Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) (3 page)

“Great,” Jake says. He gives me another one of his charming smiles then looks at me like he’s undressing me with his eyes. 

I reflexively pull my suit jacket tighter even though I’m r
evealing nothing. I’m wearing a conservative button-down banker’s suit but I still feel like Jake can see through it somehow.

“I’ll look at the papers more closely when I get back to the city. I assume these are copies I can take with me?”

“Of course,” Cooper replies. The guy is all business. It’s in sharp contrast to his brother, who seems more like a non-stop-party kind of guy.

“Did you decide if you want to see the roof?” Cooper asks.

When Jake laughs, Cooper glares at him.

“What?” Jake says. “If that’s supposed to be a pick
-up line, you’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“It’s not a pick-up line,” Cooper says through clenched teeth.

Still grinning, Jake asks, “You’re really going to show her the roof?”

“It’s not necessary,” I state. The last place I want to be is in the middle of these two guys’ drama. There’s obviously a lot more going on than just showing me the roof.

Jake leans close to me and I catch a whiff of his cologne. It’s spicy and masculine. “Why don’t you let me show you the new stage we had built?”

I can feel the heat radiating from his muscular body and I’m quickly reminded by my body’s reaction that I haven’t had sex in over six months.

I gulp. “That’s not necessary.”

I can feel several beads of sweat roll down my forehead. I’m getting hot, and it’s not because the temperature of the room has changed. It’s Jake’s closeness to me.

I jump from my chair. “I have everything I need.” I feel like waving the papers in front of my face like a fan but I refrain. I just need to get out of the bar and away from Jake. Then I’ll be fine.

That’s what I tell myself anyway.

Cooper rises from the table and gives me an odd look. I wish I could figure out what it would take to make the guy smile but I can’t stay next to Jake a minute longer. He’s like catnip and I’m the cat. I need to escape and get some fresh air.

“Thank you both for your cooperation
.”

“You’ll let us know if you need anything else?” Cooper asks.

“I will. It was a pleasure meeting you.” I put out my hand for Cooper to shake.

This time, when he touches me, I make a point of looking into his eyes. They seem to have gotten even darker and deeper in just the last few minutes and that makes me even more curious about him.

Business,
I remind myself.
You’re here for business and then it’s back to the city
.   

“It was nice meeting you, too,” Cooper says
, and once again he only gives me the hint of a smile.

When Jake clears his throat, it breaks the moment between me and Cooper. I’m embarrassed that I lost control. I’m su
pposed to be a professional. 

I notice Jake has his hand out and I realize he wants me to shake it. The last thing I want is to do is touch Jake. I don’t want to get caught up in his charismatic web like a fly.

I give him a ridiculous wave instead and I feel like an idiot when he frowns.

“I’d better get going,” I say as I turn and make my way t
oward the door.

When I look back at the two brothers, they’re both staring at me. I don’t know why that makes me so nervous. I don’t plan on ever seeing either one of them again.

When I’m finally outside, I take in a deep breath of what I think will be fresh air and instead, I’m assaulted by the small of cow manure.

Great. Just great
.

I hop into my car and turn the air conditioning up as high as it will go. I take in another deep breath and try to get the stench of cow dung out of my nasal passages.

I can’t believe I’m shaking. I’m not sure if it’s because of Cooper or Jake. Maybe it’s a little of both. But I’m definitely rattled.

I just need to get out of Old Town and get back to the city,
I tell myself
. Then things will get back to normal
.

As I put the car into reverse and begin to pull out of my par
king space, I keep thinking:
I just need to get out of here and get back to the city
.

When I step on the accelerator to go forward, I drive right into an old Chevy
Pickup truck that’s headed straight for me.

Three

Cooper

A loud crash echoes in the parking lot. The sound of metal crushing against metal goes right through me.

“What was that?” I yell as I head toward the door. 

Jake is right on my heels as we hurry outside.

“Is that Tucker’s truck?” I ask as I survey the scene. The Chevy Pickup has crashed into what was a brand new BMW M3, that I assume belongs to Riley Smith.

“It’s probably his fault,” Jake whispers to me.

“Have things been bad again?” I ask.

“They haven’t been good.”

My brother, Tucker, joined the Army right out of high school and did a tour in Iraq before he was injured and discharged. They were able to fix his leg fairly well, although he still has a slight limp. Too bad they weren’t able to fix whatever is going on inside his head. 

I hurry over to Riley who is trying to get out of her car. Her legs look wobbly and I manage to grab her right before she lands on her ass.

“I’m fine,” she says as she tries to steady herself. She doesn’t look fine at all. Her face is completely white and she looks like she’s in shock.

“Maybe we’d better call an ambulance,” I suggest. “You should probably get checked out.”

She shakes her head and this throws her a bit off balance again. I hold her a little tighter so she doesn’t fall.

“I’ll phone the police,” Jake says as he grabs his cell phone out of his pocket.

When I glance over at Tucker’s Pickup, I see that he still hasn’t gotten out of the vehicle. He looks like he’s in a daze. I’m worried about him but I’m also concerned about Riley.

“Jake, why don’t you check on Tucker?” I suggest.

Jake looks at Riley then glances over at Tucker. “Why don’t
you
check on Tucker? I’ll make sure Riley’s okay.”

I can’t believe that Jake actually winks at Riley. Sometimes I just want to punch my older brother right in his charismatic face.

When I glance down at Riley, she’s looking up at me with her stunning brown eyes. I’m surprised when she actually grips me a little tighter. She obviously doesn’t want me to let her go.

“You deal with Tucker,” I insist.

“Fine,” Jake says, but I can tell he’s pissed. I’m sure I’ll hear about it later. 

I watch as
he heads over to Tucker and pulls him out of the truck. I didn’t think it was possible but Tucker looks worse than he did when I saw him six months ago. His blonde hair is now shoulder length and it looks like it hasn’t been washed in a while. He’s grown so muscular that his T-shirt can barely contain him. He’s always liked to lift weights but now he must not be doing much of anything else. I also notice that he’s gotten a few more tattoos on both of his arms. If he wasn’t my brother, and I hadn’t known him since he was born, I would actually be scared of him. He looks like he could be a member of some outlaw biker gang.

When Tucker heads in our direction Jake grabs his arm
, but Tucker just shoves him aside. I notice that Tucker’s limp seems a little more pronounced and I wonder if it’s a result of the crash or if he’s just not doing well.  

I can feel Riley start to shake next to me as Tucker heads right for her. A few tears start to stream down her face and it tugs on my heart strings a little. I’m not a very sensitive guy but one thing I can’t handle is seeing a woman cry.  

“It’s okay,” I whisper.

“He looks mad,” Riley whispers back.

“That’s just Tucker,” I state, but I don’t elaborate because I don’t want to get into his history with her right now.

Tucker stands in front of Riley for a few moments just staring at her. He’s big, tough looking, intimidating. But I also know my brother. He would never hurt a fly. He’s a sensitive soul who was deeply damaged by going to war.

Riley is still shaking next to me. I wish I could say or do something that will calm her down.

“I’m sorry,” Tucker says finally. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Or wreck your car. I just didn’t see you.”

And that’s all he says before he turns and walks into the bar. 

It doesn’t take long for the emergency vehicles to arrive. I stay with Riley as she gives a statement to the police. She co
nfirms what Tucker said earlier. He wasn’t paying attention and ran right into her car.

A few times when Jake phoned me, he mentioned that he was worried about Tucker. I guess I hadn’t taken his concerns seriously enough.

“I don’t think I need to go to the hospital,” Riley says to the police officer.

The cop looks familiar. I’m pretty sure we went to high school together but I don’t remember his name. He’s a few years older than me. He was in Jake’s class in high school. He probably wouldn’t remember me anyway, and if he did, it would most likely be as
Jake’s little brother
. If I had a dollar for every time someone called me
Jake’s little brother
, I wouldn’t have to work to earn my first million, I’d already have it in the bank.

“Maybe you should get checked out just in case,” I suggest. I barely know
Riley but I’m overwhelmed with the desire to take care of her. I’m not sure why. She certainly doesn’t come across as someone who needs to be taken care of. Quite the opposite. She seems like a pretty tough girl who can take care of herself just fine.

And I’m not really the type of guy who takes care of other people.

But as I look at Riley now, still a little shaken up from the accident, her perfect façade a little thrown off kilter, I feel like I want to take her into my arms, hold her tight and tell her everything is going to be all right.

God, I sound like I’m back in the Wilde Riders again, thin
king up sappy lyrics for original country songs.   

Once the police officer and ambulance leave, it’s eerily quiet in the parking lot. I hear Riley let out a little sob as she inspects the damage to her car.

“What am I going to do?” she asks to no one in particular.

I wonder whether I should respond or if the question was actually rhetorical.

Before I can offer her my help, Jake swoops in and grabs Riley’s arm. I can see her flinch slightly and I want Jake to take his hands off of her. I don’t think he has any idea he’s making her uncomfortable. And why would he? Everyone loves Jake. Especially women.

He was the star football player in high school. He led the team to the state champions
hip. Hell, kids at Old Town High still talk about him like he was a god. And I was always “Jake’s younger brother.” As if I didn’t have an identity outside of Jake’s shadow.

I was the brother who played soccer and golf. Playing in a state championship golf tournament isn’t exactly as high profile as being the star quarterback of a state championship football team. 

What really pisses me off, though, is that Jake always gets every girl he wants. And then once he gets them, he usually decides pretty quickly that he doesn’t want them anymore. I don’t want Riley to be another one of his conquests. She’s deserves better than that.

“I’ll phone Shane Parker,” Jake says. “He can give an estimate on the damage and let you know if you’ll be able to drive it back to the city. You may have to stay the night in Old Town.”

Jake’s friend, Shane, owns one of the two garages in town.

Riley’s eyes grow wide and she scrunches up her cu
te little nose as the realization sets in. She’s probably going to be stuck in New Jersey. I can’t say that I blame her. I don’t want to be stuck here either.

When Jake leaves to call his friend, I breathe a small sigh of relief. As much as I love my brother, sometimes I really hate him, too. 

Riley touches the front of the car. The damage looks pretty bad. I can see her try to discretely wipe a few stray tears from her cheeks.

I come up behind her and say, “The M3 is one of my favo
rites. Sports car performance with style.”

When
she turns to face me, I can see that her cheeks are wet. It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to reach out and wipe those tears away.

“You know about BMWs?” She sounds surprised.

I nod. I don’t know why but I have the feeling that I shouldn’t tell her that I own one too, and that it’s sitting right out on the street. So I just keep that fact to myself.

“This was my baby,” Riley states as she continues touching the damaged places on her hood.

“Cars can be fixed. People are a little more difficult. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“And I assume the guy who hit me is another Wilde brot
her?”

“Your assumption is correct. Tucker’s twenty-four.”

“He looks older,” she remarks.

“He’s been through a lot. It’s aged him.”

I guess she can tell I don’t really want to talk about it because she just nods and doesn’t ask anything further.

“Your brothers both drive
Pickup trucks. Kind of confirms the stereotype.”

“That we’re all hicks from the sticks?” I ask. There’s a note of bitterness in my voice that I can’t control. “And you haven’t even met my youngest brother yet. He’s the
real rebel. He drives a Toyota Pickup. Not driving American-made is kind of scandalous around here.”

“Will Shane Parker be able to fix my car?” she asks. “It’s a scandalous import.”

I smile. I’m glad she can joke a little even though she’s clearly upset. “I’m pretty sure Shane can fix just about anything.”

Riley looks like she wants to say more. I’m not sure why I sense that. I’m usually not so attuned to other people. I’m a numbers guy. Give me spread sheets and I’m happy. Ask me to figure out what’s wrong with another human being and you’ve got a problem. But I’m definitely attuned to Riley. It’s almost like I can read everything she’s thinking.

I have to laugh when Shane arrives in a Pickup truck. Maybe Riley’s not that far off and we are all a bunch of Pickup driving hayseeds. I just don’t want her to lump me in with all of the other Old Town boys. I’m not that guy anymore. I’ve worked too hard for my white collar.

“Wow,” Shane says as he approaches Riley’s car. “Your car’s a mess. Have you contacted your insurance company yet?”

Riley shakes her head. “In all the commotion, I haven’t had a chance.”

“Maybe we’d better phone them together. Once I’ve had a chance to check everything out.” As he does a cursory inspection of the damage, he whistles. “I hope you don’t have a very large deductible. This is going to be a big bill.”

Riley’s eyes go wide again. “Do you think I’ll be able to drive back to the city tonight?”

Shane laughs. “Not in this car. You’re probably not going to be driving this baby for a few weeks, maybe a month.”

“A month?” Riley cries.   

“At least,” Shane reiterates.

“This isn’t possible,” she maintains. “I have to get back to the city tonight.”

“Big date?” Shane jokes. Both Riley and I glare at him but I realize it may not be for the same reason.

Why didn’t it occur to me that Riley might have a boyfriend? And why do I suddenly care so much if she does?

“I’d better make a phone call,”
she says as she steps away from us for some privacy.

When Riley is out of earshot, Shane says, “This is the third accident Tucker’s had in the last six months. They may pull his insurance.”

The more I hear, the more concerned I am about Tucker. Not to mention the fact that he looks awful. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll talk to him.”

When Riley returns she looks even more flustered
. It makes me wonder who she phoned.

“So, do you want me to tow it back to my shop?” Shane asks.

“Do I have a choice?” Riley asks.

“There is another shop in town but he charges a lot more than I do and he’s not as cute as I am.”

Shane is anything but cute. If they were casting for
The Hobbit
in northwest New Jersey, he’d be at the top of the casting list.

But the comment brings out Riley’s incredible smile. When she really smiles, not just a polite business smile but a genuine expression of joy, it lights up the space around her.

“I guess I’ll take my chances with you then,” she says.

When Shane winks at her, I feel like I’ve been slapped. I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much that he’s flirting with her because 1) he’s Shane and 2) she’s not mine.

But I want her to be. And that’s a complete shock to me.

A relationship at this point in my life is
definitely
not part of the plan. I’ve always put my career first and it’s served me well so far. I’m on my way to becoming a Vice President before I turn thirty. I definitely don’t need a relationship to throw me off my career path.

“I’ll call for the tow truck,” Shane says as
he turns toward his Pickup. Then he turns back and adds, “And you may want to get a drink before you come by my shop. I think Jake just opened the bar.”

As Riley and I watch Shane drive away,
she asks, “Is it too early for a drink?”