Read Online Burned by a Kiss by Tina Leonard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tina Leonard
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home right now in a very nice Ranger Rover. I’ll have the waitress go across the street and pick us up some more brew.”
Nick stared at him. “Are you saying your sister picked my pocket before we ever got inside the restaurant?”
“It’s probably best if we don’t discuss the particulars.”
Nick leaned back in the booth. “How’s her driving?”
“Passable.” No sense in telling the man that right now, his Range Rover was probably surpassing any previous record the odometer had ever experienced. The women probably had the windows rolled down, were very likely singing at the top of their lungs all the way back to town.
“So is there a taxi service from here to Star Canyon?” Nick asked.
“There’s a service, though I don’t know if I’d call it a taxi.” Santana lifted his bottle in a mock salute. “Have another beer, cousin. You’re going to need it.”
• • •
Emma followed Sierra out, not shocked at all that they were stealing a ride home. Sierra wasn’t easily intimidated, and she was tough like her brothers, and taking Nick’s fancy car for a joy ride would be a distraction for her. Emma decided her best option was to stick with her friend and make sure she stayed out of more trouble.
Once home, Emma sank into the wicker seat on her white-painted porch, Gus and Bean happy to be out in the front yard, despite December’s chill. She pulled the blanket a little further around her, enjoying the bright stars in a velvety sky and a half slice of moon pinned among them.
It was probably only thirty minutes later, after she’d gone in to make herself a cup of hot cocoa and returned to her wicker seat, that she heard a truck in her drive. She wasn’t totally surprised to see Santana park his truck and amble up to the porch.
“Can’t sleep after a meal like that one?” he called, when he couldn’t make it farther without Gus and Bean joyously halting him for attention.
“I thought Star Canyon was where all the excitement is, anyway.”
“The excitement is where Sierra is. Can I join you?”
“Help yourself.”
He sank into the wicker seat beside her. “I tried calling. And texting. Figured I’d better drop by, make sure you were all right.” He looked at her. “You rode home with Sierra in a snit, in a car she stole. I was worried.”
“Borrowed. We borrowed it.”
“Still.” He let out a long breath. “I didn’t realize my sister was as angry as she is. Is as angry as she is. In retrospect, I see her point.”
“How did you guys get back to town?” Emma didn’t want to discuss their personal family issues.
“By a mode of transportation I can assure you that Nicholas Marshall IV has never traveled before. In the back of Señor Hernandez’s truck he uses to haul hay.” He chuckled softly, and the sound sizzled along Emma’s nerves, surprising her. He was sexy, oh-so-sexy, which she’d always known—but it wasn’t just the sexy she found so attractive.
“How did Nick feel about riding in a truck?”
“The truck bed. We rode in the truck bed with the hay bales and a couple of farm hands that didn’t speak the world’s best English. Nick seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly. Or he has damn good manners and wasn’t letting on.” He laughed, and the sound was rich and full in the night. She leaned back, comforted by Santana’s strength. “Let’s just say the experience didn’t devastate him the way I would have imagined it might. Getting his white shirt dirty didn’t seem to faze him.”
“I’m not surprised, actually.”
“I have the strangest feeling that Nick and his father might have been cut from two very different pieces of cloth.”
Emma watched Gus and Bean wrestling with a smile. The two German shepherd puppies scrabbled playfully, and then all of a sudden, sat up straight, their ears perked toward the bushes.
“They heard their first owl,” Emma whispered.
After a minute of watching the dogs try to figure out exactly what was hooting
Nick stared at him. “Are you saying your sister picked my pocket before we ever got inside the restaurant?”
“It’s probably best if we don’t discuss the particulars.”
Nick leaned back in the booth. “How’s her driving?”
“Passable.” No sense in telling the man that right now, his Range Rover was probably surpassing any previous record the odometer had ever experienced. The women probably had the windows rolled down, were very likely singing at the top of their lungs all the way back to town.
“So is there a taxi service from here to Star Canyon?” Nick asked.
“There’s a service, though I don’t know if I’d call it a taxi.” Santana lifted his bottle in a mock salute. “Have another beer, cousin. You’re going to need it.”
• • •
Emma followed Sierra out, not shocked at all that they were stealing a ride home. Sierra wasn’t easily intimidated, and she was tough like her brothers, and taking Nick’s fancy car for a joy ride would be a distraction for her. Emma decided her best option was to stick with her friend and make sure she stayed out of more trouble.
Once home, Emma sank into the wicker seat on her white-painted porch, Gus and Bean happy to be out in the front yard, despite December’s chill. She pulled the blanket a little further around her, enjoying the bright stars in a velvety sky and a half slice of moon pinned among them.
It was probably only thirty minutes later, after she’d gone in to make herself a cup of hot cocoa and returned to her wicker seat, that she heard a truck in her drive. She wasn’t totally surprised to see Santana park his truck and amble up to the porch.
“Can’t sleep after a meal like that one?” he called, when he couldn’t make it farther without Gus and Bean joyously halting him for attention.
“I thought Star Canyon was where all the excitement is, anyway.”
“The excitement is where Sierra is. Can I join you?”
“Help yourself.”
He sank into the wicker seat beside her. “I tried calling. And texting. Figured I’d better drop by, make sure you were all right.” He looked at her. “You rode home with Sierra in a snit, in a car she stole. I was worried.”
“Borrowed. We borrowed it.”
“Still.” He let out a long breath. “I didn’t realize my sister was as angry as she is. Is as angry as she is. In retrospect, I see her point.”
“How did you guys get back to town?” Emma didn’t want to discuss their personal family issues.
“By a mode of transportation I can assure you that Nicholas Marshall IV has never traveled before. In the back of Señor Hernandez’s truck he uses to haul hay.” He chuckled softly, and the sound sizzled along Emma’s nerves, surprising her. He was sexy, oh-so-sexy, which she’d always known—but it wasn’t just the sexy she found so attractive.
“How did Nick feel about riding in a truck?”
“The truck bed. We rode in the truck bed with the hay bales and a couple of farm hands that didn’t speak the world’s best English. Nick seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly. Or he has damn good manners and wasn’t letting on.” He laughed, and the sound was rich and full in the night. She leaned back, comforted by Santana’s strength. “Let’s just say the experience didn’t devastate him the way I would have imagined it might. Getting his white shirt dirty didn’t seem to faze him.”
“I’m not surprised, actually.”
“I have the strangest feeling that Nick and his father might have been cut from two very different pieces of cloth.”
Emma watched Gus and Bean wrestling with a smile. The two German shepherd puppies scrabbled playfully, and then all of a sudden, sat up straight, their ears perked toward the bushes.
“They heard their first owl,” Emma whispered.
After a minute of watching the dogs try to figure out exactly what was hooting
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