Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch #1)(89)

For a few seconds she wasn’t sure that she would ever breathe again. Then she inhaled deeply and said, “Were you going to tell me before we got in this situation?”

One of his shoulders jacked up an inch or two. “I don’t know, Allie. I only figured it out tonight and hell, I’m tired of fighting with myself. I know it’s only been a few weeks but my mama said that I’d know when the right woman came into my life. And I know so I have to spit it out and say it.”

“That’s not so romantic for a man who’s got the reputation you do,” she said. “Look, that sign we just passed said it was only two more miles. We could walk that far.”

“Not without frost bite. And my reputation is what scares me, Allie. What if you have second thoughts about someone like me?”

“I won’t. I promise,” she whispered.

She loved him, too, but she couldn’t say the words. They were there but they wouldn’t come out of her mouth.



Ten minutes later she pointed to a flashing vacancy sign above a motel and he eased off the road into a parking lot so deep with snow that his front fender pushed it out of the way like a plow. He brought the truck to a long greasy sliding stop in front of the motel and waded to the office where the lady told him that they had three rooms left. One was a king-size, non-smoking room. The other two were double queens. He opted for the king-size bed and asked if there was a pizza hut that might make deliveries in the bad weather.

“A lot of the town is without power so we filled up real quick. Those that do have electricity are takin’ in their relatives and all the businesses are shut down,” she said as she ran a key card through the machine. “Here are your keys and, honey, right not far from your room is the ice machine and vending machines. Soda pop, juice, bottled water in one. Candy, chips, and those cute little energy bars in the other. That’s the best I can do for you tonight.”

“Does it take credit cards?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Only takes coins. Need change?”

He flipped a twenty-dollar bill onto the counter. “Turn it all into whatever I need.”

She counted out fifteen single bills, then picked up a plastic cup with the motel logo on the side and filled the thing with five dollars in quarters. “That should do it.”

He picked up the cup. “Thank you. Do you have complimentary toothbrushes and toothpaste? We were traveling to Wichita Falls when this thing hit us. We don’t have anything but what we are wearing.”

“Right here, and here’s a customer packet with shaving equipment, deodorant, toothbrushes, and such. Holler right loud if you need anything else.” She handed him two bubble packs, each containing a toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste. “Oh, and we do doughnuts, bagels, and coffee for breakfast from six to nine in the morning if my husband can get out to the pastry shop to get them and if it’s open.”

Blake started toward the truck to open the door for Allie, but she pushed her way out of it, stepped out into knee-deep snow, and yelled above the howling wind, “Which way?”

He pointed and bent against the swirling cold chilling him to the bone. He found the room, only a couple of doors down from the office, and slipped the key card into the slot, hoping the whole time that the damn thing worked. He could have shouted when the little green light popped on and Allie hurried into the room.

It wasn’t the worst room he’d ever rented, but it lacked the luxury of where he would have taken Allie if he’d had a choice. It was warm, had a television and a big comfortable-looking bed. The warmth and bed were more inviting than anything after hunching over that damn steering wheel for what seemed like hours.

“I’ll take that trash can and go get supper,” he said. “I’m going to fill it up so if you’ve got a preference, holler right now.”

“Vending machine?” She removed her gloves and warmed her hands over the wall heater.

“That’s right, darlin’. Big juicy hamburger will have to wait until another night. This date has changed course,” he said.

“I don’t care. Bring me some of all of it and I’ll be happy. I’m so glad that we’re safe in a room. Oh, I’ve got to call Mama. I didn’t even tell her which way we were going,” she said all in a rush.

“You call. I’ll be back soon as I spend all my money.” He grinned.



Katy answered on the third ring and started talking before Allie could say a single word. “Where are you? If you went north, then find a place and hole up until this horrible storm passes. I swear to God, I’ve never seen anything like this in our part of the world. It’s so bad out there I can’t even see the edge of the porch from the window.”

“I’m in Archer City and we’ve gotten a motel room. It took forever to get this far, but I’m safe and warm and Blake has gone to buy out everything in the vending machine so I’m not going to starve,” she said.

“Stay put and…” The line went completely dead.

When Allie looked at her phone all she got was a no service signal. Evidently, the wind had played havoc with the towers between Archer City and Dry Creek. She laid the phone on the nightstand, removed her coat, and hung it in the closet. An extra blanket, tucked away inside a zippered bag, rested on a fold-up luggage rack. She removed it and tossed it on the bed. Then she kicked off her boots and wet socks and set them under the desk.