Broken Cowboy Page 2

  Cade pushed those thoughts to the darkest part of his mind before they could drag him any lower, and then went to the front of the truck. Dropping to his knees, he crawled under the big four-wheel-drive to assess the damage.

  Not only had one of the radiator hoses he’d already patched with duct tape sprung another leak, but the water pump had blown for good, too. Hot water gurgled out of the seams to enlarge the puddle already muddying the ground below.

  “Damn,” he muttered, rolling out from under the truck and getting to his feet. Wiping the sweat from his brow and dusting himself off, he glanced up and down the road. No cars in sight and no houses nearby. If he still had phone service, maybe he could call someone, but he’d had it turned off months ago. And you’ve got no money. Let’s not forget that. Besides, who would I call?

  His chin dropped to his chest and he sighed. “When am I going to catch a break?”

  You could call home… Go home again, a soft voice muttered inside his head. No, that he would not do, not ever again.

  Shaking his head, he started walking back to town. He had an idea where to find the auto parts store and knew he had a long walk to get there. What else was he going to do? He had no funds, not even a credit card, and, aside from some of the cowboys at the fairgrounds, he didn’t know anyone in this smallish college town. All he had was himself.

  Maybe he could convince someone at the auto store or a mechanic’s shop to let him work off the cost of the parts and beg for the use of their tools.

  “Or maybe one of the ranches around here could use an experienced cow hand?” He chuckled to himself. Not too likely from what he’d seen. Those few men who appeared to be available also seemed to be less than desirable. Probably unreliable as hell, too. Not that many places looked in need of extra help right now. He’d be lucky to find a dishwashing or serving job at a restaurant or bar in town. It was a college town after all, and the bars—even in late August—were busy.

  Maybe some hot college girl will drive by and give me a ride. He chuckled to himself. Maybe she’ll have a rich daddy and fall in love with me, too, he thought with a smile, but then it slipped away. Sure. Stop dreaming, boy. When have you ever been that lucky? Besides, what girl would be interested in a rundown loser like me?

  Shaking his head yet again, he quickened his pace. He was better off without that little fantasy coming true anyway. He didn’t want to get involved. One wild night and a goodbye kiss before breakfast, that he could do. But getting to know her? Exchanging numbers? No way. He’d had enough of women. The last one had ripped his heart out, stomped all over it, and tore his world apart. He wasn’t in any hurry to risk that again.

  The burn on his hand throbbed. Stopping to yank off his gloves, he tucked them into his back pocket—wishing he’d thought to leave them in the truck—and examined his wound. Luckily, the burn didn’t appear to be blistering, but he could use some more cold water. Yet another thing he’d forgotten.

  He glanced behind him and was surprised at how far he’d come. His truck was a tiny dot in the distance, but he still had a long way to go.

  He started walking again.

  A few cars had passed him already, but no one stopped. Most of them looked like families on their way back over the mountains to Seattle after enjoying the rodeo and fair, or maybe on their way in. As shabby as he looked, he would’ve been surprised if any of them had stopped.

  Aside from those who worked in town, the locals appeared to have made themselves scarce once the rodeo started. That he understood. A bunch of strangers invading their little town during the four days of the rodeo, mucking up traffic, doing who knows what, getting into trouble and fights. He didn’t blame the locals for staying home. It just would be nice to get a break for once.

  Another truck rolled by, but Cade didn’t lift his thumb or bother to look up. It wouldn’t do any good, anyway.

  A moment later, he heard the engine almost stall and he paused to glance up. The driver must have jammed the pedals down, because the truck began idling normally again. Strangely, it had stopped in the middle of the road. Hope lit inside him, but he snuffed it out. In a minute, they’d put the truck in gear and continue on their way. He dropped his head and started walking again and, just as he’d predicted, the driver shifted, the gears caught, and the truck began to move. Only backward instead of forward.

  It came to a stop beside him, and he turned away from the sudden dust storm the skidding tires kicked up.

  A light, feminine voice shouted an apology from inside and his stomach gave a little flutter at the sound. He looked in through the passenger window at a cute blonde about his age, with a huge smile and generous curves. The peach-colored tank top she wore did little to hide that fact, but he refused to ogle the display. Still, his throat went dry when he met her twinkling brown eyes, and her brilliant smile was addictive.

  “Need a ride, cowboy?” she asked in that melodious voice that made every nerve in his body tingle with awareness.

  “If you’re headed into town, I sure could use a ride to the auto parts store.”

  She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Was that your truck back there on the side of the road?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it finally gave out on me.”

  “Well, I’m headed into town. Hop in.”

  He pointed to her truck’s bed. “You want me to climb in back?”

  She frowned. “Why would I want that?”

  He shrugged, heat crawling up his neck that had nothing to do with the hot August sun.

  She chuckled. “Nah, just hop in the cab. It’s not a long drive.”

  Pulling off his cowboy hat, he climbed inside and set it on the seat between them. He ran his fingers through his sweat-dampened dark hair a couple of times before he settled into the seat and rested his arm on the open window.

  The woman held out her hand to him. “I’m Addie Malory.”

  He glanced at her hand then into her eyes. She was still smiling and the way the sunlight struck her face gave her eyes an amber glow.

  He swallowed hard, wiped his palms on his jeans, and took her hand. “Cade Brody,” he replied and she shook his hand once before releasing it.

  Her hand had been so soft and warm, with just a hint of calluses. Disappointment twitched in his chest when she let go. It had been a long time since he’d touched a woman. That had to be the reason he was feeling so damn aware of this one—even if she was cute.

  “Nice to meet you, Cade,” she said and reached for the gearshift.

  “You too,” he rasped through the sudden dryness in his throat.

  Get it together, man!

  The outside of her truck was dirty, but the inside, not so much. A little dried mud on the floor, a colorful Navajo blanket covered the bench seat, and some tools and assorted items were stuffed in the console. Fairly typical for a farm truck. Several years newer than his rig, it seemed to run quite a bit better than his too, as she threw it into first and started down the road.

  “Thanks for stopping,” he said.

  She glanced at him, flashing another quick grin. “It’s the neighborly thing to do, right?”

  He couldn’t help but return her smile. Then he frowned. “Do you pick up strange men hitchhiking often?”

  “You’re my first,” she said, sounding as chipper as before and his frown deepened.

  Why did that bother him? Why should he care if she wanted to risk her life picking up men she didn’t know? But he couldn’t shake the discomfort her careless behavior churned up inside him.

  “You with the rodeo?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  “Yeah,” he grumbled, and she threw a nervous look his way, but was back to her chipper self a moment later.

  “Leaving a little early, aren’t you? Don’t you have two more days?”

  “Yep,” he said. “Didn’t make the first go-round and thought I’d get a jump on travel, but it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere for a while.”

  “‘Cause of your truck?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll have that fixed in no time.”

  He was beginning to find her cheerfulness annoying. Or maybe it was just his moodiness and his unwanted attraction to her that made him cranky. Either way, he didn’t reply.

  “Were you headed home?” she asked after a short silence.

  He glanced at her then out the windshield. “No, there are some other rodeos on the west side I was going to try, but now I’m going to have to find a job for a few months to pay for the new parts on the truck.”

  She nodded. “So you’re stuck here for a while?”

  “Looks that way,” he answered, staring out at the road. “You from around here?”

  “Yep, I’m a local,” she said proudly. “Lucky you! You actually got to meet one who doesn’t work in town. Most of us are a little scarce during rodeo weekend, but I don’t mind the crowds as much as some of the others.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed.” He turned toward her. “Hey, may I ask you something? As a local?”

  She glanced at him, again with a touch of trepidation. “Sure.”

  “Do you know of anyone looking for help? I mean, an auto garage or ranch or something like that, who are hiring?”

  “You a good mechanic?”

  “I get by.”

  “What do you know about ranching?”

  “I grew up on one in Montana,” he said. “It’d take less time to tell you what I don’t know.”

  “How about farming?”

  “I’m a fair hand at that, too. We had to feed the stock and it’s cheaper to grow your own when you can.”

  She nodded, but her brow was furrowed. “But you’re not going home?”

  Something in her voice seemed off, like she was
suddenly concerned to be alone with him.

  “It’s not my home anymore and—” he said, about to go on about his parents, but he cut himself off. “Well, let’s just say, there’s nothing left to hold me there. I used to dream about the rodeo as a kid, so I thought I’d give it a go.”

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  He chuckled again, but with no humor this time. “Not so good, obviously.”

  That made her smile, and he couldn’t help but admire her profile, or the way wisps of her hair twirled around her neck and face in the wind. His fingers twitched, wanting to rub the silky-looking strands between them to savor their softness.

  “So, how long do you plan to hang around if you find work?” she asked and he heard a more serious note in her tone.

  “Depends on the work and the pay,” he said with a shrug and pushed his wayward thoughts about her hair out of his head. “I’d guess through October at least, maybe longer if the weather turns too bad.”

  “Hmm,” she hummed, her delicate brows bunching over her nose.

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No, not really. I was just…thinking.” She smiled again and a fuzzy warmth filled his chest.

  “About anything in particular?” His nerves seemed to stretch. Why did he ask that? It felt like they were on the verge of flirting, but if that’s true, it would be the oddest instance of it he’d ever been a part of.

  “Do you have trouble taking orders from a woman?” she asked. “Taking orders and remaining professional?”

  He frowned and straightened in the seat. Well, that’s direct.

  “No,” he replied aloud. “No problems that I know of.”

  “Hmm.”

  He looked out the window, unsure where this was going. Did she know someone or not?

  “You a good worker?”

  Irritation buzzed in his head. She seemed to be grilling him, but she still hadn’t given any indication that she knew of an available job.

  “I’ve never had any complaints,” he said. “I’ll work from before sunup until after sundown as needed. Those have been my hours for years and it’s not going to change now.”

  “I see.” She glanced at him, but this time her smile seemed a little tenuous.

  Is she afraid of me now?

  Trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, he looked out the side window at the small businesses that lined his side of the road. They seemed to be on a backroad, but they were halfway through town already.

  “I’m a decent guy,” he said into the tense quiet of the cab and turned back to her. “I just need a job. I’m not looking to take advantage of or hurt anyone. I’ll do any work needed, I’m not fussy. I just need to make some money.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I wasn’t sure how to ask for that information.”

  “Ask whatever you need to know. If it has to do with a job, I’ve got no problem answering.”

  She nodded. “So, if I told you about a farm job—with lots of hard, dirty work—you’d take it?”

  “What’s it pay?”

  “Enough to get your truck fixed and some for your pocket besides.”

  He thought about that for a minute. It was a good offer, but he wondered who the offer was coming from. Was it her or someone else? A friend, a husband, a neighbor? He glanced at her left hand—no ring. Something pulsed inside him and he locked it down before it could do anything else. No ring didn’t mean much. Maybe she didn’t wear it when working, or maybe it got lost, or they hadn’t been able to afford one. Why did it matter anyway?

  A husband or a neighbor would be great. Those two he could do, but if it was her, this attraction he’d been feeling from the minute he’d heard her voice and then met her eyes through the open window might be a problem.

  He shook his head. Hell, no it won’t. He’d worked around pretty women before and never had an issue. Why should this be any different?

  Because she makes your stomach twist into knots with just a smile and your hand is still tingling from her touch.

  He sighed. All that may be true, but he didn’t have a whole lot of choices here.

  “If that’s not enough,” she said, sounding cheery and cajoling at the same time, “since you’re not from around here and you’ve got no money to go anywhere else, there’ll be room and board as well. Homemade meals.”

  His empty stomach grumbled at the thought of food, and he found himself nodding. “I’ll take it.”

  Chapter 3

  The bell above the little coffee shop door jingled as Addie walked in. She had dropped Cade off at the auto shop and asked if he’d like a coffee and some lunch. His sad eyes had brightened a bit as he stood beside her truck’s open passenger door, but when his stomach growled again—loudly—his face had clouded over.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he’d said, his cheekbones turning pink.

  “I don’t mind,” she said with a smile. “I’m hungry, too. Besides, the ladies who run the place are like family, so I get a discount.” She hadn’t wanted to shame him but was afraid she’d done just that.

  He’d lowered his chin, the hat he’d put back on blocking his face, but when he lifted his head, he looked resigned. “Sure, I’d…like that.”

  “Great!” She beamed, glad that he’d allowed her to help him a little more. “Why don’t you meet me over there when you’re done here?” She pointed across the street. “It’s a couple stores up.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I know where it is. I’ll be up in a few.”

  She wasn’t sure now if he’d been upset or not when he swung the truck door closed and headed into the auto store. She’d shifted gears and started to roll the truck back out of the parking spot, but she couldn’t help watching him stroll inside. Something seemed different, a little stiffer maybe.

  I hope I didn’t embarrass him, she thought for the second time as she got in line at the counter inside Sisters Café.

  Her two friends were bustling around, one at the counter and the other in the kitchen with Veta’s husband Ivan helping on the grill that weekend. They chatted with their customers as lively as ever, but when Addie stepped up to the counter, Lana’s light blue eyes lit up, her face burst into a wide smile, and her vocal volume went up a notch.

  “Addie!” she squealed as she skirted the counter. “Veta! Look who’s here.”

  “Hi, Addie,” Veta shouted from the grill, and Ivan waved as Lana enveloped Addie in an exuberant hug.

  “Hi, Lana,” Addie said into her friend’s ear and waved at Veta and Ivan in the kitchen.

  They were a cheerful family and luckily, for them and their business, the locals as well as the college students had welcomed their Ukrainian charm.

  “You need to visit more often,” Lana said as she held Addie at arm’s length. “Two weeks is too long. Right, Veta?”

  “Right,” Veta said as she came out to the lobby and gave Addie a big hug.

  “What’s wrong?” Veta asked with a mischievous grin. “You find a man who keeps you too busy to visit us now?”

  Addie laughed. “No, just a lot of farm work and writing deadlines.”

  The two other women chuckled as they got back to work. “You shouldn’t be that busy,” Lana said as she delivered a caramel mocha and a grilled sandwich to one of their customers, a big smile on her face and a sincere ‘Thank you for coming in,’ on her lips.

  “You hired three strong men to help you,” she continued as she returned to the counter. “You should have lots of time to come see us and go out once in a while.”

  Addie sighed. “Well, I had to fire those three strong men this morning. And when I checked, the work they were supposed to have finished was either half done or not done at all.”

  “Oh, no,” Veta said as she brought another plate of yummy goodness to the front for Lana to deliver.

  “That’s no good,” Lana said as she took the plate out to the customer.

  Veta rested her elbows on the counter, concern in her pale blue eyes. “What are you going to do?”

  “Well,” Addie leaned on the counter across from her friend, “I was either going to do it all myself or take the long drive to Selah or Yakima, or even waste the four-hour trip down to Tri-Cities to see if I could find someone. If there was anyone still available. But I may not have to do any of that now.”