Free Cooper’s Redemption (Crimson Romance) by D'Ann Lindun Page A

dancing snowflakes. Once in a while, she spotted a yard light off in the distance. In spite of the heater blowing full blast, she shivered. The thought of being out here all alone was a sobering one.
    A sharp curve in the road seemed to come out of nowhere.
    Reacting on instinct, she yanked the wheel, sending her vehicle went into a full skid. The wheels seemed to take on a life of their own. No matter how hard she wrenched on the steering wheel, Elizabeth couldn’t straighten the sliding car. She noticed a road sign fly by, then Cooper’s headlights.
    With a sudden bone-jarring jolt, the SUV slammed into a ditch. Then the engine died. The headlights still burned on full beam. Shaken, but unhurt, she took a few weak breaths. “This snow driving is going to take a little practice.”
    Pounding on the window caught her attention. She opened the door a crack. Cooper stood there. “You okay?”
    “Fine.” Elizabeth nodded. “Fine.”
    “You sure?” he demanded.
    Elizabeth began to giggle. The entire situation was just too funny. No matter how hard she tried to quit, the funnier it became. Chortles erupted from her like bubbles from a champagne bottle. Impossible to stop. “N … n … e … e … vv … er bbb … b … e … tt … er.” She wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes.
    Cooper looked at her like she was crazy and opened the door. “Scoot over.”
    As she slid over the console to make room for him in the driver’s seat, her mirth began to die. All laughter went when the engine failed to start. “What’s wrong?”
    “Don’t know.” He tried again. The engine growled, but refused to fire. After several attempts, it became obvious the motor wasn’t going to cooperate. With a muffled curse, Cooper said, “We flooded it now. Or maybe the fuel injector switch got turned off. I don’t know.”
    “I wonder how long it’ll take to start again?”
    “Probably a while,” he said.
    Elizabeth shivered. “I’m freezing.”
    “It’s going to get colder,” Cooper said. “I think it’s best to leave your rig here and come back for it in the morning. I’ll drive you home.”
    “Leave my car?” She shook her head. “No way.”
    “It’s safe enough,” he said. “You’re off the road. No one is going to hit you, and no one is going to be out in this storm. If we keep sitting here, we’ll just get colder. There’s no sense in that.”
    She wasn’t cold with him this close. But he made sense. She couldn’t think of a counter argument. “Be sure to get the keys.”
    He held them up in his fist. “Right here.”
    Elizabeth walked to his old truck, climbed in and reached for a seatbelt.
    “Don’t have one,” he said.
    “That’s dangerous,” she said.
    “I know,” he replied dryly.
    “Turn up the heat,” she countered, “if it works.”
    Giving her a sour look, Cooper switched the heater on high. He put the pickup in reverse and it backed up easily.
    Elizabeth released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “How far from my place are we?”
    “Not far.” He shifted. “About four or five miles.”
    “My house is going to be freezing,” Elizabeth said. “I only have a woodstove which I’m not very adept at working yet.”
    “They can be tough until you get the hang of it,” Cooper agreed. “I’ll come in and start it if you want.”
    “Oh, that would be great.” She was afraid he could start another kind of fire if she weren’t careful. Somehow she knew Cooper wasn’t the love ’em and leave ’em type. Which was a good thing because she didn’t go for one night sort of relationships. Relationship? She and Cooper barely had a speaking acquaintance, why was she thinking about a physical thing? He wasn’t her type.
    Elizabeth wondered what would her mother think about this man? Would she believe the gossip, or would she give him a chance? Elizabeth stared out the window. The storm swirled around them, cocooning them in the cab. Silence enveloped