Chapter 3
“The universe is against me,” Abby said as she pulled the stuttering car onto the side of the road and put it in park.
She felt tears threaten. They rushed forward, burning her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. If she gave in now, she might very well cry for the next week with all the things trying to crush her.
Blinking several times, she got a hold of herself and swallowed. Then she popped the hood and climbed out of the car. The wind whipped around her, sending a gust straight up her skirt against her bare legs.
The car had been a blessing, but lately, it was breaking down more and more. The fact that it had done it after her horrendous encounter with Clayton East at the sheriff’s office and had decided to attempt to strand her on the lonely stretch of road was the last straw.
“You’re going to run,” she told the car while lifting the hood.
Her hands were so cold that she could barely grip anything. Gloves were a luxury she literally couldn’t afford, but what she wouldn’t give to have something warm against her hands.
With her teeth chattering, she leaned over the hood and began checking the usual suspects—converter and ignition switch. Everything seemed in order.
If it weren’t so cold, she might actually be able to think.
Give her a hundred degree heat, and she was fine.
But let the temps drop below sixty, and she couldn’t function.
Since it was now forty-two degrees out, all she could think about was a warm shower, sweats, and two pairs of socks as she snuggled beneath a mound of blankets.
But in order to get all of that, she had to fix the stupid car.
“Think, Abby,” she admonished herself.
She’d repaired the Accord more times than she could remember. She should be able to do this. After doing a couple of jumping jacks to get her blood flowing while holding her arms against herself—partly for the heat, partly to hold her boobs—she once more leaned over.
The sound of an approaching vehicle reached her. No doubt it was a sheriff’s deputy since they patrolled the road often. The roar of the engine grew louder as it pulled up behind her and stopped.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw a black truck. Mentally groaning because no doubt it was some manly man who thought she was a damsel in distress, she went back to looking at the engine
“I’m fine, thanks,” she hollered, hoping they’d hear her instead of getting out of the vehicle.
She checked a couple of other parts. With Christmas only a few weeks away, the very last thing she needed was to spend more money on the Accord.
Tears welled again as she tried to imagine Christmas morning without Brice. While they couldn’t afford decadent Christmases, they had always been together—through tough periods, and even rougher times.
The sound of the truck door closing made her roll her eyes. She turned as she said, “Really, I’m fi—”
The rest of the words lodged in her throat as her gaze landed on none other than Clayton East. He was like a bad penny that kept turning up.
She began to open her mouth, but he quickly spoke over her. “If you tell me you’re fine one more time, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and toss you into the bed of my truck.”
The thought of all those muscles beneath her palms was intriguing.
Part of her wanted to call his bluff. Yet she kept silent, because she wasn’t sure she wanted to be anywhere near that hard body of his.
Mostly because she knew she’d like it entirely too much.
And she didn’t have time for anything like that.
Once Brice and Caleb had graduated with jobs and—hopefully—going to college, then maybe she’d consider it. But not until then.
Clayton removed his cowboy hat, showing off a wealth of golden hair that hung long and wavy. He raked a hand through the thick length, shoving a portion of the top over to one side.
She swallowed hard, all too aware of the way her body warmed just looking at him. Her nipples puckered—and it had nothing to do with the cold. And just like in the sheriff’s office, she found herself drowning in his green eyes.
“What happened?” he asked.
She blinked, confused. What was he talking about? Her bewilderment must have shown because he pointed behind her. Abby turned and looked at the car. The fact that it took her a second or two to remember why the hood was up, let her know just what kind of effect Clayton had on her.
“I don’t know. I thought it might be the ignition switch or converter, but both look good.”
He came up beside her and gazed down at the exposed engine. His eyes met hers. “May I?” he asked, pointing to the car.
She shrugged and wrapped her arms around her waist. She didn’t want help from the man who was sending her brother to jail. Never mind that Brice had broken the law. But she knew Clayton wouldn’t be able to fix the vehicle. No one knew her car like she did.
“Be my guest.”
He bent at the waist, and Lord help her, her eyes went straight to his ass and the way the Wranglers molded to him. She pressed her lips together and looked away, but that lasted only a moment before she glanced back. She was pretty sure there wasn’t a part of Clayton that didn’t look superb.
He tinkered with a few things. Then his voice reached her. “I don’t remember you from school.”
“I’m five years younger than you.”
A grunt was his response. It made her roll her eyes. She was thinking of all the ways she might try to earn extra money to pay off Brice’s debt so he wouldn’t go to jail when Clayton straightened, grease covering his fingers.
“Try her out,” he urged.
It would get her out of the wind. And that was the only reason Abby did it. She opened the car door and sank behind the wheel. She twisted the key, fully expecting nothing to happen, but the car roared to life.
“Your open mouth tells me that you were sure I’d fail.”
She turned her head to find him standing at her open door. Damn, but he moved fast. “I was.”
“You’re still angry with me.”
She glared at him in surprise and anger. “Of course, I am. He’s my brother, and I don’t want his life ruined because he’s stupid. Haven’t you ever been that dumb? Don’t you believe in second chances?”
“Yes. And yes.”
He caught her off guard with his response. She was so taken aback, that for a moment, she couldn’t reply. Then it hit her. If he believed in giving someone another chance, why hadn’t he with her brother? Before she could form the words, he was talking again.
“Brice is at home,” he said and closed her door before moving to the front of her car and lowering the hood.
She stared at him as he got into his truck and drove off. For long minutes, she sat there, letting his words sink in. Then she drove like a maniac to get home.
Once there, she ran from the car and through the front door to find Brice in the kitchen starting dinner as Caleb set the table. She dropped her purse and slammed the door behind her as she rushed to her brothers, and the three of them hugged in the middle of the small kitchen.
“It’s going to be okay, Abby,” Brice said.
She squeezed her eyes closed in an attempt to stop the tears for the third time that day. Leaning back, she kissed Caleb’s forehead before looking at Brice. “What happened?”
“Clayton went to see him,” Caleb said, not wanting to be left out. At fourteen, everything Brice did was something to be copied.
Brice motioned to the table. “Sit.”
Not once had either of her brothers ever cooked dinner, no matter how many times she’d asked them. They would cook for themselves, but not for her. So she wasn’t going to argue the point.
Abby walked to the table and shrugged out of her coat before she sat and looked at Brice. “Clayton came to see you?”
“Yeah. After you left. I was scared shitless, to be honest.”
She watched as he continued to brown the meat while Caleb got out the pasta and the tomato sauce for spaghetti. The waiting to discover what had been said was killing her, but she’d already asked twice.
Finally, the pasta was boiling in the water, and the ground meat and sauce were simmering, which allowed Brice to turn to her. “He offered me a second chance.”
“There’s a catch in there somewhere,” she said.
Caleb paused beside her while placing napkins on the table, “That’s what I said.”
“There is,” Brice replied. “I’m to work off the debt at the ranch beginning tomorrow. I’ll arrive after school and do any homework. Then I’ll work until dinner. For the weekends and anytime I’m not in school, I have to be there at six in the morning and work until dinner.”
Abby wanted to find some kind of flaw in it—mostly because she was still irked with Clayton. He could’ve told her all of this at the sheriff’s offices instead of remaining silent.
But the truth was that this would be good for Brice. She’d wanted him to get a job for months now. Not to bring home money, but to teach him responsibility and keep him from the group of friends who were constantly getting into trouble.
“I think I had that same reaction,” Brice said. “I kept waiting for him to demand something else, but they released me, and he drove me home.”
Abby leaned back in the chair. “That’s good.” Wasn’t it? Yes, it was good. Actually, it was great.
Suddenly, Caleb’s face was before her, his brown eyes twinkling as he smiled at her, something he rarely did since getting his braces. “He asked about you.”
The thrill that went through Abby was unwanted, but there was no stopping it. Then she found herself asking Brice, “Did he really?”
“Yep,” Brice said with a grin as he stirred the meat sauce.
“I’m sure he just wanted to fill me in on things. But he didn’t say anything when I just saw him.”
“You just saw him?” her brothers asked in unison.
Abby nodded, looking between the two. “The Accord broke down.”
“And it’s cold,” Caleb said, wrinkling his nose.
Her brothers knew her so well.
“I guess he was driving by,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, he stopped and got it fixed before telling me you were home. Then he drove off.”
A frown marred Brice’s young features. “I wonder why he didn’t tell you.”
It was because she was being bitchy. It was his way of getting back at her—and it had been a smooth hit.
“The work is going to be rough,” she warned Brice.
His blue eyes met hers. “I’m actually looking forward to it. Oh, I know I’ll complain, but I’ve always been curious about what goes on at a ranch. Then when we took the cattle, I was fascinated with them.”
“Where are the rest of the cattle?” she pressed. “And the bull? Do you know that animal is worth $100,000 by himself?”
By the regret on Brice’s face, he’d known the animal was worth a pretty penny. “I can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?” she demanded.
He refused to look at her. “Can’t.”
“You could save everyone a lot of trouble if you just tell Clayton where the cattle are and who was involved.”
Caleb pulled out the chair beside hers and sat sideways, throwing his arm over the back of the seat. “He’s got that look, Ab. Brice isn’t going to say anything.”
Yeah. She knew that look all too well. Brice was one of the most honorable people she knew. If he gave his word, he kept it. That would serve him well in later years, but right now, it irritated her.
“I’m fixing my mess this time,” Brice said. “You’ve done enough for me. It’s time for me to be a man.”
She wondered if it was her brother’s hours in jail or the time he’d spent with Clayton made him chance, because when he spoke, she could actually picture Clayton’s face as if the words were coming out of his mouth.