A Cry in the Dark (Carly Moore #1) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,107
bit?”
I knew I’d worn him out when he grunted and closed his eyes.
The washing machine had finished, but the dryer didn’t work, so I carried the basket outside to hang the sheets on the clothesline I’d seen the day before.
I was hanging the second sheet when I heard a car engine coming up the mountain.
Shit.
I hadn’t thought to bring my gun outside, and I was about to run in and get it when I caught sight of the faded red tow truck.
Wyatt.
He parked in front of the house, bold as could be, and got out of his truck and headed straight for me.
“You’re playin’ with fire,” I said.
He stopped in front of me and grinned, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “I’ll take my chances.”
“What brings you up the mountain?” I asked.
He studied my face, still smiling. “You.”
Flutters rippled through my stomach. Turned out a man wanting to defend my honor did funny things to my hormones. But I had to be honest with myself—this went way beyond hormones. I admired the way his strength was tempered by gentleness. The devotion with which he’d thrown himself into mentoring a teenage boy in need of guidance. And I couldn’t help but respond to the way he cared for all of the people around him, from Seth to Hank to me.
Wyatt Drummond was a man I could deeply care for, and it scared the crap out of me. I lowered my gaze, suddenly unable to look him in the eye.
Sensing my change in demeanor, his tone softened. “Did you change Hank’s dressing?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry you had to do it alone.” He glanced up at the house. “He doin’ okay?”
“I wasn’t as gentle or as quick as the nurse,” I said. “He’s resting.”
“I’m sure you did fine,” he said softly. Then he lifted my chin so that I was looking into his warm eyes.
An electrical current ran from his hand down to my core, and my mouth parted slightly as I gasped in surprise.
His gaze dropped to my mouth, and he asked in a husky tone, “Did you have any trouble after I left?”
His hand gently cradled my jaw, sending another flutter through my insides.
“No” was all I could seem to get out. Wyatt Drummond was doing strange things to my mental capacity, and all I could think about was whether I’d let him kiss me if he closed the short distance from his mouth to mine.
I took a slow step back, and his hand dropped to his side. I wondered if I’d see aggravation or disappointment on his face, but all I saw was warmth and understanding.
It made me like him even more.
“I’ve got to finish the laundry.” I gestured lamely at the basket of sheets. Then, to remind us both that my situation was temporary, I asked, “Any word on the estimate for my car?”
He grimaced. “We both know it’s not worth the trouble. Your best bet is for me to sell it to a junkyard for you. In the meantime, I started workin’ on Hank’s car last night so you can get to work and back and haul him around if need be. I should have it up and runnin’ by tomorrow.”
That explained the open hood of the car in the garage last night.
He gave me a soft smile. “I’ll go start workin’.”
He headed toward the garage, and I heard the sounds of metal clanging as I went inside. Under the guise of cleaning, I searched for any evidence or drugs Seth might have found. Nearly two hours later, I’d come up with a big fat nothing.
I glanced at the clock. It was close to one, so I made sandwiches for lunch. After, I handed one to Hank, who was in his recliner watching a game show.
“I know that boy’s out there in my garage,” he barked.
“And you’re not kicking him off your land?”
He frowned. “He’s out there for you, so it don’t seem right.”
“You mean workin’ on your car so we can get around?” I asked.
He glanced up at me with a knowing look. “We both know it’s more than that.”
He was right. We did.
I took the second sandwich out to the garage. I considered bringing my own to eat with him, but I couldn’t do it. Eating together was too familiar, and while my heart seemed ready to make that leap, my head knew it was a bad idea.
Wyatt grinned when he stopped and watched me walk across the yard toward him. When I reached the edge of the