Bitter Truth (Hawthorne Vines #1)

Any other night, I would have said Okay, thanked him again, and gotten on the road. But something makes me try again.

Maybe I’m not ready for him to go just yet.

Or maybe I’m not ready to go.

Either way, I want a few more minutes with my rescuer, even if it’s just in this parking lot.

“Or maybe I could grab us some cheap wine coolers from inside?” I stick my thumb toward the gas station. “I don’t want to ask for help again, but I’d appreciate it more than you’ll ever know if you give me a reason not to go where I’m headed.”

He grins at me, licks his lower lip just slightly, then nods his head. “You know, a cheap wine cooler actually sounds great.”

I beam at him. “I’ll be right back.”

Then I race inside and hurriedly pay for two of the little bottles that I used to sneak back in high school.

“All right, I’ve got mojito or margarita,” I say as I approach where he’s seated on the dropped tailgate of his truck.

“I’ll take the mojito.”

“Good choice.”

I hop up next to him, then pop the caps off our bottles with my car key.

“That was a neat little trick,” he says, taking his drink from my hand.

I smile and clink my bottle against his. “Desperate times teach you some wild things.”

He smirks and raises his drink to his lips, mumbling, “Isn’t that the truth.”

We both take a sip, and I wince immediately, the flavor not at all what I remember from my youth. “Oh wow.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s terrible.”

“So bad.”

“I remember it being so much better when I was in high school.”

“Everything against the rules tastes better when you’re young.”

We both laugh. I swing my legs and cast my gaze over to the sun that has dipped low on the horizon, enjoying the simplicity of the moment.

I know once I hop off this tailgate and make the short drive down the road to the house, all the stress is going to rush back in. But for now, the peace and quiet, and sitting next to this handsome man who was willing to take time out of his day to help me, is exactly what I need.

“Thanks again for the tire save … and for sitting here with me.”

His leg, dangling next to mine, bumps me so lightly I’m not sure if it was accidental or on purpose. I’m partial to the latter.

“And sorry you’re covered in dirt now. I hope you don’t have somewhere important to go tonight.”

Chuckling, he shakes his head. “Nah. And I figure you did me a favor. Now I have an excuse to take another bubble bath.”

My lips turn up and he winks before taking another sip from his wine cooler.

I watch as he does, and I can’t help the way my gaze drops to his lips for one long moment, wondering what it might be like to kiss a man like him. And when he looks back at me, I see his eyes dip as well. Just for a moment, for a quick, almost invisible glance, before he turns his head and stares off into the distance.

My hand between us is braced against the lip of the tailgate, and a shiver of anticipation slides through me when his hand does the same, the edge of his palm grazing against mine.