollhouse.
She took a bite of her cinnamon roll and said, “And deprive myself of a few minutes with you? Not a chance.” She gave me a peeving grin as she opened the door. “Have a great day! Although I don’t know how you will without hot cocoa.”
She got out and walked toward her driveway, and I
shook my head as I towed her car away, fighting the
small smile tugging at my lips.
