The Cowboy's Destiny

“I could work on that car sitting in the back lot.” He shrugged. “I don’t know much about engines, but I could hand you tools.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth, and all of a sudden Destiny forgot about being truthful with Buck. What could it hurt to wait another day before fixing the axel? “Have you ever changed the oil in your truck?”

“No, but I’m a fast learner.”

The smile he flashed convinced Destiny that he was fast at a lot of things, the least of which was an oil change.

Chapter Four

“What happens if you don’t get a majority of the townspeople to veto Wyndell Resorts’ latest offer?” Buck was stretched out on a mechanic’s creeper beneath Melba’s 1990 black Pontiac Bonneville in the lot behind the garage. Destiny moved her creeper closer to him, the fresh scent of her perfume stirring his blood.

“Then we sell and Lizard Gulch will be wiped off the map.” She held out her hand. “Give me the wrench.”

Buck’s fingers went straight for the tool Destiny asked for, then he remembered he wasn’t supposed to know much about fixing cars. “Which one?”

Her gaze clashed with his. Their faces were only inches apart and he noticed her lashes were a dark brown. “Do you color your hair?” She frowned, and he said, “Most redheads have pale lashes.”

“I don’t dye my hair and the wrench I want is the one with a piece of yellow tape on it.”

He handed her the tool and she loosened the large bolt. “Drip pan, please.”

He held out the plastic container to collect the old oil.

“Thanks.” She placed the pan on the ground, removed the cap and let the oil drain, then rolled out from beneath the car and stood. “The developer’s offer stinks, and the land this town sits on is worth a lot more than $80,000 per person. Why else would Mitchell work so hard to convince everyone to pack their bags?”

Buck got to his feet. “I can picture the land being worth more once the resort is built but not now.” He spread his arms wide. “There’s nothing here that anybody would drive out of their way to see.”

Destiny’s head jerked as if he’d slapped her with an insult. “You may not think Lizard Gulch is special, but the people who live here do.” She removed a rag from her pocket and wiped her hands hard enough to peel off a layer of skin.

“Guess it’s a female thing—attaching emotional significance to a place.”

“You mean you have no sentimental feelings about the pecan farm you grew up on?”

Sensing their conversation agitated Destiny, he sought to avoid an argument. “I have fond memories of chasing my brothers through the pecan groves, but when I think of home, its family that matters most—not the orchards.”

Her expression softened. “When was the last time you were home?”

“A couple of months.”

“Have you been riding the circuit all this time, or do you have a second place you use as a home base between rodeos?”

“Is that a polite way of asking if I have a lady friend I shack up with when I’m on the road?” He chuckled at the pink flush that spread across her cheeks. “I don’t.”

“What about when you’re not on the road?” She looked him square in the eye.

Like wavy heat lines hovering over hot asphalt, sexual tension sizzled between them. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt Destiny’s attraction to him. Yesterday she hadn’t taken her eyes off him at the pool party. And when he’d shown up at the garage earlier this morning, she’d stared at his mouth and licked her lips when he’d asked her how she’d slept the night before.

“I stay at the farm when I’m not rodeoing.” He watched her carefully, but her neutral expression left him guessing at her thoughts. “May I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Is there a chance that you and Daryl might work things out?” If she had feelings for the runaway groom, Buck would call her out on the axel prank and leave Lizard Gulch sooner rather than later.

“No.”

There hadn’t been a flicker of doubt in her eyes when she’d answered him. “Positive?”

“Daryl and I never would have made it as a couple.”

Now that he was confident Destiny was over Daryl, he wasn’t sure what to do about his interest in her. He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. In truth, he didn’t know what he wanted, except that he wasn’t ready to go back to Stagecoach. “The oil has probably drained out by now.”

His comment spurred her into action, and he watched with admiration as she added new oil to the engine and changed the air and cabin filters. “For a girl, you’re good at car maintenance.”

“How would you know?”

Caught in his own lie, he grinned. “I don’t. You make everything look easy.”

“I can teach you how to change the air filter,” she said.

No thanks. “Do you have any other car work to do this afternoon?”

“This is it. Why?”

“Wanna go for a joyride in the desert?”

She laughed. “I’m guessing you want to test out my hog.”

“I’d love to drive your bike.”

“Have you ever handled a motorcycle before?”

“My brother owned a beat-up Harley in high school, and he let me use it on occasion.”

“What kind of Harley?”

“I don’t know. It was a lot smaller than the one you ride, and it sure didn’t have a badass engine like yours has.”

“Okay. I’ll show you the boundaries of the town and where the developer wants to build the golf course.” She carried the oil pan into the garage and Buck followed with the toolbox. “I need to change clothes,” she said.