Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain #2)(22)
“She’s mine,” Tate announced, my body gave a little jerk at his curiously proprietary words and my head twisted fast to look up at him.
“Yours?” Wood asked and his voice was now a little scary.
“I work for him,” I explained and watched Wood’s face and body relax.
“Ah,” he murmured, crossed his arms on his chest and his mouth twitched.
“You got car troubles?” Tate asked me, ignoring Wood.
“She needs an oil change and a detail,” Wood answered for me, not ignoring Tate, then he looked at the gray-haired man. “I’m givin’ her the ‘Stang as a loaner.”
The gray-haired man’s bushy eyebrows went straight to his hairline and I felt Tate go tense at my side.
“You’re givin’ her the ‘Stang as a loaner for an oil change?” the gray-haired man asked, clearly surprised.
“Yep,” Wood answered casually.
“Shee-it,” the gray-haired man muttered.
“Um… I can walk, mostly,” I informed them. “But I have to go to Shambles and Sunny’s tonight so I need a car, just for tonight.”
“I’ll give you a ride on my bike,” Tate offered and my head twisted again, and again it was fast, and I did this just so I could stare at him.
Then I said, “That isn’t necessary.”
“When you gotta be there?” Tate asked.
Before I could decline, Wood spoke. “She’s gettin’ the ‘Stang.”
Tate’s eyes sliced to Wood and he returned, “I got her.”
“We already made the deal,” Wood replied.
“I got her,” Tate repeated.
“Um…” I mumbled, Tate’s gaze sliced to me and at the look in his eyes I clamped my mouth shut.
“You’re on my bike,” he growled.
“She’s in the ‘Stang,” Wood growled back and Tate looked back at him and I could swear, for some reason, if anyone moved it would set them off and they’d jump and rip each other’s throats’ out.
“Flower Petal!” I heard, I braced for mayhem but turned to see Shambles, his long hair flying out behind him, his blue-tinted, round glasses on his nose, he was carrying a plate with a napkin on it and what looked like pieces of bread and he was running toward us.
“Hey Shambles,” I called.
He skidded to a halt at our grouping and smiled at me, oblivious to the bizarre tension that was curling insidiously through the air.
“You didn’t come for coffee today,” Shambles accused good-naturedly.
“That’s my next stop,” I told him.
“Groovintude!” he shouted.
“Is that your banana bread?” I motioned to the plate with my head.
“Yeah!” he yelled. “Been wanderin’ the sidewalk all mornin’ handin’ it out. Like, five people took a bite and then walked right to the shop to get themselves a slice. You… are… genius!” Shambles answered on another yell.
“Great,” I smiled at him then pulled in breath, turned to the boys and declared, “That banana bread is the best you’ll ever eat and you can get it right down the street.”
I saw all the men were staring at Shambles like they didn’t know what to make of him but what they were coming up with they didn’t like all that much.
Then Shambles looked around the forecourt and his eyes came to me.
“You got car troubles?” he asked.
“No,” I answered quickly before anyone else could say anything. “Just need an oil change and stuff. Though, my car’ll be here for awhile.”
“Okay, that’s groovy, Sunny and I’ll swing by the hotel and pick you up before we go home. You come up early, you can help me smush chick peas for the hummus.”
Thank God for Shambles, unexpected but welcome problem-solver.
“That’s perfect,” I told him.
“Awesome!” he cried. “Be at your place at five-ish.”
“See you then,” I said and he looked at the guys and stuck his plate to them.
“Bread?” he asked.
“Pass,” Tate growled, glaring at Shambles.
“No,” Wood growled, also glaring at Shambles.
“I’ll take a piece,” the gray-haired man said and then took a piece, popped it in his mouth and chewed while Shambles watched.
“Well?” Shambles asked.
The gray-haired man looked at me and stated, “You’re right, sweetheart, that shit’s great.”
“Right on!” Shambles yelled.
“You should taste his coffee,” I said to the gray-haired man, “heaven.”
“May do that,” he mumbled as Tate and Wood remained staunchly silent.
“Speakin’ a’ that, Flower Petal, you haven’t had your fix,” Shambles put in.
“Oh, right, yeah,” I muttered then turned to Wood and held out my keys. “I’ll be back on Monday?”
“Need your number,” Wood replied, taking my keys and Tate got tense at my side again.
“My number?” I asked, forcing my eyes to stay on Wood.
“Yeah, baby, need it if we find somethin’ you need to know about,” Wood replied, he wasn’t tense and his voice had gone gentle and him calling me baby in that gentle voice, I had to admit, I liked.