Being rescued in a snowstorm by her worst enemy raises Lindsey's hackles in all kinds of ways. And when he keeps on rescuing her, there's a serious issue here...

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

a short story by

Terry Hayman

Copyright © 2010 by Terry Hayman

Published by Fiero Publishing at Smashwords

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Someone to Watch Over Me

Terry Hayman

The first time he showed up, it was eight-thirty at night and snowing hard in the Community Center parking lot. I=d just come out of a rally I=d helped organize against the proposed development of the ravine beside the school where I taught. Still breathing fire, I revved up my little hatchback and roared straight back over the curb.

There was a sickening bang! and the right rear of my car suddenly sagged. Great.

I shut of the engine, pulled up the hood of my parka, and climbed out into the whistling cold. Yep. Flat tire. I licked my lips and looked around. I was one of the last ones out. Bert Corbeil would still be inside, but he was in his seventies and would make no end of helpless female jokes if I asked him. So....

Slapping my mittened hands together, I went to the back of the car to get the spare. The rear hatch door was frozen solid. I banged on the button. Nothing. Kicked it. Finally I wiped my nose and went back to the front driver=s door, flipped the seat forward and climbed into the back, leaving the front door open, wind whistling. With a lot of grunting and sweating, I managed to fold down the rear seat and take off the spare wheel cover. When I went to lift up the wheel from my head-down position, though, I could barely budge it.

I fell forward onto the tire with a moan.

Suddenly there was a whump right by my head, then a blast of cold air as the rear hatch of my car was lifted open. I blinked and looked up into the snow-rimmed face of a blue-eyed man in his thirties. ACan I give you a hand?@ he asked.

AI can do this,@ I said, pushing myself up to my elbows to look less foolish.

AEasier with two.@

Something about him as he stood holding up the rear hatch of my car, framed by the whipping snow. Familiar. The meeting? AOkay,@ I said.

I shimmied out backwards and by the time I tromped around to join him, he already had the wheel and jack out and was cranking up the right rear of the car. He had the flat tire off, frozen bolts and all, in five minutes, and the spare on in just over that. Concentration. Set jaw. Barely looked at me until he was done.

Then he threw the flat and jack into the rear, slammed the hatch closed, and gave me a megawatt smile like I=d made his night. ACan I...uh...buy you a coffee?@ I asked.

AYou know, any other night....@ he said. ABut I=ve still got to meet with some people to deal with the fallout from in there.@ He nodded at the Community Center hall.

I frowned, puzzled. I was right. He had been inside. But--

AAnother time, maybe,@ he said, and was jogging off into the night before I could ask his name.

The snow stopped later that night and the sun shone the next morning, making the whole town sparkle white and brilliant. Pristine. As I parked in the school lot, still riding my spare tire, the night before seemed a dream. The rally, the flat tire, the mysterious stranger. I laughed and shook my head as I climbed out.

Gasped. On the ravine side of the school playing field, a cluster of five men in business coats were walking and pointing.

I set my jaw and slammed the door of my car so hard that it threw me off balance on the icy pavement. My feet started backpedaling furiously. I was falling!

Two hands caught me under my arms and lifted me back up to my feet. I turned to see the same blue eyes that had rescued me the night before. AWhat...?@

AOn my way to meet some people here. You know, Lindsey, you=d almost think you were following me.@

AMe!@

He stuck out a hand with mischievous smile. AJim Sylvan.@

I took it, blushing furiously, then froze. ASylvan. As in Sylvan Constuction?@

He nodded. AMy father started it. I=m now in charge of the >bunch of brutes=, as you so succinctly described them last night.@

ADestroying our playing field.@

ABuilding beside it, actually.@

ADamning up the creek. Destroying a natural habitat where the kids played. Raping the land for what? Another townhouse complex! Another concrete--@

AWhoah. Too nice a day to start it this way, isn=t it?@

I realized I still held his hand and I threw it away from me. ANot too nice to come out and check out the site you=re going to destroy though.@ I pointed accusingly at the men out on the playing field.

AGot me there,@ he said, reshuffling his coat around his shoulders. ASpeaking of which, I do have to run and meet them.@

AJust like that.@

AIf you can make it into the school all right by yourself.@

AI--@ But he=d already backed off and, with a smile and wave, turned to jog across the snow to his meeting. I brushed back my stray hair with a glove and found myself blushing again. Ugh. This day had just gone very bad.

The kids didn=t help. The boys were distracted by the fresh snow and were bouncing off the walls. Teesha, Elizabeth, and Megan had just formed an exclusive >girls= club= which drove the non-invited girls crazy. By three I was ready to scream. When they=d all gone, I gathered in my arms the slide projector I=d brought from home, the stack of interim report cards, and a dusty paper-maché head with a black mustache past its prime. With my free fingers, I clutched a bag of fruity jellybeans one of the girls had given me, and my car keys.

Then I realized I=d forgotten to put on my coat and boots.

I wavered. Decided to go as I was.

The wind from last night was returning and the hard-packed snow leading out was treacherous even with sand on it. By the time I was halfway there, my leg and arm muscles were shaking, I was choking on the dust of the paper-maché head, and my grip on the jellybean bag was slipping.

AMay I?@ said a familiar voice, catching the bag.

I jerked around angrily, almost losing the paper-maché head. Jim Sylvan steadied it and I glared at him.

ANo >thank you?=@ He grinned. AOkay, let me open your car and help you get this stuff in, then you can blast me.@

I held back, then realized my teeth were chattering and instead jingled the keys I still held. He took them and helped me get everything in. The paper-maché head took up the passenger seat and for a second I despaired that this was about as close as I=d ever get to having a man share my life. I cut off the thought angrily. If the men who wanted in were like Jim Sylvan, I=d do just fine by myself, thank you very much.

When I turned back to him, I was nonplused to see he=d taken off his parka and was holding it out to me. APut it on,@ he said. AI=ll walk you back to get yours.@

ANo. I--@

APlease. I=m feeling really goofy here.@

So I let him slip it around my shoulders, let its body warmth, its masculine smell, wrap around me. I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was looking into his. Such a smooth face. Overly bushy eyebrows that kept it from being too perfect. And blue eyes so deep....

AThis could never work,@ I whispered.

ABecause of the construction.@

I nodded.

AWe found a way to move it back. Save the creek. We can put up extra fencing to keep the kids away from the mall. Probably needs some adjustment, but we=re trying. We=ll do whatever it takes, Lindsey.@

AWhatever it takes....@

AYeah. Me and the brutes listened. We care.@

I pulled his coat tighter around me, looking down at the snow. AI=d...like to believe that.@

ALet me convince you over dinner tonight.@

AI would be curious to hear what you=ve planned.@

AAnd I=d be close enough to rescue you the next time you needed help.@

AWhat?@ I jerked my eyes up, fuming. AVulnerable female needs big strong man?@

He tilted his head and shivered. ADon=t you? Because you know, I=d really like to be needed. And to need in return. That=s what it=s all about isn=t it?@

I opened my mouth then closed it again. I had nothing to say to that and the bluntness of it made my knees a little weak. So rather than speaking, I shrugged off his coat a little bit and slipped my arms into the sleeves so I was wearing it properly. Then I extended an elbow.

AI take it that=s a yes?@ he asked as he took it to support me.

I nodded and together we walked back to the school to get my coat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Originally appeared in Woman's World, 1999.

If you enjoyed this story, why don't you check out Terry Hayman's other works listed where you bought this one, or sample other authors from Fiero Publishing.

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Someone to Watch Over Me