Western Flame

Chapter 15

Tanner was gripping the steering wheel like it would fly away if he didn't. Liana wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't used to driving a small car, or if he was actually worried about driving after dark. It had to be the first thing, because the Tanner she knew wasn't fearful of much.

It was dark but cloudy, so the countryside was inky black. Their headlights bounced off the snowbanks and road signs. Rivulets of water glittered across the asphalt, which was a dusty grey-white from the salt strewn to prevent dangerous ice.

Liana was silently conscious of the fact that she'd lost her shit again. She had to stop doing that. In her defence, it had been a particularly long and trying day. Not helped by the fact that the up and down emotions of the man currently driving her car were playing with her own.

What Peony said was stewing, the fact that Caitlin was pregnant and hadn't told her... an all around mindfuck. She was tired, restless, frustrated, and overwhelmed all at once.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Liana opened her work schedule for tomorrow. Full day. Jenny was due in for nine, and she was booked back to back until three pm. Saturdays were always stupid busy, this one no exception.

"Shit," she muttered, closing her eyes and leaning back against the headrest.

"You good?" Tanner asked, sliding his glance over to her, then back to the road.

"Yeah, just realising tomorrow I will be on my feet all day," she said.

"Me too. Gonna have to figure out how to deal with Brady bein' gone."

"You have a good group of people working for you. I'm sure they'll be able to do it," she offered.

"I do," he said firmly.

They were nearing town, and red tail lenses of a vehicle reflected in the car's headlights. Tanner signalled to move over, and as he did, Liana noticed the truck was sitting funny on the gravel shoulder, like it had a flat.

"That truck, it looks like it broke down. Should we check to see if someone needs a lift?" she said, swivelling in her seat as they passed. "There's shitty cell signal, and it's a stretch of road I wouldn't want to thumb a ride on. That'll get you hit by a transport."

"Yeah," Tanner agreed and slowed down, did a u-turn and headed back. As they found the truck again, Liana eyeballed it. They parked in front, the headlights lighting up the entire grill. It was an older Chevy, and had seen some hard use. The front bumper was half off, the grill levered out on one side. More than a flat, this looked like it saw the business end of a deer.

"Stay here, I'll go check it out, looks like they might've hit an animal," Tanner said, unbuckling, then pausing, looking right at her. "I mean it, Liana."

Liana slumped back into her seat and rebuckled, huffing out a breath. He was overprotective of her and it was maddening, but as she crossed her arms, she took a quick breath of relief. Normally, it was her walking up with her tire iron hidden behind her leg, just in case. Someone else doing it for a change was nice.

Tanner looked in the truck using his phone's flashlight, then walked around to peer down the passenger side, hand on the hood, his body a shadow in the headlights. He crossed over and went around to the rear, the light from his phone casting into the ditch and up the road. Jogging back to the car, his phone was connecting to someone as he eased back in.

"Put me through to Lieutenant King... Tanner West," he clipped.

Liana looked out at the truck, and then back at Tanner, his jaw clenched, flexing in and out, seething.

"What is it?" she asked gently, hand on his arm. He flicked a glance at her as he waited on hold and his jaw relaxed.

"That's the truck that hit Brady. Almost sure of it. Whole side is scraped, with black paint on the front quarter panel."