Waiting For Yes

by Claire Ashgrove

  The contact sent a zing of excitement rippling all the way up to her shoulder. Warm, roughened…masculine. His hands simply fascinated her. She let go reflexively, her reply lost in the wind as it whipped about her face and stole her breath.

  At her driver’s door, Jake stepped behind her. Shielding her with his body, he nudged her elbow aside to fit the key into the lock. The scent of his cologne drifted on the crisp winter air to tease her nose. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, savoring the spicy-citrusy scent. God, he was so close. His body heat seeped into her. The rise and fall of his chest brushed against her back as he breathed. What she wouldn’t give to turn around, tuck her face into his shoulder, and snuggle in close. Nuzzle at that enticing aroma. Find his mouth and get lost in it again.

  “Your chariot awaits.” His low chuckle reverberated through her as he tugged on the handle and eased the door open.

  Gabrielle settled herself onto the driver’s seat. She kept one booted foot on the running board as she pivoted to face him. “Thanks, Jake.”

  Framed by the door and the truck’s body, his wide shoulders occupied the narrow opening. Snow dusted his shoulders, gathered on his thick dark hair. The urge to push her fingers through those locks and tousle away the clinging flakes struck her hard and fast, so she shoved her hand between her knees to curb the impulse.

  His gaze held hers, shining with an intensity she hadn’t witnessed at the table. Fringed with flecks of deep indigo, those bright blues bore into her as if he could see through to her soul. With a soft smile playing on his mouth, he lifted a hand and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, then dropped his hand to her knee. “I don’t suppose…” He trailed off with a slight frown.

  “Yes?” To her ears, her voice sounded breathless.

  Jake shook his head. His amused grin returned. “Nothing.”

  Somehow, she didn’t think it was nothing. In fact, if that unsettling stare had anything to do with what he’d almost said, it amounted to a hell of a lot more than nothing. Her gaze narrowed, searching his handsome features for some unspoken hint.

  Kiss me again. Stranger or not, she wanted that mouth on hers once more before he vanished from her life. One last memory she wouldn’t forget in this lifetime.

  The fingers on her knee squeezed gently. “After I drop this tanker in Colorado, I have to run to Florida. Think I can convince you to have a real dinner with me when I come through on my way back?”

  She pretended to think about it. No need to let him know her insides had lit up like the Fourth of July. After a few seconds of silence, she answered with a slow nod. “I suppose I could do that.”

  Jake’s grin transformed from teasingly boyish to enticingly provocative. He flattened his palm, sliding it gently over her thigh. “You wanna tell me your last name so I can find you in Ransom, Kansas?”

  “Warrenton.”

  “Gabrielle Warrenton.” He tipped his head to the side, his hand still roaming the length of her thigh. “Pretty.” His voice dropped again, the roughened quality sending shivers down her spine. “It fits you.”

  God, oh God, if he didn’t kiss her, she was going to come right out of her skin. For a fleeting moment, she considered grabbing him by the shirt collar and taking care of the matter herself. But she dismissed the idea just as quickly. Letting him know how easily he affected her couldn’t possibly bode well for anything in the future. He’d only take advantage of her, or worse, misinterpret her enthusiasm for something entirely out of proportion.

  Out of proportion like considering there would be any kind of future. Talk about jumping the gun. Good grief, the hours on the road must have taken a toll on her mind as well as her body.

  “All right, Gabrielle.” Jake gave her thigh a pat and backed away. “Follow me. I’ll get you home safe and sound.”

  He stepped out of the doorway and pushed the door shut. When it touched her ankle, she jerked her leg inside. The door settled into the frame with a muffled clunk.

  Stunned, Gabrielle stared after Jake as he jogged through the parking lot to his turquoise rig. He’d left. Without kissing her. Everything inside her rose up in angry protest, only to wail out regret in the next heartbeat. Unfair. Completely, utterly unfair.

  Groaning aloud, she turned the key. The engine rumbled to life, setting off her horse once again. Amidst a cacophony of whinnies and stomping hooves, the trailer rocked side to side. The truck listed. “Come on, Jake. Hurry up.”

  His rig inched across the parking lot until he rolled past her passenger’s window.

  She dropped her truck into drive and eased on the gas. Her rear tires slipped, spinning against the icy pavement, struggling against the heavy trailer weight. With a frown, she engaged her four-wheel drive and tried again.

  The truck crawled forward. A slip, a grab, another slide, and the wheels found traction.

  What a fun trip home. Between the blinding snowfall and the icy conditions, she’d be a basket case by the time they reached Ransom.

  Gabrielle inhaled deeply. She tightened her grip on the wheel and stared at the red taillights that identified Jake’s rig. As long as she could follow him, she could do this.

  ****

  Jake eyed the CB controls as the meager lights in Wakeeney, Kansas, faded into blackness in his side mirrors. Heavy snow blanketed Highway 283. Conditions went from bad to treacherous within moments of turning south off Interstate 70. Acres of dormant cropland and pasture didn’t need plow service. Especially not when the only thoroughfare joining the west side of the country with the east was under almost six inches of snow.

  His hands itched to pick up the receiver and draw Gabrielle back into conversation. Yet, he knew her silence spoke to her nerves. Her truck struggled far more than his. More than once, she’d skidded sideways. Each time she did, the tension in her voice escalated. Her responses to his attempts at casual conversation took on a sharp edge, decreased in length. He gave up at Wakeeney, sensing the distraction only added to her discomfort.

  Still, he missed the sound of her melodic voice. It could keep a man warm on a night like this. Soothe his apprehensions.

  It could do other things too.

  When she laughed, the sound ebbed down his spine, all the way into his gut where it wound tight like a spring. The tired quality in her tone sent visions of her sprawled out over a bed, long hair strewn across the pillows, racing through his head. He could just imagine that petite body stretched out on her belly, her cheek resting against the pillows. Naked. Thoroughly spent from a night of passion.

  An orange-yellow glow on his dash burst through his fantasy. He squinted at the light. His damn transmission didn’t like this slow pace or the significant weight on his ass end.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  He’d barely gotten out the oath when the engine let out a clunk, followed by a loud grinding noise.

  He reached for the gearshift and slammed the rig into neutral. The engine roared more loudly. Then everything went dead silent. Not even the whir from his heater filtered through the quiet.

  He jammed his thumb on the emergency flashers, then gripped the wheel with both hands and touched the brakes. He held his breath as he steered. Bringing twenty-four thousand pounds of liquid sweetener to a stop wouldn’t be easy without the ability to downshift. He’d be lucky if he didn’t burn through his brakes. Then again, he wasn’t hauling at full speed. Thirty-five might just save him.

  Damn it all, what had possessed him to make the gallant gesture to lead Gabrielle home? Had he just kept on, he’d be at the border by now. Holed up tight in a motel, riding out the storm and waiting to get his rig in for service.

  Yet, even as he fumed, he recognized the flaws in his logic. Two hours out was still two hours out. He wouldn’t be at the border. He’d be on the side of I-70 due north of his present location. And he wouldn’t have a Chevy pickup truck pulling off behind him.

  His wheels slipped. The rig propelled forward at an angle. Damn, damn, damn! The last thing he needed was t
o jackknife across the highway.

  Jake exhaled a heavy breath. Calm down. Not the first time you’ve been through this.

  Adjusting his wheel, he straightened the rig out. He held it steady until he recognized the crunch of fallen snow beneath his tires. Traction. Thank, God. He kept the nose straight, gauging the road’s edge by the clumps of long brown grass that poked through the white blanket.

  A bump sloshed his cargo and nudged his truck forward with a jerk. The sweetener inside rolled to the rear of the tanker just as quickly, pulling him back. But the rocking motion didn’t create the disaster it could have. Instead, the force gathering on the tanker’s rear axles offered resistance. Slowed him down and took some of the strain off his brakes. His speedometer dropped to fifteen.

  Stuck in a pattern of back and forth, the cargo pushing and pulling in counter motion with each slosh and surge, his rig skipped down the shoulder until the thick snow brought him to a complete stop.

  Jake let go of the wheel and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

  Close. Too damn close.

  “You okay up there?” Gabrielle’s voice crackled through the CB.

  He picked up his receiver. “Not really. Give me a minute.”

  He drummed his forehead against the steering wheel. Stupid. Stupid! He should have pulled over in Kansas City when his transmission started to slip. He would have lost a few hours getting it fixed, but he wouldn’t be sitting on the side of a deserted highway in the middle of nowhere, Kansas.

  Like a fool, however, he’d pushed on, intent on making his delivery on time. It wasn’t like he needed the money, or he couldn’t live with a docked check. Hell, he could have even given the damn cargo to someone else and sacrificed pay all together. Now, the cargo would be delayed by days, not mere hours. In this weather, no way would he get assistance or even the ability to pass the load off. The last time they shut down I-70, Kansas itself virtually shut down. Livestock died in fields, stranded and unable to find food. Nothing came in or out. At least until the government brought in copters. And then, they found themselves dropping hay bales on dead and frozen cows.

  Shit!

  He let out a groan, turned his head to look out the side mirror at Gabrielle’s truck… And found her at his window.

  Huddled into a heavy, dark coat, she bounced from foot to foot and blew on her hands.

  Jake cracked the door open. “Tranny died.”

  “Died? As in quit?”

  “As in I’m surprised you didn’t run over it back there.” With a heavy sigh he leaned his head back on his seat. What a fucking mess. No transmission to power the engine. No engine to power the heater. Out of CB range to call for assistance.

  He fished in his front pocket for his cell phone, flipped it open, and muttered. No signal either.

  “You won’t get anything on a cell out here on a good day, let alone in weather like this. There’s no tower until you get closer to town,” Gabrielle explained.

  That didn’t surprise him. He couldn’t think of a single time in his life that Murphy didn’t love to impose his laws. Murphy loved him.

  “My house is just ahead. You can use my phone.”

  A hard gust of wind whipped her long hair away from her face. She gathered her arms around her and sank down deeper in her coat. He shivered with her as the frosty air seeped into his cab.

  With a resigned sigh, he reached behind him and grabbed his coat. “I’ll drive,” he hollered over the rising winds.

  He could have sworn the look she gave him was full of relief, but she hid her face in her coat so quickly, he couldn’t double-check. She jogged around to the passenger’s side of her still-running vehicle.

  Jake yanked open the driver’s door and climbed inside. He tossed his coat behind the seat. “Brr!” He rubbed his hands together. “It must have dropped ten degrees since we ate.”

  She huddled into the passenger’s seat in a manner Jake found surprisingly adorable. She looked so tiny. So fragile in the dim glow of the overhead light. Hell, she didn’t even take up all of the seat. Two of her wouldn’t quite fill it up.

  Her chattering teeth struck him with a deep need to wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight.

  “It-it’s going t-to get bad.” She reached over and cranked the heat up.

  “It’s already bad, sugar.” Jake dropped the truck into four, shifted into drive, and nosed back onto the highway at a turtle’s pace. “Where am I going?”

  “After the t-tracks, g-go west on 4. T-turn off at the sign for the cemetery. I’m two miles s-south.”

  He slid his gaze over to her. “I appreciate this. I’ll use your phone, and if you don’t mind taking me back out to the truck, I’ll get out of your hair.”

  That brought her upright and stopped her chattering teeth. “What? I don’t think so.” She shook her head adamantly. “I’ve got a guest house you can use tonight. Hot shower and everything.”

  He groaned inwardly. Damn it, why did that phrase have to come with the image of how she would look beneath a steamy spray? What the hell was the matter with him? His truck was broken down, his cargo would be so late they’d probably cancel the order, and he couldn’t stop thinking about how perfect Gabrielle Warrenton would be without her clothes on. Something had definitely cross-fired in his head.

  If she weren’t so damned nice, this would be a hell of a lot easier. He could appreciate her looks, but if she’d show some annoyance, he wouldn’t be fantasizing about the many ways he could strip her bare.

  He chanced a glance at her from the corner of his eye. A smirk tugged at his mouth. He knew how to affect that sort of change.

  “Thanks, Gabby.”

  Chapter Five

  “Don’t call me that,” Gabrielle answered reflexively. Except, her tone lacked its usual vehemence. Strangely, though she’d never admit it to anyone, Jake’s gravelly voice made the nickname almost tolerable. Heck, the guy could say almost anything and her insides melted.

  When he chuckled, she slumped back in the seat and stared at the light reflecting off the heavy snowfall. She couldn’t see a thing. The beams illuminated the landscape like a Star Wars galaxy complete with shooting stars.

  How the heck did Jake navigate this so easily?

  She glanced over at him, noting the sturdy lines of his profile—beard-shadowed jaw, straight nose, relaxed mouth. No tightness pulled at his cheeks. He looked, for all intents and purposes, as if he were completely at ease. The faint white over his knuckles belied the truth.

  Her gaze slid up his corded forearms and settled on the ink that peeked beneath his short-sleeved shirt. A jagged design she couldn’t make out, the tattoo called to her fingers. Begged her to push aside the black fabric and trace whatever lay beneath. As a rule, she despised tattoos. But on Jake, it seemed somehow appropriate. And the way it hugged his bulging bicep didn’t do any harm either. It only made her think about how nice it had felt to be in those arms.

  In the metronome beat of windshield wipers, her mind drifted back to the truck stop and his impromptu kiss. Just thinking about the velvety touch of his tongue had her stomach in knots. Surely, that kind of simmering desire didn’t come from a ruse. But if he found her that attractive…why hadn’t he tried a second time?

  “This it?” Jake broke through her thoughts as he slowed the truck. The headlights hit a green-and-white painted sign that read, Imtiyaz Arabians.

  “Yes.”

  As he turned into the drive, he asked, “What’s it mean, Imtiyaz?”

  Gabrielle chuckled softly. “Loosely translated, it means a mark of honor or distinction.”

  “I guess crazy is distinctive.” A smile pulled at his mouth as he cocked his head to glance her way.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “You could say that. Pull on over to the barns over there. Can you back the trailer up to the doors?” She pointed to a long metal barn with a wide green door.

  “No problem.”

  “When you get up to the door, I’
ll jump out and hit the lights. We can open the trailer and let him run around the barn tonight. No sense trying to lock him in a stall. I don’t want to get that close to him.”

  “Whatever you say, sugar.”

  With the expertise of a man who’d spent years on the road, Jake navigated her truck and trailer around, and pushed the hind end toward the rolling metal door. As he eased to a stop, the horse inside threw his weight from one side to the other. The trailer rocked. Over high winds, whinnies of protest split the air.

  “Be right back,” Gabrielle launched herself out of the heated cab and into the frigid night.

  But as she darted around to the back of the trailer, she ran straight into Jake. His hands grabbed her elbows, stopping her from tumbling backward, butt-first into the snow. “Easy,” he said with a chortle.

  She edged out of his grasp. “I said I’d get it.”

  “I doubt that.” He pointed at the snow banked against the door. Drifts, varying from two feet to three feet deep, formed a barricade she’d never handle on her own.

  Before she could recall where she’d stored her shovel, Jake attacked the snow with the toe of his boot. Snow flew sideways, scattering against the back of the trailer. She joined in, kicking and digging, tackling the job from the opposite side. In a matter of minutes, they’d dug out a track for the heavy slider to roll through.

  Door freed, Jake gave it a hefty shove. It resisted, particles of ice on the overhead track holding it in place. Using more force, Jake put his back into it and pushed again. The door broke loose, allowing him to roll it all the way open. Inside, a chorus of equine voices called out in greeting.

  As Gabrielle made her way inside the barn for the lights, she snuck a look at Jake. He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, seemingly unaffected by the miserable weather. Arms folded over his chest, he crossed one foot in front of the other and dug one booted toe into the snow. He wasn’t even winded. How was that possible? She knew from experience how heavy that door could be. She couldn’t have opened it on her own tonight.

  She flipped the light switch.