“You said friends in the diner,” she reminded him. “Or was that just you trying to butter me up?”
“Now, why would I want you buttered?” he asked. “Do you think we’re planning to eat you?”
“This whole thing is unfolding like the beginning of a horror movie. You have to admit it.” Holly laughed to make it clear she was joking. She didn’t want to offend the man who’d been nothing but nice to her since he may or may not have run her off the road.
“You and I must be watching very different horror movies,” he replied.
“I bet you ten bucks Pearl’s house looks haunted,” she said.
“You can’t ask me to bet on something I’ve already seen.” He chuckled.
“So, it does look haunted.”
“I never said that.”
“So, it doesn’t look haunted.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a lot to handle?” Holly gasped as her words were thrown back in her face.
“Never, actually.”
“I don’t believe you.” He smirked. “I bet you’re a whole lot to handle.”
The way he said that made Holly’s cheeks go hot. She was undeniably attracted to him, but what was the point if she was only going to be here for a day? She wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman. She wasn’t an any-night stand kind of woman. That particular ship hadn’t sailed in her case.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex. She was simply waiting for a special kind of connection. She didn’t like the idea of losing her virginity to a sweaty stranger she wouldn’t care about a month later.
Unfortunately, the connection she was looking for hadn’t shown up yet.
But there was always a first time for everything...
They turned off the main road and headed toward the mountains. Huge trees rose up on either side of them. They might as well have been in the middle of nowhere. The road grew narrower until it was only a single lane.
“What happens if another car comes?” Holly asked. “I’m not up for two accidents in one day.”
“This road only leads to Pearl’s house. It’s unlikely we’re going to see another car.”
Johnny eased around a curve just as another car came zooming around. Johnny threw out his arm, stopping Holly from lurching forward as he slammed on the brakes. She clutched his arm like a lifeline as the tires screamed. The smell of burnt rubber came in through the air conditioning vents. The other car didn’t even pause. It continued as if it had the road to itself.
Holly leaned forward, prepared to give the driver her most withering stare, but the windows were tinted so dark she couldn’t see anything. The all-black car looked more like a shadow than an actual vehicle.
Johnny’s whole body went tense as the car drove by. Holly watched the muscles in his neck and jaw work in frustration. She softened her grip on his arm but didn’t let go.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” From his tone, she knew that wasn’t the case.
“I can’t believe they didn’t stop,” she murmured.
“Forget about them,” he snarled, still looking where the car was. When he turned back to her, his face was soft and concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Shocked.” Holly barked out a laugh. “I feel like I’ve tempted the universe a little too much.”
“But not hurt?”
“No, not hurt. Are you okay?”
“Fine now that you’ve retracted your claws.” Johnny looked at his arm with a smirk. Sure enough, there were little half-moon marks on his skin.
Holly immediately released his arm. “Sorry! It was a knee-jerk reaction.” She winced.
“I’d rather have you digging your nails into me than going through the windshield. These seatbelts haven’t been updated since 1978.”
Holly’s mouth dropped open. “That’s something I wished I would’ve known before I got in the car!”
“If I told you, you wouldn’t have gotten out of your car,” Johnny reasoned. “Leaving you on the side of the road wasn’t an option for me, especially now that we know that maniac is driving around so carelessly.”
“Makes me wonder what else you’re keeping from me.”
“If I think of anything, I’ll tell you.” Johnny smiled. He put the truck in gear and resumed the drive at a much slower pace. No other cars came careening around any of the winding curves.
The trees gave away to a stunning old house that was partway between a log cabin and a castle. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows dominated the exterior. From the road, Holly could see clear through to the overlook on the other side of the house.
“Talk about natural light.” She sighed dreamily. “How close are the neighbors?”
“Just under a mile away.”
“You’re joking!”
“Once we get up into the mountains like this, there aren’t a lot of suitable plots for homes right next to each other. Pearl liked how secluded it was.”
“She was up here all alone?” Grandfather Wade died shortly after Holly’s dad was born, but somehow, she never pictured Pearl being on her own. It just...never occurred to her. “God, I was a horrible granddaughter.”
“She wasn’t alone.” Johnny grinned. “This house was like an unofficial city hall. We came here for weddings, birthdays, town meetings, and just about everything else you can think of. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a roof or just a little bit of space.”
“I had no idea,” Holly whispered. Tears welled in her eyes. How had she let herself become so disconnected from her grandmother? Even when she grew into her teenage years, she relied on her parents to arrange all the family get-togethers. She should’ve taken on the responsibility when she left home. Now, it was too late.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for a few days?” Johnny asked gently. “It might make you feel better
