Buster came back over and sniffed around her boots. “No, I mean we don’t have time for tea. We need to finish delivering the boxes.”
“But I thought—”
“Try not to think, Lomax. Your brain can’t take the sudden exercise.”
He chuckled before demonstrating the manners that Hope had lacked. “Thanks for the invite, Mrs. Calhoun, but Hope’s right. We need to finish delivering the boxes before we get another gully washer. But maybe next time.”
“I’d like that. You’re coming to the game on Friday, aren’t you?”
“I’m afraid not,” Colt said. “The open road calls.”
“That’s too bad.” Faith sounded truly upset as she glanced at Buster, who trotted back to her. “Buster, whatdo you have?” She reached down and tugged something from his mouth, and Hope stared in horror as her sister lifted her tattered blue panties up. “What in the world?”
Colt’s shout of laughter had Hope whirling and stomping off, and he was still laughing when he caught up to her.
“Real funny, Lomax,” she fumed as she waited for him to pull the keys from his pocket.
“Come on, Hope. Lighten up.” He chuckled as he fought with the wet denim. “You’re not mad your sister caught us as much as you’re mad about her moving into a house you wanted—with the man you wanted. You need to work on hiding your jealousy, honey.”
“At least I’m not a kiss-ass.” She kicked at a rusted tin can as she mimicked him. “Good mornin’, Mrs. Calhoun. What a pretty dress you’ve got on, Mrs. Calhoun.”
“I wasn’t kissing ass. It is a pretty dress.” He pressed the button on the key ring, but the locks clicking up could not drown out her grumble. She reached for the door handle, but the locks clicked back down before she could open the door.
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of the compliments I gave your sister,” he stated with the grin still in his voice.
“Not hardly.” She jiggled the handle, refusing to turn around and face him.
“Are you sure?” He moved up closer, caging her in by resting his hands on the roof of the Navigator. “Because I’m sure I could come up with something to compliment you on. Although with all that mud, it’s not going to be easy… or the wet doggy smell wafting off you.” He grunted when she elbowed him in the stomach. “Now don’t go gettin’ all bent out of shape, honey. That wet, matted Rastafarian-looking hair isn’t so ugly.” This timehe sidestepped the elbow, although he didn’t remove his arms. “No, seriously. There are times when you don’t look so bad… times when you look—”
He cut off suddenly. And when he spoke again, his voice held awe and deep-felt emotion.
“Beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.”
Something inside her went very still at the words. Still and wobbly, all at the same time. Probably because Colt had never complimented her in his life, and she didn’t realize how much those simple words would mean. Especially coming from his mouth. Slowly, she turned and lifted her eyes to him.
But, obviously embarrassed, he refused to look at her, his gaze pinned to a spot over the top of the Navigator.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he continued as she blushed. “I mean I’ve seen parts before, but nothing like…”
Parts? He had to be talking about what she’d shown him in the car. And while it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, it was nice to know he’d been so impressed. Although she refused to think about how many other parts he’d seen.
“But seeing that beautiful V-twin housed in its original package…”
Okay, V-twin was a little weird, but coming from a mechanic, probably not so much.
“And those rocker boxes.”
Boxes. Last time she checked, she only had one.
Confused, she finally spoke up. “Rocker boxes?”
His gaze flickered down for only a second before flickering back up. “Just look at it.” His arms dropped as he pointed a finger over the top of the Navigator.
Hope had to
“But I thought—”
“Try not to think, Lomax. Your brain can’t take the sudden exercise.”
He chuckled before demonstrating the manners that Hope had lacked. “Thanks for the invite, Mrs. Calhoun, but Hope’s right. We need to finish delivering the boxes before we get another gully washer. But maybe next time.”
“I’d like that. You’re coming to the game on Friday, aren’t you?”
“I’m afraid not,” Colt said. “The open road calls.”
“That’s too bad.” Faith sounded truly upset as she glanced at Buster, who trotted back to her. “Buster, whatdo you have?” She reached down and tugged something from his mouth, and Hope stared in horror as her sister lifted her tattered blue panties up. “What in the world?”
Colt’s shout of laughter had Hope whirling and stomping off, and he was still laughing when he caught up to her.
“Real funny, Lomax,” she fumed as she waited for him to pull the keys from his pocket.
“Come on, Hope. Lighten up.” He chuckled as he fought with the wet denim. “You’re not mad your sister caught us as much as you’re mad about her moving into a house you wanted—with the man you wanted. You need to work on hiding your jealousy, honey.”
“At least I’m not a kiss-ass.” She kicked at a rusted tin can as she mimicked him. “Good mornin’, Mrs. Calhoun. What a pretty dress you’ve got on, Mrs. Calhoun.”
“I wasn’t kissing ass. It is a pretty dress.” He pressed the button on the key ring, but the locks clicking up could not drown out her grumble. She reached for the door handle, but the locks clicked back down before she could open the door.
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of the compliments I gave your sister,” he stated with the grin still in his voice.
“Not hardly.” She jiggled the handle, refusing to turn around and face him.
“Are you sure?” He moved up closer, caging her in by resting his hands on the roof of the Navigator. “Because I’m sure I could come up with something to compliment you on. Although with all that mud, it’s not going to be easy… or the wet doggy smell wafting off you.” He grunted when she elbowed him in the stomach. “Now don’t go gettin’ all bent out of shape, honey. That wet, matted Rastafarian-looking hair isn’t so ugly.” This timehe sidestepped the elbow, although he didn’t remove his arms. “No, seriously. There are times when you don’t look so bad… times when you look—”
He cut off suddenly. And when he spoke again, his voice held awe and deep-felt emotion.
“Beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.”
Something inside her went very still at the words. Still and wobbly, all at the same time. Probably because Colt had never complimented her in his life, and she didn’t realize how much those simple words would mean. Especially coming from his mouth. Slowly, she turned and lifted her eyes to him.
But, obviously embarrassed, he refused to look at her, his gaze pinned to a spot over the top of the Navigator.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he continued as she blushed. “I mean I’ve seen parts before, but nothing like…”
Parts? He had to be talking about what she’d shown him in the car. And while it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, it was nice to know he’d been so impressed. Although she refused to think about how many other parts he’d seen.
“But seeing that beautiful V-twin housed in its original package…”
Okay, V-twin was a little weird, but coming from a mechanic, probably not so much.
“And those rocker boxes.”
Boxes. Last time she checked, she only had one.
Confused, she finally spoke up. “Rocker boxes?”
His gaze flickered down for only a second before flickering back up. “Just look at it.” His arms dropped as he pointed a finger over the top of the Navigator.
Hope had to
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