“Nope.” He leaned back to look at her. “That’s exactly what it was, an accident. When do you have to return the U-Haul?”
“It’s paid up for the week.”
“What time do you open tonight?”
“At six,” she said, and uncrossed her arms when he brushed a kiss across her mouth.
“Then we’d better get moving.”
Nodding, she lowered her lashes. But not before he saw the disappointment in her eyes.
Okay, so she knew something was wrong, but how was he supposed to explain? He was confused and pissed off. At himself, not her. She was twenty-seven years old. Could be the age when women began itching to play house, decorate Christmas trees.
Have babies.
The thought scared the shit out of him. Gunner had never even considered having kids. Why would he? He didn’t know the first thing about raising them. He’d barely seen his own transient father, so no help there. Same went for Mallory. She’d never had any shining examples, either.
He squeezed her shoulders before releasing her and grabbing his mug. “Coffee first,” he said, avoiding her face as he headed for the kitchen. “Then I’ll start unloading.”
It wasn’t in his nature to overreact, especially to an imaginary situation. She’d never said a word about wanting kids. And hell, she could start hanging Christmas lights now for all he cared.
Mallory wasn’t the problem.
Jesus. It really bothered him that he hadn’t once thought to bring her a simple trinket.
He dumped the cold coffee and poured some fresh from the pot. From the kitchen window he could see clear blue sky stretching all the way to the Rockies. It was a residential street but that didn’t stop a boy from riding a palomino right down the middle of it.
Yep, this was cowboy country. Full of respectable, solid, salt-of-the-earth men who would love to give a sexy, beautiful woman like Mallory everything she wanted.
Gunner thought about how he’d raced the whole way to Blackfoot Falls, hoping he could convince her to come back to Valencia. He had a lot of money saved. They could’ve found her another bar.
Now, he wasn’t so sure. He had a feeling Mallory would be better off staying here. She deserved a normal, stable life. And that was the one thing he couldn’t give her.
12
“OH, NO. THIS CAN’T be happening. No. No. No.” Mallory clutched the steering wheel, rocking forward, as if the momentum of her body weight could keep her sputtering car going. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded, petting the dashboard. “Please. I promise to get you washed once a week. And no more candy wrappers on the floor. I swear.”
Finally, she gave in and eased her poor old compact off the highway before she stalled out and ended up blocking traffic—although she had yet to see a single car and she was already halfway to Kalispell. So, great.
Terrific.
Wasn’t this turning out to be the perfect day? It’d started with a broken water main. No one seemed to know how soon it would be repaired. And no water meant she couldn’t open the Full Moon.
Oh, yeah, this was awesome.
The car stopped. Just died, right there, without so much as huffing one last sputtering breath.
She rubbed her face and eyes, and then screamed as loud as she could before glaring through the windshield at the hood. No steam was coming out. Whatever that meant in the grand scheme of things, she chose to take it as a good sign.
This was Gunner’s fault. She hadn’t seen him for twenty-four hours. Not since he’d helped her unload the U-Haul yesterday. He hadn’t come by the bar last night, which surprised her. But that was beside the point. Somehow, he was to blame for her normally dependable Hyundai conking out. She just knew it.
Oh, he’d texted some bullshit excuse that he had business to tend to, and that he’d see her soon. She wasn’t stupid. What business could he possibly have in Blackfoot Falls? Not for the first time, she wondered if he’d left town, and she felt her throat constrict. He would’ve told her if he had to drive back. After their talk and everything, he wouldn’t just disappear without a goodbye.
Unless this was payback.
No, that wasn’t his style. Gunner didn’t pull punches and he had a certain look that could make a strong man quake in his boots. She’d witnessed that steely-eyed expression a few times when he’d put himself between her and a drunk at the Renegade. But something clearly had been bothering him yesterday. His mood had gone downhill in the morning and he’d never quite shaken it off. Not that he’d been short-tempered or grouchy. Just quiet. She’d asked what was wrong. All he’d say was nothing while giving her a smile.
She truly hoped he didn’t think she blamed him for trashing the little collectibles because she didn’t, not even for a second.
Her car breaking down? Yes. This was totally his fault. Somehow.
Grabbing her phone, she climbed out, muttering curses, and then glared at the back tire, which wasn’t the problem at all.
“Why couldn’t it have been you? I know how to change a tire.” She gave it a kick anyway. Just in case. It was strange how cars and computers sometimes responded to threats.
Though not this time.
Shading her eyes and squinting into the late-afternoon sun, she couldn’t see a vehicle coming either way. She didn’t want to have to call Sadie. The woman had been so nice and helpful, and she probably wouldn’t mind, but she’d already done so much. All Mallory wanted was the phone number for a repair shop. She’d try calling Elaine first.
While waiting for Elaine to answer, Mallory tried to recall if she’d seen a sign in town. There were gas stations on both ends of Main Street. The newer one with the drive-through car wash closer to the Food Mart was fairly large...
She was sent to voice mail, of course. She didn’t bother leaving a message and tried Sadie.
Voice mail. Again.
God, she despised the thought of calling Ben. He’d probably come out himself when all she really wanted was a phone number. Or worse, he’d send Gunner to come rescue her.
Or maybe she should just get it over with and call Gunner herself. They were supposed to be friends, after all.
If he was still in town.
He’d said a week, but nothing was keeping him here...right?
If he had left, she didn’t want to know. Not now. She wasn’t prepared to hear something like that. It pissed her off that she’d missed him last night at the bar. Thankfully, nobody had noticed her constantly checking her phone or watching the door like a silly little fan girl waiting for Benedict Cumberbatch to arrive. Elaine would’ve said something.
It wasn’t until Mallory had crawled into her bed with an ache in her heart that the realization dawned on her. How foolish she’d been to give up a chance at having her own little haven where she wouldn’t be ambushed by memories of him. What an idiot. She’d put out the welcome mat and he’d come right in and marked his territory. Now she wondered how long it would take for her to stop picturing him lying in her bed.
Mallory briefly shut her eyes. She had to cut off the images the second they inserted themselves. The scenery was beautiful and a good distraction. Lots of pine trees and aspens grew along the highway and covered the foothills. And the sky, so blue and clear, not a trace of gray smog.
Filling her lungs with clean mountain air, she began to relax. Think clearly.
Grace was on duty. And as much as Mallory didn’t like being a nuisance, she decided Grace was the safest bet.
* * *
TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES later Mallory heard the faint roar of an engine and glanced up from playing solitaire on her phone. Coming from the direction of Blackfoot Falls and approaching fast, the dark-colored truck was only the third vehicle she’d seen since Grace assured her someone would be out to give her a tow.
Straighten
ing from a slouched position against her traitorous car, she shaded her eyes. The late-model truck was charcoal gray. She couldn’t tell if it was rigged with a tow, or see if it had California plates. But she’d bet it was Gunner.
Her heart thumped wildly and her pulse quickened. Lately, her body reacted that way every time she saw him. She wondered if that would ever go away.
He pulled up behind her Hyundai, got out and headed straight for her, his mouth tight, his eyes blazing. “You don’t call me,” he said. “You call Grace?”
“Hello, Gunner,” she said calmly. “Nice to know you’re still in town.”
“Did I tell you I was leaving?” He stopped a foot away from her, and boy, was he breathing fire. “Ah, I can see why you might be confused,” he said with a ruthless smile. “But I’m not the one who disappears without a word.”
“Okay, you can knock that shit off right now.” She would’ve backed up if her butt wasn’t plastered against her car. “I didn’t ask you to come.”
“I believe that was my point,” he ground out. Even his dark tan couldn’t hide the angry flush in his face. He was about as furious as she’d ever seen him, which didn’t make any sense—the trace of fear in his eyes even less so.
She jerked when he wrapped a hand around her upper arm. His grip was a bit tight but she wasn’t afraid, just confused. “Remember being worried about acting like a caveman?” She gave his hand a meaningful glance and then met his gaze with a glare.
His slow, arrogant smile stole some of her thunder. “You know what they say, in for a penny—” He caught her other arm and lowered his mouth as he pulled her closer.
A split second before he was about to kiss her, she slid two fingers between their lips, shocking both of them. She drew her head back, while keeping her fingers pressed to his mouth.
He let go of her left arm, his intense gaze boring into her.
“What is wrong with you? Why are you angry with me?” She removed her fingers from his warm lips. “I didn’t do anything.”
He passed a hand down his face, rubbed his beard-roughened jaw and sighed. “I’m not angry with you.”
“Well, what the hell, Gunner?”
A long moment of silence passed before he released her other arm. He stared off toward the foothills, as if he was in another world. The old jeans he was wearing sported several tears above the knee, none she’d mistake for a fashion statement. His faded black T-shirt clung to his damp chest and shoulders, the fit snug from so many washings, and fraying at the hem and seams.
Clearly he’d been doing physical labor. Probably helping Ben at the Silver Spur. Why hadn’t he mentioned it?
She sighed, and he looked at her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, ducking his head and meeting her gaze. “I really am.”
Mallory’s breath caught at the sky’s reflection in his gray eyes. She’d never seen them turn that sexy color of blue before. “I accept your apology,” she said, unable to look away. “Now you can kiss me. If you want.”
Gunner didn’t answer. It seemed he was trying to control a smile. And then he laughed. “Thank you. I believe I will.” He put a hand on her waist, dipped his head and gave her the briefest, most unsatisfying kiss ever.
Confused, she watched him move back.
“I should’ve washed up before I came. After I look under the hood I’ll change my shirt. Not sure how much that’s going to help...” he said with a sheepish shrug and another step back.
She thought about admitting she found his musky scent arousing, but decided to leave well enough alone.
“Do you have an idea of what’s wrong with it?” He walked around to the front of the Hyundai.
“No, it’s been driving fine until today. First, I lost some acceleration. Then it started jerking so I pulled over and it just died.”
“Did you try starting the engine again?”
She nodded. “Nothing happened.”
Frowning, he left the hood down and walked to the driver’s side. “Key’s in the ignition?”
“Yep, for all the good that does.” She opened the door for him. “You’ll need to put the seat back. Or I can try starting it again.”
“Afraid I’ll stink up your car?” he asked with a wry smile, his eyes on her as he adjusted the seat.
“I like the way you smell.” She hung over the door to watch him, and also get a little whiff. “It’s kinda hot.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “I’m all sweaty.”
“I know.”
Eyes narrowing, he brushed a kiss across her mouth. His curious, calculating gaze stayed on her face as he slid into the bucket seat. Turning the key didn’t do a thing, same as before.
But this time Mallory remained nice and calm. Having Gunner here made her feel a hundred times better. That he seemed to be having trouble figuring her out was a big bonus.
Finally, he turned away from her and pulled out the key. “Where were you headed?”
“Kalispell.”
“To do what?”
“Nothing terribly important.” She stood back as he got out, and then watched him lift the hood. “There’s a band Sadie thinks I might like so I was going to check them out and see if I can afford them.”
Gunner didn’t say anything and she couldn’t see his face. And then he slammed the hood down. Maybe slammed was too strong a word, though he’d closed it with enough force to make her jump.
His blank expression told her absolutely nothing.
“I would’ve asked you to come with me but I knew you were busy.” She paused, just in case he wanted to fill her in on what he’d been up to since yesterday. She cleared her throat. “Do you know what’s wrong? With my car.”
“Yep.” He checked his watch. “Don’t you have to get back to open the bar?”
“A water main broke at the north end of town where they’re building that new motel. So until it’s fixed...”
“Is the construction crew responsible? Or is it a lot of finger-pointing?”
She shrugged. “All I was told is that maybe I can open later tonight. I’m not sure it’ll be worth it.” She looked at her car and sighed. “Unless this sucker ends up costing me a bundle.”
“It won’t.” He squeezed her shoulder then rubbed his palm down her arm. “Tell you what, I’ll drive you to Kalispell, buy you some dinner and then we can go listen to the band.”
“What about my car?”
“I can fix it, but I have to pick up a part first. Might as well get it in Kalispell.” He touched her hair, his voice dipping low and sexy. “Be a shame to waste a free night.”
“It would.” She was trapped between Gunner and her car. He braced one arm against the door while he played with her hair. The tingling sensation kicked in right between her thighs. “Is this a date?”
Gunner’s hand stilled and his eyebrows rose slightly. No doubt she’d surprised him, though nowhere near as much as she’d shocked herself.
“Do you want it to be?” he asked, his voice deep and hypnotic as he tunneled his fingers into her hair and caressed her scalp.
“I think so.”
“Then, yes.” His hand moved to cup her jaw, lifting it as he lowered his mouth. She was beyond ready for his kiss, when he bypassed her lips and licked the speeding pulse at her neck. His mouth curved into a smile against her skin and he whispered, “This is our first date.”
Her pent-up breath came out in a soft whoosh. “You’re a bastard.”
“I know.”
“I changed my mind,” she said, lifting her chin. “I’m not going anywhere with you smelling like—”
“The inside of your car?”
“Shut up.” She laughed in spite of herself.
His eyes lit with humor, only briefly, and then returned to pure want. “That’
s why we’re checking into the hotel first.”
“What hotel?”
“Did I leave that part out?”
“But you couldn’t have known—”
“We can book a reservation on the way. Maybe splurge on a suite with a jetted tub?” His lips were back on her neck, trailing kisses and taking gentle nips with his teeth. “How does that sound?”
“Expensive.” She let her head fall back, giving him better access. “You forget that I’m a poor bar owner.”
His mouth stopped moving but she could still feel his warm breath on her throat. “This is a date,” he said. “I’m paying.”
“I don’t think it works that way anymore.”
“It does with me.” He reared back to look at her.
Mallory grinned at his adorably insulted expression. Who would’ve thought Gunner Ellison was old-fashioned? “A hotel would be nice.” She caught his face between her hands and stretched up to meet his mouth.
A car horn blasted.
They jumped apart, Mallory banging her elbow against the car door. Speeding past them was a truck loaded with teenage boys jeering and whistling out the windows.
Gunner grudgingly acknowledged them with a halfhearted wave and muttered, “Stupid pricks.”
Mallory laughed. “Oh, and you never did anything like that when you were a teenager.”
“Hell, I was too busy looking for a place to sleep without getting hassled by the cops.”
She just nodded, knowing he regretted the comment, even before he avoided her eyes and dug into his pocket. “Here.” He passed her a credit card. “How about you call around while I drive? Don’t worry about the cost.”
She glanced at the Hyundai parked about a foot off the highway. “You think my car will be all right here overnight?”
“Your car will be just fine.”
“And me, Gunner? Will I be fine, too?” she asked, and wished with all her heart she hadn’t. In her mind it had been a joke. But when she saw the flash of pain in his eyes, she knew it wasn’t funny at all.
“I’ll make sure of it,” he said.
God help her, she wanted to believe him.
Come Closer, Cowboy Page 11
