2. Landon
Chapter 2
Landon
I hated running the tow truck. Sure, it was nice to get out of that loud ass garage full of equally loud and obnoxious mechanics, but nothing cleared my mind like turning wrenches. Cars were easy. Each piece of the puzzle fit together a certain way. People … well, they were more complex. The less I had to interact with them the better.
The cute, cherry red convertible was easy to spot on the road just outside of town. I swung the truck around, lining the hitch up with the front of the compact car, and backed up to it. Hopping out, I strode up to the car, noting how a pair of shapely, tan legs poked out from the open door. They were crossed at the ankles and resting at the divot where the door met the windshield. I smiled to myself as I neared. Whoever she was, she was listening to my favorite podcast. Maybe this run wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The smile fell from my lips when the woman stood, and I came face to face with the last person I’d ever wanted to see again. Olivia Duprey. The woman who’d ruined my family and stole my brother’s future. My step faltered, and I drew to a stop. She stared at me with trepidation as her perfectly manicured fingers curled around the door frame. Her dark brown locks fell around her shoulders in loose waves, much like she wore when she and my brother were together.
I briefly considered leaving her there and letting her figure out a way home for herself, but I couldn’t risk getting fired. I needed my job. Hell, I needed more jobs if I was being honest. I needed to swallow my pride, tow the she-devil’s car into town, and drop her off at home.
“Landon,” she said, her voice shaking. Good. I hoped my presence unnerved her as much as hers did me.
“Ms. Duprey.” She winced at my formality and glanced away. She was little more than a stranger to me now, and I wasn’t about to let her forget it. She was lucky I’d been deployed when the accident happened, or I might have done something ungentlemanly. It had been six years. I thought all the rage I’d felt for this woman had long since dissipated, but seeing her now brought back all those old feelings. I needed to rein in my hatred so I could do my job and part ways with her as soon as possible.
Silently I hooked up her car, ensuring everything was in the proper position. Sparing a quick glance her way, I spoke in a low, emotionless voice.
“Best get your belongings and hop in the cab. I’ll drop you off at home on my way to the garage.”
“Oh,” she said, waving me off. “You don’t have to do that. I can walk to my mama’s house. It’s not far.”
I gave her a flat look. Even if the piles of luggage I saw tucked into her back and passenger seats had wheels, we were still nearly three miles outside of town, and a storm was brewing. There was no way I would let her walk. Murphy would kill me, then fire my ass.
Just then thunder cracked and lightning streaked across the sky. Olivia looked up as a fat raindrop splashed onto her upturned face. Her gaze fell to me and filled with dread. I smirked, basking in her discomfort.
“Hop in. I’ll grab your bags.” Her spine straightened, and she threw her shoulders back defiantly.
“I can get them myself.”
“Fine by me, but you better hurry. There’s about to be a downpour.”
Ten minutes later, I sat next to a soaking wet Olivia. Her arms were crossed over her chest as damp clumps of hair clung to her shoulders. I suppressed a chuckle at her pouty expression and clearly displeased body language. Then my eyes fell to her chest where the once flowy top was plastered to her body, the wet material clinging to her every curve. The outline of her lacy bra was clearly visible through the thin cotton fabric. I cursed under my breath and gritted my teeth. It didn’t matter how pretty the package was; the inside was rotten. I just had to remind myself of that every time I looked at her. I wouldn’t be fooled by the sweet and innocent fa?ade, her big doe eyes, or the dimples that creased her cheeks every time she smiled. She was a devil in disguise, and I’d do well to remember it.
We rumbled down the road into town, nothing but the steady thrum of the engine and the muffled pattering of rain on the roof filling the otherwise quiet cab. Olivia shivered and rubbed her arms, goosebumps spreading over her sun-kissed skin. Though I cared little for her comfort and wouldn’t be the least bit upset if she suffered just a little during the short trip to her mother’s house, I too was chilled from the springtime drizzle. The temperature had dropped several degrees, causing the damp air to feel especially frigid.
Mercifully warm air blew across my face and torso as I flipped on the heat. Olivia sagged in relief against her seat, relaxing a little more than I was comfortable with. I wanted to say something, anything , to incite her unease again. Before I could open my mouth to unleash a biting remark, I remembered why she was here, why she had suddenly returned to town looking like a whipped puppy. She had lost her grandmother, the woman who had practically raised her since her mom was too busy being a Southern Belle socialite and chasing older men with even more money than the Dupreys’ considerable wealth.
It was no wonder Olivia skipped town after the accident and never looked back. My brother was dispensable to her. Our family had no money or clout, and therefore none of us were of any use to her, especially since she wouldn’t have my brother’s coattail to ride. He could’ve gone pro after college or even entered the draft. He was that good. But Olivia Duprey stole that future from him, and now he would never get it back.
My jaw tightened, my teeth on the verge of cracking as I suppressed the urge to lash out and rub salt in her wound. I was better than that. She didn’t deserve my kindness or empathy, but, unlike her, I was raised right. I wouldn’t kick someone while they were down. Besides, I liked Odette Duprey. She was a good woman. I couldn’t fathom how her daughter and granddaughter had turned out so horribly. So out of respect for her, and because I had a tiny shred of decency left in my body, I kept my mouth shut. When we pulled up to her mother’s house, I helped her retrieve her bags and placed them on the curb. Before she could scurry away, I called out her name.
“Olivia.” My voice came out gruff and gravelly. She turned to look at me tentatively, her shoulders curled inward as though waiting for a verbal lashing. I swallowed down my pride and straightened my spine. “I’m sorry for your loss. Your grandmother was a great woman.” She truly was, unlike her daughter and granddaughter. Odette Duprey was a pillar of the community. She donated unsold goods from her bakery to the homeless shelter and food pantry and paid off cafeteria balances at the elementary school. She knitted hats for babies in the NICU and organized free yard sales at the church. Magnolia Grove would miss her warm smile and kind heart. It wasn’t fair that now we were stuck with her spoiled, self-absorbed offspring instead. With any luck Olivia would be gone as soon as Odette was laid to rest. That would be one less Duprey soiling her good reputation.
Olivia stared at me with wide eyes, her surprise evident by the way her mouth hung open. After a moment, she clamped it shut, visibly swallowing before nodding once.
“Thank you,” she croaked, her eyes misting.
I turned on my heel, ready to sprint back to my truck. I had to get away from her before the devastated look in her eyes could break through the ice surrounding my heart. It had already begun to crack, but I wouldn’t let her get through. After all, she’d gotten to my brother, and all that caused was heartbreak.