Page 16 of Stormswept Colorado (Hart County #3)

FIFTEEN

Teller

Static roared in my ears. My vision blurred like I was underwater.

Gunfire. Screams.

Pain.

Then a whimper from beside me. Ayla . She was here.

I followed her voice like a lifeline back to the surface and out of my waking nightmare. Had to force myself to breathe. What had sounded like gunfire in my memory was just the ticking of the engine.

Shit. I hadn’t experienced a flashback like that in over a year.

I shook off the haze in my thoughts and unbuckled my seatbelt. Reached over to unbuckle Ayla. Her head was bowed. She moaned.

“Hey, Troublemaker.” My voice was hoarse. “You alright?” I carefully touched Ayla’s neck, then inched my hands up to her face. “Can you look at me?”

Her head lifted. Green eyes blinked rapidly. But her focus was clear. “I…yes. I’m fine. Just shaken up.”

Relief bled out of me. I brought my forehead to hers, my thumb stroking her cheekbone.

“Teller, are you okay? ”

My heart thumped again, but for an entirely different reason. She’d called me Teller. First time that had ever happened, but maybe it was the shock of the near miss. Even so, the sound of it moved through me like the sweetest music, smoothing out my jagged nerves.

“I’m just fine. I didn’t mean to scare you.” My hands dropped away from her face, but Ayla reached over to grab my right one.

“You didn’t.” She tangled our fingers together. Our eyes locked and held for another couple breaths. “What happened?” she asked.

“There was a bull in the middle of the road. I swerved to avoid it. But we lost traction. I think we’re halfway in the ditch.” Not that we could see the ditch for all the snow.

“A bull ?”

I chuckled. “A bull elk.”

“That…makes a lot more sense.”

“There are cattle ranches around here, but yes, your point stands.”

She glanced around, but the elk was gone. “I guess that was a close call, right?”

“If we’d been going faster, I might have clipped him.

He looked like eight-hundred pounds, easy.

Maybe a thousand.” I chose not to tell her about the fatal highway collisions I’d seen involving large animals.

Gruesome for all parties involved. Even clipping the elk could’ve done major damage to the SUV and the animal.

But still, we’d slid on the ice and gone off the road. Now the SUV was tilted. I squeezed her hand. “I’d better see how things look out there. Then I can work on getting us back on the road.” I had no idea how bad a situation we were in. But there was no point speculating.

“Is there something I can do?”

“Put your coat on. Stay warm.” I grabbed my jacket and gloves from the backseat. “I’ll be right back.”

I had to push hard against snow to get the door open.

Flurries blew into the cabin as soon as I opened the door.

Jumping out, I shut it quickly, hoping to keep as much warm air inside as possible.

It was damned chilly out here. The icy air stung my nostrils and ached in my sinuses. My boots sank into the snowdrift.

Wading a few steps away, I turned to survey our position.

This did not look good.

It took me several minutes to make my way around the vehicle and consider options. Frustration and disappointment sank into my bones.

Then I got back into the SUV, bringing a bunch of snow with me.

“Well?” Ayla asked.

I brushed snowflakes from my hair and shoulders. “There’s an embankment to the side of the road that slopes into a ditch. We’re partway into it. That’s why we’re tilted.”

“Glad it’s not just me.”

I smiled halfheartedly. “Yeah, at first I wasn’t sure either. Been a few years since I was wounded, but I was driving a Humvee when that happened, so car accidents can be…an unpleasant reminder.”

Her brows knit. “Oh. Oh my gosh.”

“I’m fine now. No worries.” I cleared my throat. “We might get lucky, and someone will drive by who can tow us out. More likely, we’ll need to wait for help to arrive. I’ll radio in.” My department vehicle was set up with a satellite connection.

“So we’re stuck?”

“There’s no driving out of here on our own.

Not at this angle, with this much snow.” Spinning the tires would just get us stuck even worse.

I had plenty of supplies in my trunk, like a collapsible shovel and kitty litter to help create traction on slick surfaces.

But none of that was going to magically fix this.

“Can one of us get out and, like, push while the other steers? That’s a thing people do, right?”

My smile grew. Sometimes I forgot how little real-life experience she had. “That’s a thing people do, yes. But I wouldn’t make you get out and push the truck while I sit in here all comfortable. The pusher would be me.”

Her cheeks pinked. “I work out a lot.”

I can tell , sweetheart , I almost said. Thankfully I didn’t.

“Under these conditions, even I’m not strong enough for that. Unless you have some superhero serum lying around. Ollie would love if I turned green.”

Her gaze moved down, like she was assessing my chest and shoulders. I flexed involuntarily, as if she could see anything beneath my coat and uniform.

I’m an idiot .

“Don’t worry,” I said. “There’s a lot of hours between now and the ceremony tomorrow. I’m getting you to that wedding. I’ll carry you on my back if I have to. Lifting this SUV, no. Lifting you? I can manage that just fine.”

“I think you’ve already proven that. Not that I doubted it. You’re…” She gestured vaguely.

“I’m what?”

“Really big.”

My cock twitched valiantly against my thigh, like he was getting ready to prove her right. Hell, no. That would not be happening.

I grabbed my radio and called in.

“Chief, you’re breaking up. Could you repeat that?”

It was Finn Mackie on dispatch. “Finn, I narrowly missed hitting an elk but then slid off the road. Front wheels are in the ditch.”

“An elk? Wow. Glad you avoided it. Remember that accident a couple months back where the drunk hit the elk head-on? Engine block of that car nearly cut the driver in half.” He made a sound of disgust.

“I have a passenger with me, Finn.”

A pause. “Whoops. Sorry about that, Chief. A passenger?”

Finn sounded curious. I assumed Susan hadn’t mentioned my improvised route to anyone else at the station, and I appreciated it.

“I’m going to need someone to tow me out of here.”

“I’ll work on it. But straight up, Chief, we just had a major accident get called in. Semi rolled over on several passenger vehicles east of town. State patrol is responding, and they’ve requested all units we’ve got available. Can’t get anyone from Hartley with the pass closed.”

“Dammit,” I muttered. I was concerned about the people involved in the accident. Had anyone been killed? But I couldn’t do anything to help. I was over an hour away, and Ayla was my priority. “We can wait. Just see what you can do.”

“I’ll call around to other departments and find someone for you. But with the accident and the storm, could be several hours given your location.” My vehicle had a GPS tracker, so Finn could see my coordinates on the map on his screen.

Beside me, Ayla rubbed her chest. I wondered if the seatbelt had hurt her or if she was anxious. Or both.

“Whoever you talk to, tell them to be careful out in the storm,” I said. “Won’t help anyone if there’s another accident.”

I signed off.

“It could be worse,” Ayla said, trying to smile.

“I’ve had tour buses break down. One time, we were stranded waiting for repairs in middle-of-nowhere Kansas.

Wound up at a twenty-four-hour diner where there was nobody under sixty, and not a single one of them knew who I was.

We played songs on the jukebox and got the barflies to sing along with us to ‘Hotel California’. ”

“Sounds like a good time.”

“It was. Do you ever karaoke?”

“ No , my voice is terrible. I’m not really a late night at the club kind of guy.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Never would’ve guessed. You’re fun, though.”

“I’m fun ? I’ve never been accused of that before.”

“In a relaxed kind of way. The more time I spend with you, the more I see it. Your sense of humor is subtle, but it’s very much alive.” She glanced down shyly, and that nearly did me in.

Ayla Maxwell wasn’t shy, either in her performances or our interactions so far. But right now, when it was just the two of us, she was different. She was letting down her guard.

Was I having heart palpitations? Whatever was happening in my chest, it couldn’t be normal.

“We have a few hours to kill,” I said. “We’ll make the most of it. We have the chips, plus I have MREs in the back with my other winter emergency supplies.”

“It’s getting cold in here already. I’m regretting the mint shake.”

“Are you really?”

She thought about it. “No, not really. Mint ice cream is always worth it.” Another soft smile, like it was made just for me.

I was in serious trouble.

I reached into the back. “I’ve got space blankets and hand warmers.”

Ayla squeezed one of the hand warmer packs until it started to heat.

We each wrapped ourselves in the thin, reflective space blankets, settling in as snow collected on the windows, already beginning to block the view outside.

I resisted the urge to radio Finn and ask for an update.

My department had enough on their hands with that traffic accident.

Nothing to do but sit still. Which wasn’t easy for me. I preferred to be going places and getting shit done. In my Special Forces days, the most trying part of a mission had usually been the waiting before the action started.

Ayla seemed to be having a similar issue. She kept shifting around like she couldn’t get comfortable.

“Hard to do nothing, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes, but, um…” She turned two wide eyes on me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Teller, I really need to pee,” she whispered.

I barely kept my smile in. “You do? ”

“I wasn’t even thinking about it before, but now that I know we’re stuck here for at least a couple hours, it’s getting urgent. I don’t think I can hold it.”

“Okay, no problem. We’ll act like we’re camping. Come on.” I went to open my door.

“But there’s so much snow! I saw you out there. It came up past your thighs, and you’re a lot taller than me.”

“I’ll help you.”

She covered her face with her hands. “Oh lord, this is ridiculous.”

A laugh snuck into my throat. I swallowed it down. “It’s a basic bodily function. We’re adults. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“What if I get frostbite on my butt?”

A guttural snort burst out of me before I could stop it.

“You’re laughing at me? What happened to us being adults?” She giggled. “Stop. If I start, I’ll pee my pants.”

“Wait, let me grab my phone. If I record this, I could sell it to a tabloid for a million dollars at least.”

“Teller!”

“Okay, okay. Let’s get this taken care of before there’s an incident.”

First, I ventured back out into the storm to get the collapsible shovel from the trunk.

Snapping the handle straight, I did my best to shovel a narrow path away from Ayla’s side of the SUV.

Was not easy because of the slope of the embankment.

But after a couple of yards, I dug out a little cave-like space in the snow.

Like a makeshift restroom stall, giving her some privacy.

Heading back, I went to Ayla’s door, opened it, and held out my gloved hand. “It’s ready.”

“You’re going above and beyond.”

“It’s what I do.”

Her eyes were round, stuck between the urge to laugh and sheer embarrassment. It was a cuter expression than you’d think.

The space blanket tried to blow away in the wind as she got out. I stuffed it back inside the cabin and shoved the door closed. Ayla had to press up against me to go past. “Careful,” I said. “It’s awkward because of the slope.”

“Not the only reason it’s awkward.”

I hung back, keeping an eye on her on my periphery. The hood of Ayla’s coat edged along the path I’d made, then disappeared. “Okay?” I shouted over the wind.

“Yes!”

A minute or two later, she popped up again and made her way back toward me. Her creamy skin was bright pink, and I doubted it was just from the cold.

She was a few steps away when she slipped and, with a shout, vanished under a mound of snow.

“Shit!” I raced toward her.

By the time I had her upright again, she was completely caked with snow and was laughing so hard she hiccuped.

“Stay still. I’ll brush you off.” I swiped at her coat.

“I’m tempted to start a snowball fight, but it’s too c-cold for that.” Ayla’s giggles turned into a screech. “Oh! Oh, it’s inside my shirt! Teller, help!”

Then the wind picked up again and lashed us with sharp, icy flakes. I opened the door to the backseat. “Climb in. This’ll be faster.” I grabbed her hips and half lifted her to help her get in.

We both stripped off our damp coats and gloves and grabbed the space blankets from the front, huddling together. The SUV was still tilted at a slight angle, which meant the seat wasn’t flat, but I braced my feet against the floor to keep us steady.

I had a package of wet wipes tucked into the pocket behind the front seat, and Ayla grabbed one, wiping off her hands. She shivered. “Please never, ever mention this again.”

Laughter broke free from my chest like something I’d been holding for too long. She snickered, which escalated until the point of no return.

We were helpless. Shaking. Clutching each other. Tears coated her eyelashes .

I managed to take a breath. “I think my favorite part was the snow down your shirt.”

Her mouth opened, eyes narrowing dangerously. Then she lunged, pushing her hands beneath the collar of my uniform. “Let’s see how you like it.”

“Hell, woman. Don’t you have circulation in your fingers?” I tugged her hands down into my lap and rubbed them between my palms. “I’ll warm you up.”

She went quiet, the only sound her heavy exhales as she caught her breath. Her eyes were the soft color of moss, flicking between our tangled hands and my face.

It finally dawned on me how close we were. How her small body pressed against my side, still shivering, and tiny droplets of moisture dotted her hair and skin. Her pink lips looked unbelievably soft and full.

Hot, heady desire pumped into my veins.

Somehow, I had to stay strong. No making moves on the same woman I arrested just yesterday. That had to be in the department handbook somewhere, right?

But I wanted to push my face against that pale hair. Pull her all the way into my lap and run my tongue along her ear. Suck on the tender skin of her neck.

Warm her all the way up.

Despite the cold, my cock was thick and aching. Fuck . I was so close to the edge, about to tip over.

I lifted one of her freezing hands and kissed her fingertips.