Read Online Rocky Mountain Valentine by Carol Steward - Free Book Online
Authors: Carol Steward
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camera bag.
“Here, let me get that for you.” Adam reached for the bag. “My back hurts just watching you lift it.”
“Thanks, but I’m used to it.” Lisa smiled as she set the strap onto her shoulder. “This is nothing compared to those I carried in school. Mine isn’t even full yet. I only have one extra camera body and three lenses.”
“Only?”
“Once I can afford it, I’ll have three or four bodies and at least five lenses, depending on the type of photography I’m doing.”
“May as well order a caddy to lug it all around for you while you’re at it.”
“Thanks anyway, but I prefer to work solo,” she said.
Wet snow fell fast and furious, melting as soon as it hit the ground. They’d driven nearly thirty minutes on dirt roads when Adam began having trouble steering. He pulled the truck to a stop and opened his door and leaned out to look. “We have a flat tire.” He set the emergency brake and shut off the engine, then yanked the tie from around his neck and handed it to her.
Lisa held up the strip of fabric and smiled. “Somehow I wouldn’t have pictured you as a Tweety kind of guy. Yosemite Sam, maybe, Deputy Dawg, definitely a possibility...but Tweety? No. Now maybe Sylvester fits...”
He shot her an unappreciative glance and took the keys from the ignition. “Ricky gave it to me for Christmas. He picked it out himself.”
She dropped the tie onto the seat, trying to subdue a smile. “I see. How sweet of him. Can I do anything to help?”
“Call one of your sisters and tell them we’ll be late.” He grabbed a pair of leather gloves from under the seat and closed the door, shutting out the icy wind and snowflakes, as well as his bad mood. The weather turned worse by the minute.
She found her phone and gave Katarina a quick overview of the mishap while Adam paced from the front of the truck to the back, pulling tools from the metal box behind the cab. A minute later, she saw him set a handful of bolts on the hood of the truck, then felt the vehicle tilt to one side. Adam was apparently one of those people who had a place for everything and actually kept everything in its place. From Adam’s efficiency and the fancy tools he had on hand, she guessed changing flat tires to be a regular occurrence for the rugged cowboy.
She regretted that there was nothing she could do to help, especially when Adam crawled back into the truck with mud-caked boots and splattered clothes.
She’d never seen Adam such a mess, even in his work clothes. He pulled the gloves off, then reached behind the seat and pulled out a rag to wipe the dirt from his dress pants.
Lisa opened her mouth to suggest they turn around and head back to Whispering Pines, but before she could, he started the truck and continued down the road. She would love nothing more than to go back to the ranch. She also knew better than to say so after their discussion the previous night. She’d do what she had to in order to keep the peace between them. She needed this story. A year without a permanent job was growing old, not to mention not having a place to call home. Every time she thought she had a job and was ready to sign a lease, something went wrong.
She had it so much better than most of the homeless people she’d met. By her own opinion, she wasn’t really homeless at all. True, she didn’t have a permanent residence, but she’d never spent one night without a roof over her head. Her contacts in the publishing world had kept her busy enough to replace her equipment and set aside adequate travel funds. By most standards, she’d be considered an incredibly successful freelancer. Only problem was, she wanted the security of a full-time job, a monthly paycheck and a place to unpack her bags, permanently.
As if he had read her mind, Adam asked Lisa about her travels, most likely out of boredom or a sense of obligation. Either way, it helped fill the awkward silence between them. The only other noise was the murmur of
“Here, let me get that for you.” Adam reached for the bag. “My back hurts just watching you lift it.”
“Thanks, but I’m used to it.” Lisa smiled as she set the strap onto her shoulder. “This is nothing compared to those I carried in school. Mine isn’t even full yet. I only have one extra camera body and three lenses.”
“Only?”
“Once I can afford it, I’ll have three or four bodies and at least five lenses, depending on the type of photography I’m doing.”
“May as well order a caddy to lug it all around for you while you’re at it.”
“Thanks anyway, but I prefer to work solo,” she said.
Wet snow fell fast and furious, melting as soon as it hit the ground. They’d driven nearly thirty minutes on dirt roads when Adam began having trouble steering. He pulled the truck to a stop and opened his door and leaned out to look. “We have a flat tire.” He set the emergency brake and shut off the engine, then yanked the tie from around his neck and handed it to her.
Lisa held up the strip of fabric and smiled. “Somehow I wouldn’t have pictured you as a Tweety kind of guy. Yosemite Sam, maybe, Deputy Dawg, definitely a possibility...but Tweety? No. Now maybe Sylvester fits...”
He shot her an unappreciative glance and took the keys from the ignition. “Ricky gave it to me for Christmas. He picked it out himself.”
She dropped the tie onto the seat, trying to subdue a smile. “I see. How sweet of him. Can I do anything to help?”
“Call one of your sisters and tell them we’ll be late.” He grabbed a pair of leather gloves from under the seat and closed the door, shutting out the icy wind and snowflakes, as well as his bad mood. The weather turned worse by the minute.
She found her phone and gave Katarina a quick overview of the mishap while Adam paced from the front of the truck to the back, pulling tools from the metal box behind the cab. A minute later, she saw him set a handful of bolts on the hood of the truck, then felt the vehicle tilt to one side. Adam was apparently one of those people who had a place for everything and actually kept everything in its place. From Adam’s efficiency and the fancy tools he had on hand, she guessed changing flat tires to be a regular occurrence for the rugged cowboy.
She regretted that there was nothing she could do to help, especially when Adam crawled back into the truck with mud-caked boots and splattered clothes.
She’d never seen Adam such a mess, even in his work clothes. He pulled the gloves off, then reached behind the seat and pulled out a rag to wipe the dirt from his dress pants.
Lisa opened her mouth to suggest they turn around and head back to Whispering Pines, but before she could, he started the truck and continued down the road. She would love nothing more than to go back to the ranch. She also knew better than to say so after their discussion the previous night. She’d do what she had to in order to keep the peace between them. She needed this story. A year without a permanent job was growing old, not to mention not having a place to call home. Every time she thought she had a job and was ready to sign a lease, something went wrong.
She had it so much better than most of the homeless people she’d met. By her own opinion, she wasn’t really homeless at all. True, she didn’t have a permanent residence, but she’d never spent one night without a roof over her head. Her contacts in the publishing world had kept her busy enough to replace her equipment and set aside adequate travel funds. By most standards, she’d be considered an incredibly successful freelancer. Only problem was, she wanted the security of a full-time job, a monthly paycheck and a place to unpack her bags, permanently.
As if he had read her mind, Adam asked Lisa about her travels, most likely out of boredom or a sense of obligation. Either way, it helped fill the awkward silence between them. The only other noise was the murmur of
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