“I’ll text my mom.”
Maiken drove slowly down the empty country road as I texted Momma.
I’d only typed in the first word when Maiken said, “Holy shit.”
The truck swerved, and in a flash, we were barreling down a small embankment. Every muscle in me locked up tightly.
Ariel screamed, the sound piercing my eardrums.
My body bounced around, my head hitting the back of the seat as I braced for an impact that I knew was about to take our breaths away—and maybe our lives.
A boom sounded before metal crunched, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Then blackness took over.
Chapter Five
Maiken
I tried to get my seatbelt off, but the damn thing was stuck. Steam billowed out of the truck’s engine, and I prayed a fire didn’t start.
I shook off the dizziness as I gave up on the seatbelt and checked on Quinn. She was slumped over, held by her seatbelt in front of the airbag.
Fuck!
I turned my head, my neck in severe pain. “Ariel, are you okay?”
Ariel appeared to be a zombie, but her eyes were open, and as far as I could tell, she was breathing.
I checked Quinn’s pulse and sighed so loudly that I was sure that deer I’d managed not to hit heard me. Damn deer. Kade had warned me about deer, especially around dusk, when they come out.
“What happened?” Ariel asked, slurring her words.
“Deer,” was all I said. “We need to get out of the truck. I’m afraid gas might be leaking.” I didn’t smell anything but wanted to be safe. “Do you have your phone handy? Mine is on the floor somewhere.” I didn’t see my phone or Quinn’s.
Ariel moaned. “Yeah.” While she called for help, I fiddled with my seatbelt with shaky hands. Fucking thing didn’t want to come off.
Ariel’s breathing was the only sound in the truck’s cab other than my own brain screaming swear words left and right.
Finally, I got the belt off and practically dove at Quinn, who had slumped at an angle with her head against the passenger window.
I felt around her neck for a pulse. “Come on, baby. Wake up.” I would die a thousand deaths if anything happened to Quinn.
“Uh, we’ve been in an accident,” Ariel said into the phone. “I don’t know. Maiken, where are we?”
“We’re on Candle Road, one mile west of the highway, heading toward Ashford.”
Quinn groaned.
Halle-fucking-lujah. “Hey.” I examined her the best I could and didn’t see any blood. Then I jumped out of the truck and fell into knee-deep snow.
Come on, idiot. Get your ass up and save your girl.
I never did like the snow. I’d lived in the South for most my life, and we never had to deal with blizzards, ice storms, and black ice. Once on my feet, I struggled to get around the truck but stopped at the back and inhaled deeply. I didn’t smell any gas but knew we should be cautious just the same.
By the time I opened the passenger door, Quinn had her seatbelt off and was more lucid. The other good news was that I still didn’t smell any gas.
“Everyone is okay,” Ariel said into the phone. “Thank you.” She grabbed her coat. “The 911 operator said it would be forty-five minutes or more, given the weather.”
Fuck.
“Call my dad,” Quinn said through a moan while she rubbed her neck.
Oh, man. I hated to make that call. Mr. Thompson was going to rip my head off. The minute he knew his baby girl had been in an accident, he and his son, Carter, would be there in no time.
I felt around the floorboard beneath Quinn’s feet and found her phone. “My mom could get here faster.”
Quinn shook her head. “No. Daddy has a big truck. He can pull yours out.”
Maybe, but a quick scan of the front told me that my new truck was totaled. Mom wasn’t going to be happy.
“I’ll head up to the road and put out some flares while I call your dad.” I carried a winter emergency kit that included a blanket, flashlight, flares, and water. Mom had insisted that we always have an emergency kit in our cars. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I leaned in and kissed her head.
“Yes. Hurry before the weather gets any worse.”
Within five minutes, I was on the road and had set up two flares. Then I called Mr. Thompson and held my breath while I waited for him to answer.
“Quinn.” His voice boomed through the phone on the third ring. “Are you close?”
“No, sir. It’s Maiken.”
“What happened?” His voice sounded like a bomb exploding.
“We’re fine. But the 911 operator said no one could get here for at least forty-five minutes. We’re a mile off the highway on Candle Road.”
“I’m on my way.” The line went dead.
I puffed out my cheeks, about to get Quinn and Ariel when they emerged up the embankment. “You should’ve stayed in the truck. It’s warmer.”
“I’m fine,” Quinn said as she shivered.
“And you’re stubborn,” I mumbled, grabbing the blanket from her hands.
Ariel glanced up and down the dark road. “Well, this is fun. Not. How about next year, you come down to Key West with me?”
I was all for a beach and sunshine.
“Sounds like a plan,” Quinn replied.
I wrapped the blanket around Quinn, who wasn’t wearing a jacket like her roomie. “Ariel, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am. I think I’m more in shock. I’ve never been in a car accident.”
I hadn’t either. “Mr. Thompson is on his way.” I tugged Quinn to me. I needed to hold her to calm my racing pulse. “I’m so sorry. The deer came out of nowhere.” Then I eased away from my girl, sweeping my gaze over every inch of her body, making damn sure she was in one piece.
“It’s not your fault. Deer cause many accidents around here throughout the year.”
Ariel bounced on her feet, no doubt trying to stay warm. I was wearing a BC short-sleeved T-shirt, and I swore I didn’t feel cold at all. Adrenaline was pumping through me at warp speed.
As we waited for Mr. Thompson or emergency personnel, I said a quick thank you to the heavens above. Then I turned to Quinn. “Baby, I love you so fucking much. And I need you to know something.”
Her pretty eyes widened.
A slow grin emerged on my face. “I do want to marry you one day.”
“But,” she said softly.
“No buts. I need you to know that in case…”
She leaned in and kissed me with trembling lips. “Shh. I’m fine.”
I shuddered at the thought of how close we’d come to being seriously hurt or worse. “I could’ve lost you.”
“You didn’t. You’re stuck with me forever, Maiken Maxwell. And when you’re ready to ask the big question, I will be ready to tell you a million yeses.”
Her words were music to my fucking ears and a balm to my bruised soul.
In that moment, my love for Quinn grew exponentially.
Chapter Six
Quinn
Christmas music played in the background as I sat on a loveseat in my family room, staring at the crackling fire. I was still numb from our almost-bad accident twenty-four hours prior. Maiken hadn’t left my side except to sleep at his house. Of the three of us, he was the one still visibly shaken up. Daddy hadn’t been happy with him, but he knew that it was hard to avoid a deer when one darted out onto the road.