Since things had slowed down a bit on the farm—and since he’d been getting a regular paycheck—he’d finally had the time and money to fix all the issues with the old vehicle. He’d spent the better part of that afternoon replacing the plugs and wires and then flushing the system, getting it ready for the winter weather that threatened to arrive sooner than normal. Surprisingly, Addie had been a big help with that, too.
In the middle of reconnecting hoses after replacing the dead water pump, Cade had paused when he saw Addie sauntering across the dooryard toward him. A smile had pulled at his mouth as memories of the night before flitted through his mind. She was amazing and beautiful, but right then, she’d been about to build upon his already soaring opinion of her.
“Hi,” she’d said with a big smile that lit up her gorgeous brown eyes, brightening the dreary October morning.
“Hi back,” he’d replied as he rolled out from under his truck, wiping his hands on an old rag that he’d tugged from his back pocket. “What’s up?”
“You said we needed supplies. I need to run into town for some paper and a few other things. You want to come along? Kill two trips with one ride?”
He glanced at the old engine and the work he still needed to do. With freezing temperatures threatening, he needed to get the truck back together and ready for the winter. “I’ve got a bit left to do here. Should only take me another couple of hours to finish, if you don’t mind waiting.”
“What all do you need to do?”
“Well, I’ve got to replace the plugs and wires, finish connecting the hoses, connect the new battery, flush the system, and then add the antifreeze.”
“I can help with that,” she’d said, stunning him. He hadn’t expected she’d want to get greasy under the hood.
“Are you sure?”
A frown wrinkled her brow as her hands landed on her hips. “What? You don’t think a girl can work on an engine?”
He grinned at the fire in her eyes. “No, that’s not it at all. I just meant that this truck is old and very dirty.”
Her scowl disappeared and her cheeks pinked a little. “Oh, well, no worries. I’ll just change real quick and come back to help. Together we should be able to finish all that in an hour or less.” She smiled as she skipped back to the house. “I’ll be back in a few,” she called over her shoulder.
Sure enough, she’d been as good as her word and more knowledgeable about engines than he’d thought. She’d grabbed a socket wrench and started removing the plugs without any instruction. She’d even known to remove the wires one at a time to keep from messing up the engine’s firing order, and how to check the plugs’ gap before installing them.
To say that he’d been impressed was an understatement. Most of the women he’d known wouldn’t have gone near the sludgy mess under the hood of his old truck. But Addie had jumped right in, and she’d been correct. With her help, they’d finished the job in less than an hour and, a half-hour after that, they were both cleaned up and in his rig as it rumbled down the road.
Grinning as he thought back on how well they’d worked together, he tightened his hands on the steering wheel, but one small thought wiped the smile from his face.
The fields had been cleared and once they were planted with the winter wheat crops, he could help her hire a new worker, and then there’d be nothing left to keep him here. He could get back to his lonely life on the road.
But that’s not what he wanted.
He shook his head as he stared out the windshield at other local customers as they loaded their purchases into their vehicles.
He could’ve left after the harvest, let Addie do the work she claimed she could on her own, but he didn’t. Something was keeping him here, something stronger than the pain he’d been running from. Something… Someone he couldn’t ignore.
He had worried that the day after they’d made love would be awkward, but thanks to Addie’s sweet boldness, they’d gotten through it easily and had grown closer. To him, she was more than just a boss, more than a friend, but he didn’t know exactly where he stood on that scale with her.
The part of him that still stung from his last relationship wanted him to run. Not only to keep his heart from feeling too much but to save Addie from himself. Then a little voice inside that sounded just like Addie, reminded him that he’d promised to stop beating himself up. That was proving to be harder than he’d thought it would be. Considering all the mistakes he’d made in the past, he didn’t want any poor choices he may make now to come back on her. But then again, didn’t his vow include learning to trust himself again, too?
He shook his head and put the truck into gear, his mind still turning as he left the parking lot and headed to the Sisters Coffee Shop Café where he and Addie had agreed to meet. His mind, only half on his driving, returned to what was growing between them.
Addie was as attracted to him as he was to her, and, like him, she had thoroughly enjoyed their night together. She’d awoken him yesterday morning with kisses and a clear intent to pick up where they’d left off the night before, and, with no objections from him, they had enjoyed each other thoroughly.
He smiled, remembering her breathless words once they’d both been satiated.
“That…was…fantastic!” she’d breathed in his ear, nibbling on his lobe and humming happily. “Can we do that again soon? Like
