Chris put a hand on Justin’s shoulder and looked at his niece. “Well, sometimes hard-headed women need a little sense kissed into them…”
“Excuse me?” Blythe’s mouth dropped open then closed in a flat line, her eyebrows pinned tight.
“Oh, don’t get your undies in a bunch, Lythie. I’m sure he’s a great kisser… I’ve seen him kiss the horses for years.” Chris pointed a finger at Justin and grinned.
“Okay, now you’re just making it weird.” Justin slapped Chris on the back as he moved past him.
Chris and the girls scattered, but Justin needed to head off for work. His first appointment was in thirty minutes. He watched Blythe lay her purse on the counter as he quickly moved toward her and the door. He stopped next to her and lowered his lips to her ear, letting his tone drop into deep, syrupy seduction.
“Are you going to let me kiss you again, sugar?”
He felt her body shift and their eyes locked. His sixth sense picked up her suddenly rapid pulse, and he liked the way he affected her. She had no idea what else he could do, if only given the chance.
“Thanks for last night, but you owe me another one. You slept through what could’ve been the best part,” Justin continued to tease. He lifted her chin between his fingers and brushed his thumb over her cheek.
“See you later.”
Until Blythe waltzed into the picture, he was perfectly content living his life as a bachelor.
He had everything he needed. Finances, a good life, a career he loved, and his dog. There were dates, and a couple of short lived relationships, but nothing he ever felt solid moving forward with. This was different. She was different. She was worth pursuing, especially when she played hard to get.
Crap.
Blythe turned the key in the ignition another time and the engine sputtered—just like it did every time she tried to start it. She went into town after dinner to grab some essentials for the house. Chris offered to go, but she hadn’t been out in a while and wanted to drive. She got to the store just before closing. It was dark by the time she snagged what she needed and headed the thirty minutes back home. She was about five miles from the ranch when she heard a noise coming from inside the vintage vehicle. She pulled over, praying it was nothing. She’d been driving herOldssince high school. It was a gift from her parents for her sixteenth birthday. It was also her dream car. She had a love for the classics, and she felt like a badass driving the muscle car wherever she went.
Think, Blythe… Who do we call?
Chris had the girls in bed, no doubt, and she couldn’t ask him to leave them home alone or drag them out to come get her. She opened her phone, clicked her call log, and took a deep breath as she heard the first ring.
“Sugar?” he answered quickly.
She was used to Max’s phone going all the way to voicemail and him calling her back later.
“Hey…” She let out a light chuckle, embarrassed she was even doing this. “Um, I’m stuck.”
“Stuck where?” His voice elevated.
“On the side of the highway, about five miles outside the ranch. It got dark, and the engine sounded funny, so I pulled over to check, but now it won’t start.”
“Send me your location. I’m jumping in my truck right now. Don’t move.” He said it like she had the guts to start walking. What if there was a bear or a moose or a wolf or…only god knows what wandering around out there in Yellowstone County.
“I’ll wait. I promise.” She tapped the red button and ended the call, then sent a text with her phone’s location. She waited only fifteen minutes before she saw headlights coming up in front of her. Justin lived a bit further than Silo Springs, but even still, that was fast.
She opened her door and started to climb out, but as she did, she heard a loud bass coming from the truck slowly rolling toward her. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from his headlights, and suddenly the music became audible as he rolled down his window. It was one she knew, and she giggled when she saw him crank his ball cap backwards and start mouthing the words to the song “Urgent”with the 80’s band Foreigner.
She watched as Justin let go of the steering wheel and started playing his air saxophone.
“You know this song is about sex, right?” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“So?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and turned down the volume. “How do I know that’s not the reason you called? I bet if you give me those keys, I can get that car to start on the firsttry. This could all be a ruse to get me out here so you can seduce me…”
“Oh, good hell…” She threw her head back and let out a single laugh. “I’ve never seduced a man in my life, cowboy. And if I decided to, it wouldn’t be out here on the side of the road—where we could get caught like a couple of teenagers.” She folded her arms across her chest and lifted one brow, her lips making a flat line.
“Wait, you were engaged and you never…?” His question trailed, and she felt her cheeks go hot.
“No, I was saving that part.” She paused, feeling embarrassed to tell him why. “I wanted to do it right, you know? Maybe that’s not a good enough reason, and maybe it sounds stupid now, but it is what it is. Max didn’t like it, and it was always a sore spot for him.” Her head turned and her eyes looked over her shoulder at the broken down coup. “Can you just come look under my hood?”
She was done talking about it.
