out and brag about my near miss. The grime left on my face would just make the story more exciting.
“Bro, we can shower later,” I said. “Let’s go get a beer. Come on, I almost died today.”
Levi glared at me.
My phone binged with a text from Logan. He and some of the guys were already at the Caboose.
“I’m walking over to the Caboose. You can do what you want.”
“Whatever,” Levi said. “I’m taking a fucking shower.”
“Suit yourself, bro. I’ll buy you a beer when you get there.”
The Caboose was only a few blocks from the station. Still a little high on adrenaline, I walked to the restaurant and bar that had been our prime hangout for years. Logan and a few more guys were in the parking lot.
“There’s the baked brotato,” Logan called.
He and the other guys gave me a round of applause. I paused at the curb to bow before crossing the street.
“Just a day at the office,” I called, grinning as I stepped off the sidewalk. “You guys—”
BAM!
I hit the pavement, blinding pain shooting through me, and my head swam with confusion. The weirdest thought went through my mind.
Did I just survive a forest fire only to get hit by a fucking car?
3
Skylar
Oh my god.
I wasn’t breathing. Air rushed into my lungs in a gasp and I pried my hands off the steering wheel.
I’d just hit someone.
With my car.
Move, Skylar. Call 911. Do something.
I flew out and rushed to where he lay on the pavement a few feet from my front bumper. He lifted his head and blinked at me. And then he did the strangest thing.
He smiled.
The corners of his mouth turned upward, and through the dirt on his face, I could see a very cute set of dimples.
Why was I thinking about how cute his dimples were? I’d just hit this man.
“Hey,” he said.
I crouched next to him. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Of course you’re not okay. I’ll call 911.”
Our gazes met, and for a second, I was frozen. His soft brown eyes held mine captive and warmth filled me. Butterflies in my stomach suddenly took flight, flapping their tiny wings. Unable to stop myself, I reached out and gently smoothed his hair back from his forehead.
God, he was gorgeous.
He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but several men ran over from the adjacent parking lot, breaking the spell.
“Holy shit, Gavin.”
“Are you okay?”
“Can you move?”
I stood and fumbled for my phone, but one of them put a hand on my arm.
“It’s okay, I’m already on with dispatch.” He had a phone to his ear. “We’re TFD.”
TFD. Tilikum Fire Department. These guys were firefighters? That was lucky.
“Hang in there, broller coaster,” one of the guys said. He was kneeling next to the victim. My victim. “You’re all right.”
“I tried to stop,” I said, although no one was paying attention to me. But it was true. I’d come around the corner and he’d walked right out in front of me. He hadn’t even looked.
It wasn’t long before an ambulance arrived, lights flashing. Soon after, a police cruiser. The paramedics loaded Gavin onto a gurney. At least I hadn’t killed him. Not instantly, at least. My mind cataloged everything I knew about internal injuries. Why were they being so slow? He could be bleeding out right before our eyes and—
“Miss?”
I gasped. Someone was trying to talk to me. “What?”
A man in his fifties wearing a sheriff’s department uniform placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get out of the street, okay?”
“I didn’t mean to hit him. He walked out right in front of me. I tried to stop. I hit the brakes—”
“I know.” His voice was calm and soothing. “He’s going to be okay.”
“But they should really check for internal bleeding. He could have ruptured his spleen. Or worse, his liver. You can live without a spleen. Liver, not so much. And the bleeding could kill him if left unchecked.”
“They’re taking good care of him.” He guided me onto the sidewalk. “What’s your name?”
“Skylar Stanley.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you related to Norman Stanley?”
“Yeah. He’s my dad.”
“Okay. I’ll call him.”
Great. I get into town and the first thing I do is run over someone. Way to make your daddy proud, Skylar.
They closed the ambulance doors. I started to ask if I should go with him, but snapped my mouth closed. That didn’t make any sense. The paramedics were taking care of him; he didn’t need me.
But I was still oddly