Chapter One #2
Cole glanced back to see Aftyn coming down the porch steps. He turned back to Rio. “Her car broke down. I found her in the field with Masher.”
“What?”
“She climbed the fence looking for help.”
“Did he see her?”
Cole smirked. “He was chasing her when I rode up.”
Rio pressed his lips together, fighting it, then lost. “I know it’s not funny, but damn.”
“If you two are done,” Aftyn said, “I’d like to get back to my car.”
Rio touched his hat. “Ma’am, I apologize. But didn’t you see the no trespassing signs?”
“I did.” She folded her arms and looked at both of them.
Cole caught Rio’s eye, shrugged, and turned to her. “Truck’s ready when you are.”
“Ready.”
Rio touched his hat. “See you later, boss. Come on, Odin.” He led the horse into the barn.
Cole walked to the truck and opened the passenger door. She climbed in without looking at him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.
They pulled up behind her car and got out. Cole moved to the front. “Pop the hood.”
He leaned over the engine while she stood beside him. He caught the faint trace of her perfume.
He straightened and shook his head. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“How can you tell?”
“Driving it overheated can do serious damage. Blown head gasket, warped heads, seized pistons. You’ve probably got engine failure.” He glanced at the car. “And given the age of this one, you’d be better off putting the money toward something newer.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“I can call Sampson Towing. He’ll haul it to his garage.”
“How much will that cost?”
“Not sure. Do you have towing on your insurance?”
“No. I had to cut back to the minimum.”
“Well, I’ll call him anyway. You can’t just leave it on the shoulder.”
“I’m not sure I can pay him.”
“I’ll cover it and you can pay me back—”
She snorted.
He paused. “What?”
“If I can’t afford a tow, what makes you think I can pay you back?”
“I understand what you’re saying but you can’t leave it sit here.
You’ll get a ticket and they’ll tow it anyway.
Right now, I’m your only hope. Let me call Chuck for you.
Leave the keys in it, but you should leave whatever is in it, until you find a place to stay.
Go sit in my truck and get out of the heat. ”
****
Aftyn leaned against the passenger door and watched him. He was hard not to stare at. The T-shirt, the jeans, even the boots. They weren’t fashion boots. The leather was soft and worn, the toes scuffed from actual use, and she found that more attractive than she wanted to admit.
He snapped the hood shut, finished his call, walked back to the truck and slid into the driver’s seat.
“Chuck will be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you. Really.”
“It’s what we do out here.” He turned up the air and settled back against the door. “Were you heading to Clifton or further on?”
“I’m not sure yet,” she said.
He glanced at her. “You’re not sure?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He left it at that.
She looked out at the scorched fields. “What do you do out here besides keep angry steers?”
The corner of his mouth moved. “I train reining horses. And grow Beckett Feed.”
“Beckett Feed?”
“Best livestock feed you can buy. Around here, anyway.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Two younger brothers. You?”
“A sister.” She paused. “She’s why I can’t pay for anything.”
Aftyn stared out the windshield. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share, so she kept some of it back.
“I let her move in after she lost her job. I was working double shifts while she slept until noon. Then one night she just vanished. Took my credit cards, debit cards, driver’s license, and almost every dollar of cash I had in the house. ”
She shook her head. “I didn’t even realize she was gone until the next morning.
Her car was still in the driveway when I left for work, so I figured she was sleeping in again.
It wasn’t until I stopped for gas that I noticed my wallet was missing.
I drove back home and the minute I walked in I knew.
Too quiet. I went to her room, and it was cleaned out. ”
“She left her car behind,” Aftyn continued.
“Which meant she left another way. I knocked on a few doors, and a neighbor had seen a truck parked at the end of the street around two in the morning. I knew it was my ex. He’s never been a good man, but I have no doubt Avery talked him into it.
” She exhaled. “I had a little cash hidden that she didn’t find.
Not much, but enough to get me moving. I have an aunt I can call if it comes to that. ”
He glanced at her, then back out the windshield. “So how much cash do you have on you?”
“Not enough.”
“You asked what the tow would cost. That tells me you’re either out of money or close to it.”
Aftyn sighed. Why not just tell him? She’d probably never see Cole Harrison again, and what a damn shame that was.
“A hundred dollars and what’s left in the bank is frozen.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Where are you from?”
“Colorado.”
“You drove from Colorado to Montana on a hundred dollars in a car on its last leg.”
“In all fairness, the car was running fine when I left. I was hoping to pick up work somewhere along the way. I had no idea it would break down.”
“It wouldn’t have if you’d stopped when it first overheated.”
“I don’t need a lecture.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She softened. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. This is just how things have been lately.” She shook her head.
“Because of your sister?”
“Partly.”
He looked at her. “Something tells me you’re not telling me everything.”
Aftyn sighed. “She showed up out of nowhere. I didn’t want to let her stay, but I couldn’t turn her away either. Biggest mistake I’ve ever made.” She looked out the windshield. “I’m pretty sure she ran off with my ex-husband.”
Cole said nothing, just listened.
“His name is Judd. He came by last week to collect some things from the garage, and the two of them were all over each other. Flirting like I wasn’t even there.
Honestly it wasn’t the first time. From the day they met there was something between them, but I told myself it was harmless.
” She shook her head. “When I filed for divorce, Avery was actually angry with me. Not at him for cheating, at me for leaving. After he was gone she asked about him constantly, questions I had no interest in answering. I noticed her on her phone a lot. I gave her number to Judd in case she ever needed to reach me in an emergency, and I think that’s when it started.
He kept finding reasons to come around and I kept telling him there was no reason to. Then she was gone.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “I tried calling her. No answer. Called Judd. Same thing. He never made as much as I did and he had no access to my accounts, we had separate ones, so she took was what was in my wallet and whatever she could find in the house. Lucky for me I had a hundred dollars tucked away in my bedroom.”
“Did you call the police?”
“Filed a report in Colorado. They said someone would look into it.” She shrugged. “That wasn’t fast enough. I needed my money back.”
“So how did you lose your job?”
“I asked for a leave of absence. I remembered Avery mentioning Montana before, and I knew that’s where she’d gone. My boss called it a silly hunt and refused. Told me if I walked out I was done.” She shrugged. “So, I walked out.”
“But how do you plan to find her?”
Aftyn smirked. “I can track her phone.”
Cole glanced at her. “You didn’t trust her from the start.”
“No. Avery’s been in trouble most of her life.
Our parents died when I was eighteen and she was sixteen.
I raised her.” She sighed. “The phone will run out of minutes eventually, so I’m hoping to find her before that happens.
Though Judd has money, he could always buy her a new one.
Once I got close to Clifton I lost the signal.
Either she ran out of minutes, he got her a new phone, or they’re somewhere nearby.
I can’t track his.” She looked down at her hands.
“When I went to the bank, they told me she’d closed both accounts and withdrawn almost everything. ”
“Didn’t they ask for ID?”
“We look enough alike that she could pass for me. Almost like twins. My accounts are frozen now, which means the money that’s left is protected but I can’t touch it either. Something about pending deductions.”
“What did you do for work?”
“I was a surgical nurse in Denver. I’d been there for years.”
“And when you find her?”
“Have her arrested.” Her voice was even, certain. “This isn’t the first time. She stole from my aunt five years ago, got probation, and was told if she ever did it again she’d serve time. And crossing state lines has to make it worse.”
“You’d turn in your own sister?”
“Yes. Because if I don’t, she’ll do it again. Maybe not to me, but to someone.”
He nodded slowly. “How does your aunt feel about all this?”
“She told me to go for it and to call if I need money.” Aftyn smiled faintly. “I won’t call unless I have no other choice.”
“I get that.”
“She also suggested hiring a private investigator. That might actually help the local police here.” She glanced at him. “Is there a hospital nearby I could apply to? Montana and Colorado are both compact nursing states, so I wouldn’t need a new license.”
“I have no idea what that means, but I doubt anyone will hire you knowing you don’t plan to stay.”
“You’re probably right.” She exhaled. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Find some kind of work until you can deal with the car. As for the hospital, I wouldn’t go that route if you’re planning to leave.” He sat up straighter. “There’s Chuck.” He pushed open his door and looked back at her. “Stay in here where it’s cool. I’ll handle it.”
Aftyn watched through the windshield as the tow truck pulled up beside her car. A man climbed down from the cab, and he and Cole talked for a few minutes. Cole opened the driver’s door, popped the hood, and walked around to the front where Chuck was already looking at the engine.
She couldn’t hear them. She watched the two men lean over the engine, straighten up, exchange a few words. Then the hood came down and Chuck shook his head.
Her heart dropped.
“Great,” she muttered. “Just great.”
****
Cole crossed his arms. “Just tow it to your garage, Chuck. I’ll let her know.”
“Cole, it belongs in a salvage yard.”
“I know. But she doesn’t have any money right now. Can you replace the motor?”
Chuck scratched the back of his neck. “I could, but I’m slammed. Car that age, we’re talking ten to twenty hours of labor. I’ll get to it, just not right away.”
Cole ran a hand over his mouth. “Alright. Tow it in for now and bill me.”
“You got it.” Chuck climbed back into the cab, pulled forward, then backed up to the front of her car.
Cole stood there a moment, hands on his hips, head down. Then he took a breath and walked back to the truck.
She was watching him through the windshield. He hated this.
He climbed in and she looked at him. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“That’s putting it mildly. It needs a new motor. Chuck can find a good used one, but between the part and the labor you’re looking at real money, and he can’t get to it right away.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“What do I do?”
He could hear the catch in her voice, and it settled in his gut like a stone.
“Find work in Clifton. Stay until you’ve saved enough to fix the car or buy another one. Or call your aunt and have her bring you home.” He shook his head. “I don’t see another way.”
She nodded slowly. “Can you just drop me wherever Chuck’s taking it? I’ll call my aunt. I hate asking her, but I don’t see a choice.”
“I’ll follow him in.” Cole reached for his phone as it buzzed. He glanced at the screen. Seth. He looked at Aftyn. “Excuse me.”
“Of course,” she said quietly. She sounded wrung out.
“Hey, Seth.”
“Just seeing if you want to grab dinner tonight. Me and Ethan, the diner, six o’clock.”
“Yeah, I’m in. Haven’t even eaten lunch yet.”
“Get on that, big brother.” Seth hung up.
Cole pocketed his phone and looked at her. “Have you eaten today?”
“No. But I need to hold onto what cash I have.”
“You have to eat. Go to the Clifton Diner, ask for Connie, and tell her it’s on me.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Sure, you can.”
“How am I supposed to pay you back?”
“We’ll figure that out later. Right now, you need a meal.”
“I hope Chuck leaves my car unlocked,” she murmured. “I need somewhere to sleep.”
Cole stared at her. “You are not sleeping in your car.”
“Before you even say it, I’m not letting you pay for a motel room either.”
“I have a spare bedroom.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know you.”
Cole smiled. “You got in my truck.”
“I didn’t have a choice—” She stopped when he raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I know. But no. You’ve done enough.”
“Aftyn—”
“I’ll figure something out.”
He sighed. “Alright.”
He followed Chuck through town. As they passed the diner he pointed. “That’s the place. Tell Connie it’s on me.”
“It’s adorable.” She looked around as they drove. “Have you lived here your whole life?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He pulled into the garage lot behind Chuck and parked.
“What a charming town.”
“One of the friendliest you’ll ever find.”
She turned to him, hand on the door. “I can’t thank you enough. Truly.”
“Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“So, you have my number. Day or night, if you need anything.” He took it, added his contact, and handed it back. “I mean it.”
“Thank you, Cole.” She stepped out, and he watched her follow Chuck into the garage.