Baby, Be Mine Read Online Free PDF Page A

tell Clay we’re dating?”
    “Would you?” Gage grinned. “Nah, I’m kidding. I’ll call him.” He shook his finger in her face. “Don’t let him give you hell.”
    “Clay?” She pretended to not be worried. “He’s a pussycat.”
    Gage laughed loudly before giving her one last tender kiss.
    She crawled out of bed and followed him to the door, standing on the porch to watch him drive away. The dark, cloud-filled sky reflected her internal mood. What a night. Incredible.
    Except for the part where he’d had to leave.
    Katy stepped inside and gave up on bed, pulling on her clothes and staring through the kitchen window at the grey fall day. It wasn’t fair that he was gone this soon…
    Foolish inspiration hit. He’d said he was still packing a few things this morning. She could at least go and visit while he worked. Or if he needed to concentrate, she’d just sit.
    After how many years of not being together, and a guaranteed six months’ hiatus in the future, why not grab every single moment they could now?
    She’d drive over to his place and…
    …and her car was in the shop. Frack.
    Fine. She could deal with that. Katy laughed at the craziness of her actions, but they somehow fit the craziness of the preceding night.
    She popped on her bicycle and did the short trip to the garage in record time, the grey clouds overhead not encouraging, but the lightness in her heart giving her limbs extra strength.
    It wasn’t necessary. She could email him, but something about wanting to see him one last time called to her. One more chance to make it clear that she was happy they were together, that this was a bump in the road.
    She let herself into the garage and grabbed her key from the TO BE SERVICED hooks on the wall. Threw up the overhead door and rolled out quietly. There was no reason to disturb her dad because she knew she’d get a lecture about driving past her scheduled service mileage. Older vehicles like yours need to be kept well maintained, yada, yada, yada…
    She’d deal with her father’s pet peeve once she was home.
    Now? She had to get to Gage’s place before he left. One more kiss. One more kiss would make it all worthwhile.
    She wasn’t even to the highway when the threatening rain became a full-fledged downpour. She clicked the wipers to high for all the good it did, the heavy moisture streaming upward across the windshield creating a waterfall in reverse as she took the car up to barely highway speeds. The turn approached for the gravel road that would take her to Gage’s place, and she applied the brakes.
    Nothing happened.
    She tapped them again, increasing pressure as the turn not only approached but flew past her, the upcoming curve racing nearer far too quickly.
    “Oh, shit.” Katy jammed into a lower gear to slow the vehicle’s momentum, but it didn’t help. Rain glistened on the road’s surface, long ribbons of water like miniature rivers and…
    Her wheels hydroplaned. The car shimmied to the side and hit the ditch, bouncing violently as the tires crushed the tall, uncut grass.
    Katy jerked forward slightly before her seat belt locked, choking tight across her chest. Fear screamed through her veins as she fought with the wheel, steering toward an open space in the trees. Everything rushed past as if she weren’t seeing the entire picture.
    Trees.
    Road.
    Water.
    Grey sky.
    The screaming of the engine, the smell of wet brake pads.
    Then pain as the car bounced, the single airbag in the steering wheel whooshed to full, and her head slammed into the doorframe.

Chapter Four
    To: [email protected]
    04:07:00 Sunday, September 13
    Made it to Fort Mac. That was a hell of a drive at the start. The storm didn’t ease off until I was past Edmonton. Held me up enough I didn’t get in until after midnight, so I didn’t want to call and wake you up.
    I’ve got good news and bad news.
    The company that hired me had a screaming good offer waiting when I arrived. It’s a shorter