As he drove toward home, the rain grew heavier and smashed hard against the roof of the truck. The frantic swipes of the wipers didn’t do much to clear the water from the windscreen. Small rivers filled the gutters, and Nick wanted to be home before he got caught in flash flooding, which this area was prone to have.
He traveled along Woodland Road when up ahead, flashing yellow hazard lights on a silver Mercedes illuminated the stormy sky. The bonnet of the car was propped up, and Ava leaned over it while trying to grip onto a black and white spotted umbrella.
“She doesn’t need my help.” Didn’t she tell him so a short while ago? He slowly drove past her.
An expression of hope that someone might stop twisted into a scowl when he kept going. Obviously, she didn’t know who was in the driver’s seat, because he had no doubt she’d want him to keep driving.
Yeah, he was being an arsehole. But surely someone would drive by and offer her a hand. Then he glanced back in his review mirror just in time to see Ava’s umbrella flick inside out. She threw it on the ground, and the wind picked it up and it went tumbling into a cow paddock. She held up a mobile phone high above her head, looking for a signal. Good luck finding one. They were in a ditch with dodgy reception on a good day. It would be impossible to get one in this weather.
He blew out a breath. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t leave her out there in the dark, especially with the full force of the storm about to hit. His mother had raised him to be a decent human.
“Dammit!” Nick pulled to a stop, smacked his palm on the steering wheel two times, and growled a sigh.
He did a U-turn, drove back, and pulled up in front of her car, pinning her with the headlights of the truck. She held her hand up to shield her eyes from the bright lights. When she must have recognized him, she frowned, swung her back to him, and poked around in the engine with her index finger. Yeah, like that would solve the problem.
Nick ripped the cap off his head, tossed it on the cracked dashboard, and ran his fingers through his hair. Of all the women in the world to be broken down in the middle of nowhere, why did it have to be Ava? Why not Tania from the feed supply store? She’d been getting friendly with him lately. Christ, he’d even rather it be old lady Eliza who owned the adjoining farm. She believed Nick was the reincarnation of her late husband and often mentioned what she’d like to do with him inside the hay shed. And it wasn’t counting inventory. Damn, she was nimble for an eighty-eight-year-old woman. He’d gotten his backside pinched a time or two.
Nick wound down the window a crack. “Having car troubles?” he yelled through the gap.
Ava stiffened, glanced over her shoulder, and yelled back, “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Bloody stubborn woman. I should leave her out here.”
Nick peered through the thrashing wipers. The thought of getting wet was unappealing, but the sooner he got Ava on her way, the sooner he could get himself home to a warm, dry house. He pulled out a waterproof jacket stuffed behind the headrest, put it on, and shoved his cap back on.
When he opened the door, the force of the wind sprayed rain as sharp as needles into his face. Fuck! How was she standing out here wearing practically nothing? The white denim jacket she’d added to her skimpy outfit wouldn’t be doing her any favors. The clothes plastered her body, and he took a moment to allow his gaze to roam. Just because he couldn’t stand Ava didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her drop-dead gorgeous body.
“You know, I’ve never seen a car repaired by poking.”
Ava whirled around and threw daggers with her gaze. Turning back to the engine, she then used two more fingers, and this time rattled some hoses.
Nick shook his head.
Opening the Mercedes’s door, he slid onto the soft leather seats. She stomped over to him before he could close the door.
“What the hell are you doing in my car? You’ll ruin the leather with your wet arse.” She pushed a lank, wet strand of hair away from her face, streaking a smudge of grease across her cheek. “You’ll pay to have it re-upholstered. Oh my God! Water is all over the controls on the door!” She shrieked so loud he thought he heard the cows in the paddock trot away.
“If you keep standing there blocking me from closing it, it will only get wetter.”
She quickly stepped back and slammed the door. There was no mistaking the word bastard on her lips. Why was he helping her again?
He flicked the ignition a couple of times, and it made a cranking sound. It didn’t sound like a flat battery. Dammit, why couldn’t it be as simple as the battery? Then he would’ve been able to jump-start it and watch her drive away. There was no way he could fix the car on the side of the road. It needed to go to the workshop.
He flicked out his wrist to check the time. There was no point calling Ben for a tow truck. He’d be with Jane, and it would have to be an emergency for him to leave. Nick was tempted to tell him it was a life-or-death situation but knew he’d never hear the end of it if he called him out in this weather.
He got out of her car and threw her the keys. A hand shot out to catch them.
“Well?” she said and crossed her arms over her chest, shivering as the rain pelted them. “What’s wrong with my car?”
Her folded arms caused her breasts to lift and the jacket to open. His gaze dropped to the raised peaks of her nipples, and he inwardly groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose and trudged through the mud to his truck and away from the headlight show. “I think it’s either the fuel pump or an electrical problem.”
Her voice rose. “You’re going to fix it, right?”
“I can’t on the side of the road.”
“You’re not going to just leave it here?”
“Yep, there’s no one who can tow it tonight.” He opened the truck door and paused; the words about to be spoken tasted like ash on his tongue. “Want a lift?”
Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she shut it in a firm line.
“Get in…or don’t. I really don’t care. I’m getting in, my balls have just about disappeared.”
For a second her gaze flicked down to his crotch, and when she spotted his knowing grin, she straightened her shoulders, stuck her nose up in the air, and didn’t budge.
“Suit yourself. Good luck getting a ride tonight.” He jumped in his ute, turned the ignition, and cranked on the heater. Unzipping his jacket, he shrugged it off then threw it behind him. Spring had provided beautiful, warm days, but the nights still had a chill. The water that had soaked through his clothes only made it colder.
A crack of lightning lit up the sky, and Ava scrambled into his truck just as the thunder boomed and rattled the windows. Nick didn’t bother hiding his smirk. She was still scared of thunderstorms. He pulled back onto the road and navigated his way through the dark, stormy night.
After a moment, she said through gritted teeth, “I guess you’re going to gloat.”
Nick didn’t take his eyes off the road when he replied, “No.”
She tilted her head to the side and squeezed water from her hair. “I don’t believe you. I bet you’re dying to rub it in my face that I needed help and you came to my rescue.”
“I would’ve stopped for an injured animal. Don’t think you’re anything special.”
She huffed.
Nick knew he was being an arsehole but didn’t care.
Another lightning strike illuminated the sky, and she covered her ears, preparing for the thunder soon to follow. When it did, she sprung so high she almost bumped her head on the roof of the truck.
“Still scared of a little storm? We’re not going parking like we used to, so I can’t distract you.”
She whipped her head around and stared wide-eyed at him.
Crap, why did he have to say that? Nick didn’t want to think about what they got up to in the past. Shifting in his seat, he scrubbed a hand over his face. To change the subject, and because her shivering vibrated against the seat, he said, “There sho
uld be a jumper behind you.”
She twisted around to reach behind the seat, and her breast brushed up against his arm. His already firm grip on the steering wheel tightened even more, and he ignored the rush of heat heading south.
“Where am I taking you?” His voice was hard.
She raised an eyebrow at the harsh tone. He wouldn’t pretend he was happy about being in such close proximity, especially with how his body was reacting.
“I have a room booked at a bed-and-breakfast. It’s called Greenhill House. It wasn’t around when I lived here. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes.” He owned the place. He didn’t question why she wasn’t staying with her father. The less he knew the better.
“Of course you would since you still live here.”
So Miss Universe thinks she’s the only one who got out and spread their wings.
“Just don’t ask me to take you anywhere out of town, because I might get lost.” Sarcasm dripped from Nick’s voice like the rain on the windshield.
She didn’t apologize for the insult, not that he really thought she would. Instead, she glanced around the cabin of the truck and laughed with disbelief. “Is this the same truck you drove years ago?”
Tempted to drop her off on the side of the road, Nick drew in a deep breath before answering, “Yes.”
She ran a hand over the cracked vinyl seat. “It’s not very comfortable.”
“You never complained. You used to beg me to take you parking in it so we could fu—”
“I did not!” she interrupted.
He couldn’t believe he’d brought up their time together again and wanted to drop it fast. “Sorry it’s not as luxurious as your Merc.” Leaning forward, he squinted through the rain and pulled to a stop. “Shit…”
Ava followed his gaze. “What?”
“The road into town is flooded. We can’t cross.”
“Are you telling me this town still hasn’t fixed the problem with this road flooding?”
“I’ll have to bring it up at the next council meeting. Just for you.”
“Isn’t this a four-wheel drive?” she asked, ignoring his sarcasm.
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He gave a heavy sigh. “It’s too deep. We could get washed away.”
“We can go back and get into town from the highway.”
Did she think he was freaking Uber? “It will take an hour just to get back to the highway and then another forty-five minutes into town. I’m not driving unnecessarily in this weather.”
Nick slammed his fist against the steering wheel. All he wanted to do was go home after a long day, put his feet up, and watch sports. The Flaming Stars were playing in the semi-finals tonight. How did his day turn to shit?
Slumping in her seat, Ava asked, “What do we do now?”
“You have two choices. I take you back to your car and hope it’s comfortable for you to sleep in or…” The next words clogged in his throat.
Ava sounded reluctant to ask, “Or what?”
He cleared the lump. “You stay the night at my place.”
Chapter 3
The pounding rain and the whooshing sound of the windscreen wipers filled the awkward silence in Nick’s truck. A blanket of darkness cocooned them within the small space. The thunder and lightning display was tame compared to the irritation radiating from Nick.
Nick was the last person Ava wanted to see when she’d arrived back in town. Sunland Valley held too many hard memories, and Nick ranked first. And why did he have to go and remind her of the last time they were in a storm in this truck?
Even though it was a long time ago, she remembered they had passed the time doing such a great job fogging up windows that she didn’t notice the wild weather. Things were wilder in the truck. She shook her head to release the image. She couldn’t help being stuck with him on a dark, stormy road, but she’d rather gnaw her own arm off than request more help.
In the hopes he was wrong about the flooded road, she asked, “Are you sure the water’s too deep to cross?” She wiped her hand over the foggy windscreen and peered into the dark. “It doesn’t look too deep.”
Nick rested his wrist on the steering wheel and let his hand casually hang. He twisted in the seat, and the t-shirt he wore stretched across his chest, outlining toned muscles under the thin fabric. The sneer twisted on his lips was anything but casual. “How about you go out there and have a better look? There’s rope in the tray if you want to tie yourself to a tree in case you get washed away.”
Ava clenched her fists, tempted to punch him in his cruel face. Going back to Nick’s place was out of the question. Obviously it wasn’t in town or he wouldn’t have suggested it. She’d have to sleep in her car and hope for better phone reception in the morning.
“So, what’s it going to be?” With intense eyes, he waited for an answer. She could tell he didn’t like the second option either.
She nibbled her bottom lip. “Take me back to my car.”
His eyebrows rose slightly, but he turned the truck around and headed back toward the car without any questions. His relief was palpable.
When they reached the car, she sat forward on the seat as far as the seatbelt allowed and stared with disbelief out of the windscreen. “What the hell?”
A herd of cows surrounded the vehicle. The storm must have spooked them and they’d broken through the paddock fence. A cacophony of mooing cattle surrounded them.
Nick blasted the horn. The cows turned stunned expressions toward them, shuffled their feet, and continued with their song.
The horn blasted again, this time longer. A few shuffled away, but there was still a wall of cattle in front of the car.
They sat in silence, staring at the animals. Then Nick leaned over her, their chests colliding, and his face inches from hers. Ava sucked in a startled breath and shrieked, “What the hell are you doing?” Did he think they were going to get-it-on in his truck?
“Not what you’re obviously thinking. You still have a dirty mind.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, and when he raised his eyes back to met hers, a cold chill blasted from them. “Wouldn’t go there again.”
Ava wanted to slap his face, but she was pinned against the seat. “There’s no chance in hell I’d let you,” she spat.
Nick nudged opened the passenger side door, and with a wave of his hand said, “Enjoy your evening.”
The jerk was going to abandon her to deal with the cattle. Well, she’d never been scared of a few docile cows. How hard could it be to make them move?
She straightened her shoulders, jutted her chin out, and stepped into the heavy rain, thankful that the thunder and lightning had stopped. Ignoring Nick’s low chuckle, she slammed the door. “I hope the stupid door falls off his shit box car,” she grumbled.
She tried balancing on wobbly heels as they sank into the thickened mud. The wind whipped through her hair and the rain stung her face as the cows watched her approach with suspicion.
Waving her hands above her head, she took a few steps toward them. “Shoo! Shoo!”
The cows shuffled closer to the Mercedes.
She waved her arms again, stepped closer, and threatened, “Move or I’ll make hamburgers out of you!”
The cow with beady, brown eyes standing closest to Ava must not have appreciated the threat. It swung its rump in her direction, hoisted its tail high, and released a very large, very runny, cow patty all over her favorite Louis Vuitton shoes.
“Argh!” she screamed. “You dumb animal. Do you know how much they cost?”
No, of course not, it was a cow. She shook her feet, trying to flick off the muck. The cow glanced over its shoulder—Ava could have sworn it was smiling—and mooed.
“You are so going to be minced meat.”
Once again it lifted its tail, but this time Ava was quick to move out of the way. But in doing so, she thumped into another cow that had sneaked up behind her, and it sent her sprawling on h
er hands and knees into the soggy mud. Wrinkling her nose, she didn’t want to think about the cow shit mixed in.
She wanted to kick her legs and scream, but it would only give Nick the satisfaction of watching her throw a tantrum. Being covered in mud and cow shit was enough humiliation for one night. The truck’s headlights shined on her like a spotlight on a performer. He sat in his truck, warm and toasty, probably laughing his arse off while she battled the elements and livestock. He wouldn’t be laughing for long when she dragged cow shit into his truck.
But the night of humiliation wasn’t over. She now had the arduous task of slugging back through the mud and asking him to take her to his house. She tilted her head toward the turbulent skies, praying that the universe would send her a lifeline. The rain splattered her face as she waited. Then a cow nudged her from behind and she stumbled, catching herself before she again face-planted into the mud. She glared back at the culprit and was certain it was the same animal that did its business on her shoes. By the looks of things, the universe didn’t give a crap.
The door creaked as she threw herself back inside the truck. She sat with a stiff spine and stared straight ahead. “I’ll go back to your place.” The words sliced her throat like razor blades.
“And you’re assuming I’m still offering?”
Her head snapped around, and she shot him a glare. She ignored his disgusted perusal. “Are you going to take me back to your place or not?”
Wrinkling his nose, he took in her disheveled state. “When a woman wants me to take her home she smells a lot sweeter.”
Ava reached for the door handle to leave. She wouldn’t beg. Where she would go she didn’t know. Anywhere would be better than here with Nick seeing her at her worst.
The truck moved before she could make her exit. She clamped her mouth shut, and they sat in stony silence in the dim interior, the lights from the dashboard doing little to mask the repulsive mud and cow shit covering her Gucci pants and Louis Vuitton heels. She slid Nick a quick glance. His hard profile showed nothing of the boy who once found fun in everything. Tense lines bracketed his mouth.
Chasing Trouble Page 2
