Page 22 of Snow in Texas

She heard bikes coming onto the property as they walked to the kitchen, and a little prickling of awareness crawled up the back of her neck. Not that she cared about who might be arriving on a new bike. Nope. Not her.

“They’re back from Ned’s I hear,” Darla said as she pulled the lid off the cake plate.

“Someone went to Ned’s?”

Darla gave her anoh pleaselook. “Honey, don’t even pretend.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Uh-huh.”

She had a forkful of cake poised in front of her mouth when Colin burst into the kitchen, grinning like a kid.

“Well hey there, Colin,” Darla greeted. “Did Ned get you all set up?”

He spared her a fast look. “Yes, ma’am.” Then his gaze pinged back to Jenny.

There was no denying it; he was staring right at her, and the exuberance in his face, shining in his eyes, caused her throat to tighten.No, she thought quietly.Please don’t direct anything like that my way. I won’t be able to defend against it.

“You gotta come see it,” he told her. “It’s fucking sweet.”

No, the voice said again.You take too many steps, and then you’re running, and you’ll never stop until it’s too late, and you’re bleeding on the floor…

But she set her fork down and got to her feet as if in a dream sequence. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go see it.”

Eleven

Colin

She was impressed, he could tell. The Night Train was a slick piece of machinery, mean in all the right places, simple where it counted. Jenny paced around it, studying with a critical eye. She didn’t have that glassy, disinterested look of a woman playing to his ego. No, she liked the bike for exactly what it was, and not because a man rode it.

“Pretty,” she finally said, and glanced up to meet his eyes. Hers were an almost translucent blue in the sunlight. “How’s she ride?”

He almost said something wildly inappropriate in response.Almost. Instead, he said, “You wanna find out?”

Total shutdown. Her eyes closed up and she took a step back.

Colin clenched his teeth together. He’d thought things were better, that she was less frightened, more trusting. She didn’t hate him – he’d thought. So why did she keep throwing up these roadblocks? What the hell?

She glanced toward the clubhouse where her brother had disappeared a few moments before. Candy had bragged on the bike a minute, kissed his sister on top of the head, then headed inside, leaving them alone. If that didn’t feel like brotherly approval, Colin didn’t know what would.

But here they were again, Jenny withdrawing.

He liked her, damn it. She was hot, and he wanted to peel those tight jeans off of her, yes, but he was building a genuine affection for her too, and he wanted her to come around. Wanted her to like him too, if he was honest.

“Jenny,” he said, kindly but firmly. “Do you wanna go for a ride?”

Her head swiveled back, eyes still uncertain, but sparking with something promising.

He gave her his best grin. “I’m gonna bet, you having a Lean Dog for a brother, that you like riding. Am I right?”

“I love it,” she admitted.

“Come on then. One quick ride, so you can tell me if I got a lemon bike or not. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.” He showed her his empty palms then tucked his hands in his pockets to demonstrate.

She debated a long moment, staring at the toes of her boots – rich brown today, with pale stitching. Finally, she nodded. “Let me grab my helmet.”

~*~

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