Page 7 of Lovestruck
“No, no break, sorry,” I answer haltingly, and I swear for just a second his smile falters. But only for a flash and then he’s back to his usual happy self. Probably hiding his laughter at my fumbles. Why am I tongue-tied around him?
I take a deep breath, knowing if I don’t ask him now, I never will.
“Hunter, do you want to go to the animal shelter fundraiser gala with me?”
There’s a stunned look on his face for a moment before he starts nodding vigorously. So vigorously, his hair starts flopping all over the place, and I can’t contain my giggle. It’s part relief, part amusement at his adorable reaction, and part excitement that maybe, just maybe, Hunter Callaghan is interested in more than friendship with me.
I guess Hollie Berry really is inspiring Christmas miracles this year.
Chapter 4
Hunter
I can’t stop staring at a string of numbers.
Ten fucking numbers.
But those ten numbers? That’s Kat Donnelly’s phone number.
And I have it.
When she asked me to go to the fundraiser, part of me thought she was joking. It had to be a prank. Except I know Kat would never do that. Not with how kind she is to everyone around her. Hell, her smile is magic for me, but I also know she helps Hattie Henderson when she forgets her reading glasses and can’t see the specials on the board. I’ve caught her drawing pictures on the back side of receipts and giving them to kids who come to the café. Kat cares about people. She doesn’t judge, or get impatient, or make fun of anyone.
Which means her inviting me to the fundraiser was no joke.
I’m sure she didn’t mean this as a real date, this is just two friends hanging out at an event. But that didn’t stop my mind from feeling the entire spectrum of emotions. Everything from the initial shock when she first asked, to utter panic over the fact that now I need to buy a suit, to questioning if Kat might actually be interested in me, toexcitementthat Kat might be interested in me…
That last emotion? That’s the one that kept me up last night, eventually needing my hand and a cold shower to be able to fall asleep.
“Planning on joining us, Callaghan?” Leo Talbot, better known as my boss for the last year and a half — and Kat’s cousin — says drily from his place at the front of the conference room inside the Dogwood Cove police station.
“Yes, sorry. I’m here.” I flip my phone over and give him an apologetic grin. Thankfully, Leo’s a cool guy and doesn’t give me shit for not paying attention during our daily staff meeting. But he does stick me with highway patrol for the day, which normally would have me groaning inwardly.
I take one of the SUVs out of the lot and make my way to the highway as snow falls around me, blanketing the ground. We don’t get heavy snowfall very often on Vancouver Island, so every time we do, there’s always a handful of drivers who are not equipped for it and cause all kinds of issues on the roads.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow, but only when I don’t have to work in it. Give me a mountain to ski down and a hot tub waiting at the bottom any day. But this? Rescuing stranded, unprepared idiots over and over again? No, thanks.
The next several hours fly by as I keep having to pull over to help push cars that have spun out on the road, call tow trucks for ones that just can’t handle the winter weather, and even attend the scene of one crash. Thankfully, no one has been hurt so far, but I’m cold and cranky. Why won’t people learn from their mistakes and get winter tires before it’s too late?
I’ve just sent the third tow truck on its way, this time with a little convertible hooked up to it and a shaken driver who promised me they were headed straight to the tire shop tomorrow. I waved the snowplow along gratefully when out of the corner of my eye, I catch the blinking of someone’s hazard lights behind me about fifty meters. I grab my first aid kit just in case, and radio in my location and that I’m leaving my patrol car, before heading out on foot down the highway. It’s starting to get dark out, and while the snow has slowed down, it’s still pretty blustery out here. Thank fuck my shift is almost over. I can probably head back to the station after I deal with this car and its occupants.
But when I finally make it through the snow drifts on the passenger side and peer in the window, my heart leaps into my throat at the sight of a familiar head of glossy dark hair bent over. I pound on the glass, making the driver look up in surprise.
She presses the unlock switch for the doors and I quickly get in, my eyes searching Kat’s body frantically for signs of injury. “Are you okay?”
She huffs out a sigh. “Hi Hunter, I’m fine, but my stupid heater isn’t working.”
I turn some dials, and sure enough, there’s no heat coming out of the vents.
“Shit. That’s not good, Kitty Kat. Why didn’t you keep driving home?”
Her head thumps back against the headrest. “I pulled over to see if I could get it working again, instead of messing around while I was driving, and then had the brilliant idea to turn the car off and on again. You know, like you do with electronics. Restart and all that shit. But now the car won’t start.”
The mixture of sarcasm and frustration in her words makes my mouth quirk up in a small grin, but the truth is, I’m still fighting back waves of anxiety. If I hadn’t been close by, how long would Kat have been stuck here?
“Before you start giving me hell, I was just having a moment of self-pity before calling my brother when you walked up. And I have emergency blankets in the back, so I’d be warm until he got here.”
I huff out a laugh at her sass as the waves of panic slowly subside. “Busted. I was totally gearing up to read you the riot act about winter preparedness. Why don’t I give you a ride home? I’m off shift now and it would be a lot faster than waiting for your brother.”
