Her balance would be an easier task than her equilibrium, what with him so close, supporting her with such an intimate touch. They were standing a couple of feet away from the tailgate of her truck, and she sized up the distance to the passenger’s door. Maybe ten feet, but those were going to be ten excruciating feet.

“I can carry you,” Cole said.

“No.” Her protest came out quickly. It was broad daylight, they were in the middle of a neighborhood with plenty of people coming and going, including some of her crew who had yet to drive away, and she was not going to have him lugging her around. “If you could just support me and walk by me, I’ll make it.”

“Your call,” he said, his tone saying he thought she was being stupid.

It took forever and a day, but she finally made it to the door, a sheen of sweat breaking out all over her body with the effort. She’d put minimal weight on her bad side with every step, and her eyes were still burning with tears from the ache. Cole had opened the truck door, and it hit her how tall her damn vehicle was. It didn’t normally faze her, but this was going to take some doing.

“If you’d like to drop your stubbornness for about five seconds, I’ll lift you up there and it’ll be over with,” Cole said.

One more glance at the truck, the height of the running board, the additional height of the cab…

“Okay,” she said. “You win. Please help me.”

He scooped her up and set her on the high seat seemingly without effort, shutting her in before she could exhale. She waited for him to open the driver’s-side door, and when he didn’t, she checked the mirror to see where he’d gone.

It took a few seconds, but she finally spotted him at his truck, with the door open as he stretched inside for something. When the door closed, she could see he carried a duffel bag and was still wearing his tool belt.

As he headed back toward her, she turned her attention to her seat belt. He pulled the driver’s door open, put his bag and tool belt behind the seat in the extended cab, and climbed up to the driver’s seat.

When he closed the door, the space shrunk and the air between them seemed to pulse as they looked at each other, neither one speaking. After a few seconds, Cole held his hand out. When she glanced at it, he said, “Keys?”

Keys. Of course.

Sierra dug into one of the baggy pockets in her cargos, pulled out the key ring, and handed it to him.