Chapter 3
Josie
I really am trying to keep positive. The sheriff has been perfectly nice to me, once I explained that I was a normal girl just having a really bad day. But he still suggested I wait in the cell while he organizes for my car to be towed and writes up a report.
It’s an open cell in the sheriff's office with a bench along one side. He has given me a bottle of water, a sandwich and a blanket to sit on. I’m not even sure the door is locked, more that this was just somewhere to put me. All and all it’s not a bad place to sit and contemplate my life.
I know now that I may have been feeling a little overwhelmed.
Bordering on crazy. But a lot has gone wrong.
I feel like I’m falling. Out of control.
Getting deeper and deeper in trouble. I think getting away was a good idea.
I love the mountains. I love the trees and the fresh air.
Being surrounded by nature. And the men around here are damn hot. Must be all that clean mountain air.
One particular lumberjack comes to mind.
What is it about him? He was big and burly.
But there was something so beautiful in the way he looked at me.
I felt I could have just put my arms around him and have him carry me away and make everything all better.
A strange reaction to have about a stranger, but then it was a strange situation.
I wonder how it might have been if we had met in town.
Maybe in a bar, had a few drinks, talked about life?
I wonder what it would be like to be kissed by a big, burly lumberjack.
And it is at that exact moment that the very same sexy stranger walks into the sheriff’s office. I feel my cheeks go pink. I’m a bit embarrassed to have him appear when I was thinking about being kissed by him. And damn, he is just as sexy hot as I remember from this morning.
He looks at me for a moment as though assessing me.
Or maybe just enjoying the sight of me behind bars.
And then he walks over to talk to the sheriff in hushed tones.
These two obviously know each other. And it is obvious they are talking about me.
I just watch, trying to pretend like this is all a perfectly normal situation.
He is tall. He had to be tall with that broad frame of his. Really, he is a giant of a man. And yet he moves easily. Not the lumbering steps of a bigger man. He moves with the grace of an athlete. Likely he keeps fit for his job, whatever that might be.
Growing a little impatient, I stand up and walk to the open bars of my cell. Lumberjack walks over, hanging his wrist casually on an upper bar. His foot on the lower one. Leaning casually against the bars. I get a little thrill of excitement, being close to him again.
While sitting here I had promised to be more pleasant and positive and yet it is a sarcastic tone when I ask him, “Come to admire the view?”
He snorts. “I came to check on you. I wanted to make sure you are okay.”
I shrug, disarmed by those kind hazel green eyes. “I’m fine. And I guess I should apologise for this morning. I was a little upset.”
He nods. “Is it true that you’re a school teacher?”
“I’m on sabbatical.” That’s a lie but I don’t need to explain my situation to him.
“And what with the car being wrecked, I guess you’re stuck here for a while?”
“What are you getting at?” I ask.
He looks like he is thinking something over.
“So here’s the deal.” He lets out a big sigh.
“I run an outbound adventure park and this weekend we are hosting a group of young people. I need another chaperone. If you promised not to be crazy, and we don’t let you drive, then we might be able to trade this jail cell for a little community service. ”
He says all this with his charming smile, despite the dig about me being crazy and a bad driver.
I think it over. I will be stuck here for a few days.
And I’ll need somewhere to stay. And something about this whole situation has me feeling a little bit wild and reckless. Why not hang out with the lumberjack?
“Okay, I’m interested.”
He opens the door to the cell. I was right about it not being locked. I step out as he holds out his hand to shake mine. “I’m Maverick.”
His hand is big and warm. A little rough, but comforting. “I’m Josie.”
“I know.” He smiles. “The sheriff showed me your file.”
Looking back at the cell, and then back at Maverick. “I’m not actually charged with anything, am I?”
He shrugs, “Let’s just say we’re both helping each other out.”
This is crazy. But doing everything right has left me with nothing. Maybe crazy is working for me now.