Chapter 1
Cody reached down and
fiddled with the radio while he was stopped at the traffic light.
He was on his way home from watching the Super Bowl with his two
best friends and business partners, Steven and Justin. Flipping
through the country stations, he finally settled on “Beer for my
Horses” by Toby Keith. He grinned. He wasn’t much of a horse guy,
but the song always made him laugh.
He glanced up and saw the
light was green, and just as he stepped on the gas he was forced
forward in his seat from the impact of the vehicle behind him.
Happy he was wearing his seat belt, he took stock for a moment,
making sure he was okay. Trucks were easily replaced. Despite his
billions, he drove a Ford F-350 and would until the day he died or
they finally quit making the things. A country boy was just as good
as his pick-up truck.
He opened the door and
strode the few feet back to see a beat up blue pick-up with a
pretty brunette behind the wheel. He opened the door to the truck
not able to take his eyes off her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded shakily. “I’ve
never rear-ended anyone before. I’m so sorry!” She reached into her
glove box and pulled out her insurance information to give
him.
“I don’t need that. We’ll
just keep this off the record Miss?”
“Cassidy. Amber Cassidy.”
She stared into his dark eyes, unable to calm her shaking enough to
get out of the car. How had she been so stupid? She knew her brakes
were causing her problems and she’d planned to fix them, but she
had decided to wait just one more month. The wreck was her fault
and she knew it.
“What do you do, Miss
Cassidy?” Cody could see how shaken up the woman was, so he tried
to talk to her about normal things to give her a chance to calm
down.
Her eyebrows drew together
as she wondered what that had to do with anything. “It’s Amber. I’m
a riding instructor at the Galloping Horse Ranch.” She didn’t
mention she owned it, but in a few months she’d pay off the last
mortgage, and she would finally have gotten back everything her
father had lost with his gambling debts.
“You sure you’re okay? Do
you need some help?” He held out his hand to help her to her
feet.
She ignored his hand and
shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little shaky.” She took
deep breaths trying to calm her racing heart. What would he say
when he found out she knew her brakes were bad, and she’d tried to
put off fixing them?
He nodded and walked
around to the front of her vehicle to assess the damage. The back
end of his truck was dented pretty badly, but her entire front end
was crushed in. “Will it start?”
She pressed down the
clutch and turned the key. Nothing happened. “Doesn’t look like
it.” She shook her head and picked up her cell phone. “I guess I’d
better call a tow truck.” She sighed. How much would this take out
of the budget? More than the brake job would have she was
certain.
Cody grabbed the phone
from her hand. “I’ll take care of the tow.” He tucked her phone
into his pocket to keep her from calling anyone.
She gave him a blank look.
“I just rear-ended you. Aren’t you supposed to be yelling at me or
something? Why are you being so nice?” What was wrong with this
guy? Her negligence had just damaged his property and he acted as
if it was his fault.
He shrugged. “I guess I’m
just a nice guy.” He grabbed his wallet, looked at a card, pulled
out his own cell phone, and punched in a number. “I need a tow
truck.” He gave their location and quickly pushed the end button
putting his phone back into his pocket. “Where do you want it towed
to?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed
heavily worried about the cost of the repairs. “Do you know of a
good body shop?” A cheap body shop who did decent work was what she
meant, but she didn’t want to come right out and say it.
He raised an eyebrow.
“It’s going to cost a lot more to have it repaired than it would to
just replace it.
Cody reached down and
fiddled with the radio while he was stopped at the traffic light.
He was on his way home from watching the Super Bowl with his two
best friends and business partners, Steven and Justin. Flipping
through the country stations, he finally settled on “Beer for my
Horses” by Toby Keith. He grinned. He wasn’t much of a horse guy,
but the song always made him laugh.
He glanced up and saw the
light was green, and just as he stepped on the gas he was forced
forward in his seat from the impact of the vehicle behind him.
Happy he was wearing his seat belt, he took stock for a moment,
making sure he was okay. Trucks were easily replaced. Despite his
billions, he drove a Ford F-350 and would until the day he died or
they finally quit making the things. A country boy was just as good
as his pick-up truck.
He opened the door and
strode the few feet back to see a beat up blue pick-up with a
pretty brunette behind the wheel. He opened the door to the truck
not able to take his eyes off her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded shakily. “I’ve
never rear-ended anyone before. I’m so sorry!” She reached into her
glove box and pulled out her insurance information to give
him.
“I don’t need that. We’ll
just keep this off the record Miss?”
“Cassidy. Amber Cassidy.”
She stared into his dark eyes, unable to calm her shaking enough to
get out of the car. How had she been so stupid? She knew her brakes
were causing her problems and she’d planned to fix them, but she
had decided to wait just one more month. The wreck was her fault
and she knew it.
“What do you do, Miss
Cassidy?” Cody could see how shaken up the woman was, so he tried
to talk to her about normal things to give her a chance to calm
down.
Her eyebrows drew together
as she wondered what that had to do with anything. “It’s Amber. I’m
a riding instructor at the Galloping Horse Ranch.” She didn’t
mention she owned it, but in a few months she’d pay off the last
mortgage, and she would finally have gotten back everything her
father had lost with his gambling debts.
“You sure you’re okay? Do
you need some help?” He held out his hand to help her to her
feet.
She ignored his hand and
shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little shaky.” She took
deep breaths trying to calm her racing heart. What would he say
when he found out she knew her brakes were bad, and she’d tried to
put off fixing them?
He nodded and walked
around to the front of her vehicle to assess the damage. The back
end of his truck was dented pretty badly, but her entire front end
was crushed in. “Will it start?”
She pressed down the
clutch and turned the key. Nothing happened. “Doesn’t look like
it.” She shook her head and picked up her cell phone. “I guess I’d
better call a tow truck.” She sighed. How much would this take out
of the budget? More than the brake job would have she was
certain.
Cody grabbed the phone
from her hand. “I’ll take care of the tow.” He tucked her phone
into his pocket to keep her from calling anyone.
She gave him a blank look.
“I just rear-ended you. Aren’t you supposed to be yelling at me or
something? Why are you being so nice?” What was wrong with this
guy? Her negligence had just damaged his property and he acted as
if it was his fault.
He shrugged. “I guess I’m
just a nice guy.” He grabbed his wallet, looked at a card, pulled
out his own cell phone, and punched in a number. “I need a tow
truck.” He gave their location and quickly pushed the end button
putting his phone back into his pocket. “Where do you want it towed
to?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed
heavily worried about the cost of the repairs. “Do you know of a
good body shop?” A cheap body shop who did decent work was what she
meant, but she didn’t want to come right out and say it.
He raised an eyebrow.
“It’s going to cost a lot more to have it repaired than it would to
just replace it.
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