I know those are worst case scenarios, but I also think—-
Oh my God, hallelujah, God is good!
I'm out of my rental as soon as I catch sight of a pick-up through my rearview mirror, and I jump and wave my hands wildly in the air like a cheerleader on championship night. "Hey! Hey! Help please!"
My heart leaps in relief when the driver pulls up behind my car. Something about the pick-up seems awfully familiar, but things only click when I see the guy stepping out, and of course...it has to be him.
Wyoming Keanu.
A shiver runs down my spine, but it has more to do with an almost forbidden sense of excitement rather than the bitingly cold winds currently stinging my cheeks.
"You alright, ma'am?"
Ma'am. I've never been called that before. Also, how perfect is that voice? Think strong, deep, and authoritative but at the same time reassuringly gentle and wonderfully precise, like Superman meets Professor X, and...oh my God, is that a badge he's showing me?
I squint hard, just to make sure I'm seeing things right. It is a badge, and next to it is his I.D., which tells me his name is Aidan Blackwood, and he's the...Chief of Police of Hartland, Wyoming?
I'm beyond stunned, and when I lift my gaze up to his, I see a smile curving over his lips, and oh my freaking God, but the sight is just so dazzling my lips start moving on its own.
"You're handsome."
Aidan's smile turns into a grin, and my mood switches from dazzled to completely enthralled.
"Thank you, ma'am."
His tone is polite enough, but it's the glint in his dark eyes that brings me back to my senses.
What the hell?
While I've never been the shy and awkward type, neither have I ever been the type to just go up to a man and start flirting, and I have no idea - absolutely no idea - how in the world I ended up saying such words.
Get! A! Grip! Raffi!
I give myself one last mental shake while Aidan starts talking about snow tires and engines and batteries. He gestures to my tires and bends down as he speaks, and I'm immediately distracted by the way his pants stretch across his behind.
Oh my God, I'm such a perv.
But...
That ass of his is seriously sexy. Just perfectly muscled, and—-
"Ma'am?"
My gaze darts back guiltily to his direction, and I feel my cheeks turn pink when I realize he's caught me ogling his lovely behind. "Um...oops?"
He doesn't say anything this time, but the way his dark gaze smolders has me torn between swooning and panicking.
A little help here, God? Please?
I've long sworn off forbidden fruits like Chief Aidan Blackwood, but how the heck am I supposed to stay unaffected when Wyoming Keanu keeps looking at me like I'm his next meal?
I wait for God to answer, but all I hear is crickets.
Fine then.
I look back at Mr. Temptation-Come-To-Life, thinking it's time to make things clear, but—-
"About your car," he suddenly murmurs, and I perk up right away, relieved to hear him changing the subject just when I need him to.
"I can have it towed first thing tomorrow."
"That would be a huge help," I say right away.
"But in the meantime...if you've got somewhere to go, maybe I can give you a lift?"
THINGS MOVED PRETTY quickly after that, and before I know it I'm struggling to contain my breathless excitement while seated next to Aidan in the tight, dark quarters of his pick-up. The whole thing feels rather surreal, and my heart's pounding so hard I'm seriously worried it's about to burst out of my chest.
Distraction.
That's what I need a.s.a.p., but when I ask for his permission to play some music—-
"I'd rather talk to you," he murmurs, "if you don't mind." He slides a glance at me, asking, "Are you here for business or pleasure?"
I frown at him. "How do you know I'm not local?"
Wyoming Keanu smirks. "Anyone who doesn't know the difference between a snowstorm and a blizzard better not be local or he'd be dumber than a doornail."
I gape at him, torn between shock and laughter. "Did you just call me stupid?"
"Only if you're local."
I make a face, knowing he has me there.
"Well?"
"You already know I'm not local."
"And?"
I roll my eyes but answer him all the same. "Both, I guess?"
"You don't sound sure."
"Story of my life." The words are out before I can stop myself, and I can't help wincing at how terribly emo I sound. "Sorry. Ignore that, please—-"
"What are the other things you're unsure of?"
"I just asked you to ignore that," I exclaim.
"Ignoring things isn't one of my talents, I'm afraid."
"But rudeness is?"
"I prefer...roguish."
God, he's impossible, and even worse, I'm having a hard time keeping myself from smiling.
"It's always easier to talk to strangers," he says suddenly. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that?"
I shake my head.
"It's true, though."
"Of course you'd say that."
"Come on," he says cajolingly. "What's there for you to lose?"
"A lot."
His brows shoot up, and I realize I've done it again. If there's anything I dread more than the C-word, then it's the E-word. There's nothing I find more appalling than being emo, but...isn't that the whole point of this trip as well?
Eat Pray Love is just one giant emo fest, and if I want to carve a path of self-discovery the way Julia Roberts did, then...
"I don't know what I want to do with my life," I blurt out.
"And you have a deadline for that?"
I expel a sound of frustration. "You know what I mean."
"And I think you also know what I mean," he says equably.
I suppose I do, but...it's different for him. One look at Wyoming Keanu, and I know he already has things figured out. He knows what he'll be doing until his 101st birthday, and while I'm happy for him, that just makes me feel like I suck even more. I don't even know what I'm going to do in the next hour—-
"Do you know Stan Lee?"
The question throws me for a loop, and I look at him, confused. "Not personally, no, but I know of him."
"Then there you go."
"I'm sorry, but you've totally lost me."
"Stan Lee was in his late thirties when he hit it big with Fantastic Four."
Hearing Wyoming Keanu use a Marvel analogy is just so unexpected I find myself fighting off another smile.
"And Vera Wang—-"
I can't help laughing now. "Seriously?"
"I'm not making any of this up—-"
"I k-know you're not, b-but..." I try to finish, but I'm laughing too hard to be coherent. This really isn't good, but I just can't help it. Wyoming Keanu almost seems to have a secret key to my funny bone, and I need to clear my throat several times before I can finally start speaking again. "I'm sorry. "I just never expected a macho guy like you to even know who Vera Wang is."