his family, and she told him more about her sister’s writing career, especially the movie deal in the works.
They went through some of the snacks they’d brought along, so neither of them was overly hungry. They enjoyed a comfortable familiarity, making slow but steady progress toward the cabin. All in all, it was a pleasant trip despite the weather hazards.
And then Buddy stopped being patient. He decided he needed a break and he needed it now.
Natalie did what she could to calm the dog, but he was not only unused to riding in cars, he wasn’t used to holding it either. He paced the space available to him, howled and put his paws up against the doors and the back of the seats.
He became so frantic that Natalie looked ready to cry over his upset.
“He’s all right, Natalie.”
“He doesn’t understand.” And then, “What if he goes in your car?”
Jett shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll be cleaning it. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t aim for the luggage.”
She went mute before snickering.
“What?”
“Ohmigod, can you imagine if that happened?”
Jett grinned. “If it did, we’d be doing laundry right off. Either way, it wouldn’t be all that tragic.” He felt bad for Buddy too, but at the same time, he appreciated Natalie’s empathy, how hard she worked at trying to soothe Buddy.
Seconds later, good fortune shone on them. “I think I see a clear exit. We can get some food and gas too, but I don’t see any signs for lodging.” He heard her cooing to Buddy, promising him relief, and Jett smiled. “I’m guessing you could use the break, too?”
“Are you kidding? I needed to go hours ago.”
Jett carefully veered off on the slick exit. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“What could you do about it? Nothing. You had your hands full just keeping us on the road.”
Sensible, considerate, sexy Natalie. Every second with her deepened his feelings.
Jett shook his head and made it off the highway, but just barely. The one and only gas station he saw, attached to a small store of supplies, had a sign offering hot dogs and coffee.
“I’ll pull up close to the building to let you out under the overhang, then I’ll drive Buddy over to that semi-clear spot behind that big metal garbage bin. Wait inside for me, okay? When Buddy’s done, I’ll pull back up front and you can wait with him while I run in.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He noticed that Natalie had her knees together and bit back another grin. If he’d known things were so dire for her, he could have figured out something. What, he didn’t know, but he could be resourceful when it came to her comfort. Pretty soon, if everything went as he planned, she’d be comfortable enough with him to tell him everything she needed, even outside the bedroom.
Buddy again worried that he was being dumped, so Jett had to take extra time to convince him otherwise. He had to crouch down by the dog as Buddy did his business in ten different locations. All the while, Jett talked to him, rubbed his ear or scratched his back.
By the time Buddy finished and Jett had the gas tank refilled, his own situation was critical. His jeans now snow-covered up to his knees, his ears and nose red from the cold, Jett again pulled up in front of the gas station.
Natalie had her arms laden with hot dogs, chips and colas. While he stowed the food on the floor of the front seat, she crawled over the seat into the back to dig out food and water for Buddy. The dog hadn’t yet learned manners and he made a mess, and a racket, refilling his belly.
Shaking his head, Jett told her, “Be right back.”
He left the SUV running to keep her warm but locked the doors on his way out. After he finished inside, he asked the cashier about weather reports. Unfortunately, it sounded as if road crews couldn’t keep up with the downfall and shops were closing early so workers could avoid being stranded.
When Jett got back out to the SUV, he found Natalie looking dazed. He used the remote to unlock his door and got behind the wheel, relieved that she’d forgotten all about taking a turn driving. No way in hell would he let her behind the wheel. He did trust her driving ability, but she was far jumpier than him.
He frowned at her expression. “What is it, honey? You okay?”
She had