THREE

“Let’s just leave it at Mother Nature’s fault,” Jon said, remembering the slow skid that he’d driven into. He’d have been fine if she hadn’t been on the other side of the road. But she was right. He’d slid over the line and going thirty had been enough to cause some serious damage to her car. He knew he should have taken the SUV.

“Insurance doesn’t care if it’s ice,” she folded her arms again. “You went over the line,” she said matter of factly.

He held up a finger as the tow guy finally picked up the ringing phone. “Hey, Jeff, it’s Jon.”

“Jon who?” he asked with little interest.

“Jonny B, you asshole.”

Realization and genuine pleasure soaked his baritone voice. “Jesus, Jon, what the fuck did you do now?”

“I decided a week before Christmas was far too boring, so I had to shake things up a little.”

A man’s big booming laugh barked out of the speaker and Bella raised both eyebrows. Jon just smiled back at her. “Jeff, I need a favor.”

“Better be an easy one. Both my guys are already out towing.”

“Looks like you’re up then.”

“Aw fuck, Jonny, you know I don’t go out on calls no more. That’s why I had kids.”

“I got a pretty lady out here freezing her,” he paused when Bella gave him a bland stare. “Butt off,” he finished. “We got into a small accident.” He rushed on when he heard Jeff begin to bluster. “No injuries except to the Chevelle and her pretty little Pony.”

“Classic?” Jeff asked with his first hint of interest.

“Brand new.”

“Fiberglass POS,” Jeff muttered. He sighed, “All right, I’ll bring the flatbed out and get you both.”

Jon’s eyes quickly scanned over the woman since she wasn’t paying attention to him. Black suede boots wrapped their way up her calves over skin tight leggings. The rest of her was buttoned into the knee length red coat, so he had no idea if she was curvy or thin. Hoping for curvy, he focused his attention on the phone call and gave Jeff the address. “Can you haul my Stingray out of your storage unit? I’ll have to use that to go to my kid’s recital.”

“Fuck, Jonny, this weather is shit for that toy car. I’ll bring the truck.”

Jon rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever, just get over here.”

“You still owe me for the last tow.”

“Christ, Jeff!”

“Just kidding, Jonny, I know you’re good for it. Besides, I’ll just turn you over and shake the money loose if I have to. That is if I can get it out of those tight pants of yours.”

Jon clicked his phone shut against the booming laugh. “Jeff will be here in a bit.” He twisted his wrist and swore. “Good thing Jake’s class is second to last.” He opened the phone again.

Bella wandered back to her car and tried not to look at the damage. Not wanting to cause anymore harm she gingerly opened the door and got her purse and gloves out of the car.

Disgusted with the needle-like rain/snow combination in the headlights, she flicked them off to conserve her battery. She walked back to him and took a few steps back at the cool tone of his voice.

“I did not do this on purpose, Dot.” He was turned away from her and she couldn’t stop her eyes from following the line of his neck and shoulders encased in the fine wool coat. His hair was artfully mussed in one of those cuts that probably cost a thousand dollars. And while she was used to the pretentious nature of New Yorkers, she didn’t think he was the type to worry about what he looked like all the time. Whether it was the unconscious athleticism of his body without the posturing, or how her nerve endings came alive each time he pushed his fingers through the short dark strands, she didn’t know. All she knew is that it had been a very long time since any man had even caused a glimmer of awareness in her, let alone a tingle like Jon.

She caught him clutching his phone in a fisted hand before he tucked it back into his jeans. She gave him a small smile as he came back her way. “Wifey looking for you?”

“Ex,” he said tightly. His smile lost its personality and she missed the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. “Let’s just hope Jeff gets here soon.”

Jamming her hands into her gloves she folded them in front of her. “Are you going to miss it?”

“No, Jake’s class has a few more before them.”

She felt the mood shift and tried to draw him back into the conversation. She wasn’t sure why she bothered. They’d be going their separate ways in a few minutes, but she liked the way he talked. Liked the way he paid attention. “Impressive that they make all those kids wait around,” she said conversationally.

“Idiotic,” he muttered and jangled his phone against his keys in his pocket.

“No, it teaches them patience.”

Jon’s lips curled into an easy grin laced with parental knowledge. “Yeah well, Jake takes after me.”

She tucked her gloved hands into the crook of each elbow for warmth and was a little too happy to see the twinkle back. “Not your strong suit?”

“My cross to bear,” he corrected and winked.

“Mine’s bad luck,” she said ruefully.

He laughed. “So we’ve got an unlucky chick and an impatient-“

She cut him off, “Rockstar.”

He shook his head and flattened his amazing mouth with impatience. “I’m not a Rockstar, that’s just what I do. I’m a man. A parent, that’s late for his kid’s recital. That’s all I am.”

Conscious of the button she’d inadvertently pushed she quickly changed the subject. “Well, I’m a writer. It certainly defines me.”

“Ahh, there we can agree. I’d rather be labeled a songwriter than Rockstar.”

Curious about his attitude, she was tempted to push him on it, but deciding it wasn’t any of her business she launched into a bit of small talk about the creative process. It turned out they had far more in common than she’d have ever thought possible. They both had their quirks about writing and a stack of superstitions. But best of all they were on even ground when it came to feedback.

They lived for it.

Even more than the performing in front of his sold out crowds, Jon enjoyed the little sessions of musicians and jamming out ideas. Intrigued, she moved in a little closer. “Any chance that’s going to happen soon?”

Jon lifted an eyebrow. Just where was she going with that? He watched her eyes sparkle, even in the semi-darkness.

Knowing she was far too interested, she pushed on. She’d had an idea for a musician vampire in one of her books. She wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing that he’d just manifested into an angular faced, blue eyed, dark haired man. She’d always been interested in the dynamics of a musician, even with her tin ear. “I’d love to watch.”

Forcing himself not to go deep into the gutter with that one, he cleared his throat. “Watch what?”

Bella smirked, playing right into his teasing. “Your session.”

Jon smirked right back. “I’ve called it a session a time or two. Especially when it runs three or four hours.”

Bella had to swallow deep this time. Hell. That’s not right. “I meant with your guitar and a writing pad.”

“Well, Izzy, to be honest I’ve never done it with my guitar on, but I’m game.”

Each time he altered her name, his voice got a little lower, a little more gravelly. Enjoying the roll of heat that bloomed in her belly she let herself fall into the game of flirting. What did she have to lose? He’d be out of her life in a few minutes anyway. “Good thing you’re charming, Slick.”

“Well I went from asshole to charming in the space of thirty minutes,” he rocked back on his heels. “I still got it.” He buffed his nails against his coat.

Bella snorted, but was saved from further conversation as his friend pulled up in a monster sized tow truck. Jon came up beside her and held a hand to her back to move her out of the way.

Even through her thick wool coat, her body buzzed in reaction to his small touch. For a moment she forgot he was behind her as the big man stepped out of the truck. A full cinnamon beard with white handlebars down his chin dominated his face. Red suspenders, work pants in a mechanic’s blue stretched around his more than healthy waist. Even with the stinging icy rain, he wasn’t wearing a coat and his big black t-shirt stretched across his barrel chest read: I taught your girlfriend that thing you like.

Coughing back a laugh she waited as he unchained the truck from the back end and tossed Jon the keys. “You owe me,” he paused for effect, “again.” Glancing her way, he tipped the brim of his battered ball cap. “Evenin’ Ma’am.”

She gripped her purse. His tone said teddy bear but his demeanor said Hell’s Angels. “Thanks so much for coming out to help us.”

His face split into a huge white toothed grin, with icicles clinging to his mustache. “If Jonny’d mentioned you were gorgeous, I’d have moved faster.”

Bella smiled, instantly at ease. “I still appreciate it.”

Jon’s arm tightened along her back before he stepped back. “Thanks, Jeff.” He leaned forward and shook his hand. “A case of Jamison will be under your tree.”

His big hands rubbed together as his chest puffed out. “Now we’re talkin’.”

Bella looked down at her boots and up to the cab of the large tow truck and gave an inward groan. “Well you go and get to that recital. I’ll head back with Jeff.” She slipped her card out of her purse and held it out to him. “Just let me know how you want to do the statement tomorrow.”

“Oh you’re not going with Jeff. Ever seen a school play, Izzy?”