wouldn’t do you any good no-how. My horse is an excellent tracker, you know.”
She wrinkled up her nose as she considered him, smiling despite herself. “Really?”
“No,” he admitted. “But that wouldn’t stop me. Besides, I think I could sniff you out myself.” With that, he buried his nose in her neck and sniffed theatrically.
“Okay, okay!” she giggled, pushing him away even though she really didn’t want him to go.
“Two hours then. It’s a date.”
* * *
True to his word, when she got off her shift, even though she was almost half an hour late, Colton was sitting in the parking lot. No sooner had she spotted him than he was hanging out of his truck window and whistling at her.
As much as she wanted to play indifferent, her cheeks warmed at the mere sight of him and flushed deeper as he wolf-whistled at her. “Knock it off,” she scolded as she drew near.
“Oh, so you’re giving the orders now?” he challenged, raising both eyebrows.
“For the time being, yes,” she replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
His brows rose even higher, but he let it drop. “So, are you going to hop in?”
Scarlett looked down at her shoes and fidgeted for a moment. It was the question she’d been asking herself on a loop for the last two hours. She knew she was going to accept his offer of a ride home—she didn’t really have much choice. But the deeper question, the one he was really asking with those intense hazel eyes was whether things would go further between them. That was the one she hadn’t been able to answer herself yet.
“Yes, but…”
“Let’s talk in the truck, where there’s air conditionin’,” he suggested. “You’ve got to be hot. It’s ninety degrees out.”
“Okay.”
No sooner was the word out of her mouth than Colton was hopping out of the truck and taking her by the elbow, gently leading her to the passenger side. It was sort of embarrassing in a way, but so endearingly sweet that it canceled out any discomfort she might have felt.
“How was the rest of your shift?” he asked as he opened the door.
“Fine.”
“Have you worked there long?”
“No, just six months.” Scarlett sat down and reached for the seatbelt, but then to her surprise Colton took it and put the strap across her shoulder before clicking it into place. “Um… thank you.”
“Um, you’re welcome,” he replied with a wink before shutting the door.
She couldn’t help but be nervous around him, it seemed. From the moment that he sat across from her, she felt like a bumbling idiot.
“Where to?”
“Oh, um, I live in the, you know, Corner Villa apartments. Off Bell Street?”
“Hmm.” He frowned heavily as he started the engine and just the sight of it made her squirm.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, of course not. I’m just surprised that you live in that area, that’s all.”
“What’s so surprising about it?”
“It’s not the best place for a girl like you to live, is it?” Colton looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“A girl like me?” she echoed, not liking the sound of it one bit.
“Yeah. You know. You’re a tiny little thing, that’s all I’m sayin’. It makes me worry, is all.”
She should have been touched, but instead, she just felt annoyed. “It’s not your job to worry about me.”
“I know that, Scarlett. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t.”
“Besides, it’s what I could afford,” she muttered, the admission making her slump in her seat. She could feel Colton glance at her, but she didn’t look up.
“Well, I’d imagine that would be the case, livin’ on tips and all. Have you ever thought about doin’ somethin’ else?”
“Of course I’ve thought about it. It just hasn’t happened yet.”
“So, what would you like to do?” he queried.
“I don’t know, sometimes I think I’d like to be a detective.”
“For the police?”
“Yes, for the police,” she replied,
She wrinkled up her nose as she considered him, smiling despite herself. “Really?”
“No,” he admitted. “But that wouldn’t stop me. Besides, I think I could sniff you out myself.” With that, he buried his nose in her neck and sniffed theatrically.
“Okay, okay!” she giggled, pushing him away even though she really didn’t want him to go.
“Two hours then. It’s a date.”
* * *
True to his word, when she got off her shift, even though she was almost half an hour late, Colton was sitting in the parking lot. No sooner had she spotted him than he was hanging out of his truck window and whistling at her.
As much as she wanted to play indifferent, her cheeks warmed at the mere sight of him and flushed deeper as he wolf-whistled at her. “Knock it off,” she scolded as she drew near.
“Oh, so you’re giving the orders now?” he challenged, raising both eyebrows.
“For the time being, yes,” she replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
His brows rose even higher, but he let it drop. “So, are you going to hop in?”
Scarlett looked down at her shoes and fidgeted for a moment. It was the question she’d been asking herself on a loop for the last two hours. She knew she was going to accept his offer of a ride home—she didn’t really have much choice. But the deeper question, the one he was really asking with those intense hazel eyes was whether things would go further between them. That was the one she hadn’t been able to answer herself yet.
“Yes, but…”
“Let’s talk in the truck, where there’s air conditionin’,” he suggested. “You’ve got to be hot. It’s ninety degrees out.”
“Okay.”
No sooner was the word out of her mouth than Colton was hopping out of the truck and taking her by the elbow, gently leading her to the passenger side. It was sort of embarrassing in a way, but so endearingly sweet that it canceled out any discomfort she might have felt.
“How was the rest of your shift?” he asked as he opened the door.
“Fine.”
“Have you worked there long?”
“No, just six months.” Scarlett sat down and reached for the seatbelt, but then to her surprise Colton took it and put the strap across her shoulder before clicking it into place. “Um… thank you.”
“Um, you’re welcome,” he replied with a wink before shutting the door.
She couldn’t help but be nervous around him, it seemed. From the moment that he sat across from her, she felt like a bumbling idiot.
“Where to?”
“Oh, um, I live in the, you know, Corner Villa apartments. Off Bell Street?”
“Hmm.” He frowned heavily as he started the engine and just the sight of it made her squirm.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, of course not. I’m just surprised that you live in that area, that’s all.”
“What’s so surprising about it?”
“It’s not the best place for a girl like you to live, is it?” Colton looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“A girl like me?” she echoed, not liking the sound of it one bit.
“Yeah. You know. You’re a tiny little thing, that’s all I’m sayin’. It makes me worry, is all.”
She should have been touched, but instead, she just felt annoyed. “It’s not your job to worry about me.”
“I know that, Scarlett. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t.”
“Besides, it’s what I could afford,” she muttered, the admission making her slump in her seat. She could feel Colton glance at her, but she didn’t look up.
“Well, I’d imagine that would be the case, livin’ on tips and all. Have you ever thought about doin’ somethin’ else?”
“Of course I’ve thought about it. It just hasn’t happened yet.”
“So, what would you like to do?” he queried.
“I don’t know, sometimes I think I’d like to be a detective.”
“For the police?”
“Yes, for the police,” she replied,
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