Page 8 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

He groaned and leaped out of his rusty mud-splattered truck. Then he strode toward her sparkling new sedan. She rolled down her window, her eyes wide.

He spread his arms. “I can’t believe I’m doing this, either. I’m not going to look at your engine and pretend to know anything about it, so... Do you want a lift?”

“I don’t understand.” She blinked at him. “I bought this car recently. It shouldn’t break down yet.”

“Sometimes things that shouldn’t get broken still do.” He didn’t add,“Like the promises you gave me.”

She winced, and her once-aglow hazel eyes dimmed. Breeze barked from the back seat protectively.

Something nudged at the edges of his subconsciousness. Was this bark somewhat familiar? He struggled to place the sound but couldn’t. He hadn’t seen the dog before, but maybe... maybe he’d heard her?

“The car’s under warranty. I can call the dealer. And a taxi.” Skylar’s voice was quiet while once, like her vibrant eyes, it had sparkled with many undertones.

“Aren’t you tired after your trip? And it’s safe to leave a car here.” Why did he say those things? He wasn’t looking for an opportunity to spend time with her. At all. “It’ll be quicker for my brothers to look at it. It could be something simple they can fix without nullifying the warranty.” Some of his brothers didn’t want her even mentioned, but he’d come up with something.

She stepped out of the car. “Why are you doing this?”

A good question. “It’s a small town. We help each other here.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes had lost their sparkle, too.

What had happened to her in those years away?No. Don’t go there. She chose to stay away. Remember?

Away from their small town.

Away from him.

She popped the trunk, and he hefted the luggage from her car into his truck. Breeze moved herself, apparently knowing she didn’t need to pretend to be injured any longer. Except for the mud on the floor Breeze had left, Skylar’s car was spotless. It still had the new-car smell, along with the scent of peaches.

He took a deep breath once inside his truck. It certainly didn’t smell like a new vehicle here. Between his stale coffee and the wood he’d taken to the ranch this morning, he wasn’t sure what it smelled like.

He took off, doing his best to keep his focus on the road,notthe person who’d intrigued him since he’d been a child. Why this complete change in her?

She used to love bright colors, and her vibrant sunshine-yellow and raspberry-red summer dresses still stood in front of his eyes. Now, she’d shrouded her soul with a white blouse and gray slacks, her attire as dull as her eyes.

He’d made half-hearted attempts to date after she’d broken off their engagement. But he’d never again found the same incredible feeling that pushed at the edges of his chest, the same happiness as when he’d been with her. Cliché or not, the day she’d left their small town, she’d taken his heart with her and had never returned it.

He’d never been a talker, but silence with her in a vehicle was unusual.

Finally, she said, “Could we please stop at a pet store?”

From the truck cab’s backseat, Breeze voiced her support.

“Sure.” Dallas nodded at a green light and turned toward the pet store.

“Thanks. I need a leash, collar, bowls, a bed, and some kibble. Anything else I should buy?”

“A few toys and a Frisbee wouldn’t hurt.”

Breeze voiced her support for that, as well.

Minutes later, he carried the purchases to the truck.

“Is it okay if I feed Breeze in the truck, please? She must be starving. It might create a mess, though.”

When did she become so polite? The Skylar he knew did things first and asked for permission later. Well,ifshe ever asked for permission. She hadn’t been rude. Just confident and straightforward, one of many things he liked about her.

On the subject of things he liked about her... His gaze slid to her doe-like eyes, then to her full lips covered in light-pink lipstick. His pulse picked up. He shouldn’t be thinking about how great it had felt to kiss her.

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