“Thank you.” After all, what else could she say? Complaining wouldn’t make a tow truck appear any faster. With a flick of her wrist, Lauren tossed the phone back into her bag and leaned between the bucket seats to reach the sweatshirt in the backseat. She’d thrown it back there so she could take it to school on Monday to keep in her closet. Now, though, the extra layer would come in handy. The heat had only been off for a few minutes, but already the temperature in the car was dropping.
Nate kept his speed a good ten miles per hour below the speed limit as he drove down Route 3 toward home. The high winds combined with the heavy snowfall made visibility poor. Yet he didn’t mind the storm, or at least he wouldn’t once he made it home. It had been a while since he’d experienced a good New England snowstorm. Outside, the headlights of his Mustang illuminated a red Mini with a ‘Love to Dance’ bumper sticker on the back. He knew that car. After all, how many red Minis could there be in the area with a bumper sticker like that? Not many. And even if it wasn’t Lauren, whoever it was needed help. No person in his right mind . . . or her right mind . . . would be pulled over for fun on a night like this. Without any hesitation, Nate pulled up behind the parked car, put his in neutral, and approached the tiny car.
The inside of the Mini was dark, but through the driver-side window he could make out Lauren huddled in the front seat with her arms wrapped around herself. What had she been thinking to come out tonight? The conditions downright sucked. No one should be out unless absolutely necessary. If he’d known they’d get this bad on his way home, he would’ve camped out at the office tonight. Without considering what Lauren’s reaction might be, he rapped his knuckles on the window. Immediately, Lauren’s body jumped and her head whipped around toward him. The look on her face went from fear to shock and finally relief.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Nate demanded once she opened her car door.
“Kelly needed a ride to the hospital. On the way home the car started making a god-awful sound. Now it won’t start at all. I’m waiting for the tow truck, but they’re very busy tonight.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
Nate took a step forward prepared to wrap his arms around her and keep her warm, but he stopped himself just in time. He’d lost the right to touch her a long time ago, and he may never earn it back. Her behavior the other night at her house proved that much. “How long have you been out here?”
Lauren pushed up her sleeve to check her watch. “About fifteen minutes. They said it would be at least an hour before they got here.”
“Come on, you can wait in my car until they get here, and then I’ll drive you home.”
Lauren didn’t argue. She grabbed her things and followed him back to his car. After they were both inside, he cranked up the heat. Though she hadn’t complained, she looked half-frozen.
“Thanks for stopping,” Lauren said as she spread her hands out in front of the air vents.
“Anytime. Is Kelly okay? Did she have the baby?”
“Not yet. At least when I left the hospital she hadn’t. Her water broke earlier tonight, so I think she will have the baby soon. Jared promised to call after the baby is born.”
Turning down the heat to keep from melting, he said, “Your parents must be excited. This is their second grandchild, right?”
“Third. Matt has two kids. Jenny just turned three, and Connor is almost six.”
“My nephew turned six this month.”
Lauren reached out and readjusted an air vent. “I know. David and Connor are both in Mrs. Parker’s kindergarten class.”
“I can’t believe that woman is still there.” Mrs. Parker had already been a veteran teacher when they’d been in her class.
“I think she just enjoys teaching, and she’s good at it. All the kids love her. Even the ones that don’t get her as a teacher.”
“She was one of my favorite teachers,” Nate said. “Do you remember that puppet she used when she read stories?”
For the next hour they shared their good and bad memories from elementary school. When flashing lights finally pulled up in front of Lauren’s car, Nate reached for the door. “Looks like the tow truck is here.”
“It’s about time. I’ve never had to wait this long before for them to come.”
Quickly the tow truck driver attached Lauren’s car to the truck. After giving her the name of the garage he was towing it to, he pulled away from the curb, once again leaving them alone.
“We should go.”
When Nate opened the car door for her and, as he headed down Route 3, they didn’t speak at all. Under different circumstances he would’ve tried to get her talking again. Their earlier conversation had been relaxed and enjoyable. For the time being, however, he decided his concentration should be on the road rather than words. The road conditions had deteriorated while they’d waited for the tow truck and visibility stunk. Once he got her home safely maybe they could talk. Or perhaps he could talk and, hopefully, she’d listen. Since his visit to her house, he’d decided to honor her request and not bother her again—and hope maybe miracles did exist. But with Lauren so close now, he found himself wondering if he should try just one more time. During his last attempt he’d only scratched the surface of what he wanted to tell her before her date arrived.
Nate’s blood started to boil at the thought of Lauren with her date. Where had they gone that night? What had they done when they returned? Nate clenched his jaw at the questions. None of it was any of his business. Acknowledging the fact didn’t undo the knots in his stomach.
“I really appreciate the ride home,” Lauren said, breaking the silence in the car for the first time. “I don’t know what I would’ve done otherwise.”
“Glad I could help.” The car skidded to the right as he turned onto her street. Almost all of the houses were ablaze with light. It seemed as if everyone had decided to hunker down for the night and wait out the storm at home. In fact, Lauren’s house was only one of two houses that didn’t have lights on.
“JoJo is going to love going outside in this. I’ve never seen a dog like the snow as much as she does.”
Speaking of dogs, he should probably call and ask his mom to let Maggie out. He’d been gone for hours, and who knew how long it would take him to get home. Before he left Lauren’s he’d call. Although, knowing his mom, she had probably already stopped in his apartment to let the dog out and feed her.
“If you need a ride to the garage, call me.” Nate stopped in front of her garage. She’d probably call Kevin or Kyle or whatever the guy’s name was, but he wanted her to know he was there for her, too.
Lauren pushed open the door but didn’t move. “You shouldn’t be driving anymore tonight.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Cocking her head to one side she looked at him then glanced out the window. “Why don’t you stay here tonight? The roads are lousy, and I have a spare bedroom.”
He’d envisioned spending the night with her many times over the years, but none of those visions ever included him using a spare bedroom. “You sure Kyle won’t mind?” he asked, taking a guess at the guy’s name.
“His name is Kevin, and no he won’t mind.” Lauren pushed the door open more. “I’ll run in and open the garage door so you can park in there.” She didn’t wait for a reply. Jumping out, she trudged across the snow-covered walkway and into the house. Seconds later, the garage door went up, and Nate drove inside.
When he’d left work hours earlier he’d cursed the slow traffic leaving the city and the weather. Now, sitting in Lauren’s garage, he didn’t mind it so much. By nature Nate didn’t buy into the whole everything-happens-for-a-reason belief. Yet, at least in this case, events out of his control were throwing the two of them together for the night. And even though he’d told himself to back off and leave her alone, he planned to make one last attempt at breaching her defenses.
Keep cool and don’t let anything she says get your temper going. She’d always known how to get him going. When they’d been a couple, he’d sworn she did it sometimes just for fun.
Nate entered the house through the door connecting the two-car garage to the kitchen. On his last visit he hadn’t made it any farther into the house than the living room, but he wasn’t surprised that the kitchen reflected Lauren’s personality. The walls were painted a sunny yellow, her favorite color. A few flowerpots overflowing with fresh herbs lined the windowsill above the sink. Bar stools sat beneath the counter, and pictures of famous locations in France hung on the walls. “Lauren,” he called out, closing the door behind him.
“Make yourself at home. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Too bad you don’t really mean that. If not for the storm and bad driving conditions, she would have sent him on his way as soon as they pulled into her driveway.