+ Excerpt +

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“Where are you?” Wes’s concerned voice filled my car.

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The ice pelted the windshield. My fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard, my knuckles ached. I’d turned off the radio a while ago, not wanting to be distracted.

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The road to my best friend Wes Calloway’s house was slick, but there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

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The road was empty because most intelligent people were home with their families on Thanksgiving night or hadn’t ventured out.

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But I’d needed to see Wes. To hear him say that my grandmother’s ultimatum was crazy, and I shouldn’t entertain it. I needed his comforting presence tonight more than ever.

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Over the years, the Calloways’ home had become a respite for me after the holiday meals with my family.

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Dinner with my family tended to send me into a tailspin. Wes and his family grounded me, bringing me back to the present.

I felt safe at the Calloways, and I needed that warmth wrapped around me like a blanket on a night like tonight. I couldn’t go back to my empty house. Not after the bomb Grandma had dropped at dinner.

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“Sutton. Are you still with me?” Wes barked over the speakers.

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“I’m on my way to you.” My mouth was so dry, but I didn’t dare lift my hand from the wheel to drink from the water bottle sitting in the cup holder.

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“It’s freezing rain. The roads are slick.” As a Department of Natural Resources police officer, Wes had access to the same radio updates as his police officer brother Teddy, who was sure to be with him at dinner tonight.

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“I know.” I didn’t like the tremor in my voice. I prided myself on being strong.

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“You should turn around and go home. It’s not safe.”

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Wes was straitlaced, always seeing things in black-and-white. Safe or dangerous. Always my port in the storm.

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From the moment we met under the slide on our school’s playground, we’d been friends. He was always there to protect me from a bully or help me when I fell on the playground. And I needed him now.

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I flexed my fingers, not letting go of the wheel. “I’m almost there. There’s no point in turning around now.”

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“I’ll come get you.” Wes’s voice was hard and didn’t leave any room for argument.

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“You shouldn’t be out in this,” I said, realizing how ridiculous I sounded.

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“And you should?” Wes’s tone was incredulous.

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I kept my eyes glued to the road in front of me while I willed my small car to say on the road. Every time it slid to the side, I pulled it back by sheer will. But I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay in control.

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It felt a little like dinner with my family. The tighter I held on, the more out of control I felt.

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Wes growled over the line. He was overprotective on a good day. But when someone he loved was in danger, he lost his cool.

“I’m okay,” I said gently, even as the sweat beading on my forehead told me a different story. “It helps to have your voice on the line.”

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“If you slide, steer into it, don’t slam on the brakes.”

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“Wes. You’ve told me this before.” And it was the mantra that had gotten me through the last few torturous miles.

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“It’s different when you’re experiencing it.” The line fell silent, and I wondered if he was running his hand through his hair or gripping the back of his neck. “I’m coming to get you.”

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“You don’t have to do that.”

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“How far out are you?” His voice was tight.

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“Five minutes without ice?” I tried to joke, but it fell flat.

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“I’ll be right there.”

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Before I could say anything, the line went dead. My heart surged at the idea that Wes was on his way. I didn’t want to be alone in this, but at the same time, I didn’t want him or one of his brothers to get hurt. They were involved in either law enforcement or firefighting, so they were versed in bad road conditions and rescue efforts.

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Wes would be fine. He wouldn’t come out if he didn’t think he could make it.

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My car slid again, and I brought my attention back to the road. I just had to go a few more feet, than a few more after that.

Just then lights flashed in the rearview mirror, and a truck driving way too fast came around the corner and swerved around me. Panicked, I jerked the wheel to the right, and my small car flew off the road, going airborne for one long second, then landed with a hard thud.

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My head bumped into the steering wheel, my knee into the steering column, before my body flew back against the seat.

When the car stopped moving, I was almost afraid to breathe. I slowly opened my eyes, my entire body felt like it had been shaken up.

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The airbags hadn’t deployed. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?

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All I could think about was how much I needed Wes to be here. I felt coolness on my forehead. I reached up, feeling a cut.

My knee hurt. But I was okay. I was off the side of the road. I hadn’t hit anything else like a tree. It could have been worse.

I just hoped no other vehicles would go by and crash into me.

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It couldn’t have been long when lights flashed in my eyes. I hoped it was Wes.

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The truck made a U-turn and parked alongside my vehicle, partially blocking the roadway. The passenger side door of the truck opened, and someone ran toward me.

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I heard my name being shouted. But I felt a little dizzy and woozy. I wondered if I had a concussion.

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The door ripped open, and the cold air made me shiver.

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“How is she?” Jameson asked as he seemingly shoved Wes out of the way.

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“Can we move her? Can we get her out of here?” Wes asked, his voice trembling.

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I’d never heard him be anything other than completely put together and calm. Except for when his mother died.

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“Should be able to,” Jameson said evenly. “How’s your head, Sutton?”

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The pain was worse now. It felt like someone was using an ice pick on my head, and my neck ached. I touched my forehead. “It hurts.”

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“Anything else get hurt when you slid off the road?” Jameson’s voice was soothing.

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My hand drifted lower. “My knee.”

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“Okay. I’m going to look at you. If everything’s good, I’ll carry you to my truck. Then we’ll take you home and treat you there.”

Home. To the Calloway’s house. The place that made me feel warm and content, accepted and loved. There had never been any pressure or expectation at the Calloway house. I was accepted as is, and it was an amazing feeling.

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“What about my car?” I didn’t like the idea of leaving it here.

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“We’ll call a tow for it. It will be fine.” Jameson wrenched open the driver’s side door.

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Jameson’s fingers lightly probed my forehead, my scalp, then my knee. Then he traveled to other parts of my body, and I felt too exhausted to ask what he was doing.

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“I’m going to unbuckle your seatbelt and carry you to my truck.” Every word was said slowly, but I knew Jameson was focused on me and the road, listening for any signs that another vehicle was close by.

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I merely nodded, and Jameson released the buckle. Before I could register what was happening, Wes was there. “I’ve got her.”

“Be careful. We don’t know what other injuries she could have.” Jameson’s voice sounded so far away.

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I was lifted out of the car and cradled in Wes’s arms. He carried me to the truck, placing me carefully into the back seat before climbing in and shutting the door. The interior of the truck’s cab was warm and cozy, a contrast to the air outside.

Wes buckled me into the middle seat, then pulled me across his lap. He brushed my hair off my forehead. “You’re going to be okay.”

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“I am.” Being this close to Wes was like coming home. I felt safe, warm, and protected. Nothing could get to me here. Not my grandmother’s ultimatum, my parents’ shock, or the weather.

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“I think you hit your head hard.”

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My hand fluttered to my forehead. “I mean, it hurts, so—”

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“I’m only saying that because you’re letting me hold you.” There was amusement in his tone.

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I tried to shrug, but the position was awkward for the movement. “You feel too good.” That was the reason why I resisted touching him and only gave him the briefest of kisses on the cheek. When he filled out as a teenager, I was hyper aware of the man Wes was growing into. I was attracted to him despite my brain telling me what a bad idea it was.

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When he started talking about girls he liked, I knew I wasn’t even on his radar. He’d put me firmly into the friend zone, and I couldn’t let on that I crushed on him, or I’d lose the relationship we had. And I couldn’t lose him. He had been the rock in my tumultuous life.

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The one I went to when my family was too much. I just didn’t let him consume my life. He had girlfriends on and off, and I was very aware that they hated it when I hung around.

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I flitted in and out of his life based on his relationship status and pretended that we were just friends. That I didn’t get a tingle of awareness each time his body brushed mine. That I didn’t enjoy laying in his lap right now even though my head ached and my knee throbbed.

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Wes Calloway was a friend. He’d never be anything more. But for tonight, I’d enjoy every minute of laying in his lap and soak up the comfort he provided.

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One day, Wes would be doing this with his fiancée or even his wife. I needed to protect my heart around him and not let my expectations run wild. Even if I wanted him to tell me he’d always liked me too.

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It was a pipe dream. Not my reality. I knew what to expect out of life, and it wasn’t dreams being fulfilled or happy endings. It was hard work and sacrifice.