Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“Would you both focus on helping me look?” I ask. I keep picturing her shivering somewhere, breath coming out of her mouth in frosty puffs. A wedding is the day most girls spend their whole lives dreaming of. I can’t even imagine how she must be feeling to have run away from her own wedding only to crash her car on the side of a freezing mountain.
“I can look and bullshit at the same time,” Carter complains. “I’m an elite athlete. I could even chew gum while I do this if I wanted.”
“Then maybe quit chatting so I don’t have to listen to you,” I suggest.
“Somebody’s cranky,” Carter says.
“Jesse’s always cranky. It’s part of his charm.”
“Not always,” Carter says. “He has been extra cranky since he hurt his shoulder. Well, I guess he also got more cranky after that thing with Sarah.”
I tense up at Carter’s words. Both topics feel like fucking barbs in my side. I try not to let my irritation show, though.
“Do you know what tact is?” Liam asks. “Sorry, Jesse. I’m apologizing for Carter and his big mouth.”
“It’s fine. Just tell me if you see something.”
“Do you think the car is on fire?” Carter asks. “That would be pretty easy to spot.”
“If Jake’s sister dies before we get to her,” I say. “Jake is going to personally murder all three of us, starting with you.”
Carter folds his arms. “Point taken. We’re hoping the car isn’t on fire, then.”
We drive a few more minutes before I finally see a set of skid marks. I follow them and spot the little red car. The shoulder slopes down from the road and thankfully curves up long enough that she didn’t roll all the way down the mountain. The car is bent in the center so it’s slightly in the shape of a “V”.
I pull the truck to the side and flip on my hazards. I look down at the car and think I’m seeing the airbags at first, except they should’ve deflated by now.
I realize what I’m looking at, though. It’s a big, poofy wedding dress practically taking up the whole cabin of the car. I don’t know how the girl even drove safely with that thing on. Actually, it kind of explains the fact that her car is crashed in a ditch.
“You two wait here,” I say, getting out.
Liam holds up his hands in a “what the hell?” kind of gesture. Carter opens his mouth to say something, but I just jab my finger at him. “You can meet her when she gets in the car. But she might be freaked out. I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Carter grumbles. “You just want first crack at her. At least be honest about it.”
I ignore him and slam the door, picking my steps carefully down the steep shoulder toward her car. “You okay?” I ask.
I approach the driver side window and can’t even see her through all the white lace. I hear her voice come muffled from inside the dress.
“How do I know you’re not a roadside serial killer?”
“Uh,” I say. I was kind of expecting her to rush out of the car and offer me thanks. “I know your brother, Jake.”
“Prove it.”
I can’t help grinning a little. I feel like I’m speaking with a talking floof of lace and white silk right now. A sassy floof of lace and white silk, that is.
“Your brother is going to kill me if you freeze to death out here. So I’d really prefer it if you got out of the car and followed me up to the road. I’ve got the heat blasting in my truck right now.”
There’s a long pause. “I am a bit nippy,” she admits.
“Can I get you out of there, then?”
“Alright, beefy hockey guy. Let’s do this.”
I pull on the door, but have to give it a few yanks before it comes loose. The girl practically falls out of the car and lands straight on me. She grips my hips on both sides, trying to keep herself from falling, but my feet catch on a patch of something that leaked from her car and froze. We both go toppling backwards. My back hits cold dirt and her face lands in my lap. She screams into my crotch, bare feet kicking uselessly as she’s tangled in her dress and her feet can’t get traction on the frozen ground.
All she’s managing to do is grind her face harder between my legs. I try to get up, but my feet slip, too.
The sound of laughter from above makes me look up just as she realizes her only chance of escape is to roll sideways.
“Jesus,” Carter says, skidding his way down the hillside. “And I thought Liam worked his magic fast. Four seconds and you already got her going down on you? I find it usually works best if you take your pants off first, though. Feels a lot better that way.”