Wright with Benefits (Wright Series #8) - K.A. Linde Page 0,4

meet you there.”

He looked at me blankly. Right, he wasn’t from here.

“You have no idea what Spirit Ranch is, do you?”

“Should I?”

Fair question. He probably hadn’t been to a wedding in town. Or any number of other events that were held there. That wasn’t exactly his repertoire.

“Just meet me out front. You can follow me.”

“Sounds good.” He waved at Sophia. “Sorry about all of this. I’ll text you for the reschedule.”

She and nodded as he retreated. He hopped in his truck and veered off toward the entrance.

“Thanks again,” I told Sophia.

“Enjoy the wine.”

“Will do,” I told her. I trekked through the warehouse, back through the store, and out to the parking lot.

Which was the moment when I realized that I’d left my headlights on.

3

Jordan

I was going to have to make this up to Sophia. We’d been talking in circles for the last couple weeks to get together to discuss the new winery Julian and I were considering opening. This was the only night she’d had available, and here I was, doing a favor for Annie instead. Not that I particularly minded. Especially with the way Sophia had looked at me back there. I was beginning to think that she’d want dinner to make up for this mishap. And I had no interest in dinner with Sophia Valero. Strictly business for me.

I gritted my teeth and pulled into the parking lot in front of the Wine Boutique. Annie stood out front with her heels in one hand and her hair in the other. She looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown. I’d never seen her like this.

Not that we’d been on the best of terms since I’d moved to Lubbock. But this felt like a tipping point. She hadn’t even been able to hold back her eye roll in there. Usually, she was still cheery, bubbly Annie.

Not tonight.

I left the truck rumbling and stepped out onto the pavement. “Everything all right?”

She looked manic, and fuck if it didn’t draw me to her more. I remembered the first time I’d seen her in the coffee bar in Daisy Dukes. All wild passion and aggression. Her bright green eyes full of mirth and her body promising seduction. I still saw that Annie when I looked at her sometimes, but she reserved that person for others. Not me. Not anymore.

“I left…my fucking…lights on.”

“Oh fuck,” I said as she darted for the front seat.

I rushed after her, hoping that she hadn’t been here long enough to do any kind of damage. She fumbled with the key a few times before getting it into the slot. Then she pushed it forward with a look of desperate hope on her face.

The engine clicked a few times. It seemed as desperate as Annie to get going, but it never turned over. Just kept trying to force the battery to do its job and failing.

She beat her hands against the steering wheel. A scream erupted out of her chest. I winced at the pure rage seething from her in the car. It was almost something that I shouldn’t witness. I’d seen Annie angry, of course, but not like this.

I backed away slowly, giving her a minute alone. I would have gone in search of jumper cables, but I knew that I didn’t have them. I’d been driving a Tesla before this. I’d finally caved in the last two weeks and bought the truck. Before moving to Lubbock, I never would have considered getting a huge truck, but I already loved it. My friends back home wouldn’t even recognize me.

Annie finally got out of her car and came around the side of my truck, looking defeated.

“I don’t have cables in the truck. It’s new,” I said right off the bat.

Her face deflated further. “Of course. Right. I don’t have any either.”

“We could ask Sophia,” I offered.

She tilted her head to the sky overhead. Anyone else this frustrated might have been close to tears but not Annie. Annie looked like she might murder the entire world for doing this to her.

“That would be great. Do you think you could ask her?”

“Sure. Do you want to wait in the truck? It’s warm at least.”

I didn’t bother mentioning that she probably should be wearing pants and shoes when it was supposed to drop into the teens tonight. She looked miserable enough.

“I guess I have no other choice,” she said and then stepped past me to get into the passenger side.

I shook my head. She must have been having some night