caused the damage, and
he’d fix it.
“ What happened
here?”
Bran’s deep voice made Roman groan and lean
his head against the door of the truck. Just what he needed.
“ This dumbass just backed
over my bike!” the petite little hellion said, tugging at the
saddlebag that was caught on his trucks trailer hitch. “If you
smashed my laptop I’ll rip your balls off and feed them to
you.”
Her threat made him grimace, and cover his
family jewels as he exchanged a sick look with Brandon. Shoving his
hat back out of his eyes, Brandon bent to take a look at the
motorcycle and then shook his head. “You sure did a number on it,
Romeo.”
“ Romeo? Is that your name?
Officer, I want this man arrested, or fined, or
something.”
Bran was clearly fighting back a grin as he
nodded. “It’s Sheriff Bowers, ma’am, and this dumbass”— Bran
gestured to Romeo—“is Roman Freemont. I certainly understand why
you’re upset Miss…”
This time she didn’t leave the opening
hanging. “Scott, Franki Scott. And I’m way more than upset.”
“ Well Miss Scott, you
certainly have a right to be a trifle irritated, but as I heard it,
Romeo was offering to pay for the damages already, and as the
accident didn’t cause any bodily harm, I won’t be arresting anyone.
I’ll be glad to take a report, and you can file with your insurance
company—”
“ There’s no need for all
that.” Roman interjected. “I’ll gladly pay for the damages. I’m
truly sorry Miss Scott. It was my fault. I was distracted, and I
wasn’t thinking clearly.”
She studied him for a moment and then turned
back to Brandon. “Sheriff Bowers, surely there’s something more you
can do. This was clearly negligence on his part.”
“ Ma’am, most accidents are
negligence on someone’s part. Roman is offering to ante up, and I
don’t see any need to make the situation a bigger deal than it
already is. Besides, he happens to be related to the best mechanic
around here, and you won’t find anyone better to fix your bike back
up.”
“ I’m not from around here,
Sheriff. I can’t just drop my bike off and pick it up in a week,”
she argued.
“ I assumed as much.”
Brandon said, earning a sharp glare from Franki. He smiled back at
her and gestured to the mashed bike. “Minnesota plates.”
Her irritation seemed to ease a bit at his
response, but she was still furious, and Roman wanted nothing more
than to make her smile.
“ Where are you staying,
Franki? I can drop you off and take your bike home to my brother,”
Roman said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
A deep wrinkle appeared in her brow, and she
reached for it, rubbing at the tense muscles. “I’m not, or not yet.
Hell, I don’t know yet. I just got here.”
“ What brought you to
Montford?” Brandon asked cordially, bending to collect a Styrofoam
container from the concrete a few feet away.
It was obviously Franki’s breakfast by the
smell, and Roman felt even worse when he realized how close she’d
been to the bike. He could have killed her. Horror rippled through
him making his stomach twist, and he instinctively reached out his
hand to rub her shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to
comfort her or himself, but when she shrugged him off, it set his
nerves on edge. Damn it, it wasn’t like he’d been aiming for her
bike.
Lost in his own thoughts Roman almost missed
the way Franki paled at Brandon’s question, but he couldn’t miss
the way she sidestepped it. “If you’ll just point me in the
direction of the nearest motel I’ll check in and then meet you at
the mechanic’s. I hope you have a thick bank account, mister,
because you’re paying to have this job rushed.”
“ Of course, I wouldn’t
want to delay you from wherever you needed to be.” The words tasted
sour because they were a bold-faced lie, but Roman gave her a
bright smile anyway.
Brandon turned to Roman, and widened his
eyes just a smidge, “Well now, it just so
he’d fix it.
“ What happened
here?”
Bran’s deep voice made Roman groan and lean
his head against the door of the truck. Just what he needed.
“ This dumbass just backed
over my bike!” the petite little hellion said, tugging at the
saddlebag that was caught on his trucks trailer hitch. “If you
smashed my laptop I’ll rip your balls off and feed them to
you.”
Her threat made him grimace, and cover his
family jewels as he exchanged a sick look with Brandon. Shoving his
hat back out of his eyes, Brandon bent to take a look at the
motorcycle and then shook his head. “You sure did a number on it,
Romeo.”
“ Romeo? Is that your name?
Officer, I want this man arrested, or fined, or
something.”
Bran was clearly fighting back a grin as he
nodded. “It’s Sheriff Bowers, ma’am, and this dumbass”— Bran
gestured to Romeo—“is Roman Freemont. I certainly understand why
you’re upset Miss…”
This time she didn’t leave the opening
hanging. “Scott, Franki Scott. And I’m way more than upset.”
“ Well Miss Scott, you
certainly have a right to be a trifle irritated, but as I heard it,
Romeo was offering to pay for the damages already, and as the
accident didn’t cause any bodily harm, I won’t be arresting anyone.
I’ll be glad to take a report, and you can file with your insurance
company—”
“ There’s no need for all
that.” Roman interjected. “I’ll gladly pay for the damages. I’m
truly sorry Miss Scott. It was my fault. I was distracted, and I
wasn’t thinking clearly.”
She studied him for a moment and then turned
back to Brandon. “Sheriff Bowers, surely there’s something more you
can do. This was clearly negligence on his part.”
“ Ma’am, most accidents are
negligence on someone’s part. Roman is offering to ante up, and I
don’t see any need to make the situation a bigger deal than it
already is. Besides, he happens to be related to the best mechanic
around here, and you won’t find anyone better to fix your bike back
up.”
“ I’m not from around here,
Sheriff. I can’t just drop my bike off and pick it up in a week,”
she argued.
“ I assumed as much.”
Brandon said, earning a sharp glare from Franki. He smiled back at
her and gestured to the mashed bike. “Minnesota plates.”
Her irritation seemed to ease a bit at his
response, but she was still furious, and Roman wanted nothing more
than to make her smile.
“ Where are you staying,
Franki? I can drop you off and take your bike home to my brother,”
Roman said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
A deep wrinkle appeared in her brow, and she
reached for it, rubbing at the tense muscles. “I’m not, or not yet.
Hell, I don’t know yet. I just got here.”
“ What brought you to
Montford?” Brandon asked cordially, bending to collect a Styrofoam
container from the concrete a few feet away.
It was obviously Franki’s breakfast by the
smell, and Roman felt even worse when he realized how close she’d
been to the bike. He could have killed her. Horror rippled through
him making his stomach twist, and he instinctively reached out his
hand to rub her shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to
comfort her or himself, but when she shrugged him off, it set his
nerves on edge. Damn it, it wasn’t like he’d been aiming for her
bike.
Lost in his own thoughts Roman almost missed
the way Franki paled at Brandon’s question, but he couldn’t miss
the way she sidestepped it. “If you’ll just point me in the
direction of the nearest motel I’ll check in and then meet you at
the mechanic’s. I hope you have a thick bank account, mister,
because you’re paying to have this job rushed.”
“ Of course, I wouldn’t
want to delay you from wherever you needed to be.” The words tasted
sour because they were a bold-faced lie, but Roman gave her a
bright smile anyway.
Brandon turned to Roman, and widened his
eyes just a smidge, “Well now, it just so
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