Will sent Cameron a smug smile, as if to say “Told ya so.”

Cameron cleared her throat, hoping to remind Mrs. Hendricks that a paying customer was waiting to check in. “Cameron Murphy. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hendricks.”

The other woman finally looked at her and gasped. “Oh my! What happened to your face?”

Cameron raised her hands to her face, remembering the moment of impact and how her nose had hurt afterward. “What?”

“You have two black eyes,” Mrs. Hendricks said. “And your nose . . .”

Alarmed, Cameron looked around for a mirror. “What about my nose?” She walked across the small lobby to a framed mirror and shrieked at what she saw. Her nose was swollen and sure enough, dark bruises were forming under her eyes. “Oh my God!”

Turning back to find Will leaning against the counter and Mrs. Hendricks looking on with concern, Cameron marched back over to confront him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That my face was all banged up!”

“Um, maybe because I figured you’d hardly need me to tell you that something had smacked you in the face.”

“It must’ve been the airbag,” she said, remembering that moment of utter blackness. Had she passed out? She’d been ignoring the pain in her face as she tried to get her bearings with Will, but now that they mentioned it, her nose was throbbing rather insistently.

“The airbag would also explain the burn on your neck,” Will added.

“Burn?” Her voice was a shrill squeak. “What burn?”

He leaned in closer to her, and she swore her heart skipped a beat as she caught a whiff of his outdoorsy scent. The touch of his finger on her neck sent a shocking bolt of heat straight through her, landing in a tingle between her legs. What in the name of hell was that about?

“There.” As if he’d touched something hot, Will pulled back his hand and straightened out of that insolent slouch he did so well.

The two of them stared at each other for a long heated moment.

“Was there an accident?” Mrs. Hendricks asked, interrupting the intense interlude.

“She hit Fred,” Will said gravely.

Mrs. Hendricks brought a hand to her ample chest. “Oh! Is he okay?”

“He seemed no worse for the wear,” Will said. “Good thing it was a small car.”

“It was a new car!” Cameron said, wondering if anyone in this godforsaken town would care that her adorable little car was no longer adorable.

“Well, as long as he’s okay,” Mrs. Hendricks said as if Cameron hadn’t spoken. Then she turned to Cameron. “I can call Doc Edwards for you, if you’d like.”

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.” All Cameron wanted was a warm bath and an ice pack for her throbbing nose.

“Could I borrow the phone to call Nolan about her car?” Will asked.