She grimaced and said, “I was outside the car when a minivan hit a puddle as they passed me. It got in my mouth, too. Blech!”
Jared kept his chuckle to himself as he brushed at a smudge on her cheek. “Stay in the car where it’s warm, and I’ll get you out of this mud.” He reached over and put her shifter in neutral and released the emergency brake.
In such close quarters, he blamed it on the way her lush scent filled his head when he slid a hand behind her head and kissed her, startling a gasp out of her. He held her to his chest as he devoured her lips, feasting on her until she went limp with a soft moan. Her pupils were dilated and her breath came in little high-pitched pants that made his dick hard as granite.
“Wh–what was that f–for?”
“Who knew you were headed to San Antonio besides me, Kendry, and Marvin?”
Her gaze skittered away from his eyes and lingered on his lips and his throat before returning to his eyes again. “No one.” He loved that soft, breathless quality in her voice.
“If you hadn’t had my phone with you, what would you have done? Marvin’s at home probably watching Wheel of Fortune. He’d assume you were home and wouldn’t know you were stuck out here.” When she swallowed, he heard the sound and realized she might be thirsty. The need to take care of her grew even stronger.
“I would’ve wound up walking…with the baby.” He saw the stark realization in her eyes.
If something happened to you, angel…
“Five miles, in the rain, on a dark stretch of icy road.” She leaned into him and gave him a soft kiss and whispered, “Thank you.”
He nodded and closed her in the car and set to work, thoughts of her walking by herself on the side of the road with the baby in her arms. She was dressed in work clothes—just a skirt, blouse, and a trench coat. For crying out loud, she had little flats on her feet that were completely covered in mud. By the time she’d trekked the five miles into town she’d be at risk for frostbite and the baby…God, he couldn’t even think about if the wrong person stopped to pick her up. A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold rippled through him as he connected the tow chains to the undercarriage of her car.
When he had her pulled out of the mud he went back to the car, glad that the stretch of road had only seen a few vehicles. She rolled her window down and he said, “Follow me to the fire station so we can check you and the baby.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s really—”
“Are you willing to move Whit’s car seat and ride with me? We’ll get Dave to pick up your car.”
“No, it’s drivable and the sewing machine I just bought is in the trunk. I won’t leave it out here without reason. I just need to get Whit home and get out of these shoes.”
“Please, kitten. You’ve been sitting in below freezing weather with your feet wet. Besides, I’m here in an official capacity. Kendry looked really worried.” He’d use whatever means necessary to get her to follow him.
She paused and then nodded. “Okay, but it seems like a wasted effort when I’m right across the street. I’ll follow you to the station.”
“Good. We’ll make sure you get across the street once we’re sure you’re both okay.”
With a nod, she rolled up her window and followed him into town. The car ran fine, although he thought it might need a trip to the garage to make sure the alignment wasn’t off.
At the station, Kendry charged through one of the doors inside the emergency vehicle bay and had the driver door open in seconds. Knowing Kendry would need a moment with her, Jared opened the passenger door behind her and smiled at Whit, who was looking a little disgruntled at the change in his nighttime routine.
“Hey, buddy,” he murmured as he unbuckled the car seat and lifted the baby from the nest of blankets Presley Ann had tucked in around him to keep him warm. The cold air hit him and Whit was having none of it as he began to wail.
Kendry released her from his hug, and she turned to reach for Whit. “This is going to be a long night. Oh—ew!” Jared reached for her as she stumbled slightly and realized that one of her mud-covered flats had slipped from her foot after sticking to the concrete floor of the bay.
“Leave it for now. Let’s get you inside, young lady,” Chief said as he joined the crowd and took control. He put his arm around her shoulders and escorted her inside as he said, “Any numbness or tingling in your feet or hands?”
“No, sir. I was only out long enough to check the damage to the car. I called as soon as I realized I was stuck. Please, I’m fine. I’m more worried about my baby.”