Read Online His Firefly Cowgirl by Beth Williamson - Free Book Online

pay quite a bit for a fresh pair no matter where I bought them.” It was true no matter if she was lying to herself as to why she wanted to go to the store. He didn’t need to know she wanted to extend her time with him.
    “We can stop at Madison’s.” He put the turnout suit in the bed of the truck and pulled his phone from his pocket.
    As he called Myron, Sophie turned away. She should tell him what she’d realized, but self-preservation made the words stick somewhere between her voice box and her mouth. What if he told her it was too late? What if he said he didn’t feel the same? Or worst of all, what if he laughed?
    No, she couldn’t tell him. She’d spent five years hiding her feelings and pushing herself to do more, be more, achieve more. Now to discover she’d been hiding her true feelings was shocking and frightening. Sophie had thought she knew who she was.
    She was wrong.
    “Myron said he towed the car. The starter is bad. He can jump it but he’s not sure if you’ll make it back to Houston safely.” Dax leaned against the truck, his exhaustion apparent.
    Her selfish thoughts brought her back to reality. He’d just spent three hours fighting a fire.
    “You can go ahead home. I’ll make my way to the garage and wait for the car to be fixed.” She turned and picked up her bag from the truck. “I appreciate your help last night.”
    And the rest of it too. The sex, the companionship, the stargazing. All of it was more fun than she’d had in a very long time.
    “You didn’t let me finish. Myron doesn’t have the starter. He’s going to go to the junkyard about twenty miles west of here to see if he can find one. Otherwise it’s two days to order one online.” He tapped the side of the truck. “I can find a car to lend you and when your car is fixed, I can bring it to you.”
    There was her out. A borrowed car and a path back to sanity. She should take it and run like hell.
    “Why don’t we go to Madison’s now? I think we should wait to decide about the car until after Myron gets back to you about the junkyard.” Sophie gave herself a brief reprieve before she had to decide.
    “Fair enough. We’ll get you some clothes at Madison’s. I’ve got a go-bag in my locker at the firehouse. Let me take a quick shower there and change. Then we can have a late lunch.” He walked around to the other side of the truck.
    Sophie climbed back in and set her bag down. The clock was now ticking. She had an hour, no more than two, until she had to make a decision.
    Would she stay or would she go?

 
    Chapter Six
     
    Dax walked behind Sophie as she picked through the clothes at Madison’s. It was plain, serviceable stuff but it was clean. She looked as hot as he felt. The heat of the day had settled over the town. Summer was in full swing before it was technically summer.
    She didn’t complain about the selection or the quality. He didn’t know her anymore to understand her behavior. He was too grateful to be in the air-conditioned store to bring it up.
    “Nice job today, Dax.” The store’s owner, Bridget Johnson, handed him a cold bottle of soda. She and her husband had moved from Seattle and bought the store a few years earlier. When they’d revamped the interior and hung a new sign, some folks balked, others welcomed a fresh look at the only store in Tanger.
    “Thanks, Bridget.” He gestured to Sophie. “This is Sophie Evans. She’s the insurance investigator for the fire at Cindy’s.”
    Bridget’s black brows went up. “Nice to meet you, Miss Evans.”
    After the ladies exchanged pleasantries, Bridget pointed to the drawers beneath the display. “There’s a few more sizes and colors underneath. Feel free to look through what’s in there.” She smiled and walked back toward the front of the store.
    “What happened to the Fosters?” Sophie asked as she squatted down to open a drawer.
    “They retired and moved to Phoenix. The Johnsons bought this place three years ago or so.