by Cat Johnson
Maybe it was dark enough that if he lay flat and still in the back, he might not be seen. But if the guy looked closely and saw him hiding, he’d be a sitting duck.
It was a chance he was going to have to take.
Running out of time, he sprinted to the back of the truck, planted both hands on the tailgate, and vaulted into the bed. When he landed inside, he knew his luck was holding. There was a big green tarp in the bottom of the truck bed. He flipped it over himself and held his breath, trying to move as little as possible to not rustle the thick plastic covering him.
While he waited to be discovered, or not, he figured praying couldn’t hurt. Silently, he vowed that if he got out of this night unscathed, he’d never make out with a stranger in a bar again.
As his heart pounded, he heard heavy footsteps in the lot and then a few more loud cusses and what sounded like a bear—or a really big man—crashing back through the trees.
Long minutes ticked by in silence, and the crazed fiancé didn’t come back to whip the tarp off him and beat him to a pulp. Against all odds, he might just be safe. Out of the woods, literally.
In light of that, Tyler decided to add a small amendment to the deal he’d made with God. It would probably be all right to hook up with girls he met in a bar. However, he would be sure to ask them if they had a boyfriend or any kind of significant other before he kissed them and let them unbuckle his pants.
Satisfied that was a promise he could live with, and hopeful that the guy had given up the chase, he was about to take a peek to see if the coast really was clear when he heard footsteps heading toward the truck.
It sounded like two people walking. They hadn’t come from the direction of the woods, but rather from the building. He was most likely safe from being maimed by his pursuer, but he definitely was not in any position to be socializing with anyone. His jeans still hung wide open, his eye remained squeezed shut, and he was hiding under a tarp in a stranger’s truck.
It wasn’t as if he could pop up and say hey, but he also couldn’t stay hidden. If the owner of the truck drove away, who knew where he could end up?
Tyler was weighing his limited options when he heard a female voice say, “Hang on. Let me move this and then you can slide it right inside.”
He lay helpless as she whipped the tarp to the side and exposed him to the beam of the parking lot light. At the sight of him, she screamed and jumped back.
Truth be told, he nearly screamed, too. He scrambled to sit up before he realized he might not want to be sitting up. He still wasn’t convinced the scorned fiancé had really gone.
“Hey, Tyler.” There was amusement in the male voice that came from his left.
Still partially blinded, Tyler turned his head to the side to see a guy he’d gone to high school with standing next to the truck and grinning as he balanced a fence post on his shoulder.
Hell of a time for a high school reunion. Not having much choice, Tyler tipped his head in greeting. “Hey, Jed.”
“You know him?” the woman asked.
“I do.” Jed grinned wider. “Don’t worry. He might not look it right now, but he’s harmless.”
She let out a breath and held her hand to her chest. A fall of dark hair brushed her shoulders as her gaze swung from Jed to Tyler. “You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing under there?”
“Um, it’s a long story.” Sitting up, Tyler glanced at the woods and decided to take his chances with the crazed bouncer rather than look like more of a fool by continuing to lie in this woman’s truck bed. He pulled himself all the way upright and went to work fastening the open fly of his jeans.
“Oh, don’t worry, Ty. We have the time to hear your explanation, no matter how long it is. I’m sure it will be worth it.” Jed grinned.
Jed hadn’t missed the fact Tyler’s pants were hanging wide enough to expose his underwear. Neither had the woman. Tyler saw her bite her lip to control a smile as she averted her eyes. Didn’t it figure? A beautiful woman who drove the crew cab, dual rear wheel pickup truck he’d always wanted to own, and he looked like a complete ass in front of her.
He cursed his belt as buckling it with his shaky hands confounded him. Finally, Tyler got his clothes put back together. Jumping down from the truck, he felt a twinge in the ankle he’d twisted, but it held his weight. No broken bones, and his eye had finally stopped tearing, so he figured he was good to go.
He turned toward Jed and reached for the fence post. “Let me help you with that.”
Jed took a step back. “Oh, no. You don’t get out of telling us what’s going on that easily.”
Tyler shook his head. “Ain’t nothing to tell. Just a simple misunderstanding is all.” Grabbing the post off Jed’s shoulder, he guided it into the back of the pickup and angled it so it wouldn’t stick out more than a couple of inches past the tailgate. “There. It’s in there pretty good. You won’t need a warning flag on the end of it.”
Glancing over, he saw both of them watching him and felt the need to keep talking. He turned to the woman. “Where are you going with that? Do you need some help unloading it when you get there?”
Jed laughed. “You need a ride home, don’t you?”
“No.” Technically, Tyler wasn’t lying. “My truck’s not at home. It’s at the Double L. And I can call Colton for a ride, if I need one.”
Of course, his friend would only be able to come get him if the bruiser hadn’t gone back to the bar and taken his anger out on Colton because he couldn’t find Tyler.
“You talking about Rohn Lerner’s ranch?” the woman asked.
“Yup.” Tyler nodded. “I work there. Do you know him?” Sometimes this town was too damn small for his liking.
“Yeah, I do.” She tipped her head toward the truck. “Hop in. I can drive you back there.”
“You sure? You don’t have to if it’s out of the way. I can—”
“Get in. It’s fine. It’s on my way home.” She dismissed Tyler’s concern and turned to Jed. “Thanks for carrying that for me.”
“No problem, ma’am.” Donning another smart-ass grin, Jed turned to Tyler. “I’ll see you around.”
“Yup.” Tyler hoped it wouldn’t be for a long while. He kept that to himself and reached for the passenger door handle.
The woman climbed into the driver’s seat and he realized he didn’t even know her name. “I’m Tyler Jenkins, by the way.”
“Janie.” She glanced at him as she turned the key in the ignition.
Tyler appreciated the rumble of the powerful engine vibrating through him as she threw the truck into gear. He pushed his lust for the truck aside and concentrated on doing some more damage control. “I do apologize again for the whole truck thing.”
She laughed as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. “Don’t worry about it. This is the most excitement I’ve had in a long time, even if I did come in at the tail end of your mysterious adventure.”
“I swear, I’m not usually getting into trouble—”
“Aren’t you?” She raised a brow as her gaze cut sideways. “I somehow have difficulty believing that. I think your friend back at the store might, too.”
His cheeks heated at being caught in the lie. Tyler let his chin drop before forcing himself to look at her. “You’re right. I guess . . . sometimes . . . I can get myself into situations that maybe I shouldn’t.”
Her smile reached all the way to her eyes before she focused back on turning off the main drag and onto the side road that would take them to the ranch. “You do have a way with words. I bet that talented tongue of yours gets you out of many of those situations.”
His mind went to bad places at her mention of his tongue and its talents. Visions of what he’d like to do with it—and her—flashed through his brain. He glanced at her left hand where it gripped the steering wheel and saw the glint of a gold band. It was a damn shame that she wore a wedding ring, because he wouldn’t mind getting to know her better.
D
isappointed, he dragged his attention back to the road. “That’s the turn. Coming up on the right side up there. Rohn’s place is the next driveway after this one.”
A smile bowed her lips. “I know. That’s my drive we just passed. We’re neighbors.”
Tyler frowned as the pieces fell into place. “You’re Tom Smithwick’s widow?”
“I guess I am.” She let out a short, breathy laugh. “Widow. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard someone call me that.”
His eyes opened wide as he realized how badly he’d screwed up. Her husband hadn’t been gone for that long. The grief was probably still fresh and there he was bringing up her loss. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No, it’s okay. Really. I mean, I’m sure they’re all saying it when I’m not within earshot. I just never heard anyone say it. Besides, it’s perfectly true. That’s exactly what I am. It’s just strange hearing it, you know? It’s even stranger saying the words.” She drew in a breath. “I’m a widow. At thirty-six years old.”
He scrambled to make up for putting his foot in his mouth. “You don’t look thirty-six.”
She didn’t look at all like what he’d always imagined a widow would, either. Tyler hadn’t been working for Rohn for very long when her husband had died. In that time, he had only met Tom Smithwick a few times, and he’d never met his wife. He’d pictured her being older. Less vibrant. Definitely less hot, and not nearly so curvy. . . .
“Thanks.” She treated him to a small, sad smile as she pulled up to where his truck was parked in Rohn’s drive.
Not ready to say good-bye and let her leave quite yet, he hooked a thumb behind him. “So, what are you going to do with that fence post in the back?”
“A tree limb took down part of my fence and broke the upright. I’m going to see if I can replace it tomorrow.”
“Alone?” He figured she’d have to dig the broken post out to sink the new one.
“Yeah. I let our crew go after Tom died and I sold the bulk of the stock, so I don’t have any hired hands right now.”
“Do you need some help?” Digging postholes was no job for a woman, in his opinion.
She shook her head. “No, really. You don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s the least I can do to pay you back.”
“Pay me back for what? The ride? I told you, I was driving by here anyway.”
“The ride.” He laughed. “And the spot to hide out in the back when I needed it most.”
She smiled. “You still haven’t told me why you needed to hide.”
The last thing on earth Tyler wanted was for this woman to know the embarrassing truth about what had happened tonight. It looked bad enough already, he was sure. “How about this . . . I don’t tell you and I help you fix that fence instead?”
One brow cocked up before she nodded. “All right. Curious as I am, I could use the help, so I’ll take that deal.”
She extended her hand. He pressed his palm to hers and shook. “Good. I’ll come over first thing in the morning.”
As he felt the firm grip of Janie’s hand, so tiny compared to his larger one, Tyler had to think he’d made a pretty damn good deal for himself. Not only did he get to save face, he also got to see her again tomorrow.
“Sounds good. I’ll be home. And thank you for the help.” A smile tipped up the corners of her mouth.
He couldn’t stop his gaze from dropping to the Cupid’s bow of her lips. “You’re welcome.”
The pleasure would be all his.
After getting out and calling a final good-bye, Tyler watched her back up. She spun the truck around, heading out the driveway and toward her own place, conveniently located right next door. He’d definitely be paying her a visit tomorrow morning.
When the glow of the taillights had disappeared, he strode to his truck while fishing out his cell phone. Inside the cab, by the glow of the dome light, he typed a message to Colton, telling his friend he was going home and wouldn’t be back to the bar tonight. Before sending the text, Tyler added one final sentence.
You might want to leave. I pissed off the bouncer.
Satisfied he’d issued a proper warning, he hit SEND and tossed the phone into the console. Time to head home. He had a fence to fix bright and early in the morning.
Chapter Five
The sun had already risen over the horizon and lit the sky with a blaze of color when Tyler saw Colton’s truck turn from the side road into Rohn’s drive.
Standing near the shed, Tyler knew the moment Colton spotted him across the yard. He’d slammed the driver’s side door so hard the sound traveled across the acres and had the bulls grazing in the pasture lifting their heads.
Gaze down and his step determined, Colton strode forward. His intent to confront Tyler was clear in the cadence of his quick stride. When he got to where Tyler stood waiting for the explosion, Colton pinned him with a glare.
“So let me get this straight . . . I miss my chance at getting any action with the blonde because two minutes into the night you pissed off the bouncer by sucking face with his fiancée. Does that about cover it?”
“Yup. Sounds about right to me.” Tyler nodded and escaped from his friend’s icy stare by turning toward the tool shed.
Of course, a good portion of the blame belonged to Libby, who’d neglected to tell Tyler what the real situation was, but it was no use nitpicking details when Colton was in this kind of mood.
It was way too early in the morning to argue, and technically, what Colton had said was true. It was partially Tyler’s fault that last night hadn’t worked out as planned for either of them, but he’d learned an important lesson from the mad dash through the woods to save his life. From now on he’d ask questions first and kiss the girls later.
“Where are you going?” Colton’s question came from behind Tyler as he walked.
“To get the tools I’ll need to fix a fence.”
“Why?”
“So I can fix the fence.” Tyler answered Colton’s nosy question with a purposely vague smartass response.
“What fence needs fixing?” Colton followed Tyler all the way to the door of the tool shed.
He should have gotten to Rohn’s earlier that morning. That way he could have been in and out with what he needed and over at Janie’s before Colton and his dozen questions had arrived.
There’d be no possibility of getting away from Colton or the inquisition now, so Tyler figured he might as well take advantage of the situation and lighten his own burden. “Part of the fence over at the Smithwick place is broke and I’m gonna replace it. I’m glad you’re here early so you can help.”
Colton let out a sigh, as if sinking one fence post was a huge weight added to his workload. “A’ight. I’ll come with you. Rohn won’t mind we’re taking the time to help her, I reckon. She is a neighbor and all. Besides, I feel sorry for the old lady having to tend to the place alone since her husband died.”
Old lady?
“Do you know her?” Tyler asked, even though it was obvious Colton had never met Janie Smithwick. If he had, he sure as hell wouldn’t have called her old.
“Nah. I knew Tom, but I never met his wife. Talked to her on the phone yesterday, though. I called to let her know about the fence before her stock got out. I guess you must have seen the tree limb down in her south pasture, too.”
“Uh, yeah. That’s right. I did. Right there in the south pasture, like you said.” Tyler saw no need to bring up the sore subject of last night’s bar debacle by revealing how he really knew about the fence. How Janie had told him about it after she and her conveniently parked truck had saved him from a certain beating in the lumberyard lot.
“What tools are you planning to take over?”
“Shovel. Posthole digger. Sledgehammer.” Tyler talked as he reached into the shed and started grabbing what they’d need. “Better grab a pair of leather gloves from your truck, too. We’ll
be working with barbed wire.”
“A’ight. You know, she’s gonna need a new upright. The old one looked like it was snapped right in half when I saw it.”
“Yeah, she knows. She already bought one.” Tyler realized his error when he saw Colton’s frown.
“How do you know that?”
The jig was up. He let out a breath and braced himself for the confession. “I helped her put the fence post into her truck at the lumberyard last night before she drove me back here.”
“I was wondering how the hell you got home.” Realization dawned visibly on Colton’s face. His eyes opened wide. “You walked from the Two-Step all the way to the lumberyard in town? That’s far.”
Distance hadn’t been the issue. Fear of death had been.
“More like ran, actually. It’s not that far when you cut through the woods . . . and a man intent on snapping your neck is chasing you.”
Colton burst into a bout of laughter that had him doubling over and trying to catch his breath. When he finally controlled himself enough to talk, he wiped his eyes and said, “Holy shit. No wonder you didn’t come back to the bar to meet me.”
Tyler raised a brow. “Would you have if you were me?”
“Nope. But then again, I wouldn’t have had my tongue down some girl’s throat I’d known for all of thirty seconds.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“Yup. That’s right, bro. I’m jealous. You caught me. I wish I could have run for my life all the way to town, too. Because, you know, that sounds like such a blast. Way better than having a cold one and enjoying the company of some ladies.” Colton glanced sideways at Tyler as they walked toward the truck with the tools. His brow drew low. “Hey, is that why you’re fixing her fence and I’m stuck helping you? Because you owe her for driving you back from town last night?”
“No. We’re fixing her fence because it’s a nice thing to do for a woman who’s recently widowed and needs some help.” And because he wanted an excuse to see Janie again, but he sure as hell wasn’t telling Colton that. “Come on. Toss that stuff in my truck and let’s go. I told her I’d be over first thing.”