Page 20 of Dotted Lines (Runaway 5)

“About what?”

“You.”

I sighed, relief coursing through my veins. He was okay.

“Flirt.”

Chapter Four

Clara

“Clara.” A hand touched my shoulder, shaking me awake.

I flinched, sitting up on my bed in a jolt. My fingers scrambled for the knife by my side and I gripped the hilt, ready to slash and cut.

“Whoa.” Karson held up his hands and backed away. “Clara, it’s me.”

“Oh.” My heart climbed back down my throat and I blinked rapidly, clearing the sleep haze. “Sorry.”

“You sleep with a knife?” His gaze darted between my face and the weapon.

I shrugged as embarrassment crept into my cheeks. God, I’d almost slashed at Karson. Smooth, Clara. “It’s, um, just in case, you know?”

A crease formed between his eyes. “Yeah.”

I shoved the hair off my forehead and slumped against the truck’s wall. It was bright out and the heat was beginning to seep inside like it did every afternoon. My midmorning nap must have lasted longer than I’d planned.

“Are you feeling okay?” Karson asked.

“Yeah.” I yawned. Staying up beside him while he’d sweated through his fever had worn me out. “Just tired.”

“Thanks. For last night.”

“Sure.” I shrugged. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. I was just getting ready to head into work. My shift starts at two.”

“Are you sure you should be working?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s only for a few hours to cover for one of the guys until close.”

He didn’t look fine. His skin was pale, and his hazel eyes were missing their usual mischievous glint. Whatever bug he’d caught had wiped him out.

Karson needed to rest, but instead, he’d walk to town and go to the car wash. There was no such thing as a sick day in our life. We worked rain or shine.

So this afternoon he’d run the sprayer for any of the vehicles that came through, and by the time he was done, his jeans would be nearly soaked. Karson always joked that he didn’t need to do laundry, even though he still took his clothes to the laundromat anyway. In this heat, those jeans would be dry, though stiff, by the time he made it back.

“I’ll come to town with you.” I shifted and picked up my shoes that I’d kicked off earlier.

“You don’t have to.”

I smiled. “I don’t have anything else to do today. Besides, it’ll be unbearable in here soon.”

By early evening, the truck would be sweltering. I tucked my knife into my jeans pocket, then slipped on a shoe. When I looked up, Karson’s eyes were on the pocket.

“You sleep with it.”

I dropped my gaze. “Yeah.”