SURGE

by Piper Frost

  "I'll be right back," I say and head toward the sheriff's door.

  "Oh, hey now!" Betty calls out as I push open the closed door.

  "Excuse me." Sheriff Dunken stands from his desk and I look at Will who's leaning on his hand looking bored to death.

  "Sheriff." I nod before mussing Will's hair. "Will."

  "Bo Hart?" the sheriff asks in surprise then Will looks up at me confused.

  "Yes, sir. I'm here for Will."

  "Me?" Will peeps.

  "What's goin' on? Everything alright, Sheriff?"

  "It's good to see you, boy. How you been? How's that back injury treatin' ya?"

  "All healed," I lie with a smile and nod as I sit next to Will.

  "You're Bo Hart," Will says in wonderment and I forgot I'm not just Bobby Hart from this small ass town anymore. If bull riding interests you, I'm a star. From the look on Will's face, he doesn't realize I'm a guy that's crushed on his sister since we were kids. To him, I'm rodeo sensation Bo Hart.

  "Hey." I grin at him. "I'm a good friend of your sister's." Good might be stretching it, but I hope to get there.

  "Shit, you went to school with Kinlee? Didn't ya?"

  "Yeah, how about we watch our mouth around the sheriff?" I smile at Mr. Dunken. "What's Will been doin'?"

  They both start at once. Will's got his innocent side of the story, and the sheriff's got all the reasons Will's a bad seed. Only problem is they keep trying to talk over each other. Now, I know Will's had it rough these past few years, but he needs to respect his elders and shut his mouth until the sheriff's told me what's goin' on.

  "Hang on, hang on." I put my hand out. "Will, Sheriff Dunken is gonna talk first and you sit quiet." I look at the sheriff who looks like a sibling that just won dad's attention first and I almost roll my eyes.

  "This ain't the first time Will's been in my office. It's happenin' too much and—"

  "I ain't been in here but a few times, don't lie!" Will interrupts and I sigh.

  "Will, you're diggin', man. Just close your mouth." I glare at him a minute and he drops his head.

  Sheriff Dunken starts his tirade and I have to dip my head because I almost laugh a few times at the stunts Will's pulled. Reminds me of myself, except I wasn't getting caught.

  "He's got a life of prison ahead of him," the sheriff ends his rant and I furrow my brows.

  "Hey now, he's just a kid."

  "He's sixteen, Bo. We haven't had this kind of trouble in this town since I can remember."

  I look over at Will and he's shut off. He's leaned away from me, head down, face leaning in his hand. This ain't a bad kid and I'll be damned if I let him head down the path the sheriff thinks he will.

  "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm back." When Will smile's over at me, I wink. "I got this from here, Sheriff. You won't see Will Jones in your office again unless it's for a friendly visit."

  The sheriff smiles and looks at Will. "Whad'ya say, Will? No more comin' in for trouble."

  "You got it, Sheriff." Will grins over at me, I think more excited that I seemed to get him off from whatever harsh punishment the sheriff was gonna hit him with.

  "Sheriff, remember that mini bike me and Brandt Kenshaw used to ride around the town back before we could drive?" I grin at him as I stand.

  "The one you broke your leg fallin' off of?" The sheriff rolls his eyes.

  "Wait, what?" Will's grinning ear to ear.

  "The bike ran out of gas and these fools thought it'd be a good idea to hold onto the Haring boy's bumper of his rusted Ford. Damn bumper broke right off. Him and Brandt Kenshaw narrowly missed getting run over by me because I was about to pull Chase Haring over. That's the type of stupid I don't want to see happen to you, Will. Bo got a few pins placed in his knee from that accident."

  Will's laughing his ass off, probably envisioning it because it'd be something he'd do.

  "Thanks, Sheriff." I give him a nod as we head for the door, still laughing. Before Will opens it, I stop him. "Straighten up a little. Look sorry for what you done," I tell him before pulling it open. "And apologize for inconveniencing your sister again," I whisper with my hand on his shoulder as we exit.

  "What took you two so long?" Kinlee blurts the minute the door opens, rushing over to Will and wrapping her arms around him, then backing off and punching him in the arm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

  "We were just havin' fun, Kinlee. Didn't mean for it to get that big. Sorry for makin' you come out all this way." Will glances over at me and I rub my jaw.

  "Bobby Hart?" Betty blurts with a smile and I pause then nod my head at her, plastering on a smile while I approach her desk to give Will time to talk to his sister. "I didn't know that was you, boy. I was fixin' to teach you a lesson." She laughs and I keep a smile on my face but try to listen to Kinlee and Will while Betty goes on.

  When Will heads out the door, I look back at Kinlee who's frowning in his direction.

  "Stay gorgeous, Betty." I wink at the old lady as she giggles and blushes then I head toward Kinlee.

  "What'd you do in there?" she asks, her eyes locked on her brother as we head to the parking lot.

  I smirk. "Me and the sheriff go way back. Your brother ain't a bad kid." I put my hand to her back until I see Will looking around for her car. "Over here, arsonist," I call to him and point to my truck.

  "Holy shit!" he blurts in excitement and runs toward my truck. "Can I drive it?"

  "Language, Will!" she yells, shaking her head. "And no, you cannot drive this beast. Get in."

  When I pull up to the Kenshaw Ranch, Will huffs. "What're we doin' here?" he complains and I cock my eyebrow, but before I can say something, Kinlee turns in her seat.

  "Bo's fixing my car." She glances at me. "I think. You're not leaving my side, you hear me? And empty your pockets." She shoves her hand out, waiting patiently.

  When he drops the lighter into her hand, I snicker. He told the sheriff he lost it in the dumpster.

  "Know who you should spend some time with?" I glance back at him. "Jo. Let her teach ya a thing or two, city style." I chuckle and get out, walking over to Kinlee's car.

  "You really don't have to fix this tonight. I don't know why I said that without talking to you, but it was either that or tear his head off for being so disrespectful. The Kenshaws have been nothing but nice to that kid and he can't seem to understand that." She leans against the side of her car, arms crossed, glaring at Will who's taken up residence on the front porch.

  "Do me a favor?" I glance toward Will again before smiling down at her.

  "This is a trap, isn't it?" The look on her face tells me she's not amused at all right now, and I better not be joking around.

  I chuckle. "No, darlin', I just need my tools." I point to the barn. "Black and red bag, sitting right on the bench to the right. You mind?"

  "Oh." Finally I get a smile as she pushes away from her car. "Yeah, sure. Least I could do if you can really fix this thing. I may need to buy ya dinner too."

  I smile at her, wondering if she forgot I've been fixing all our friends cars since we were kids. "I'll have you running tonight." While she walks away, I watch her ass until I remember why I sent her to the barn. I turn around and call out, "Will!" waving him toward me. When he jogs over, he laughs at something on his phone. "Pocket it, or find it in the field tomorrow," I warn and he scowls at me, shoving the phone into his pocket. "Get in the car and turn the key. I'll tell you when to stop."

  It's obvious he doesn't want to be around his sister, and she don't seem to want to be around him either. It won't do any harm trying to teach the kid a thing or two about cars. When Kinlee walks back up, hauling my tool bag, I wince, forgetting how heavy it is but she doesn't seem to mind. Her eyes flit to Will who's been waiting for my command to turn the key. We've been at this for almost five minutes.

  "He helpin'?" She huffs, dropping the bag by my feet and resting her hands on her hips.

  "Yeah. Hey, listen. I think I know what it is, but
I gotta take the air filter apart, and I'm starving." I glance back toward the house. "You mind seein' if Donna fixed dinner tonight? Please." I offer her a smile and she glances at her brother again.

  "Um... Sure." Her eyes flick from Will back to me. "You gonna be okay with him?"

  "Just fine." I wink at her then turn my hat around, dipping my head under the hood. "Hit it, Will!" I call out, glancing over my shoulder to watch Kinlee's ass again. When the horn blows, I jump, hitting my head on the hood then shift to scowl at him while he's laughing.

  "Stop looking at my sister's ass," he says through laughter.

  I mock him in a whiney voice then dip back under the hood.

  I'm sure Kinlee has a hell of a time with this kid. All he's got is two sisters. His parents died too young and it was during an impressionable time in his life. But I'm not seeing the defiant pain in the ass the sheriff does. He needs a male influence, and not from his peers. I find it hard to believe Brandt never tried to step in, but if I know Kinlee, I bet she keeps these things to herself. Not wanting to inconvenience others, or let them in on how she's struggling.

  "I mean, I get what it does, but why can't we bypass it?" he asks after I explain to him her starter ate it.

  I grin at the kid. He's got smarts in that head; he just needs a push in the right direction to use them correctly.

  "All components serve a purpose and you're right, some probably were put there to keep someone in business." I chuckle. "But the starter ain't one. I tell ya what. If you can rebuild an engine bypassing what you don't think is necessary, I'll give you a thousand dollars. But the car has to function."

  His eyes narrow. "How long do I have?"

  "A year."

  "Where am I gonna get a car? This seems like I gotta spend money to make it."

  "Well ain't that how the world goes 'round?" I chuckle. "I'll provide you with the car. Just some junker from the yard in town."

  "You ain't messin' with me?"

  I stare at him a minute, wondering why he's having a hard time trusting me. "You have a year. It needs to safely run. Don't forget about the deadly fumes that a car gives off. It can't leak exhaust into the cab or nothin'. I ain't saying it needs to sound pretty, but it has to function. And I want to know what parts you've found useless or are able to bypass with something simpler and cheaper. I'll fund the project but if you fail...you owe me."

  "Owe you what?" He's skeptical but to be honest, I didn't think about that.

  I'm not spending tons on parts the kid won't even look at. "I'll figure that out later. And, Will, the only way you can fail is by not trying."

  "Spit on it." He spits at my feet and I cock my eyebrow because he narrowly missed my boot.

  "Shake like a decent man." I push my hand out, glaring at him until he shakes.

  "So you like my sister or something?"

  "Uh." I glance back toward the house and chuckle. "Yeah, I do. Hand me that ratchet with the quarter inch socket." I point.

  "She ain't really on the market, Bo. Her and Chase have a thing goin' on."

  I stand up straight and start to wipe my hands on a rag. "Yeah? Like what?"

  He shrugs. "I don't know. He's always sniffing her ass like a dog."

  "I think they're just friends," I mumble and lean under the hood again. This conversation is better not had at all, but I think I need to talk it over with Kinlee first.

  It takes awhile, but she comes out with two bowls. "Goulash," she says, her eyes watching her brother before flitting to me. "You two doin' okay out here?"

  "Thank you." Starving and with a smile, I take a bowl. "We're fine, but this is gonna be a couple hours. I don't know if you need to get to Wendy, but you can take the truck." I pull the keys from my pocket and hold them out while trying to eat at the same time.

  When she hesitates too long, I know a protest is coming. "I can't drive that thing. Wendy's already home. One of her friends dropped her off." She flicks her gaze to Will who's silently eating, but surely taking in every word.

  "This ain't gonna be a quick fix, Kinlee." Needing her away from her brother, I start walking toward the porch and she follows. "I'm gonna be out here well into the night. Let me keep Will for a hand 'cause I think Brandt and Jo went to the city for a new steer. You get on home to Wendy and I'll drive your car over when we finish."

  She bites her lip and glances back at the house. "I can just wait. I really don't want you thinkin' you need to babysit Will, Bo. Or work that late on my car. It can wait. It's spring break and I don't need it till my shift at the diner tomorrow." The look of worry on her face makes me sigh, but I hold it together. It's gonna take a bit before she takes me seriously when I tell her to rely on me.

  I give my head a shake. "I need Will, Kinlee, I'm not babysitting him. I need his help. And tomorrow I don't have time to work on the car until evening. I'd rather get it done right now. And...no offense, but I can't work with you over my shoulder and I know it's lights out at the Kenshaw's around ten. Head home." I almost reach up to tuck her hair behind her ear but I remember my hands are dirty. "But first run this into the house? Please?" I smirk and hold out my empty bowl.

  Another worried glance flits to her brother before she takes the bowl. "If he gives you any trouble, I'll be right back to get him."

  "He'll be fine, and if he ain't, I'll give you a holler." I almost lean in for her lips but quickly jerk my head back because as much as I want it, she isn't mine yet.

  "Okay, great." There's that smile again, finally. "Thank you. Again. You pretty much saved the day."

  I like hearing it, even if it isn't true. "You need me, I'm here, Kinlee." I walk away before I try kissing her on the Kenshaw's porch with dirty hands and in front of her brother.

  Will starts showing me an engine on his phone and I grin, proud the boy's seemed to take an interest in something other than fire. We get back to work on Kinlee's car before she comes out of the house twenty minutes later. I wipe my hands before helping her into the Denali.

  "It's a diesel, so don't be afraid to push the gas pedal."

  "I can barely see over the front of it!" Her eyes go wide. "Don't the Kenshaws have a work truck or somethin' I can take for the night? This thing's huge, and if I hurt your baby you're never gonna let me hear the end of it. Let alone, I can't pay to fix anything that happens to this beast." She's shaking her head, hands in her lap and not even trying to start the damn thing.

  I hold my finger on the button to raise the seat and push it forward. "You need to get used to drivin' it, Kinlee. And this ain't my baby. I'm not worried 'bout the truck, I trust you." Stepping down from the runner, I close the door before she freaks out again over nothing. Besides, she looks damn good in the driver seat of my truck. Before my chub turns into a full-on boner, I start thinking about my back. That always helps. I walk back over to Will. "Run in and ask Bryant Kenshaw for the work truck keys. We need to go to town to get a starter for your sister's car before they close," I tell him then lean under the hood but angle so I can see Kinlee very slowly and jerkily pull down the dirt drive away from the ranch. By the time she gets a few yards away, she's gotten the hang of the pedal.

  It's almost two in the morning before we get the car started and Will's excitement makes me chuckle.

  "You did it!" he boasts, but honest to God truth, he helped a ton.

  "We did it." I muss his hair before wiping my hands clean. "Let's get you home."

  Pulling up to their house, I smile, remembering sneaking Kinlee out that side window a million times so she could come party at the pond with us. Brandt would hold the window open 'cause it would always fall, and I'd help her down before she fell. She probably never really needed the help, but I insisted just so I could touch her.

  The minute I kill the engine she comes shuffling out the front door, wiping sleep from her eyes.

  "I was startin' to think it turned into a party over there." She leans against the porch post. Her hair's knotted at the top of her head and the oversized shirt she's we
aring makes me inappropriately wish she slept in lingerie. "Thanks for... Everything." A tired laugh chuckles from her. "For helping with Will, for fixing my car, and for bringing it back. Heck, I owe you a few good dinners for this."

  "I wasn't playing when I said I'm here now, Kinlee, but I'd love to come over for a home cooked meal. Been a long time," I lie. I've been eating Donna's meals since I've gotten back.

  "Night, Bo," Will says, walking past his sister and into the house before I can reply.

  "How was he?" She sits on the top stair and pulls her knees to her chest, trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.

  "He was..." I sit next to her and look at my hands that need a good scrubbing. "He just needs some guidance, Kinlee," I quietly say in case he can hear us through the open windows. "He's got a brain in that head and it's always thinkin'. He's a sixteen year old kid stuck with two sisters." I nudge her. "He needs more guy time."

  Air puffs between her lips before her head falls to my shoulder. "I think you may be right. But he needs to stop doing stupid crap too. That fire today coulda been way worse. Ya know? What's it gonna take for one of his stupid ideas to get outta control?"

  "Yeah... Yeah." I turn my head and smell her hair before kissing it. "I don't think it's an overnight process by any means, but give him time. I gave him a project, so if it's alright with you, he'll probably be spending more time on the ranch."

  "You gave him a project?" She sits up and looks at me. "What kind of project?"

  "He's determined to make things simpler." I chuckle. "He's going to build an engine and bypass what parts he don't think are necessary to make it run. He's smart as hell. Do you know he invented an app?"

  "He did?" She sits up straighter and looks back at the house. "What kind of app? Why didn't he tell me?"

  I chuckle and drop my head. "Ah...um, well listen." I shift to look at her. "I shouldn't have said anything." Resting my hand on her knee, I fight my fingers that want to massage her bare skin. "Do me a favor and don't mention it?"