not cooperating.
Gage had gotten up early Saturday morning—not that he’d been able to sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kyla. It was hard to believe anyone could hurt her even a little, let alone violently and deliberately. She’d been through hell, yet she somehow managed to be the sweetest person he’d ever met.
And that kiss.
He honestly thought he’d die, that all his circuits would overload and he’d just fall lifeless at her feet. But he would’ve died happy. Kissing her had been so amazing, so real . It was like he’d never actually kissed anyone before that moment. No one else came close to what she made him feel.
This was going to be a long week.
He sighed and fitted the socket back around the last bolt in the oil pan. There was always one that didn’t want to come out. On his knees beneath the truck, with one hand keeping the wrench in place, he reached out to feel for the hammer he’d left on the floor.
His groping hand encountered a boot, and a voice said, “Does this mean you’re finally going to get that thing out of my spot?”
“Christ, Jonah.” It took a minute for his heart to start beating again. “What are you doing up? You just got home two hours ago.”
“Haven’t gone to bed yet.”
“Well, you should. You’ll be miserable tonight if you don’t,” he said. “Hand me that hammer, will you?”
After a beat, the tool was placed in his hand.
“Thanks.”
The bolt loosened after a few blows. He set it aside and lowered the oil pan onto the drain bucket, then crawled out from under the truck and stood. “Did you want something, besides scaring the shit out of me?” he said to Jonah.
His brother shrugged. “You’re up early. Just thought I’d see how you were.”
“I’m fine.”
“No more trouble with Deputy Dipshit?”
Gage laughed. “I’m avoiding him. As promised.”
“Good.” Jonah stepped back and nodded at The Beast. “Think you’ll have that running soon?”
“Probably. It’s just the clutch, but I figured I’d change the oil while I’m at it.” He grabbed a rag from the toolbox and wiped his hands. As he dropped it back in, movement outside drew his attention—a slight figure in a cap and blue shirt, headed for the house with a big bag of mail. “Excuse me a minute,” he said.
Jonah looked from him to the approaching person. “So that’s why you’re up early,” he said.
“Hey, it’s just a happy coincidence.”
Before his brother could make some unwelcome remark, Gage slipped past him and walked across the yard. Kyla had almost reached the door and the mailbox mounted next to it. “Good morning,” he said, trying not to startle her.
She turned with a smile. “Hi, Gage.”
“You don’t seem surprised that I live here.”
“Of course not. I’ve been delivering your mail for a year.” Still smiling, she thrust a stack of envelopes at him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He took them and dropped the pile in the mailbox next to the door. “It’s not my day to check the mail, though. Mark would be disappointed if he didn’t get to do it. Usually it’s all for him, anyway.”
“Really, Gage. Could you be any lazier?”
He heard Kyla gasp a little at the sound of Jonah’s rumbling voice. “As a matter of fact, I could,” he said. “Want me to prove it?”
“I’ll pass.” His brother actually smiled. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“No. Go away.”
Kyla laughed. “Let me guess,” she said. “You’re Jonah.”
He nodded and raised an eyebrow. “Pretty good guess.”
“Gage told me about you.”
“Yeah? What’d he say?”
“That you’re the oldest.” She smiled and approached him with a hand out. “Kyla Harding.”
“Oh, sure,” Gage said. “ He gets a last name.”
“Well, it’s only fair. I already know his name.”
Gage tried to contain himself as the two of them made small talk for a minute. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “Don’t you have something better to
Gage had gotten up early Saturday morning—not that he’d been able to sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kyla. It was hard to believe anyone could hurt her even a little, let alone violently and deliberately. She’d been through hell, yet she somehow managed to be the sweetest person he’d ever met.
And that kiss.
He honestly thought he’d die, that all his circuits would overload and he’d just fall lifeless at her feet. But he would’ve died happy. Kissing her had been so amazing, so real . It was like he’d never actually kissed anyone before that moment. No one else came close to what she made him feel.
This was going to be a long week.
He sighed and fitted the socket back around the last bolt in the oil pan. There was always one that didn’t want to come out. On his knees beneath the truck, with one hand keeping the wrench in place, he reached out to feel for the hammer he’d left on the floor.
His groping hand encountered a boot, and a voice said, “Does this mean you’re finally going to get that thing out of my spot?”
“Christ, Jonah.” It took a minute for his heart to start beating again. “What are you doing up? You just got home two hours ago.”
“Haven’t gone to bed yet.”
“Well, you should. You’ll be miserable tonight if you don’t,” he said. “Hand me that hammer, will you?”
After a beat, the tool was placed in his hand.
“Thanks.”
The bolt loosened after a few blows. He set it aside and lowered the oil pan onto the drain bucket, then crawled out from under the truck and stood. “Did you want something, besides scaring the shit out of me?” he said to Jonah.
His brother shrugged. “You’re up early. Just thought I’d see how you were.”
“I’m fine.”
“No more trouble with Deputy Dipshit?”
Gage laughed. “I’m avoiding him. As promised.”
“Good.” Jonah stepped back and nodded at The Beast. “Think you’ll have that running soon?”
“Probably. It’s just the clutch, but I figured I’d change the oil while I’m at it.” He grabbed a rag from the toolbox and wiped his hands. As he dropped it back in, movement outside drew his attention—a slight figure in a cap and blue shirt, headed for the house with a big bag of mail. “Excuse me a minute,” he said.
Jonah looked from him to the approaching person. “So that’s why you’re up early,” he said.
“Hey, it’s just a happy coincidence.”
Before his brother could make some unwelcome remark, Gage slipped past him and walked across the yard. Kyla had almost reached the door and the mailbox mounted next to it. “Good morning,” he said, trying not to startle her.
She turned with a smile. “Hi, Gage.”
“You don’t seem surprised that I live here.”
“Of course not. I’ve been delivering your mail for a year.” Still smiling, she thrust a stack of envelopes at him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He took them and dropped the pile in the mailbox next to the door. “It’s not my day to check the mail, though. Mark would be disappointed if he didn’t get to do it. Usually it’s all for him, anyway.”
“Really, Gage. Could you be any lazier?”
He heard Kyla gasp a little at the sound of Jonah’s rumbling voice. “As a matter of fact, I could,” he said. “Want me to prove it?”
“I’ll pass.” His brother actually smiled. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“No. Go away.”
Kyla laughed. “Let me guess,” she said. “You’re Jonah.”
He nodded and raised an eyebrow. “Pretty good guess.”
“Gage told me about you.”
“Yeah? What’d he say?”
“That you’re the oldest.” She smiled and approached him with a hand out. “Kyla Harding.”
“Oh, sure,” Gage said. “ He gets a last name.”
“Well, it’s only fair. I already know his name.”
Gage tried to contain himself as the two of them made small talk for a minute. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “Don’t you have something better to
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