8. Chapter 8 - Regina
Chapter 8 - Regina
S quinting my eyes at the bright lights, it takes a moment for my brain to come online. Confused, the pounding in my head reminds me of what happened.
Wolf.
Accident.
Opening my eyes slowly, the red and blue flashing lights filter through the continually falling snow. On any other occasion, the spectacle might be mesmerizing. At the moment, not so much.
Loud voices reach my ears as I spot the outline of several large figures. Gingerly pushing the door open, I hesitate to step into the deep snow surrounding my car.
It takes another moment to realize that all conversation has stopped. Looking up, five men are staring at me.
One of the large men steps forward, crouching in front of me. In the darkness, it is difficult to make out his features despite all of the lights.
“Hello,” the man says slowly. “My name is Chayce Galloway, sheriff of Padston. We received a report that you had an accident.” He pauses, staring at me. It takes a second to collect myself and form a response.
The word “Wolf” is all I get out.
My head is pounding. Moving my hand up to touch the store spot, he stops me. Both of our gazes move to where our skin touches. It feels like static electricity is traveling up my arm, causing me to jolt. The sheriff quickly releases his hold on me, his eyes narrowing.
“You hit your head,” he says, stating the obvious. “Our town doctor is waiting for you in his office.” Pausing his words, he searches my face for something. “Do you know your name?”
My knee-jerk reaction is to say “Jessica Rabbit, but I refrain.
“Regina…Regina Chaney.”
A small smile appears on his face. The sheriff’s eyes seem to glow from within, but I mentally shake off the prospect, discounting it for a play of the flashing lights.
“Okay, Regina. Let’s get you into my truck so we can get you to see Doc.” He holds his hand out, but I hesitate, causing his smile to fall.
Twisting back into the car to postpone the inevitable, I grab my phone, purse, and laptop bag. I also take a moment to gather my wits. I am fleeing from a relationship. The last thing I need to do is fall under the thrall of the beautiful man before me just because he is rescuing me from an accident.
“What about my car?” My brain is slow to catch up, focusing on the important matters. The sheriff, Chayce, nods his head toward the front of my car. It’s only then I notice the yellow lights of the tow truck mixed in with the red and blue from his service vehicle and fire truck.
Bracing myself on the frame of the door, I get to my feet despite my balance being unsteady. Before it registers in my foggy head what is happening, the sheriff has me swooped up into his arms, bridal style. The surprise has me squeaking in shock and my arms reflexively wrap around his neck.
“We don’t want you to slip and fall,” he says in the way of explanation, his voice full of concern. “You are already dealing with a head injury.”
Somehow, he manages to open the passenger door of his truck without jostling me too much.
“I can put your stuff in the back so you can be more comfortable if you wish,” he offers, holding his hand out to take my bags.
“That’s okay.” I put my seatbelt on and set my things down on the floor under my feet. Chayce shuts the door, cutting off anything else I might have wanted to say.
The sheriff calls out to the other guys that were in the street before walking around the front of the truck and climbing in.