Page 10 of Summer with a Ranger

“Where you headed?”

I never asked. I never thought I’d want to know. Kneeling, I pulled my luggage apart and ran my hand along the inner compartment. Maybe if I could get her to grab stuff from my bathroom...

“Texas. Austin.”

A stupid ass grin spread over my face. “You don’t say.” I rolled my lips and made a decision. A shit one, but I had to play this out somehow. “Want a lift?”

“That’s a long drive.” She eyed me as I drew the drugs out of my pocket and lined the inner compartment with them. “I knew that’s what you were doing,” she said quietly.

“Yeah? Did it scare you?” My heart thumped traitorously in my chest.

“Nope.”

“You say that a lot.” I zipped the pouch and rocked back on my heels. “Want a ride in my noisy old truck instead of a communal public bus?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Hell, yes. You know, I thought you were from California.”

“What makes you say that?” I kept my tone light though my shoulders tightened.

“Dunno.” She shrugged and tossed her hair. “You seem like California. Sunshine and shit. I’ll get my stuff. Don’t you run off on me, baby oil boy,” she warned.

A dopey ass grin left my cheeks aching, right up until I had her strapped into my truck and turned over the engine that thankfully behaved itself. In fact, the grin lasted until we were several hours into the drive and she opened her laptop. Then a few things hit home real damn hard.

“Is this a fling where we go our separate ways at the other end?” I said quietly.

Skye swallowed. “Is this because I write articles you hate?” She peered at me through her lashes, and my dick swelled.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “I don’t wanna say goodbye to you, princess.” My knuckles glowed white against the worn leather of my steering wheel.

“I don’t want that either.” She nibbled her lip.

I waited, but that seemed to be all she would say. My eyes squeezed tight, and I slapped my hand on the steering wheel. “Fuck it. Lying shits me and I made you a promise I don’t want to break. I’m working with the Texas Ranger unit in Austin. I love what we have going, and screw it if that’s the hopeless, soppy romantic in me coming out. But I don’t want you thinking I’m some damn drug dealer. And...you’re right. I was in California. As a firefighter in LA.” I slammed my mouth shut, grinding my teeth. I didn’t care if I just screwed myself seven ways to Sunday. She was worth it.

Skye mulled on that for a few miles. “So, you’re a Texas Ranger, huh?” She twined her hands in her lap. “It was easier to believe you were a boy who loved fun and sun.”

I raked my fingers through my hair. “I am. Usually. This was my first...job, or whatever. Kinda like an audition. If I fucked it up, then I don’t get to stay, and I’ll be going back to Cali. If I didn’t screw it up, then I call Cali and I’m gonna make my boss real unhappy.”

“You’re good at your job?” She played with the hem of her pink cotton skirt with gold tassels.

“I have a lot of years in that job, and I know it well,” I replied, trying to take my ego out of it.

“Sounds like you have a home there.”

I breathed out. “Yeah, change is scary. But this offer came through and...I like the idea of being able to help. I don’t know. That’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” she said in the same quiet tone I used with her before. A strange echo, but I got it. Kinda part of the snarky-fuck-frenzy-reflective vibe thing we had going on. “I think you’ll suit it either way.”

I slid my gaze across to her. “You know many Texas Rangers, Skye?”

She shrugged. “I’ve seen them getting medals, read about them in the paper. I live in Austin. It’s impossible not to know about them.”

“Fair enough.” I swallowed and held out my arm.

She made a soft sound that kickstarted my heart, scooting across the bench and snuggling into my side. Her hand rested on my chest, her cheek on my shoulder. “You feel good.”

“Yeah?” I kissed the top of her head. “So, we gonna try this thing when we get–” I cut that sentence off.

There was no guarantee I had the job. Hell, I already broke one of the cardinal rules, and we just left Mexico.

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