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I glance over at Harlan, his intense stare searing.
The sooner I answer his questions, the sooner they’ll let me out of this room.
Just get it done, Maisie, and then put this place in your rearview.
Chapter 4
Harlan
The brunette with narrowed eyes the color of a lightning strike confirms my brothers’ earlier assessment.
She is in fact a looker. As if I didn’t already notice that myself.
A pissed-off looker if the stare she’s aiming my way is indication.
But under the irritation, I see fear. Whether that fear is from waking up in the hospital after the accident or having me and my brothers camped out in her room remains to be seen.
“Sure,” she says. Though the tone tells me that she’d rather be anywhere else than answering my questions.
The baby in her arms is disarming. Where she holds her gently and lets the infant play with her hair, the nervous anxiety radiating off her tells a different story.
“Can you tell me what happened?” I ask.
My brothers are listening keenly. Hell, they’re just as invested in the tale as I am since they’ve all been here almost all day hanging out and helping with the baby. Only two of them were allowed into the ER room when she was there. But once they moved Maisie to a regular room, they converged — taking turns helping watch the baby and hanging out until her mama woke up.
“A deer ran across the road. I tried to swerve to avoid it, but ended up going into the ditch with the camper. I think the front end hit the embankment and that’s why I tipped.”
Short. Sweet and to the point. The area is known for animal crossings and there are a couple of accidents out there each year because of them, so the story makes sense.
“Were you driving tired?” I ask.
“It was one o’clock in the morning, what do you think?” she snarks.
I’ll take that as a yes then.
“Were you drinking?”
“No.” Her jaw clenches at the question.
Even if she consented to a blood alcohol test now, it’s been too long since the accident. She didn’t smell like alcohol and the only open container we found in the rig was her soda.
“Where were you headed?”
Her plump lips roll into a thin line, and she takes a second before responding. “Shelley. I have a rental booked there.”
“Your rig has Texas plates on it. Is that where you’re from?”
Her eyes cut away before she nods.
“You here on vacation?”
“Yeah. Vacation,” she confirms, but the hairs on the back of my neck raise.
She’s lying. I don’t know how I know, but I trust my gut. It’s saved my ass enough times.
“You own the mechanic shop?” she asks Jedd.
He nods. “I do.”
