Magical Love

by Stephy Smith

  His eyes widened when he looked her way. “Tansy! You should come meet these ladies.”

  She casually grabbed the handle of a cart and pulled it from the long line of carts. She pushed it over to the trio. The women smiled as she approached. Gulch moved to Tansy’s side and rested his hand on the small of her back. She stiffened as the tingle of his touch raced through her body.

  “Ladies, this is Tansy Adams. She drove all the way from Mississippi to join our crew at the Grow ‘em. Tansy, this is Josie Gibbs, our number one feed truck driver, and Andrea Block, our only truck weigher and record keeper. They’re better known as Jo and Andi.”

  Tansy offered her hand to the women.

  “It’s nice to meet you. Hopefully Gulch won’t run you off like he has some of the others.” The woman with grayish brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, whom Gulch had introduced as Jo, shook her hand.

  Andi pushed her long brown hair behind her shoulders and turned green eyes on Tansy. “If he gives you any trouble, or should I say when he gives you trouble, remember we got your back.”

  “Am I really as bad as y’all let on?” Gulch shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His gaze moved downward to the floor.

  Jo and Andi exchanged a look and then answered in unison. “Worse.”

  Gulch reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He glanced at it. “Gotta go gals, Benny wants to meet with me. Try not to bash me so much she’ll take off before she makes one day of work.”

  The three women gazed after his retreating form. Tansy leaned toward Jo and Andi. “Is he that bad?”

  “In public he’s a knight in shining armor−” Jo started.

  “At work he’s a venomous, slimy snake waiting to sink his fangs into anything within striking distance and−” Andi glanced at Jo.

  “If he can’t find a legitimate reason−” Jo left off again.

  “He’ll make one up,” Andi said as she nodded. Tansy waited to see if the women were going to start up again.

  “Y’all are encouraging. Should I load up my horse and head back to Mississippi?” Tansy shifted her gaze between the two women.

  “No, oh no, please don’t. We got your back.” Jo laid her small hand on Tansy’s arm.

  “He’s ruthless, cruel even, but we have to stick together to tame the wonder boy.” Andi smiled.

  “From what y’all have said, he doesn’t sound much like a wonder boy.” Tansy pulled in a deep breath.

  “He leaves us wondering what the true Gulch is like and−” Tansy cringed as Jo started another round of finish-this-for-me.

  “Wondering why no one has shot him.” Andi’s head jerked toward Jo.

  “Wondering why Benny keeps him around−”

  “I get it. I get it.” Tansy jumped in. They all giggled.

  “We better get going. It’s nice to meet you and don’t worry, everything will be ok. We really do have your back,” Jo said over her shoulder.

  The list in Tansy’s hand shook. What had she done? There was no turning back and no running home to mom even if she wanted to. She had dedicated too much time and expense to making this career move work. The last of her savings wouldn’t hold out forever.

  A wheel on her cart went through intermittent bouts of rolling and catching. Tansy hurried through the store tossing the items she needed in the basket. Her mind played the conversation with Jo and Andi repeatedly.

  Tansy paid the cashier and headed out the doors. She turned around to look for the sacker and her basket of groceries. The boy had stopped to let an elderly lady pass between the electronic doors before he continued after her. A massive force hit her from behind. A warm breath fluttered down her neck. The sweet familiar aroma of men’s cologne swarmed her face. Either Gulch had come back or another male had ran into her. The body was too pliable to be a vehicle.

  As she whirled around, she caught a glimpse of the face of Gulch. In an instant, his lips pressed upon hers. His tongue darted across her lips and through her parted teeth.

  She tried to raise her hands to push him away, but was momentarily paralyzed by the heat swelling, drifting, down . . . down . . . down to her core. A sweet rush of desire shivered her delighted soul. It was the most pleasant, natural kiss she ever had the pleasure to experience. All from a stranger.

  A stranger! She found her ability to push him away. Tansy stepped back. Her breath labored. Her gaze darted around the parking lot to see how many eyes were watching. What kind of woman drives into a town and plays a game of lip lock with a stranger in the grocery store parking lot?

  Heat rushed up her neck and quickly overcame her cheeks as she scrambled to pull her wits about her. His voice barely penetrated the impassioned confusion running rampant in her brain.

  “Welcome to Texas, Tansy.” Gulch whirled around and sauntered into the grocery store.

  “Thanks, I think.” Tansy leaned against the back of her pickup. “Why me, Cowboy? Why me?”