Nothing Short of a Miracle Read Free Page B

she’d throw it back at him. The nerve of him insinuating her car was a total wreck. Her Saturn was a perfectly good car. When it ran. It hadn’t let her down yet.
    Should they exchange names, licenses, and insurance information? She did a quick look around the area and sure enough—no witnesses. Darn it. She looked back down at the money in her hand. Crap. She’d just been bought off.
    The tall stranger walked back to his car.
    “Stop. I need your name and license number.”
    “What for? You plan on calling me for a date?”
    Gabriella’s jaw dropped. The jerk had the audacity to smile. And wiggle his eyebrows up and down in a sexually suggestive manner. Sheesh. The smile alone made his eyes sparkle through the drifting snowflakes. But she wasn’t in the mood to be taken in by his easy banter. Or his money.
    “A date? Get real.”
    “You did ask me for my phone number. I assumed you were interested.”
    When she didn’t answer he continued. “Look, there’s no need to turn this in to the insurance company. No one was hurt. I’ve more than compensated you for your minor dent, while I, on the other hand, am going to have to pay more than twice as much to fix my vehicle.”
    “So you assumed you could simply turn this around and make light of it, and I’d change my mind?”
    He got in his car. The Mustang’s engine turned over first time out. Go figure. For a split second she contemplated reporting him for hit and run. Gabriella couldn’t believe he was about to walk away from her without the exchange of the usual necessary formalities.
    “Wait!” she called to him again. “I think we should call the police.”
    He rolled down the window. “Look Lady, no one was hurt. Next time, try to be a little more careful driving when you have your kid in the car.”
    “What?” she squawked.
    He had the nerve to stick his head out the window and ask “Don’t you have one of those ‘Baby on Board’ signs, or something? You need to look into getting one.”
    He backed up, drove the car around her, and took off.
    Gabriella sat behind the steering wheel of her own car, open-mouthed, while he vanished like magic in a swirling mist. Then it hit her. Crap. She’d just missed the opportunity to take down his license number. She tossed the money on the passenger seat and started the car. Thank heaven it turned over the first time. But the traffic light had turned red again.
    The nerve of the man! To think I don’t carry collision. Gabriella drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Well, she didn’t carry insurance for collision, but it was none of his business. She glanced over at the cash scattered on the well-worn passenger seat, sighed, and did a quick calculation.
    “What? Two-hundred dollars!” She turned to Nina, who was once again sleeping, innocent of their good fortune.
    “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she chanted heavenward. “I’ll never doubt again.”
    Maybe this fender bender was the miracle I needed after all.

Chapter Two
    “ OMG . Gabby, I can’t believe he asked you to choose?” Gabriella’s college roommate, and best friend for the last six years, jumped from the sofa and ran to her side. “The man is a total jerk.” Mindy Crandall lowered her voice and looked at the closed door leading to Gabby’s bedroom.
    “Nina’s asleep. I’m sure she didn’t hear you,” Gabby smiled. She’d only had Nina a few weeks, and they still hadn’t gotten used to having an infant in the apartment.
    “I know it’s strange, but I keep forgetting she’s tucked away in your room sleeping most of the time.”
    “You’ve been wonderful. So has Trish. I don’t know what I’d do without either of you.”
    “We’re happy to help. I wish I could do more, but I’m in debt in student loans up to my eyebrows as it is.”
    “Working out our schedules to help babysit Nina so I can go to classes has been a tremendous help.” Gabby hugged her friend. “Thanks. I mean it from the bottom of my