He took one look at her and frowned. “You’ve got a bruise on your cheek. Did I do that?”
Unconsciously she reached up and touched the spot. “Probably. It’s okay, considering you were trying to save my life.”
“What?” Donna gasped.
Damn, the moment Cain had walked in, she’d forgotten Donna was there. “It’s nothing. A couple of guys gave me some trouble at the roadhouse last night. Linc happened to be there. He . . . umm . . . handled things.”
Donna flashed Cain a look of admiration. “Wow, Carly’s lucky you were around.” She glanced at Carly. “You’ll tell me later, right?”
She smiled, liking Donna more and more. “Sure.” She’d give her a modified version, skipping over El Jefe until they figured things out. Donna grinned, backed out, and closed the door.
Linc’s gaze returned to the bruise on her cheek. “You okay?”
Self-conscious now, she reached up and tightened the ponytail she’d pulled her hair into that morning. “I had a little trouble falling asleep, but I’m okay.”
His eyes gleamed.I’ve got the perfect sleeping pill,those green eyes said. She blocked the image of black leather chaps framing the bulge beneath his zipper.
“I hated leaving you alone last night,” he said. “I should have slept on the sofa.”
No way!“I was fine. I had Joe’s gun, remember? I need to get in some practice at the range, but I know how to use it if I have to.”
“Half the women in Texas carry. I should have figured Joe’s granddaughter would be one of them.”
God, he looked good today, in a pair of faded jeans that hugged his long legs and a forest green T-shirt that outlined the muscles in his massive chest. Every time he moved, she caught a glimpse of the barbed wire tattoo around his amazing bicep.
She glanced down at the worn cowboy boots he was wearing. Big feet.Big hands. Big . . . everything.
Don’t go there.Do not go there!
“What time is the conference call coming in?” She needed to get him out of there, the sooner, the better.
“We’ve got about twenty minutes. I figured if you’re up to it, we’d go back over what happened last night, see if you can remember something more that could help us.”
She nodded. “I’ve thought about it a lot. I could probably pick out the one with the knife in a lineup.”
“We’ll call Howler as soon as we talk to Townsend, bring the sheriff up to speed.”
“So what’s the deal with you and him? It’s pretty clear you two don’t like each other.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. “Howler’s been sheriff since I was a kid. He’s the guy who arrested me the night I tried to rob that convenience store.”
“You and two other boys.”
“That’s right.”
There was more to the story. She’d really like to know. On the other hand, the less she knew about Cain, the better off she’d be.
Donna’s familiar knock sounded. Carly walked over and pulled open the door. “What is it?”
“We’ve got a problem. Pete Sanchez, one of the new guys, was trying to park a double and screwed up. The rig is jackknifed and he’s freaking out. I’m afraid he’s going to do some damage. We can unhook it and move it by hand, but—”
“Let me take a look, see if we can do it the easy way first.” She turned to Cain. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried out behind Donna, her mind on the problem in the yard. Two weeks after Joe’s death, as soon as the blinding grief had cleared enough for her to realize she wanted to keep the business, she’d enrolled in the All-Trucking driver’s school in Dallas, an intense two-week training course.
Until she’d returned to Texas, she hadn’t considered actually getting her Class B license, but Joe had taught her the basics, and as the classes progressed, she realized she knew more than she’d thought.
She had no plans to actually drive for the company, but she workedwith tough men and women and she wanted their respect. And if a problem came up, like today, she wanted to be able to step in if necessary.
