That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1)(11)

“My clothes,” the girl in my arms shouts. “My clothes are in there, my suitcases! I don’t have anything to wear. I’m new to town and don’t know anyone. This is my first day; I need clothes!”

Not hard to believe, given that she’s wearing just a bra right now, and even though I’m the upstanding volunteer fireman, I can’t help but notice the swell of her breasts and the valley of her cleavage framed by the black lacy fabric.

“Greg, grab her suitcases from the back of the trunk and bring them up to me.” I speak to the lady. “Don’t worry; you’ll have clothes.”

“Thank you, kind sir.” She rests her head against my shoulder and sinks into my hold, and despite myself, the familiar feel of a woman in my arms is alluring.

You’re rescuing someone, not picking up a woman, Griffin. Christ.

The hill is pretty steep, and I’m knee deep in grass and mud, struggling more than I would have liked at being the knight in shining armor.

“Are you okay?” she asks as I grunt, my foot slipping on the slick grass.

“Yup, just slippery.” My voice is clipped, my mind focusing on one thing and one thing alone: not making myself look like a complete fool.

Falling down and tumbling head over heels on top of a partially clothed woman is not on my list of things to do today.

Just a few more feet.

“Do you need help, Griff?” Dave asks, popping his head out from the truck.

Ever the consummate hero, I shake my head and take the last few steps, nearly throwing my back out when I slip one more time, but I catch my balance in time to avoid the terrible tumble down.

Sweet Jesus, that was close.

I carry her over to the ambulance and set her down in the back on the ledge, where the EMTs, Jessica and Carly, start tending to the cut on her head, asking her a bunch of questions.

I walk over to the truck, where Dave approaches me from the side. “You know, there were plenty of us who could have helped.”

“I know,” I answer, digging around the back until my hand connects with something soft. Just what I was looking for.

“You should have at least waited for one of us to help you.”

I open up the T-shirt and shake it out, making sure it’s the clean one I keep stashed away for reasons just like this. “She was scared, Dave, and bleeding. She was able to fully hold a conversation with me and wanted out of the car. I took action.”

“She could have a hurt neck or—”

“She doesn’t, okay? Just a bump on the head.”

I’ve turned to walk away when Dave calls out, “When did you become a medic?”

Walking backward, I grin. “Earned my certification this morning.” Dave reads my sarcasm well and mutters something under his breath as he heads down toward the car to help out the rest of the guys while I check on the girl. I let out a deep sigh. Yeah, I should have waited, should have maybe assessed the situation better, but there was something about her that struck me deep in my core, a look that reminded me of Claire, and hell if I didn’t step into action right away.

“You should have seen it, came out of nowhere,” the girl says, waving her arms about, making Jessica and Carly’s ability to assess her for injuries harder than anticipated.

Stepping up, I hold out the T-shirt. “Something to cover up with.”

The girl looks at the shirt and then back up at me, her eyes watering, her lip trembling. Oh Christ.

“That is the . . .” She sucks in a deep breath and calms herself. “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done. Thank you.”

A shirt is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her? Where is this girl from?

“We’re going to take you in for some scans just in case.” Carly hops down from the back of the ambulance and heads toward the front while Jessica straps the woman into the gurney.

“Is that really necessary?”

“You drove off the road and got stuck between two trees, and you have a nasty cut on your head. We want to make sure everything is good and you don’t have any swelling in your brain.”

The girl bites her bottom lip and then looks up at me. “I’m really okay.”

“It might be good just to double-check,” I say, helping out Jessica and Carly. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure your clothes get to you.”

“You would do that?”

“Sure.” It’s not like I have a busy gift shop to get back to or a shift to finish with the fire department. I actually like the distraction. It gives me something other than the mundane schedule of my life to follow. “What’s your name, ma’am?”

I step into the ambulance, gripping the top of the doorframe with my hand as Jessica starts strapping up the woman.

“Ren. Ren Winters. I’m new to town. I’ll be teaching algebra in the fall, and I would really like to know what happened to the suicidal moose that stepped in front of my car. Is he dead?”

I chuckle and take her hand in mine. “I’m Griffin, and I can promise you, the moose is fine. You’re the one we need to worry about. Now listen to these two women; they know what they’re doing.” I give Jessica a high five before hopping out the back. “Get better.”

I help shut the ambulance doors and give them a pat on the back to let Carly know she’s good to go. Hands on my hips, I stare down the red taillights of the vehicle. Ren Winters, algebra teacher. I wonder if she’s the same woman moving in a few houses down from me, the one who rented the Alabaster Haven, a.k.a. the white cottage on Seagull Lane.