Chapter 3
THREE
Larsen
I wake from a dream about Kian, tangled in my sheets. My phone dings with a text, and I squint at the screen, blinking to adjust to the bright light. I’m expecting it to be Blair or one of my friends, but it’s Kian.
Kian: See you tonight.
I blush as I stare at his name on the screen.
Was he thinking about me?
Is he just being nice?
Does he think I was drunk last night and forgot about our secret driving lessons?
I wonder what he’s doing right now.
Is he already at work?
An image of him in coveralls with grease smearing his hands fills my head. I moan, biting down on my lip.
Kian is the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and I can’t believe he’s being so nice to me. That he wants to help me.
Is he single?
It doesn’t matter. Even if he is, there’s no way he’d be into me.
I drag myself out of bed and get ready for the day. It’s freezing out again, so I bundle up and grab my travel thermos as I leave the house.
I hurry down the side of the road, huddling into my coat and burying my face in my scarf as I brace against the frigid wind.
Why is he doing this for me? He has to be busy with his own life. So why is he setting aside time for me?
Maybe he’s just a really good guy, I think as I slip on some ice.
I mean, he did keep my secret and help me out of that lie with Blade and Jade last night.
Plus, he gave me a ride home. All signs point to him being a good person, yet my heart can’t stop hoping he has a different reason for wanting to spend time with me.
I slide again as I approach town and catch myself, taking a deep breath before I start walking again. The bank comes into view, and I smile as I hurry across the parking lot to the front door.
“Morning!” I greet Blair and our boss.
“Morning!” Blair replies, smiling at me.
I set my things in my locker, then join her behind the counter. It’s slow as the morning creeps on, but I don’t mind. It gives Blair and me more time to talk.
“How’s the ranch?” I ask.
She smiles. “Good. I helped feed the horses before I came to work.”
“Brave. They’re way too big. You shouldn’t be standing next to them.”
Blair snorts. “I thought that at first, too, but they’re actually really sweet. You get used to it.”
“If you say so. I’d probably be brave too if I had a big, strong guy who was head over heels in love with me standing next to me the whole time. Cole would probably fight off anything to protect you.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, smiling dreamily.
I love seeing Blair so happy and in love.
She deserves it. Cole is a good guy. I got to know him when I helped with the bank’s table at the winter festival last year.
The two of them were so in love with each other even then, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Blair gave up her apartment in town and moved in with him on his ranch.
“You two can go to lunch,” Robert, our boss, says. “I’ll cover the counter. I think most people are staying indoors today because of the weather.”
“I don’t blame them,” I remark.
He laughs. “Me neither.”
Blair grins, looking at her phone as we make our way to the breakroom to eat. It reminds me of Kian's message, and I realize I never responded to him.
“Shit,” I mumble, pulling out my phone.
Larsen: It’s pretty cold out. Do you want to postpone?
Hitting send, I gnaw on my lip, praying he doesn’t take me up on my offer. I set my phone down, figuring it will take him a bit to get back to me, but it dings a second later.
Kian: No. See you tonight.
I smile, relief washing over me like a wave.
Larsen: Okay, see you tonight.
I tuck my phone into my purse and smile as I finish my lunch.
“What are you doing tonight?” Blair asks.
“Um, I don’t know. Why?”
“Want to come over and feed the horses? We can make dinner and hang out,” she offers.
“As tempting as that is, it’s too cold to be standing outside trying not to get attacked by a giant animal.”
She snorts. “Oh, my god.”
“It’s true!”
“All right, another time then.” She laughs. “Or you can just come for dinner.”
“I took out some ground beef already. Raincheck?” I ask as I clean up.
“Of course. You’re always welcome, you know that.”
I smile, bumping my shoulder against hers as we leave the breakroom and get back to work.
“Why don’t one of you head home?” Robert asks. “It’s going to be a slow day. No point in both of you standing around.”
“Are you sure?” Blair asks.
“Yeah, go on home.”
Blair turns to me.
“Go ahead,” I say.
She gives me a grateful smile. “Thanks! I owe you.”
“Nah, it’s no big deal. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she says, already darting into the back to grab her things.
I wave as she leaves, then sigh as I lean against the counter. Looking at the gently falling snow through the window, I try not to think about how cold I’ll be on my walk home tonight.
I spend the afternoon cleaning up the bank. I dust, wipe down counters, vacuum the floors, clean up the break room, and wipe fingerprints off the doors. Then I go back to leaning on the counter and staring outside.
The hours pass slowly, and by the time six pm rolls around, I’m ready to bolt out the front doors.
“See you tomorrow, Larsen!” Robert calls as he locks up and walks to his car.
“See you, boss!”
I navigate the icy sidewalk carefully as the sun starts to set, pulling my hat lower against the cold.
Lost in thought, I’m about to cross the street when a car slams on its brakes next to me. I look up, startled, and stare in shock as a furious Kian hops out of his truck and stomps around the hood toward me.
“What are you doing?” he barks.
“Uh… walking home?”
“It’s dark!” he says in disbelief. “You can’t walk home in the dark.”
“Well, I do it every day, so…”
Yeah, that was the wrong thing to say.
A vein throbs in his forehead as he glares at me. “You could get hit by someone. Jesus!” He drags a hand through his hair before taking a deep breath. “Not anymore. Is that clear?”
I shake my head. “How am I supposed to get home? I can’t ride my bike in this weather, and—”
“I’ll drive you.”
He opens the passenger door, grabs my hips, and places me inside the truck. Closing the door, he jogs around to the driver’s side and climbs behind the wheel. I watch as he shifts into drive, then pauses.
“Wait. How did you get to work?”
“Um…”
“For fuck’s sake, Larsen! I texted you! Why didn’t you ask for a ride?”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
Kian huffs a frustrated breath. “You could never do that. Start asking for what you need.”
I nod once as he starts the car and shifts into drive. All I can think about is asking him to
kiss me, but I know that’s not what he meant when he told me to ask for what I need, so I bite my tongue, and we ride to my house in silence.
I turn to look at him when he parks out front, my fingers twisting nervously in my lap. “Are you hungry?”
He grunts.
I laugh at the sound, and his whole face softens as he watches me.
“Are you mad at me still?”
“No, I was never mad at you, darling.” He sighs. “Just worried. I don’t like to think about what could’ve happened to you.”
“I was careful.”
He shakes his head. “Accidents happen, but I can’t have them happen to you.”
I nod and reach for the handle, hopping out of the truck. Digging my keys out of my purse, I try to remember how messy I left my place this morning as I unlock the door and step inside.
“Nice place,” Kian says, glancing around.
“Thanks. I saw it and fell in love with it.”
I toe off my boots and head for the kitchen. “I was going to make loaded nachos for dinner. Is that okay? Or I can see about making us something else.”
“Nachos sound great. What can I do?”
“Nothing, I’ve got it.” I grab the ingredients from the fridge and get to work.
“You like cooking?” Kian asks after a few minutes.
“Yeah, I did it a lot growing up. My dad worked multiple jobs, so I was by myself most of the time. I learned to make meals and leave the leftovers for him in the fridge.”
“It was just you and your dad?”
“Yeah, my mom passed away when I was a baby.”
“I’m sorry, Larsen,” he says quietly.
“Me too. From everything I’ve been told about her, she was awesome. I wish I could remember her.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I sniffle, trying to blink them back. I’m about to excuse myself to the bathroom to pull myself together when Kian wraps his arms around me.
“My parents died too. I get it. It fucking sucks,” he murmurs into my hair.
I wrap my arms around him, clinging as I take a deep breath and push away the grief and sadness.
“Thanks,” I whisper as he steps back.
I turn back to dicing up tomatoes and seasoning the ground beef.
“How long have you lived in Wolf Valley?” I ask as I plate the nachos.
“A few months. They were looking for a mechanic at the shop, and I needed a change of pace.”
“Where did you move from?”
“Chicago. What about you?”
“Miami. I’ve been here for almost a year now.”
“Big change of scenery.”
I laugh. “Oh, yeah, but I needed it. I like small-town life.”
“Me too.”
We share a smile, and I clear my throat, looking away before my crush on him grows any bigger.
“Dig in,” I say, setting the nachos on the small kitchen table. “You want something to drink?”
“Whatever you’re having.”
I grab two glasses and fill them with water. We sit across from each other, and both grab a chip. It’s easy and comfortable as we eat together.
But as soon as we go outside for my first driving lesson, I’m a bundle of nerves.
“I’m not sure that I can do this,” I croak as I stare at the driver’s seat.
“Sure, you can.”
“No, I…” I trail off. My palms are sweaty, and my throat tightens.
“Larsen? Hey.” Kian pulls me into his chest.
I breathe in his pine scent, smiling at the trace scents of motor oil and soap.
“We’ll take it easy,” he promises.
But when he releases me, I can’t make myself move toward the truck.
“Okay, come here. I have an idea.”
Before I can respond, Kian gets into the driver’s seat, adjusts it, and reaches for me.
“Wha—” I squeak as he lifts me like I weigh nothing and settles me in his lap.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers in my ear.
I shiver as his breath ghosts over my skin.
“Um…” I mumble, trying to think of something to say.
“You’ve got this. Here.”
He gives me a quick overview of where everything is, then reverses out of my drive and turns the car north, heading away from town.
“Grab the wheel.”
I raise my shaky hands and set them over his. “What if I crash your truck?”
“You won’t. You’re doing great.”
“I’m not doing anything!”
“Sure you are. Give it some more gas.”
I take a breath, followed by another. Finally, I push my foot against the gas pedal and relax as the truck slowly accelerates.
“Good,” Kian praises.
I relax even more.
Then Kian lets go of the wheel. I’m about to protest, but he grabs my hands and holds them firmly in place, his palms covering the backs of my hands.
“Which way do you want to go?” he asks when we reach a fork in the road.
I let my foot off the gas. One leads to Maple Creek, and the other is a back road to some old houses. I choose the back road, driving slowly to the right.
“Whoa!” I laugh as we bump over potholes and rocks.
We near a turn, and I slow down again, smiling as I navigate it. I’m doing it! I never thought this would happen, and now I’m doing it!
We bounce over more potholes and come to a stop sign.
I turn to smile at Kian over my shoulder, and that’s when I see the look of pain on his face.
“Are you okay?” I ask, alarmed.
“Yeah, I, uh, I think this lesson is over, though. I need to get home.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I’m so confused. I thought things were going well. Did I mess up? Did I scrape something against the side of the truck?
He grabs my hips and lifts me, setting me into the passenger seat. I buckle up and look over at him as he turns the truck around, heading back to my house.
I suddenly realize what the problem was. I was too heavy for his lap. Crap! I must have crushed his legs. That’s why he looked like he was in pain.
Tears prick my eyes, and I feel humiliated as we pull up outside my place.
“Thanks,” I say as I unbuckle and scramble out of his truck. “Have a good night!”
I close the door and rush up to my house, stepping inside and locking the door behind me.
Only then do I let the tears fall.
I feel terrible for hurting him, and I’m so embarrassed. There’s no way that I can see him again. Not anytime soon anyway.
The headlights of his truck fade into the night, and I trudge to my room and get ready for bed. Before I crawl between the sheets, I grab my phone and send him one last message.
Larsen: Thanks for the lesson. I’m glad we tried, but I don’t think this is going to work out. Thanks for your time.
I hit send and toss my phone onto my nightstand.
Burying my face in my pillow, I cry myself to sleep.