Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Island County Series Book 1) (32 page)

“I’ll wait until the car shows up, and I’ll help you haul everything from your truck into the vehicle. You don’t want to leave anything in the open, even if it’s tied down. What we can’t fit in we’ll put in the cab of your truck,” he said, his eyes meeting mine.

“Thanks.” I bit my lip and thought about what to say to this stranger who’d shown me more kindness in the last thirty minutes than I’d encountered in a long time. “This is really nice of you.”

He shook his head, stripping off his jacket before walking over to the truck bed. I gently maneuvered between our two vehicles and stood next to him, my eyes dropping to his chest. I could literally see the ripple of the fabric from the definition of his muscles. I couldn’t even imagine what that must look like underneath.

He caught my gaze and a tiny curl of his lip surfaced before I turned away, feeling the flush roll up my body.

“You like to park close to things,” I teased, as I worked on untying one of the ropes.

“It’s a bad habit. I tend to get wrapped up in my own world.” He loosened a knot and began on another one.

“I find that incredibly hard to believe,” I said, glancing at him. His awareness and willingness to help me out of my predicament told me otherwise.

“Well, there’s always exceptions to the rule, I suppose,” he said, letting the first set of ropes fall to the side of the truck bed. “Especially if someone is as eye-catching as you.”

I laughed and shook my head. I knew he was only being kind, considering what I looked like compared to the rest of the microcosm. My cheeks warmed as I worked my fingers against the knot, finally loosening it enough to let it fall.

Luke was on the other side of the truck bed, untying the last of the rope when I saw a black Escalade come up behind him and park.

That was odd.

“Your chariot awaits,” Luke said, smiling from across the truck bed.

“That’s a cab?” I asked.

“It’s umm a car service I use and trust,” Luke corrected, his gaze dropping away from mine. “I thought we’d have a better chance of fitting everything inside. Less hassle for you that way.”

 My chest constricted with the idea of leaving this kind stranger behind. His compassion was the first genuine gesture I’d experienced in a very long time. But maybe that was how it was in the real world. Maybe my new beginning would be full of Lukes.

“So it is,” I said, nodding. “Thank you.”

There were only five boxes and a suitcase in the truck bed, along with an old wooden chair I couldn’t part with, which in hindsight, seemed pretty odd.

Luke grabbed the first box I pointed to as the driver appeared, ready to help load his SUV with my belongings. The driver was a portly, older man with dark hair, graying around the edges, and he was dressed in a black suit.

I grabbed my suitcase and pushed it into the vehicle. I went back to the cab of my truck, grabbed everything off the seat and inside the console and shoved it into a bag. It felt odd leaving the truck behind. It had become home over the last week and it was mine; one of the few things that was. The moment I figured out what happened with my bank account, I’d get my truck, but for now, I needed to get to the house and internet. I shoved my bag and purse onto the floor of the front seat.

Everything had been transferred to the SUV and relief spread through me, knowing I wouldn’t have to leave anything behind in the truck. I climbed into the SUV as the driver did the same.

Luke walked over to me and stood next to the open door. “Remember, if anything else comes up, you have my number.”

“Why are you being so kind?” I asked softly.

His eyes locked on mine and he smiled.

“You looked like you could use a little kindness in your world. Welcome to California.” Luke closed the door and took a step back, waving as the driver turned on the ignition and stepped on the accelerator.

“Where to, Miss?” the driver asked.

I gave him the address and his jaw tensed. “Are you sure about that address?”

“That’s the one I was given. Why?” I asked.

“It’s not a good part of town. That’s all.”

“Oh. Well, that’s where I’m headed.”

“Very well,” the driver said, turning the vehicle onto the main road.

I looked out the window and saw Luke still following the vehicle with his gaze. I gave him a quick nod and prayed that whatever was waiting for me wouldn’t be worse than what I left back home.

About the Author

Karice received an MFA in Creative Writing from the U of W. She has written twenty novels, and she has several exciting projects in the works (or at least she thinks they're exciting). Karice lives in the Pacific Northwest with her awesome husband and two cute English Bulldogs. She loves anything to do with snow, and she seeks out the stuff whenever she can, especially if there's a toasty fire to read by.

Contact the Author

To contact the author, please visit her online at
http://www.karicebolton.com
or via
 

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest @KariceBolton.

If you’d like to be included on her mailing list to find out about

new releases,
click here
or go to Karice Bolton’s
website
 

You can also text KariceBooks to 313131 to receive a message from her on release days!