Loving the Country Boy. Mia Ross
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Название: Loving the Country Boy
Автор: Mia Ross
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474035989
isbn:
Busted, he thought with a grin of his own. Since she didn’t seem offended, he figured it wasn’t an issue for her. “Sorry, but yeah. The women I’ve known couldn’t handle a brand-new manual transmission, much less this one.”
“I guess I’m not like them.”
That was an understatement, but he managed not to tell her so. Instead, he pointed out the turn that led to Main Street. With no power steering, the mill truck took some strength to maneuver, and as she made the sharp turn, she groaned with the effort. “This thing handles like a pontoon boat.”
Heath chuckled. “Driven a lot of those, have you?”
“Trust me, once was enough.”
“Must be a big change, coming here after spending so much time in California.”
“Yes, it is.”
She didn’t offer anything beyond that, but his instincts were telling him it wasn’t because she had nothing more to say. They were basically strangers, but he couldn’t shake the suspicion that she was holding something back.
None of his business, he cautioned himself as she pulled into the lot at Morgan’s Garage and put the truck in Park. All the Barretts were known for their stubborn streak, and despite her upper-class background, Tess seemed to have inherited it in spades. Harsh experience had taught him that the quickest way to irritate a woman was to step in where he wasn’t wanted and try to solve a problem she was confident she could handle on her own. Even if she was wrong.
Getting out, he walked over to the driver’s window and leaned his elbows on the frame. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Her puzzled expression made it clear she had no clue what he was talking about. Then, slowly, understanding dawned in those stunning eyes, and she rewarded him with a grateful smile. “That’s sweet of you, but I’m fine. Really,” she added emphatically, as if she was trying to convince herself as much as him.
He thought he knew better, but he also knew this wasn’t the time to press. Pushing away from the pickup, he said, “Remember this old girl’s only got three gears, and her top speed is about forty. Any questions?”
“Actually, I do have one.” Angling to face him, she went on. “Why do so many guys refer to cars as female? I mean, women don’t call them ‘he’, so why do you call them ‘she’?”
She punctuated her question with an arched brow, and he couldn’t help laughing. “I got no idea. Keep her under forty, though, and you should do okay.”
“Not a Ferrari.” She added a sassy grin. “Got it.”
Stepping back, he waved as she left the parking lot and headed for the diner where he’d recommended she get her coffee. This morning had turned out nothing like he’d expected, he mused while he strolled inside to punch in.
With Tess in Barrett’s Mill for an extended visit, he had a feeling things around this quiet little town were going to get very interesting.
The next morning Tess was pulling her hair into a chignon when her cell phone began playing the ringtone she’d assigned to Chelsea. It was too early in the day for a social call, and she dropped her brush in midstroke to answer it. “Hi, Chelsea. Is everything okay?”
“We had a terrible night, so we’re meeting the doctor at his office in half an hour. I’m so sorry to do this to you now. We barely had time to cover anything yesterday.”
The stress in her voice came through loud and clear, and she sounded on the verge of tears. The kitchen phone started ringing downstairs, and she assumed it was Paul calling Gram with the same update.
Wishing there was more she could do, Tess summoned a confident tone to reassure her distraught cousin-in-law. “He told you everything was okay at your appointment yesterday, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure it’ll be the same today. Don’t worry about a thing except you and the baby. If I need something, the boys will be there to help me.”
“Jason and Scott?” Chelsea scoffed, “They don’t even know where we keep the coffee.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Tess promised, hoping she came across as self-assured and reliable. Handling things on her own today was the only option available, so there was no point in considering anything else. “Call when you have some news.”
“I will. Thanks so much, Tess. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Because no one had ever viewed her as more than just a pretty face, she’d never gotten that kind of praise in her life. Hearing it now felt incredible, and despite the very grown-up situation she now found herself in, she was smiling when she hung up. Her privileged upbringing had given her plenty of novel adventures through the years, but there was a lot to be said for being in a place where people valued you more for what you could do than how you looked.
When she was ready, she assessed her reflection and was stunned by the enthusiasm lighting the face that stared back at her. Without a drop of makeup, she looked better than she had in months, and she shook her head in amazement. After enjoying herself so much at Scott and Jenna’s wedding, she’d expected to appreciate the change of scenery here, but this was something else again.
Buoyed by the energy she felt, she all but skipped down the stairs into the kitchen. Gram was waiting there with a small paper bag and Tess’s stainless-steel travel mug, which was giving off the enticing aroma of something exotic. Taking them from her, Tess inhaled and grinned. “This is my favorite blend. Where on earth did you find it around here?”
“Diane brought it by on her way to the teen center earlier,” Gram explained. “She picked up a bag of it over in Cambridge for you.”
“I’ll have to thank Auntie later.” Taking a sip, she continued. “I’m assuming that was Paul on the phone a few minutes ago.”
Anxiety shadowed her grandmother’s eyes, and she nodded. “I’ve been praying ever since.”
“I’m sure they appreciate that.”
While Tess wasn’t big on religion herself, she knew it brought her grandmother a measure of comfort to feel as if she was doing something constructive rather than just worrying. Then again, if God listened to anyone, it wouldn’t surprise her to learn Olivia Barrett had a direct line to heaven.
“Have a good day, dear,” Gram said, giving her a quick hug. “If those cousins of yours give you too much trouble, you let me know and I’ll set them straight.”
Tess laughed, mostly because she knew the Barretts’ petite matriarch was only half kidding. “I think Jason and Scott know better than to mess with me, but it’s good to know you’ve got my back.”
Waving good-bye, she headed out to where the old mill truck sat in the driveway. Tess was certain Heath had fixed all its annoying idiosyncrasies, СКАЧАТЬ