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“Because I’m fu-very mad at you.” His jaw bunched and without another word, he opened the front passenger door of his car and gestured for me to get in.
The relief I felt was palpable, but I hesitated.
“Please, Esme. Just let me help you this one time,” he said, his voice softening, though still tinged with frustration.
“Alright,” I agreed reluctantly, knowing it was better than continuing our trek in the heat. I helped the kids into the back seat, making sure everyone was buckled up safely.
Finally, I climbed into the front seat and held my hands over the icy blast of the air-conditioning vent. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, but the coolness did little to ease the fire in my blood.
“Everyone okay back there?” Wolfe asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror. I turned my head to see everyone sitting with their hands folded primly in their laps, not daring to move.
“Yes,” Ariel answered quietly.
“This is like a spaceship,” Florian marveled, gazing around the interior of the car with wide eyes.
“Shh,” Tiana hissed.
“It’s okay, you can talk.” I tried to reassure them, but they all looked more than a little overwhelmed.
“One minute.” Wolfe pressed a button on the dash and the sound of a phone ringing filled the car.
It was answered in less than two seconds. “Sir.”
“There’s a broken-down Ford Taurus on the highway, about three miles out from Esperance. Have it taken to the local garage in town.”
“Yes, sir.”
Wolfe hung up, and I thought he was going to put the car in gear and ease back onto the highway. But he didn’t. He just sat there, staring out the windshield.
“Wolfe?” I asked, hesitantly.
“Jesus, Esme. You know I can buy you a new car as easily as I can buy you a fu-hecking coffee.”
I frowned. “I’m not letting you buy me a new car.”
“Well, you should.”
“Well, I’m not.” I folded my arms across my chest and eyed him balefully.
He shoved his fingers through his dark hair and blew out a breath of frustration. Obviously giving up, he put the car in drive, quickly glanced in the rear-view mirror at the kids in the back, flicked his indicator on and joined the flow of traffic heading to Esperance.
I glanced over at him, his dark hair tousled, and hazel eyes focused on the road as he drove us home. Yeah, so watching him drive was a turn on. So what?
“Anyway, thanks again for picking us up.”
“Sure.”
Okay, so still mad at me. And still ridiculously hot.
As we pulled into the trailer park, I tried not to wonder how this all looked from Wolfe’s point of view. Had he ever even been inside a trailer park?Stop it,I whispered to myself.
A quick glance in the back let me know the kids were okay. Much cooler in Wolfe’s car than mine, which was something, at least. I looked back at Wolfe, noting his impassive expression. Alright, be that way then.
“Home sweet home,” I said, a tinge of sarcasm and maybe a little self-deprecation in my tone.
Wolfe shot me a look but said nothing.
“Just go to the end here and turn left.”