When A Man Loves A Woman(14)

“Hey! Do you need some help?” he called out.

Delilah had the feeling that Mac had no clue he was riding to her rescue. The interior of her car was as dark as the dimly lit beach road. She wrenched open her door and got out.

“Hey Mac. It’s me. Delilah! My car won’t start. I think it might have overheated. There’s lots of steam coming from the hood.” She pointed feebly in the direction of the hood.

Mac’s expression didn’t change. There was a slight widening of his eyes. He nodded in her direction. “Hi, Delilah. How long have you been out here?” he asked with a frown.

“Ten minutes or so. Not too long.”

“Are you all right?” he asked, his eyes flickering with something that resembled concern.

“I’m fine,” she answered, feeling perplexed by the sudden pleasure rushing through her as a result of Mac’s question. It had been a long time since a man had asked or cared about her well-being.

“Is anybody coming?”

She shook her head. “Rusty’s place is closed.”

“Let me take a look under the hood.”

“Sure. Let me pop the hood open.” Delilah opened the door and pressed the button to open up the hood. She stood outside the car and watched as Mac lifted the hood and began poking around inside. After a few minutes he closed the hood and brushed his hands on his dark jeans. He took a few steps toward her. “You’ve got a few things going on. The car is overheating, which is most likely due to a problem with your radiator. You’re also dealing with a pretty old car here. I hate to break it to you, but this could be it. You might want to start looking for a replacement car.”

Delilah’s spirits sank. She couldn’t mask her expression at the moment if she tried. “I’ve had Betty for so long I can’t even imagine not having her.”

Mac frowned, making his handsome features even more intense.

“Betty?” he asked. “You lost me.”

Delilah chuckled. “Sorry. I named my car Betty. She’s like an old friend.” The smile that crept over Mac’s face was slow in the making, but by the time it reached its full potential it threatened to topple her over. How in the world had she been unaware until recently of Mac’s devastating appeal? It had crept up on her and knocked her over the head. Perhaps she had been too busy dating the bad boy variety to have been able to appreciate the Mac Donahues of the world.

“That’s funny. I’ve never named one of my rides before.”

Delilah peered around him at his truck. It was gigantic and as red as an apple. She tapped her finger on her chin. “Your car looks like a Thor. Big and powerful.”

Mac’s throaty chuckle sounded delightful to her ears. It felt good to make him laugh.

“Thor! That’s a perfect name for it. You’re good at naming cars.”

“It’s a special talent,” she teased, enjoying the light camaraderie that flowed so easily between them.

“So I can call a tow service and give you a ride home if you like,” Mac suggested.

Delilah let out the breath she’d been holding. Ever since Betty had started to let out steam like an overheated tea kettle she’d wondered how in the world she would make her way home. She was sure that Sarah or Blue would have happily picked her up, but with a newborn in the house, she didn’t want to do anything to disturb their tranquility.

“That would be great,” she said with an enthusiastic nod. “I need to put some emergency road service numbers in my phone. I keep forgetting to do it.”

She stood by as Mac made the call to the towing company. His tone was jovial and laid back. She liked the rich timbre of his voice. Being in his steady presence made her feel safe and protected. It was a strange feeling after so many weeks and months of not feeling anything at all for any man.

Delilah turned away from him, then took her purse from the car and grabbed her keys. By the time she turned back around Mac was holding his cell phone in his hand, having finished the phone call.

“My friend Jon is the owner of the towing company. He’ll tow your car to Rusty’s. He’ll be able to tell you whether Betty lives or dies.”

Delilah didn’t want to laugh about her car’s problems, but the way Mac said it made her giggle.

“I don’t mean to make light of it,” Mac said. “It’s a bummer to have your car give out on you.”

They began walking toward his truck. When she made a move to head toward the passenger side, Mac stepped in front of her and opened the door. As she stepped up into the truck he reached for her hand to assist her. She felt a tremor run through her hand at the skin to skin contact. As she settled into the seat Mac quickly rounded the front of the car and settled into the driver’s seat. A quick look around the interior showcased a pristine environment. Not even a piece of lint was in evidence.