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stepped out, leaned over his boss and unlatched both seatbelts before shaking the man awake and leading the dog out to the fence. He jogged back and helped Hodge get the bags from the trunk, then leaned in the passenger door and looked Jenny in the eye.
    “Give me five minutes to get him settled and I’ll be right back,” Grant asked as he flashed an appreciative smile. Her eyes popped up to meet his.
    “You want me to wait?” Apparently, she thought she was just going to dump him here. Then he’d have to call a cab and a tow truck. He glanced at his watch. He supposed he could do so, but admittedly he’d rather not.
    “Please. I need to swing by Hodge’s car and get it towed. If you can’t take me, I’ll call a cab.” He watched her hesitantly. She looked at the clock on the dash and furrowed her brows.
    “My day is shot anyway but I need to hurry; I have to pick someone up in an hour.” He looked at her confused before sliding the door softly closed.
    • • •
    Jenny whizzed them back to the car where the tow truck he’d called was already lifting Hodge’s beamer and preparing it to move. Grant silently prayed that the tow wouldn’t dent or scratch the precious automobile. Once the tow driver was ready to go, Grant jogged back to Jenny’s car and jumped into the passenger seat one last time.
    “You saved my life tonight, Jen. I owe you. What can I do to make it up?” His eyes searched hers.
STAY.
The word bolted into his brain and echoed with the thought. Much as he hated to admit it, he was reluctant to leave. He realized she was in a rush, but the idea of her driving away and possibly disappearing was hugely disappointing. He started to say, “What about lunch?” then stopped. No.
    “Don’t worry about it. Just consider it my good deed for the day.” She waved a hand, dismissing him. He doubted good deeds fit into her lifestyle very often. Grant didn’t know why he decided to lean in; it was a stupid thing to do. He didn’t even know the woman and she’d already mentioned that she was “involved, sort of.” Still, he was overwhelmed after listening to her wit all night. Her grating grouchiness had ironically grown on him.
    Without thought, he leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek. She was small; reaching her was a stretch that required him to place an arm across the console. His fingers brushed the warm flesh of her forearm and she flinched. Damn it if she didn’t turn right into him, accidentally of course. His mouth was abruptly on her lips instead of her cheek and he panicked. Soft, pouting lips that felt incredibly warm against his. He sank back and waited for an angry quip of some sort to slip from her. Nothing came; she just stared at him.
    “I guess no good deed goes unpunished,” he whispered and reached for the door handle. Her fingers clamped over his forearm and he looked down to see her slip something into his palm. A business card?
    “You’re a strange guy, Grant,” she stated. “I don’t really understand what you’re doing with that dog and Hodge, but this was — interesting. Definitely entertaining. If you ever get stranded again, feel free to give me a call. Driving is what I do for a living.” She smiled briefly then sobered up. “Don’t bring the tiny horse, though. I’m gonna have to vacuum all the hair out tomorrow, and I believe I’ll have to shower all the slime off my neck. Just curious — why didn’t you strap him into the seatbelt to begin with?”
    He stared at her. She’d completely flipped from the angry, crabby girl he’d first met, but he sensed it was all pretense. Glancing at the business card, he realized what had happened. She was making a sales pitch. This was her sweet and charming business personality. “Because I liked watching him aggravate you. So, how much do I owe you?” he blurted.
    Her eyes widened. “What?”
    “You said you do this for a living. Based on the calls earlier, I’m guessing I made you lose some business.