"About a twenty-minute drive."
"Ah."
"More coffee?"
"Will you help me drink it?" I teased, surprised at my words. I felt very at ease with this woman, which wasn't a normal reaction for me.
Her wide smile was beautiful. It transformed her soft, adorable features into a stunning vision of loveliness. A dimple appeared in one of her cheeks. Her eyes danced with mischief. She was heart-stopping. My breath caught in my throat looking at her.
"The first one is on the house. I charge after that." She tilted her head and winked. Her hair ornament tinkled with the movement.
"Noted." My voice dropped. "Thank you for your help. That was beyond kind."
Her cheeks flooded with color, enhancing her subtle beauty, and her gaze dropped. "I'll get your coffee."
On impulse, I held out my hand. "I'm Evan. Evan Brooks."
Her hand was warm, clasped in mine. "Holly Cole."
I looked down at our hands and then back up at her.
"Hello, Holly. It's a real pleasure to meet you."
A fresh cup of coffee appeared in front of me. I took a sip of it and gasped. "Wow. That's hot."
She smiled as she nodded. "I added cold water to the first cup so you could drink it fast and start warming up. Speaking of which, you're still shivering. Here." In her outstretched hand was a bundled towel. Confused, I took it from her grip only to realize it was warm.
"Your hands are still cold, so your feet must be freezing. They're soaking wet," she explained calmly. "Take off your shoes and you can wrap your feet in the towel."
"Oh, um…here?"
She nodded. "Yes."
I hesitated.
"Your feet," she said pointedly. "Take off your shoes and socks. The wet socks aren't helping."
I looked around the diner. I didn't want to get her into trouble. She smiled at me. "It's fine, Evan."
I toed out of my wet sneakers and socks and wrapped the towel around my feet. She was right—they were freezing. "Thank you," I said again. A shudder ran through me as the heat hit my skin.
"I called a friend in town who owns a garage. He's coming out with one of his tow trucks to get your car. They’ll look at it in the morning. He can drive you to the motel as well. It's going to take him a while to get here, though, so I'll throw your socks and sneakers into the dryer in the back."
Again, I was surprised by her kindness. "Holly—thank you."
"It isn't a problem."
I reached for her, wrapping my hand around hers once more. There was a strange warmth when our skin connected. "You are truly—” I hesitated "—an angel. Thank you."
"Drink your coffee, Evan," she admonished.
But she was smiling as she walked away.
"You're sure?" Tom asked me as he pulled back into the diner parking lot, my car on the winch behind his truck. He'd picked me up and drove us to my car, but instead of riding back into town with him as planned, I felt the intense need to go back to the diner.
Back to Holly.
She had looked as sad as I felt when Tom arrived to take me to my car, even though she smiled as she handed me my now dry sneakers and socks. She wished me well and a safe journey before she turned away, leaving me feeling strangely empty. From the moment I left, I wanted to go back.