Chapter 6 Mateo
CHAPTER SIX
Mateo
A line of sweat trailed down Levi’s broad back. His gray T-shirt clung to his muscles as he inspected the car’s tire. Wranglers made his ass look damn good, even if they were just a little too new and his boots definitely hadn’t been broken in yet.
I’d seen him here and there in town—it was hard not to notice him. Usually he had a camera with him, and I had half a mind to ask what that was about.
I pushed my glasses up my nose and hopped out of the truck. “Hey, Levi. You okay?”
His head turned as he got up, letting out a low grunt. I didn’t miss his wince as he stood.
“Are you hurt?” I rushed out.
“I’m fine. Shouldn’t have rented a fucking sports car. A rabbit ran across the road, I swerved, and ended up running into that cactus.”
Rogue cactus blossoms were strewn across the dead grass, the car slightly tilted on top of the saguaro. “You really need something cheap and hardy out in these parts. Especially if you go to the state park.”
Levi was silent for a moment, but then broke it. “I take it someone called me in, huh?”
“Yep. Anyone new in town will grab attention, whether they like it or not. Even if you used to live here. Maybe especially so.”
He tipped his head back with a groan. The Davis Mountains cut into the powder blue sky in the distance, a band of dark clouds hovering even further away. If we were lucky, maybe we’d get a sprinkle of rain. We certainly needed it.
“I guess it’s a good thing, since my phone died.” Levi pressed his lips together and then regarded me thoughtfully. “I was an ass on Wednesday.”
“Well, I don’t think you planned to set Avery’s hair on fire.”
“I didn’t. I didn’t plan to take an art class. I didn’t plan to be here in Whynot. Nothing is going to plan.”
I raised a brow. Up close, Levi was more handsome than should have been allowed. He had a ruggedness about him that felt out of place with the new denim and the flashy car. But then there were his eyes.
Green. Bright, grassy green. A shade of green that’d been haunting my dreams.
His beard looked soft and well kept. I thought about running my fingers through it, then shoved that dirty thought away. God, what the hell had gotten into me? Something.
Ever since the class with Avery and Levi, I’d been too horny for my own good. They were two threads I kept trying to yank free, but only pulled tighter with every tug.
The truth was, I’d always wanted Avery. That was one of my longest kept secrets.
But Levi?
One look at the hockey player had my body craving things I’d kept in check for two years.
Since Avery moved back to Whynot, I hadn’t dated or been with anyone.
Why? Maybe because she was who I really wanted, but I’d just never crossed the line with her.
Maybe because we lived in a small town where there wasn’t really a chance to be kinky like there was in the city.
Either way, Levi’s presence was disrupting all of my hard-earned self-restraint.
“I have a proposal,” I said.
Levi crossed his arms. “And what would that be? Send me back to Minnesota?”
“No,” I snorted. “How about I give you a ride? I know the mechanic and I’m sure he can get you taken care of. Well, actually, I’m sure you know him too. His name is Dallas Whynot.”
Levi cracked a smile that was brighter than the sun. “Damn. I forgot he’s the mechanic. Never thought he would end up in that career.”
“What did you think he’d be?”
“A fucking librarian.”
I barked out a laugh. Dallas was an interesting one, that was for sure. All he wanted to do was work on his cars and read books.
“You know, he has one of those little free libraries outside his house,” I said. “Keeps it fully stocked and everything.”
“Of course he does.” Some of the tension melted from his shoulders. “I guess I’ll take that ride, if you don’t mind, Mateo.”
My stomach did a cartwheel as he said my name. I swallowed hard. “Sure. Where are you staying?”
“I rented that little house over on Armadillo Lane. The one with the yellow door.”
Oh boy. Did he have any idea that he was neighbors with Avery? Seemed like something one or the other would have mentioned by now. The tension between them was a movie on repeat in my mind.
Maybe I was just looking too much into things, but the way Avery had looked at him made me jealous—
I clipped that line of thought like an unruly weed.
I had no business thinking about Avery. Especially like that.
She was Austin’s sister, for god’s sake.
She was my friend. Over the last couple years, we’d become a staple in each other’s lives.
It wasn’t uncommon for her to show up on my doorstep with breakfast and coffee on mornings when I was off.
She was also a gorgeous, funny, smart mess—and I absolutely could never think about more than what she was.
A friend.
Just a friend I thought of every single waking moment of every single day.
Just a friend I wanted to fuck straight through my mattress.
“I’ll give you a ride,” I said tightly.
“Thanks. Actually, I’ve been meaning to go see Austin, I just haven’t yet. I’ve been kind of keeping to myself. Probably not the best idea. Do you know where he might be?”
“Sure do,” I chuckled. “He’s probably working on the finances for the various businesses he’s got his fingers in. Should be at the office at the little blue hotel downtown. I’m surprised you haven’t texted him yet or he hasn’t texted you.”
“He probably has, honestly. I’ve been avoiding my phone. It’s been off or dead since I got here.”
I wondered why that was. It wasn’t like me to pry, but I was undeniably curious about Levi. There was just something about him that made me want to get to know him, especially when he let that prickly guard down.
“Well, come take a ride with me. I’ll get you over to him. Got anything in your car?”
“Just a backpack and my camera bag. I was going to go for a hike.”
“In this heat?” I snorted. “You’d be roasted, Minnesota.”
Levi stiffened for a moment, but then released a laugh from his gut. “You know, everyone has been calling me Tex for so long, it’s kind of nice to be called that instead.”
There was that flutter in my stomach again and a nervous smile tugged at my lips. What was it about him?
Levi leaned into the car and grabbed his backpack and water bottle, which was a relief to see. The last thing I needed was to be dragging him into the back of an ambulance with heat stroke. More often than not, that’s how I spent my shifts during the summer.
I rubbed the back of my head as Levi popped the tiny trunk. He pulled a black duffle bag out and slammed it shut.
“Let me give you a hand,” I offered.
“I got it.”
“Come on.” My heart skipped a beat as I reached for the camera bag, our hands brushing as I took it. Levi swallowed hard, his eyes tracking me as I headed back to my truck.
I had no idea what the hell was wrong with me.
I’d lived in Texas my entire life and knew better than to be openly .
. . what? Bisexual? Flirty with a burly man like Levi?
I hated that I even had to think about it, but the last thing I needed was to deal with someone homophobic or asinine.
He was friends with Austin and Dallas though, and since those two were also bi, I doubted Levi was homophobic.
But I’d learned I could never be too careful here.
Levi opened the door on the opposite side, but this time his smile was a little more genuine, and his cheeks a little more pink.
And maybe not from the sun this time.
His brow lifted. “Do firefighters normally rescue guys like me?”
“You’d be the first to run over a saguaro.
” We both slammed the doors and got into the front.
I stole another glance at him as I pulled onto the nearly empty road.
“A nice bonus to my day, though. Before you, I was literally rescuing a cat from a tree. And I gotta say, you were a lot easier to pick up.”
A husky chuckle left him. “Didn’t think firefighters still did that.”
“We do in Whynot.”
He let out a soft hum and relaxed a fraction. “How long have you lived here?”
“A few years. Moved over from Lubbock after my firefighter and EMS courses. There was an opening here, and well, I have a cousin and grandmother in town. Just made sense.” I stole another glance, noting the way his left thigh bounced up and down.
Was I making him anxious? “Do you need a Gatorade or anything? I got some in a cooler in back if you do.”
“I’m all right. I’ve been drinking plenty.” His gaze focused on the buildings as we crawled along Main Street at fifteen miles per hour. “Do you think Avery hates me?”
Their interaction must have been on his mind as much as it had been on mine. Avery had a temper sometimes, but she never aimed it at people. The way she’d snapped at him wasn’t like her, but between being asked about her dad and feeling embarrassed, I understood why she did.
“No. She went home and scrubbed the blue dye off her skin. And she’s been painting and working her normal weird hours.”
“What hours are those?”
I wasn’t sure I should answer that, because then he’d discover I knew a lot more about her schedule than I should have as a friend.
“They’re just all over the place. I’ll park over by her gallery and we can walk over to the hotel. Maybe you can chat with her. I really doubt she’s holding a grudge.”
Frankly, I knew Avery could hold a grudge. Dallas and Austin knew that better than anyone else. The truth was, if she were still mad at Levi, she would have said something to me.
Not that we told each other everything.
Just almost everything.
Levi didn’t say anything else as we passed by the coffee shop first. The front was painted bright pink, with “Whynot Community Coffee Roasters” gleaming on a custom hand-painted sign Avery had made a few months ago.
I was halfway convinced there wasn’t anything Avery couldn’t do.
Small tables sat outside, a few people lounging beneath the umbrellas and sipping on iced lattes.
Then there was the flower shop, Whynot Bloom, which was owned by June.
It had the same bright colors as the coffee shop, like a cactus in bloom amid the neutral tones of the rest of the street.
My favorite shops here were all the ones that went the extra mile with their storefront, such as Avery’s gallery.
Levi leaned forward slightly, ducking his head.
“We got a theme in this town, as I’m sure you remember. Pretty much everything is named after the town.”
“And why not?” Levi sat back in his seat with a smirk. “I know it gets old.”
“It does. But I like it. Adds a bit of charm.”
“So does the landscape.”
He was right about that. A few miles north of our little town were the Davis Mountains, and then to the south was Big Bend National Park.
Whynot had a lot of visitors passing through—including hikers and artists—especially during the summer.
It was part of the reason I kept my truck fully stocked with water and emergency supplies.
“You planning to do some stargazing while you’re here?”
“Maybe,” Levi sighed. “I don’t really know what the fuck I’m doing, honestly. I just needed to get away.”
Hmm. What was Levi running from?
“It’s a good place for that. If you need any recommendations, just let me know. I know things may have changed since you lived here.” I slowed the truck as we passed Evie’s famous pie shop. “That place has the best pecan pie in Texas.”
Levi shook his head. “Not sure I’m buying that.”
“It’s true.”
“In Whynot, of all fucking places?”
I grinned. “Yep. Evie has been in magazines and stuff. There are articles about it.”
We were proud of her, that was for sure. I spent way too much of my paycheck on Evie’s goods. The pecan pie was pretty damn good, but the tres leches cake with a dulce de leche glaze was the best.
“So, what you’re saying is that I should get some pie later.”
“Yeah, and know that it’s all you’re going to want while you’re here.”
Avery’s gallery was on the right. I pulled up to the curb as the front door swung open.
Avery stepped out into a ray of sunlight, and my pulse shot straight up.
There she is.
I’d never get tired of seeing her. I swallowed hard as she gave us a devilish glare, her hands planting on her hips as I turned off the truck.
“I don’t think she wants to see me,” Levi said quickly. “Let’s just go see Austin.”
“She doesn’t bite.” Kind of wanted her to bite me, though.
Levi grunted, but we both opened the doors and got out. Avery crossed her arms as people left her studio, heading down the sidewalk toward their cars or another shop.
Her hair was drawn back into a loose bun today, wisps framing her face. Her bangs were messy and she’d caught a little bit of a tan over the last few weeks, and it made every freckle stand out. She was wearing olive green overalls with a tank top, paint streaks staining the fabric.
“What do you want?” Avery asked flatly.
“We’re going to see your brother,” I said as I met her on the sidewalk. Levi had yet to say a word. “Don’t suppose you know where he is?”
“Mateo, you know more than I do. The two of you are joined at the hip.” She turned her bright gaze onto Levi, and I almost felt sorry for him.
“What?” Levi grunted.
“What do you mean what?”
Jesus Christ. The tension radiating off these two was enough to make me sweat.
“You’re looking at me like you expect me to say something,” he quipped.
“I was looking at you expecting you to say something rude, and you did.”
“Avery,” I hissed, surprised by her attitude.
Her spine stiffened, her cheeks reddening. She blew out a breath and then looked away.
“Avery,” I said a little more seriously.
Levi cleared his throat and started to slide past us to escape, but she caught his forearm. He turned in surprise, his expression softening as he looked at her.
There went that green-eyed monster again. Ugly and all consuming and scratching at my soul.
Avery released his arm. “I’m sorry, Levi. I overreacted. I didn’t expect to ask about Dad and I didn’t expect to ever see you again, and well . . .” She trailed off, her throat working. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Avery. I’ve been thinking about you and couldn’t get our interaction off my mind,” he said simply. He held out his hand. “Truce?”
Avery gave him a soft smile and slid hers into his. Seeing how massive his hand was compared to her slender, paint-stained one made me think about what it’d be like to have them both roaming over my body.
God, they were still shaking hands.
“What in the actual fuck?”
An all too familiar voice broke our trance. I turned, spotting Austin Whynot walking straight for us down the sidewalk with a look in his eye that had me taking two steps back from Avery.
But, his gaze wasn’t on me.
It was on Levi.
Specifically, Avery and Levi holding hands.