Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)(9)

“Cold?” he asked.

“It’s a bit chilly, but nights are always cold at this elevation. I should have brought a jacket.”

“I keep one in the backseat of my truck. You can borrow it.”

They walked across the parking lot in silence broken only by the crunch of gravel underfoot and the music blaring from inside the club. He clicked his key fob to unlock the truck.

“This is your ride?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s mine.” He was glad he’d had his F-350 washed and detailed. Although he didn’t own a lot, he tried to take good care of the few possessions he had.

She eyeballed his pride and joy with disapproval. “Do you have any idea how wasteful this vehicle is?”

He shrugged. “S’pose I know better than you do, since I tank it up every week.”

“Don’t you care anything about the environment?”

“Look, Haley, before you get back on that high and holy horse of yours, remember where I come from. A Prius ain’t exactly equipped for farm and ranch work.”

She closed her mouth.

He opened her door.

She hesitated again, a wall of wariness once more surrounding her. “You are just offering a ride, right? You aren’t expecting anything else, are you?”

“Like what?” he prompted.

“A lot of guys would think—”

He shook his head. “You’ve got to stop painting all men with the same brush. No strings, Haley. I’m not that kinda guy. I just want to be sure you get home safe. That’s all. Besides, it’s only nine o’clock on a Saturday night, and I don’t have any plans other than packing my stuff.”

“When do you leave?”

“Next week. You wanna send Yolanda a text to let her know you’re leaving with me?”

“Do you mind?”

“Course not.”

She pulled out her phone while he retrieved his Carhartt jacket from the back. He suppressed a chuckle as he dropped it over her shoulders. The coat nearly swallowed her up. He handed her into the cab, circled around to the driver’s side, and climbed in.

“Damn it,” she cursed. “My phone’s dead!”

“Here.” He fished his iPhone from his shirt pocket. “Use mine.”

He waited while she typed out her text.

A moment later, the phone chirped. “Is that her answer?”

“Yes. She says go on ahead and not to worry about Garcia. She’ll drive him back to base.” She added dryly, “You might have figured out she has a thing for guys in uniform.”

“A perfect match.” He grinned. “Garcia has a thing for girls with a thing.”

She laughed again. He could get used to that.

They headed toward I-215 north. In silence. She shifted frequently in her seat as if restless. The cab seemed smaller, the air heavier. He glanced frequently in her direction. He was feeling pretty edgy himself, but knew how to hide it.

“I make you nervous?”

“No! Of course not.” Her denial sounded too forced.

“Hungry?” he ventured at length. “It’s still early. Want to go get a burger or something?”

“No thanks. I don’t eat meat. People can survive perfectly well without killing animals for food.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” he mumbled.

“Mind if I turn on some music?” she asked.

“Go ahead. Anything but that hip-hop crap is fine with me.”

She looked up from the tuner. “You don’t like it?”

“Nope. And I hate that kind of dancing too. Guess I’m kinda old-fashioned that way.”

“I don’t like rap or hip-hop either.”

She scanned several stations. The breezy lyrics of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something filled the air. You say that we’ve got nothing in common, no common ground to start from… She grinned. “Apropos, don’t you think? I agree with you on the dancing, by the way. If I’m going to copulate with someone, I’d rather do it in private than in the middle of a dance floor.”

“Copulate? Strange word choice. Sounds a bit…clinical.”

“Yeah, well, I guess my brain is trained to think in scientific terms.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m a biology major. Pre-vet actually. I’ve taken almost everything I can at Mt. San Jacinto Community College. I’ll be transferring soon to UC Davis.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I hope to get into the veterinary college, but it’s pretty competitive. I’m doing a summer internship at a wolf sanctuary to improve my chances.”

“A wolf sanctuary? In Southern California?”

“Yes. It’s run by a group that wants to reintroduce wolves to California.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Because that program’s been such a raving success in the Rockies.”

“What do you mean? Conservationists have saved them from the brink of extinction.”

“Wolves have been saved all right. And if they keep multiplying at the current rate, it’s our livestock that’ll be on the endangered list.”

She crossed her arms. “People should eat less meat anyway. It’s unhealthy.”