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T he melodic rumbling of my car shaking as I drive out of town to my newest listing doesn't give me the same vibes as listening to my favorite pop star belt out her list of ex-lovers. Even worse is the sound of the rumbling coming from under my car matches the vigorous gyrations of my steering wheel. This can't be good.

Luckily, there's a body shop and gas station coming up on the side of the road. Pulling my 2004 Honda into the place feels like the best thing to do right now. It's quiet, and while the lights are on, there's no sign of life.

"This is how horror movies start, Maddie," I whisper to myself as I take hesitant steps into the store attached to the body shop.

The bell chimes over the door as I look around for an employee. It's clean, and the items on the shelves look fresh enough. At least it doesn't look abandoned. Still, a zombie menace could pop out at any minute.

"Um, hello?" I call out as I approach the counter, where there's a door that obviously leads into the mechanic portion of the building. My heart races with every step I take closer to the door. I just want to ask whoever is in charge to take a look at my car.

There are grinding noises coming from behind the door that make me nervous. It sounds like heavy machinery, but I can't be sure without stepping through the door. I don't want to take a chance to walk back there. I'm already behind the shop's counter.

"Excuse me?" I call out even louder into the noisy shout, keeping myself behind the door next to the counter and register. The machinery stops, but the wind outside is blowing something fierce. I need to get to the house I'm renovating and back home as soon as possible.

"What are you doing back here?" a deep voice questions from behind me.

A yelp escapes my throat as I whip around to see a handsome face behind the terrifying voice heavy with accusation.

"Holy hell, where did you come from? I'm, um, sorry," I spew out.

My mind is battling itself from lusting after this hunk of a man and outright terror because I psyched myself into thinking this is the setting of a jump scare. Finally, my voice pushes through my fear, and I smile. "My car is making a noise and rattling as I drive. I just wanted to know if someone was around to take a look at it."

Soft brown eyes take me in from head to toe, pulling my attention to the chiseled features of his face. An angular jaw rests under a beard just growing in and runs down over the bulge in his throat. He smells like motor oil and pine trees, and dirt smudges over his jumpsuit and hands make him look like he's been fighting fires.

"You can pull it 'round to the garage," he mutters before stepping out of my way.

I can feel his penetrating gaze follow me out of the store, and I toss another smile over my shoulder.

"Thank you for doing this," I tell him.

"Well, I don't want you stranded out here." He huffs and walks by me to hold the door open.

The coldness of the afternoon air has nothing on his icy demeanor. I bring my car around the side of the building and into the garage. There are two seats next to the door where I park myself until the hunk of the mechanic gives me some good news. At least, I hope there is good news.

Thankfully, I don't have to focus on the handsome stranger too long as my phone rings. My dad's smiling face as he squeezes me and my sisters in his embrace flashes across my screen.

"Hey, Dad," I answer with far too much enthusiasm.

"What's wrong?" he asks immediately.

"Nothing, I swear it's not that bad."

Dad grumbles into the phone, "What happened, Maddie?"

"My steering column started shaking," I admit quietly.

"Didn't I tell you to junk that thing? Where are you? I'll close the practice up and come get you."

"No, Dad, don't be ridiculous. I'm at Chase Auto Body right outside of town. They're going to take a look at it. Those fur babies need you, so stay in the office, and if I need a ride, I'll call Kenny. She owes me a ride anyway," I smile as pictures of my sister and her new beau flash across my mind. Happiness looks good on her.

"Okay, well, call her now," Dad says. "There's a storm coming in, and I don't want either one of you out there. Those roads get sloppier than pigs taking mud baths. Call me when you get home, and look into junking that thing."

"Dad, you and Mom gave that car to me for my eighteenth birthday. I can't let it go," I tell him without saying it feels like I'd be letting Mom go if I got rid of the car.

"Maddie, darlin'. I love you, but that was six years ago. It's okay to let it go," he says, but even with his permission, I doubt I'll ever have the heart.

"I'll think about it, Dad. So, I have to go check on my listing to make sure the place is locked down before this storm comes in. I'm sure my car is fine, and I'll go right home?—"

"All right, but still call Mackenna."

"I will, Dad."

I'm not sure how much time passes after I put my phone away and the brooding mechanic quietly approaches me.

"Ma'am, you need some new tires. Those ones in the front are pretty bald. It's ruining the wheel alignment, which is what's making your steering column shake. How long have you been driving around like that?" he asks.

I scrunch my face and shrug my shoulders with uncertainty.

"That ain't no way to treat a car that old." He slowly shakes his head. "Anything older than seven years deserves a little bit more attention and care these days. You're lucky these kinds of cars last damn near forever, but only when you treat ‘em right."

"I'm sorry." My hands go up in surrender. "I thought I was treating her right. I've had it for over six years, and this is the first time I've had this issue."

"You shouldn't be driving on those tires. You maybe got a few hundred miles left on them, and that's a strong maybe. If you get the slightest puncture, they're done for. I recommend you leave it with me and let me order you some new tires. You can come back in a few days to pick it up. The wheel alignment will come free with the tire installation, and that'll stop the shaking."

"How much is it for just the wheel alignment?" I ask him as I run through my mental calendar. I have too many appointments to not have my car.

"If I do just the wheel alignment on those tires, you should head right on home until after this storm passes. Then come back here and let me order you some new tires. We have payment plans in case you don't want to fork over that kind of money all at once."

"Thanks, I can afford the tires. It's the timing I'm worried about. My business doesn't allow me to be immobile for too long."

Tall and handsome shrugs his shoulders. "Well, it's up to you. I didn't think you'd value your life even less than your car, but hey, I learn something new about the people in this town every day."

"Hey!" I hop to my feet and stalk toward him. "That's a shitty thing to say. What's your name? I'm going to report you to the owner of this place and let them know how nasty you're being to customers."

"Being honest and being nasty are two very different things, ma'am," he drawls, his gaze lazily dragging from my head to my toes. "From the looks of it and that car, you ain't had nothing done nasty to you in a long time."

My eyes widen as my cheeks burn with embarrassment and an unwanted sense of lust. "How do you know that? You know what? Never mind, don't answer that. You need to tell me your name."

"Chase Carpenter," he replies with a smirk and a tip of an imaginary cap.

"Chase, as in Chase Auto Body?" A second wave of embarrassment crashes over me.

"One and the same, ma'am. Now, when I talk to myself later tonight, what else would you like me to say about me as an employee?"

I scoff, folding my arms across my chest and refusing to look at his stupidly handsome face. "You think that just because you're attractive and own this shop, you can treat customers any way you want."

"No, I think anyone who walks into a body shop that's closed and demands their car be looked at after driving it into the ground is someone who doesn't care enough about others. So why should I care about what comes out of my mouth?"

"Closed?" I ask, trying to distract myself from his words. I immediately picture myself coming all over his mouth, and my core tightens with desire.

What the fuck is happening?

He nods. "Yes, ma'am, closed. As in the weather reports have issued warnings for everyone to close up shop for the next thirty-six hours. That was nearly three hours ago. I'll get started on your wheel alignment and get you out of here in about thirty minutes. How does that sound?"

"It sounds fine." My eyes dart around the space in desperation to avoid his penetrating glare. I let out a slow exhale and close my eyes before mustering up enough courage to tell Chase, "Thank you."

"Any time…" He pauses, tipping his head to the side. "Do you want to tell me your name so I know what to put down on the complaint you want to submit to my manager ?"

"Madison Monroe. You can call me Maddie." My words are low, riddled with embarrassment at my appalling behavior.

"Well, Maddie, I'll get working on your car."

Sure enough, after a half-hour, Chase makes his way over to me with my keys in his hand and my car ready to get back on the road.

"You should head back into town before it starts coming down," he warns with an insistence that's hard to ignore. Thunder crashes in the distance as dark gray clouds crawl across the sky, steering our attention to the incoming storm.

I catch a glimpse of worry in Chase's eyes, and my mouth moves with a mind of its own. "What's wrong?"

Chase inhales deeply and rolls his left shoulder backward. There's conflict in his eyes for a moment before a solution grumbles out of him. "Why don't you let me drive you where you need to go? That storm ain't gonna wait for nobody. Rain's coming, and from the ache in my shoulder, it's gonna be bad."

"I can make it home just fine. I have to head to the Garrett farm, and worst case scenario, I'll hunker down there until the storm passes."

"That old rickety place with the boarded up windows and dilapidated barn? What kind of business could you possibly have at a place that ain't seen nothing without fur and rabies scampering around?"

"I flip properties. I've been working on bringing up the property value all over Mercy, but that place is a bit of a passion project for me."

He rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Great, just another yuppie ruining our small town. It's people like you that?—"

"People like me that do what?" I angrily quip, daring him to blame me for whatever disaster is circling his mind.

He lets out a breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "It doesn't matter much. You should get going and just stay off the roads by the Garrett place. That mud makes a real mess out there. I'm the only place close enough if you get stuck, and I'm closing up for the night."

I check my phone for the weather and look at the skies. There are still some pockets of light blue behind the storm clouds.

"Thanks, Chase, but don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."