Page 3 of Cowboys at Coconuts

He recovered. “If your boyfriend is sick, I’d be happy to take you home, if he doesn’t mind.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my li—” She caught herself again. “He’s just a friend.”

The cowboy reached over and opened the passenger door. “Hop in. I’ll get your luggage.”

Chapter 5

Cheri hesitated half a second before deciding the country guy was surely trustworthy. Climbing inside, she noticed he easily—and gently—tossed her luggage into the back of the truck and couldn’t help but notice as his muscles flexed.

“Nice bags. Sorry, my truck’s a little dirty.” He threw a rope and chain in the back and wiped the seat off with his hand. “It’s a workin’ truck.”

Cheri immediately loved his honesty and hard work ethic. She could only imagine what he’d think if he knew she normally arrived in a shiny stretch limo.I don’t think I can ever tell him I’m a Van Buren.

As Cole climbed back inside the truck, she studied his rough, calloused hands. He leaned close and turned on a country music station. Her previous boyfriends always had delicate hands almost as soft as hers. The cowboy’s ruggedness was as sexy as hell. Stomach fluttering, she surprised herself.Why am I getting excited about a total stranger? And a country one at that?

Tamping down her excitement, she waved her hand. “Don’t worry about the truck. And thank you. I appreciate the ride.”

The cowboy extended his hand. “The name’s Cole, by the way.”

Cheri smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’m Cheri.”

Placing his hand over his eyes, he chuckled. “Those are some white teeth. You could do toothpaste commercials.”

“Too white? I could tell my dentist to tone down the—” She paused. “Never mind. Thanks.” Cheri studied his face. He had a day’s worth of light-brown stubble, clear aquamarine eyes, short wavy dirty-blond hair, and slight sideburns. His playful smile could melt a car bumper. He smelled like the outdoors—clean and fresh.

Glancing at his tight jeans and well-worn, brown cowboy boots, Cheri realized she had never, ever be in a truck with a cowboy. And she liked it. Her mind raced. “It’s nice of you to do this. I could have called a car service or Uber.”

He cackled. “I don’t know if we have Uber, but we definitely don’t have car services here. Heck, we barely have any taxis.” Cole straightened a stack of mail on the seat. “Sorry about the mess and muddy tires. We’ve had a lot of rain lately.”

“No worries. I hadn’t even noticed. This is much better than standing on the curb, trust me.” Cheri rummaged in her purse to see if she had any ones left for a tip.Should I tip the guy or would that insult him?She quickly decided against it.

Cole broke the awkward silence. “Hungry?”

“A little. The flight was bumpy so they didn’t serve food—” She caught herself again, realizing he likely didn’t fly first class. “How far is it to the restaurant?”

“Fifteen minutes. Most everything is fifteen minutes in any given direction.”

She liked the easy nature of this cowboy. Cheri retrieved her phone to text her mom that she had landed but decided against it. There would be far too many questions about Gage, and if she mentioned Cole, a total stranger who was giving her a ride, her mother might charter a plane from Europe.

“Welcome to Crystal City, by the way. Where are you from?” Cole said.

“New York City.”

He nodded and gave her a once over. “Figures. Never been there but my guess is you fit right in.”

Unsure of what to make of his comment, she settled for, “Thanks.”

“Guess we always want what we can’t have. I always wanted to be rich.” He slapped the steering wheel. “That ain’t never gonna happen.”

Cheri gulped. If this were a cue or a sign, she wasn’t taking it. She didn’t want to scare him off. “There’s always the lottery.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I ‘spose.” He shrugged. “I have everything I need. It may not be fancy but it’s mine. What about you? Do you have a house in New York?”

“An apartment. It’s small. Tasteful but not very big.”

“I couldn’t live in an apartment. I need land. Space. Big skies and acres of green grass.”

She turned toward him. “It sounds peaceful. I’d love to see it.”

---