Cowboys & Kisses (4 page)

Wyatt’s forearm brushed across my thigh as he changed gears, totally distracting me…and knocking the air from my lungs.

“Thanks,” Dax said to Wyatt.

“You…you sent him out looking for me?” I asked, further humiliated.

Dax shrugged. “Not really. We were going to the hardware store for Dad so I asked him to keep an eye out on the way over.”

Wyatt’s arm brushed my leg again, catching my attention. His forearm was tan, muscled—I could see the flex of muscles as he shifted gears again.

“You going to take the job?” Dax asked Wyatt. “My parents are kind of desperate.” I looked at Wyatt.

“I don’t know.” Wyatt looked at me, then Dax. “I could definitely use the money.”

“Then do it.” Dax nodded. “You should know, the list keeps growing. But you’ve seen the place, so you know what you’re getting into.” He laughed. Wyatt nodded.

List? Job? My parents… What were they talking about? Then I remembered Mom saying something about hiring someone to help out around the place.
Oh no…

“Wait,” I managed, dreading the answer as soon as I asked the question. “What job?”

His warm gaze rested on my face. “Your dad wants me to work out at your place, get it fixed up.”

I blinked, aware that his thigh was now pressed along mine. “Oh,” I mumbled.

He smiled a small smile, then shifted gears as he picked up speed. I shivered when his arm brushed over the top of my thigh.

“Work on him, Allie. If he’s there, it’ll make things a lot easier.” Dax punched me on the shoulder.

I glanced at my brother, then back at Wyatt. “Um…whatever.”

Dax sighed. “Way to sell him.”

“He either wants the job or he doesn’t,” I argued, glancing at Wyatt again. Wyatt laughed. “Do you?” I asked.

He nodded, looking at me.
Did he just look at my mouth?
I saw the muscle in his jaw tighten, and looked out the front windshield.

“Cool.” Dax leaned back against the seat.

No, it is not cool. It is the exact opposite.

“Saving for anything special?” Dax asked.

More boobie stickers? A new speaker system?

I saw Wyatt’s jaw muscle tighten, then relax. “Nothing special,” he said.

We pulled into the hardware store parking lot. Wyatt held the door open for me, so I slid out on his side and pulled on my t-shirt. He smiled at me. I didn’t smile back.

“What are we getting?” Dax asked. “Besides a new window.” He shot me a look. I glared at my brother.

“How’s your hand? Feeling okay?” Wyatt asked without a hint of sarcasm. I looked at him, skeptical. But…dammit…he was being sincere. I nodded, frowning.

Dax led the way but Wyatt opened the door for me, waiting for me to go through. I did, glancing at him as I went by. It was strange, the whole chivalry thing.

We worked our way down the list my dad had put together, giving me plenty of time to study Wyatt. And I did. I couldn’t help but notice how his shoulders flexed under his worn white t-shirt. I mean, he was loading sheets of plywood onto the cart, so his muscles just kind of demanded attention. Just like his butt.

I swallowed. His faded jeans looked like they were glued on. It was too nice a view not to enjoy it.

Dax noticed, his eyebrow shooting up. I glared at him. “I’m going to look at paint,” I announced before I stalked off.
What is wrong with me? Why do I care about
his
butt or
his
muscles?

I stared at the paint samples, pulling a few cards and comparing colors. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my room, if it even needed to be painted, but I did know space was a good thing.

“Need some help?”

I turned. “No, thanks.” I recognized this guy. He’d been sitting at the table in Peggy’s with Dax and Wyatt. He wore a nametag on his Black Falls High School football t-shirt. Levi. He was cute. And he knew it.

“You sure?” he asked. “I work here. I’m not just trying to get your number or anything.”

I shot him a look. “Yeah, the
nametag
kind of gave away the whole working-here thing. Unless you just wear a nametag around all the time?”

He laughed. “Right.” I turned back to the paint samples, putting the cards back. “You’re Dax’s sister? Allie?” he asked.

I nodded, not looking at him.
Hint. Hint.

“I’m—”

I glanced at his nametag. “Let me guess. Levi?”

“Right.” He laughed. “Welcome to Black Falls. How you liking it so far?”

Dax and Wyatt came around the corner, pushing the now full flatbed lumber cart. I was saved. Wyatt and Levi shook hands and thumped each other’s backs. I shook my head, stepping back a little.

Levi eyed the cart. “Working on something?”

“Got lucky. Mr. Cooper hired me to fix up the place,” Wyatt said.

Dax laughed. “Say good-bye to the rest of your summer.”

“It’s a lot of work,” Wyatt agreed.

“Oh.” Levi looked at me, a long, head to toe look that almost made me laugh out loud. “He need any more help?”

I shook my head and started to walk away, but Levi stopped me.

“Hey, Allie.” He shot Wyatt and Dax one of those wish-me-luck looks and followed me down the aisle. I sighed. This couldn’t be good. “I was wondering if maybe you’d want to go to the bonfire. Next Friday night. Fourth of July. After the rodeo.”

Bonfires. Rodeos. Hell…

I saw Dax over the corner of Levi’s shoulder. He was making that face, a pleading face. The be-nice-and-I’ll-owe-you-big-time face. It took everything I had not to sigh, loudly, in irritation.

“You…and your brother. Come with me, meet everyone,” Levi said.

Both Wyatt and Dax were watching, waiting. “I’m not sure,” I managed.

I saw Dax’s shoulders slump, saw him shake his head. He mouthed “Please”…
Dammit.

“Wait. You mean
next
Friday?” I said it fast, before I could regret it. “Sure.”

Levi’s smile was pretty killer. Not as warm as Wyatt’s, but it was nice.
I’m comparing Wyatt to Levi because…?

“Pick you guys up at eight?”

I nodded, still trying to figure out what the hell I was thinking—or doing.

“Cool.” He looked a little
too
happy.

I nodded again and turned, walking out of the hardware store before I could change my mind.

Five minutes later Dax and Wyatt were loading everything into the back of the truck. Dax was all smiles, but I didn’t say a thing. It was only as we were pulling into the grocery store parking lot that I understood his interest.

“Will Molly be at this bonfire?” my brother asked, looking at Wyatt. Wyatt grinned, nodding.

Dax smiled again, climbed out of the truck and slammed the door. He had a certain spring in his step that meant something was definitely up. I slid out on Wyatt’s side again—he was holding the door—and cocked an eyebrow.

“Molly?” I asked him softly.

Wyatt nodded. “Molly.”

“Oh.” I walked into the store, considering this new development. I waited until Dax had pushed the cart ahead and turned back to Wyatt. “And Molly is…”

“Really nice, Allie.”

It was the first time he’d said my name. It made me feel… I sucked in a deep breath.
Nothing. He doesn’t make me
feel
anything. Nothing!
I stiffened. “Good. I guess.”

“Levi’s a good guy too.” His brown eyes locked with mine. “In case you were wondering.”

“I’m not.” I shook my head, a little lost in those warm eyes, and walked straight into someone.

3 CHAPTER THREE

“Excuse me,” I mumbled at the middle-aged woman I’d plowed into.

“It’s okay, honey.” The woman smiled. “Well, Wyatt, how are you? How’s your summer been going?”

“So far so good, Mrs. Neilson.” He was all manners. “This is Allie Cooper. She’ll be in the senior class, too. Allie, this is Mrs. Neilson, our high school counselor.”

“Allie Cooper.” Mrs. Neilson looked at me with a new expression on her face. An expression I knew all too well. “Allie, we’re happy to have you here. Just know my door is always open, if you need to talk.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, hoping she’d stop there but suspecting she wouldn’t.

“I know you’ve been through quite a bit the last few months. Death is always hard. But it’s even harder when it’s someone young.” I saw her glance at Wyatt then. He nodded a little, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Does Mom like the oil- or water-packed tuna?” Dax interrupted, holding out two cans of tuna for my inspection.

“Water,” I said, taking the other can. “I’ll put this back.” The relief in my voice was obvious but I didn’t care. I took the can and hurried to the end of the aisle. I had no clue where the tuna belonged, but I was not going to stand in the middle of a grocery store for a five-minute therapy session. I took a few deep breaths and I walked, slowly, down each aisle.

Tuna was on aisle five. I put the can back and headed, carefully, back in the direction I’d come from, looking for Dax. He was with Wyatt, standing in the middle of the frozen food aisle. Mrs. Neilson was nowhere to be seen.
Safe
.

Wyatt looked amused, Dax not so much. “Get lost?” Dax grumbled as I walked up. “’Cuz it’s such a big store.”

I shook my head.

“Here.” Dax thrust the list at me.

I shrugged and took it, eager to get out of here. “Whiner.”

Wyatt laughed, making it hard to hold back my smile. I managed it, but it was close.

I noticed the sky as we were standing in the check-out line. The checker followed my gaze. “About time. It’s getting a little too dry around here.”

“We need it,” Wyatt agreed, bagging the groceries.

I decided not to get worked up over the black clouds. I was not going to freak out every time it rained. It was…stupid. Instead, I watched Wyatt. He was quick to do stuff–whether or not someone asked him for help. He stepped up, without thinking about it. Which was weird, wasn’t it? I mean, did he always have to be so…helpful? What was he hoping to accomplish? I mean, it was sort of cool, sure, but weird too.

Dax was clearly developing a guy-crush on Wyatt because he started bagging our groceries too. I shot him a look, but he just smiled.

We paid and loaded the truck as the first drops of rain started. By the time we left town, the rain was falling so heavily it was hard to see through the windshield. Trying to visualize my happy place wasn’t gonna happen. I stared at my hands, focusing on the calming techniques the counselor had taught me.

The roads were slippery, making the truck hydroplane twice, but Wyatt got it back under control. The feel of the car slipping… I pressed myself back against the seat and closed my eyes. Counting backwards from fifty wasn’t working. I kept starting over…

I tried not to react to every little jerk and tug, but ended up fisting my hands in my lap.

“We’re here,” Dax said softly, putting his hand on my arm.

I opened my eyes and nodded. I hated the sympathy on my brother’s face. And Wyatt…he looked confused…worried, too. I needed to get out of the car, rain or no rain. “We going in?”

Wyatt nodded, opening the door. He took my hand, steadying me in the mud. I took three bags of groceries and ran to the front door.

I kicked off my running shoes inside the door and carried the plastic shopping bags into the kitchen. Dax and Wyatt joined me, in their sock feet, with the rest of the groceries. We were all dripping.

“I’ll go get some towels,” Dax offered, shaking the water from his shaggy blond head as he left the room.

My nerves were still shot. The rumbling thunder and slight shake of the old house wasn’t helping. Instead of pressing myself into the corner of the room, I started unpacking the bags. Wyatt and I worked together. He handed me stuff. I put it away…until one loud boom made the lights go out. I didn’t mean to make the strange little sound that ripped from my chest, but it slipped out anyway.

There was one window over the kitchen sink, but the covered porch didn’t let in much light. The dark didn’t really bother me; it was the storm, the rain, the thunder… My heart was racing as I turned, barely able to make out Wyatt.

His hand brushed mine, making me jump. There were rough calluses on his fingers, rough against my palm. His fingers wrapped around mine and I held tight, letting him lead me from the kitchen. The living room was brighter; a whole wall of windows illuminated the room in a gloomy gray…
and
showed just how brutal the storm was. Limbs bent beneath the punishing wind. Rain pelted against the glass, making me back up, wishing for someplace safe.

Wyatt didn’t let go of my hand. His thumb brushed over my knuckles. I moved behind him, wishing I could lean against him—rely on his strength.

“Allie?” he whispered, almost like he was going to scare me or something. I looked up, staring at him even though I couldn’t see him clearly. He was staring down at me.

The lights flickered, then came back on. He was still looking at me…

Holy shit.

I yanked my hand away and ran out of the room. I didn’t need his sympathy. I didn’t want it.

I bumped into Dax as I ran up the stairs to my room. I slammed the door behind me, welcoming the anger. The next crack of thunder wasn’t as bad because someone, probably Wyatt, had hammered wood over the broken window. If I didn’t lie on my bed or look out the massive window above it, I could avoid looking outside. And then I wouldn’t have to see the rain or the storm…and I wouldn’t be reminded of that rainy night and that God-awful storm…

***

Thump.

What was going on?

Thump.

I rolled over.

Thump.

I opened one eye and peered out the window.

Thump
.

The sun was already up, shining bright and hot. I blinked.

Thump
.

Wyatt.

Thump.