Addie only got to see them maybe once a week, and she wasn’t about to take advantage of their generosity by asking them for help with her farm. Veta would offer to ask her husband to aid Addie’s troubles, but he had his own work to do and the sisters had their own business to worry about, too.
Few laborers existed around town who didn’t already have a job that kept them plenty busy. And she wasn’t about to take Mark Harden’s offer of assistance, either. He’d be worse than Ted, and how would I get rid of him after the harvest? She sighed; he wouldn’t leave her alone, even if she demanded it. She’d already tried, and so far, he’d kept his distance since their last…disagreement.
Brushing a loose strand of her blonde hair from her face, Addie focused on the long stretch of pavement in front of her. The last thing she needed was to have a problem on the road. That’s when she noticed a man strolling along the rock- and dust-covered verge in front of her. Tall and lean, he wore cowboy boots and Wranglers that fit just right. The wind plastered his blue western shirt against the hard planes of his back, outlining every shifting muscle. He had that cowboy walk—loose and sinuous, but all powerful grace—that she’d always loved. That was one of the reasons she loved country-life. She smiled as a little tingle of attraction warmed her insides.
He didn’t look familiar, but considering her short residency here, that didn’t mean all that much.
Maybe he’s with the rodeo, she thought. The town was full of tourists and cowboys from all over, and had been for the last few days.
Her eyes drifted over his body, impressed with what she saw as her truck rolled up to him and continued right on by. She glanced in the rearview mirror and noted that his front looked almost as good as his back, though she couldn’t see his face due to the tilt of his head and the wide-brimmed straw hat he wore.
Hmm… Without realizing it, her foot had slowly backed off the accelerator. I wonder if he’s single…?
“Whoa!” Her head snapped to the front and she straightened up in the seat, adjusting her steering so she didn’t run off the road.
A deep breath steadied her nerves.
“Where the hell had that come from?” she muttered to herself. Yes, she was lonely, but she wasn’t really interested in one-night stands, either. At least, she didn’t think she was. She’d never had one, never even thought about it…not until now, apparently. Down, girl.
The truck slowed and then lurched, the engine trying to die, and she jammed her feet on the brake and clutch pedals. The truck came to a sudden, idling halt, and she looked back over her shoulder.
Maybe he could use a job. That would solve some of her problems, but he was a stranger. She couldn’t trust him. Could she?
The cowboy had glanced up briefly, but then dropped his eyes and continued ambling along as if her truck hadn’t almost stalled out only a few yards away.
“Oh, what the hell.” She shifted into reverse. “He can’t be worse than Ted or Mark.” She’d find out what he was doing here, and if he had any experience or references she could check, she’d offer him the job. With his rundown boot heels and lack of transportation, it looked like he could use a little help.
Maybe he could solve my loneliness problem as well?
She froze in her seat.
Wow! Am I that desperate?
“Let’s just start with a ride,” she told her inner harlot.
Ignoring all the voices in her head telling her that this was not a good idea, she backed up the truck and skidded to a quick stop, kicking up dust as she did. The man halted, turning away from her and waving at the debris that clouded the air around him.
“Sorry about that,” she shouted out the open passenger window.
The man coughed and when he looked up, her heart fluttered and flipped stupidly. He was handsome—more than handsome, with a rugged appeal she couldn’t ignore. Her mouth went dry when she met his bright blue eyes. He frowned at her, looking both alarmed and confused.
She smiled, hoping to alleviate his concern. Opening her mouth to speak, she prayed she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. “Need a ride, cowboy?”
Chapter 2
Caden Brody dropped the rag he’d been using to troubleshoot his truck’s steaming engine, mumbling a string of curses at his own clumsiness. Rounding the truck, he yanked open his passenger-side door and fished a bottle of water out of the cooler sitting on the truck’s bluish-gray bench seat.
“Ah,” he moaned once he’d uncapped the bottle and poured the cold liquid over the burn on his hand. God, that feels good. Though, not burning himself would’ve been better. He’d been careless as he checked wires and hoses surrounding the engine, his thoughts so preoccupied with all his other problems that he hadn’t been paying attention to what he was doing under the hood. The back of his hand contacting the sizzling heat of the manifold focused his wandering mind instantly on the present.
“Serves you right,” he told himself as he examined the back of his hand. The burn wasn’t too bad, but it still hurt like hell. He poured the rest of the cool water over it, tossed the empty bottle on the passenger-side floorboard, and then grabbed his leather riding gloves. Something he should have done sooner.
As he pulled the gloves on, movement on the ground caught his eye and he looked down. A trail of greenish liquid slowly rolled past the dusty toes of his worn-down boots.
Another curse escaped him and he shook his head. “That’s
