Page 4 of Hothead

When Benny didn’t reply, Luke forced his head up, pushing against the steel one last time until he was facing his friend.

“What?” Luke asked as soon as he caught a glimpse of Benny’s thoughtful expression.

“It’s just ... it’s good to hear you talking about this shit, man. We’ve worked together ... what, five, six years? And never once have I heard you talk about anything real. Like your family or your shithead of a dad.”

It was ironic how little Luke had actually shared to get such a reaction out of Benny. That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Luke’s childhood. But he wasn’t about to point that out. Not when his friend seemed somewhat satisfied with his answer.

He nodded then. A silent gesture indicating that was the end of the conversation as he went back to cleaning the truck.

Benny was off his back, now all Luke had to do was stop thinking about the goddamn angel who’d caused all of this commotion. He had a niggling feeling that getting her out of the fire station was the easy part. Getting her out of his life though ... that would be another story.

CHAPTER TWO

Things were not goingaccording to plan. As a matter of fact, things were so far off plan, Bella was already considering storming the fire station again.

Luke Cappelli was supposed to take the letter. Read the goddamn letter. And then ask her questions. Which she would answer as best she could. She’d stick around for a couple of weeks, make sure he was okay, then go back to San Francisco and sort out her life. What he was not supposed to do was deny knowing Marco, refuse the envelope, and then kick her ass out. And he definitely wasn’t supposed to make her stomach clench.

Now here she was, two days later, still on the Evans ranch, still waiting for Luke to turn up. Wasting valuable time that could’ve been spent doing something useful.Like looking for a job or a place to live?Exactly. Important things like that. Things she’d lost right along with her best friend two months ago.

Remember you’re doing this for him.

With that reminder, she blew out a long breath, her eyes sweeping across the cozy guest cabin she was currently inhabiting. The ranch was nice. And her room was clearly brand new. She’d been practically blinded by the shine when she’d first stepped in.

The views outside are pretty good too.

They were. And Wade Evans, one of the three brothers who ran the ranch, had even been kind enough to take her on a trail ride yesterday. Saving her from climbing the walls. But she couldn’t enjoy it. Not really. Not when she’d been sent to Woodvalley Pines for a reason. And every day she wasn’t doing what she was supposed to do was a waste.

“This is ridiculous.” She was done waiting.

Grabbing her keys and the letter, she pushed open the cabin door and started the walk up to the main house where her car was parked. It was time to pay Luke Cappelli another visit. This time she would not be walking away.

As she grumbled all the way to her Prius, she made sure to recite the plan. A few times. Just in case her body decided to betray her again. Apparently, her libido was ready to make an appearance after a yearlong coma. And it was dumb enough to think it was in charge.

Once she was buckled in, it took just five minutes to make it into town. She was going back to the scene of the crime. The fire station. If Luke wasn’t there, she was betting someone there would know where he was.

Taking in the small-town Wyoming sights as she went, she couldn’t help but chuckle at what she saw.

---