CHAPTER TWO
COHEN
Itake in the woman before me. Her clothes are nice, too nice, especially compared to this old beat-up truck she’s driving.
Something is off here. I’m certain of it.
Although this old nineteen sixties step-side would be good as new with some work and a coat of paint.
Kyla is beautiful. Five feet nothing, the top of her head barely reaches my chest. She’s curvy, and her shoulder length golden-brown hair shines in the setting sun as her wary soft brown eyes drink me in.
She looks like she’s been holding herself together through willpower alone for far too long.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Kyla.” I release her hand and take a couple of steps back before I turn toward the engine. Her hesitation to let me help didn’t go unnoticed. I’m not about to crowd her personal space.
She's skittish.
If being on this farm has taught me anything, it's that you don’t corner a scared animal. They’ll bolt, and Kyla is reminding me of that right now.
“Do you work on this farm, Cohen?”
I really like the way she says my name.
“I do,” I reply as I look over the hoses, belts, and connections. Ah, there. It looks like her distributor points might need to be adjusted. Luckily, I have the things that I need in my toolbox.
“Let me grab some things from my truck.”
“Her name is Large Marge,” a small, feisty voice shouts from inside the truck.
I grin at Kyla. She just laughs and shakes her head. It makes me happy to see her face light up.
“That’s her name.” That chortle lifts her full lips, and she shrugs.
“Good name.” I chuckle and head to my truck, but I investigate the passenger window and watch as a little girl that looks a lot like her mother rolls down the window.
“Hi. I’m Laney.” She waves at me.
I tip the bill of my hat, just slightly. “Pleased to meet you, Laney. I’m Cohen.”
I take note that the cab of the truck is full of bags. Items are placed everywhere. There’s barely enough room for the two of them. Plus, there are a few suitcases in the bed. There are far too many items here for just a short trip.
“Can I pet your horses?”
Before I can reply to Laney, Kyla walks over.
“Laney, please don’t bother Mr. Roman. Maybe you can pet the horses some other time, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.” Laney’s bottom lip juts out in a small pout, but she doesn’t complain.
I don’t say anything else; it’s not my place. I just grab the items I need from my truck to make the repair and then head back over to work on the engine.
Kyla joins me, and we both watch as a black sedan with tinted windows drives by very slowly. Kyla’s brows furrow as she watches it pass, but she doesn’t comment on it.
“Are you all just passing through?” I use the matchbook and the screwdriver to make the necessary adjustments to the loose points in the distributor.
“We are. Is there anywhere close by to eat once we get back on the road? Laney is bound to be getting hungry soon, and we could use a break from being in the truck.”
“Yes, there’s a diner just a few miles from here in Silver Lake. It’s called Iris’s Table. They have the best fries around.”
“I love fries!” A little squeal sounds from the cab of the truck, and I couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped me if I wanted to. But there’s also another reason I direct them to the diner. Aunt Iris will take one look at Kyla and Laney and know exactly what to do to help them.
“She does love fries.” Kyla’s voice holds a note of amusement.
I turn my head to look up at her from the engine. “Gotta love a girl that knows what she wants.” I flash her a smirk before I return my focus and make one last adjustment. “All right. I think I’ve got you fixed. Care to hop on in and see if Large Marge will fire up?”
“That was fast. Sure, just a second.” She moves to the driver's seat, and I inhale a sharp breath of her scent that lingers in the space around me. It’s fresh and clean like I’m breathing air for the first time.
The truck starts breaking my thoughts, and both the girls inside the cab cheer and shout. I chuckle as I grab my tools and then shut the hood. Kyla's eyes meet mine through the windshield, and we just observe each other for a moment.
“Can we get fries now?” Laney asks, and I take that moment to tap on the hood and step over onto the shoulder of the road.
“All set,” I announce at the passenger window.
“Thank you, Cohen. Can I give you some money for your time?” Kyla’s brown eyes shine in the sun as I raise my hands, refusing her offer.
“No, I’m happy to help. Enjoy those fries.”
“Thank you again.” They both smile at me and wave as they drive away. I stand there on the side of the road longer than necessary watching them pass through our valley, our mountain, our walking horse farm.
This farm is in our blood. It’s our responsibility, and I’ve happily married myself to this land, but for the first time in as long as I can recall, something else tugs at me.
I didn’t like the way Kyla’s shoulders braced for impact waiting for me to offer up a cost for the repair, and I sure as hell didn’t like the idea of whatever had put that wary look in her eyes.
A few more moments and they’ll be out of sight.
Why does that thought cause a pang in my chest?