The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 591

“Is your car giving you trouble?” Haynes asked.

Stella barely glanced up from the engine, answering absently, “Yeah, something’s off,” as she continued to tinker under the hood.

Wind and rain lashed the empty road, and Stella was soaked to the skin. She looked utterly bedraggled, hair plastered to her cheeks and clothes clinging uncomfortably.

Haynes leaned out his window. “Come get in my car—I’ll drive you home.”

She shook her head, trying to sound casual. “That’s all right. I’ll just call a friend to pick me up.”

Haynes frowned. “It’s over an hour to the city from here, and with this weather, anyone coming out would take close to two. The sun’s already down for the day, and this is the middle of nowhere. It isn’t safe for you to wait out here alone.”

Stella didn’t want to get involved with Haynes any more than necessary. Her tone was deliberately noncommittal. “I’ll be careful.”

When she still made no move to accept his offer, Haynes abruptly pushed open his door and stepped out into the storm, holding a large black umbrella.

Stella tensed, watching him warily as he approached, but Haynes said nothing more. He simply walked over and began inspecting her engine, one hand awkwardly holding the umbrella, the other reaching under the hood.

Between the two of them, the umbrella barely shielded their upper bodies from the downpour. Rain hammered against the fabric, cold water dripping down Haynes’s sharply cut features.

Stella hesitated—she’d wanted to refuse his help, but now that he’d gone out of his way and was getting soaked himself, insisting again would just seem petty.

She reached for the umbrella. “Let me hold that for you.”

“Thanks,” Haynes said, handing it over without looking up.