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“They should be doing fine. Last I heard, the hospital was keeping them overnight for observation for smoke inhalation.”
“Good, I was praying for them.” Stella turned toward Anya. “Did you hear about it?”
“No, Momma. I was writing this morning,” she admitted sheepishly. She’d woken up feeling fresh and creative. She’d been glued to her computer. The world could have come crashing down around her, and she wouldn’t have realized it. Her new book was taking shape quite nicely, and she’d made a lot of headway.
“You’ve heard about Anya’s writing?” Stella always bragged about Anya. If ever she had a hype man or woman, it was Stella Graham. She was a proud momma and told everyone who would listen about Anya and her author career.
“That I have. Anya told me about it the other day.” Dalton nodded.
“Oh, you two have seen each other before today?” Stella’s voice had a funny tilt to it.
Anya bit back a groan. She knew that tone in her mother’s voice. Stella must have read her last few books because the woman had been all about Anya finding someone new in her life to sweep her off her feet.
“Yes.” Anya cleared her throat. She dropped her feet to the floor. “When my car died, it just happened to do it in front of the fire station where Dalton works.”
“What a coincidence,” Stella murmured.
Anya rolled her eyes.
“Well, I was coming over here to see if Anya wanted to go for a ride on my bike,” Dalton announced.
“What?” Anya’s voice squeaked.
“That sounds like fun!” Her mother laughed.
Anya’s gaze met Dalton’s. His eyes crinkled in the corners while he bit his lip, apparently to keep from chuckling.
“I’ve never been on a bike before,” Anya admitted.
“I’ll take outstanding care of you.” Dalton folded his arms in front of his chest.
“Go ahead, Anya. You know Dalton wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Remember when you were a little girl, and those bullies were messing with you? He and Dallas—”
“I remember, Mom.” Anya cringed. She didn’t want to be reminded of a time when she was bullied and needed to be rescued. Her parents had always been thankful for the way Dalton and Dallas had watched out for her. With her being the only child, she didn’t have any siblings to have her back. The McNeil boys had been good guys, and it was one of the reasons Anya had been infatuated by Dalton.
But the Dalton in front of her had her practically orgasming with just a look.
Pull it in, girl. Your mother is standing right here.
“What do you say, Anya?” he asked, cocking one eyebrow.
Her gaze flickered back and forth between him and her mother, who was just standing there, grinning.
What did she have to lose?
“Okay, but I need to put on real clothes,” she huffed, setting her e-reader down on the table before her.
“That’s fine. It will give me time to do a favor for my mother.”
Anya stood, trying to beat down the butterflies in her belly.
Her, Dalton, and a motorcycle… What did she just sign up for?
