Her Unexpected Detour Read Online Free Page B

He had a straight nose, its size the perfect complement to his high cheekbones and dark brows. Her gaze wandered down his neck, past his broad chest, and followed his long, lean arms. His free hand rested casually on the steering wheel, and the memory of their handshake a moment ago came rushing back. The contact had sent a current rippling through her, a flash of…something.
    Intrigue? Desire?
    With as long as it’d been since her last venture out into the dating world, it was probably a mixture of both. But his hands felt different from the ones she’d held before. They were large and warm, and callused, too—undoubtedly from years of manual labor. Even so, his grasp had been gentle. Almost too gentle, like he’d been holding back…
    “…expecting me. And since I’m late as it is, I’ll just have to bring your sister with me,” Brent said. “Yeah, send your guy to the Checkerberry Inn. That’s where we’ll be.”
    Panic flared in Kayla’s chest. Had he just said he was taking her to an inn ? In the middle of nowhere? She wanted to kick herself for ever climbing into his truck. Now she was trapped.
    Or was she? Her gaze flashed to the door handle. Could she get out and bolt before he could catch her?
    A hand clamped over her left forearm.
    “Don’t even think about it, princess.”
    Kayla yanked her arm free and swallowed hard. “Look, I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am, but—”
    “I don’t know what kind of girl you are,” he said, pocketing his phone once more. “Nor do I really care. What I do know is that I’ve got a lot of work to get done today and not enough hours left to do it. So if you’ll fasten your seat belt, we can get going.”
    “Oh, no.” She folded her arms across her chest. “No way. I’m not going to some seedy motel with you.”
    “A wha—?” He cast a stormy gaze upon her. “The Checkerberry is not and never will be a ‘seedy motel’. It’s my grandmother’s bed-and-breakfast, one of the nicest around. At least, it used to be. Anyway it’s warm and dry and where I’m headed. So if you planned on sitting in your car freezing while you wait for a tow truck to arrive, too bad. I’m not turning around.”
    Kayla stared at him, stunned by his outburst. “Fine.”
    “Good. Seat belt.”
    She complied with his order—for her safety, not to please the grump—and resisted the urge to stick out her tongue as she did. The truck started forward, its pace painfully slow. After what seemed like several miles and countless patches of ice later, Brent slowed his vehicle and gingerly turned onto a long, private drive. At its entrance stood a large wooden sign with the words Checkerberry Inn painted scarlet and outlined with gold. A picture was carved into the sign below its name, displaying a smooth pond with a deer looking up from its edge. If there was more to the image than that, it was masked beneath a growing layer of ice.
    Ice or no, Kayla knew just by looking at the majestic sign that Brent had been telling the truth. Nothing seedy about this place. She shifted her gaze to the frozen green expanse of lawn beside the drive. Hedgerows and rose bushes of varying shapes and sizes dotted the landscape, looking a bit worse for the wear after their winter slumber. Nothing a little spring trimming couldn’t remedy. And a good thaw to get rid of all the ice.
    Soon a mammoth structure came into view, painted a pale yellow and the size of three colonials placed end to end. The inn was two stories tall, the second level overhanging the first to create a broad, covered porch. Even shrouded by the rain and gloom, it was absolutely beautiful.
    “This is your grandmother’s?” she breathed.
    “It is.” Pride tinted his voice.
    “Wow.”
    Brent eased the truck to a stop beside the inn and killed the engine. He cast a quick glance in the backseat, then frowned. “Guess I haven’t swapped out my ice scraper for an umbrella yet. Sit tight. I’ll run in and grab you