Free Grace: A Christmas Sisters of the Heart Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray Page A

in a Cadillac a couple of cars over who need assistance, and a woman who’s six months’ pregnant who I’d like to get to shelter as soon as possible, too.” Searching her face, he said, “I’m sure you’ve got things to do, but—”
    She cut him off. “I’m healthy and not in that big of a hurry. I can wait.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Of course, Officer. I can wait my turn.”
    His eyes positively lit up. “I can’t tell how glad I am to hear that. Okay. Here’s the deal, I’m going to work with the other officers to get the worst cases cleared away ASAP.”
    “And then?”
    “And then I’ll be back shortly with an update.”
    The way he looked at her, like Leah actually mattered to him, gave her a little jolt of pleasure. For the last year, all she’d done was go to class, study, and work. She hadn’t had time to date. Certainly no time to start a relationship.
    But this man appealed to her. And once more, what was happening between them seemed to be out of her hands—just like the accident. Like it was inevitable.
    Slowly, she ventured, “You’ll come back, or will it be someone else?”
    “Me.”
    “I’m glad.”
    White teeth flashed. “I told the other guys that you were all mine.” A look of horror crossed his face. “Oh. Excuse me. I mean, scratch that. I mean, we’re all trying to connect with one or two people out here so y’all aren’t hearing conflicting reports.”
    “It’s fine. Go to work.” She looked at his nametag. “Officer Littleton.”
    “Just for the record, miss—it’s Zack.”
    “I’m Leah.”
    He tapped her door with two fingers. “Leah … stay here and be safe. I promise, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    “I’ll be waiting,” she murmured after she rolled up her window and watched him once again try to calm some other accident victims down.
    Now she was sitting in her injured vehicle while tow trucks were being summoned and AAA was working with her to get a rental car.
    Things being what they were—and the fact that at least eight other cars were in the same position, and given that there was a steady stream of ambulances and fire trucks and police cars around—Leah knew it was time to grab a hotel for the night. In Louisville.
    She was scared. She’d never gotten a hotel room by herself before. Plus, Louisville was a big city. She had no idea even where to find a hotel, let alone one that was in a safe part of town. She’d grown up hearing plenty of stories about bad things that happened to foolish vacationers in Louisville or Cincinnati.
    Realizing that she was letting her imagination get the best of her, Leah forced herself to calm down. And then she realized she really was being pretty silly. Just being in a big city didn’t mean she was in danger …
    Melody was proof enough that bad things could happen anywhere, at any time.
    Since she had plenty of time to wait, she called her mom and gave her an update. Her mom, of course, had offered to drive out and get her. But Leah knew if she went home and actually had time to think about making the drive—well, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.
    Her well-intentioned visit to Melody would be just that—a good intention that never went anywhere.
    So, she’d done her best to sound braver than she felt. And tried to act calmer than she was with the police officer who kept coming back to check on her.
    Zack, his name was. And as far as she was concerned, he was one of God’s angels. He’d been so kind to her, so helpful, she knew that couldn’t have been in his job description.
    As if just thinking about him had conjured him up again, he rapped on her window. “Miss? Leah?”
    She opened her door and got out. “Yes?”
    “You didn’t have to get out again.” He smiled, revealing one tooth that was slightly crooked. “I was just checking up on you.”
    “I’m fine. But thank you, sir.”
    “It’s Zack, remember?”
    “Of course,” she replied with a smile.
    As around her, emergency