“You have a brother?”
“Yeah, a brother who engages in criminal activity like breaking and entering. Should we add vandalism?”
Wyatt snapped his head up. “Everyone comes out here.”
“And trashes property that doesn’t belong to them? Is that what’s cool these days? Vandalism? Tearing up—”
“I didn’t do none of this,” Wyatt said, anger seeping into his voice. Cal’s brother was several inches taller than him, but still slim as a fence post. He had the same color hair, but he seemed to have brown eyes and a swarthy complexion. “People tore this place up a long time ago.”
“You may not be destroying property, but you are trespassing.”
“Well, I didn’t know. We were just looking for a place to—”
“Just shut up, Wyatt,” the blonde said, wiping the tears leaking from her eyes.
Maggie placed a hand on Cal’s arm. She could feel his frustration. “It’s okay, Cal.”
“It’s not okay. These kids have been—”
“Cal,” she said, rubbing his arm. Wyatt noticed and looked at her a bit harder, so she turned to him. “Wyatt, I’d appreciate if you’d let everyone know the Triple J is occupied. We’re renovating the property and there will be a lot of workers around in the next few weeks. The property will be sold to new owners who won’t look favorably on local kids tearing up their things. As of tonight, the Triple J is closed for drinking, carousing and, uh, making out. Tell everyone to find a new place to party.”
Wyatt nodded. “Okay, but you’re not going to, like, press charges or something, right? I mean, we didn’t do any graffiti or anything.”
“No charges. And now you can put it on blast.” Cal uncrossed his arms.
“No one says that anymore,” Wyatt observed.
“Well, whatever kids call it these days,” Cal said, nodding toward the cab. “Take Hannah home. I won’t say anything to Mom about this. Wait, have you been drinking?”
“Not yet,” Wyatt said, looking disappointed his night hadn’t gone as planned. “But if we had, this would have totally killed our buzz.”
“I better not catch you drinking and driving. I’ll go to Gary and you can kiss your 4x4 goodbye.” Cal set his hands on his hips, looking commanding. Maggie noted how good commanding looked on him.
“Way to be a bro,” Wyatt muttered before pausing. “Wait, why are you out here, anyway?”
“I’m helping Maggie get the place ready to go on the block,” Cal said.
“You?” Wyatt looked at his older brother like he’d just announced he was wearing panty hose and a bra. “I thought you were about to start training. Does Mom know?”
“She knows and I’m still training. Now take Hannah home.”
Wyatt shrugged, his dark eyes reflecting amusement. “I guess I ain’t blind and can see what you’re up to.”
Cal didn’t look too happy about his younger brother’s parting shot. Wyatt climbed into the truck, shut the door and fired the engine, giving his brother a salute on the way out.
“What does he think you’re up to?” Maggie said, watching the twin red brake lights as they blinked in the darkness before disappearing over the rise.
“Let’s just say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Cal said, turning back toward the house. The inky darkness settled around them again, the night eerily quiet other than the serenade of crickets.
So he thought their kiss was the beginning. But she had the power to nip the attraction in the bud if she so wished. Problem was...she wasn’t sure she wished it.
5
THREE DAYS LATER Cal pulled into the parking lot of the Home Depot and turned to Maggie. The woman wore a sundress that gathered just beneath her full breasts and strappy sandals that would do little good in a home-improvement store. But he had to admit she looked delicious.
Practical or sexy?
He’d go with sexy every time. Or at least most times.
A woman like Maggie made him glad to be a man.
“So I have the list right here,” she said, unbuckling and waving the pad he’d been scribbling on for the past few days. “Where shall we start?”
“At the top,” he said, climbing from the cab and jogging around to get her door. She’d been in the process of opening it and looked at him oddly when he pulled it open and held out his hand. “I’m helping you down.”
“Why?”
He sighed. “Bud wasn’t much of a Texan, was he?”
“He was from Philly. Texas was his hobby. Though he often commented on how much he wished he’d sold the business and moved down here full-time. Guess Edelman’s Ice Cream was part of who he was. Couldn’t let something his father loved go so easily.”
“I was referring to his manners. Didn’t he ever open a door for a lady?”
Maggie stopped next to the orange shopping carts and tilted her head. Real cute-like. “I get that dudes down here think they have to be chivalrous, but women are perfectly capable of opening a damn door.”
“You don’t get it,” he said, shaking his head, moving toward the double doors that swooshed open, giving him the scent of fresh lumber.
“Nope, but I’ll try to appreciate it better,” she said, grabbing a shopping cart.
“Perfect. We need some doorknobs,” he said, grabbing a few pewter-colored ones from a display near the machine that made keys. Counting out five, he set them in the back of the cart.
“Those aren’t at the top of the list. Are those the right size?” she asked, eyeing the packages.
“Cal Lincoln?” the voice came from his left, making his heart sink. He’d hoped he could get through the afternoon without the PBR faithful recognizing him. Which is why he’d left his jeans and boots at home, choosing the seldom-used athletic shorts and sneakers instead. He felt naked without his cowboy hat, but compromised by jerking on a Nike visor. He looked like a suburban soccer dad. Or so he’d thought.
He turned and donned a smile.
“Damn, man, I haven’t seen you in eight or nine years, but I recognized that walk,” the man said, holding out his hand.
Cal grabbed it, staring at the man hard, trying to figure out if he was supposed to know him or if he was a fan. The man looked about his age though he had balded prematurely. A round basketball stomach made the Texas Rangers T-shirt stick out and when the Lord was handing out asses, this man had skipped the line. But the friendly smile was familiar. “Hey, man.”
“You don’t remember me, huh?” the guy said, taking his hand.
“You got me there. See so many people—”
“James Maloney?”
“Oh, shit, man. Of course. Coyote Creek High School. Can’t believe I didn’t recognize you,” Cal said, slapping him on the shoulder. James had been a baseball teammate before Cal had dropped out to pursue bull riding full-time. Of course his friend had had a thick mane of curly hair back then.
James ran a hand over his shining head. “Well, I’ve lost a little up top.” He looked at Maggie with an appreciative smile, unasked question in his eyes.
“I’m Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Cal’s boss.”
She liked saying that. And that amused Cal. James frowned, but managed to recoup the smile. “His boss, huh? Y’all married or something?”
“Of course not. He’s working for me,” she said, dropping his hand.
James shot Cal a funny look. “I thought you were rehabbing the shoulder?”
“Oh, he still goes to physical therapy several times a week,” Maggie said, glancing at him with a questioning look as if she didn’t understand how a guy he hadn’t seen in ten years would know he was in rehab. He supposed she was so accustomed to speaking for Bud Edelman, she naturally tried to handle situations. Like the night before last with his brother. She’d inserted herself right in the middle of the issue, even stroking his arm to calm him when she felt him losing his temper. Underneath her calm, cool vibe was a nosy, bossy busybody, but Cal appreciated she was a little big for her britches. And if he could get her out of those britches? Even better.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Maggie the boss.” James gave her an amused look. She narrowed her eyes.
“I’ll be seeing you, man,” Cal said, slapping his old friend on the back again. “Gotta get back to work before my boss docks my pay.”
James laughed. “Yeah, me, too. My wife’s been texting me to get my behind out to the garden center for the last few minutes. Total ball buster.” And with a final wave, James disappeared behind a display of shop vacuums.
Cal took the list from the cart and peered at it. “Okay, let’s head over to grab the caulk I’ll need for the sink and bathtub.” He started walking, but after a few yards he sensed she wasn’t behind him. Figured she wouldn’t follow him.
Turning, he found her regarding him.
“What?”
She shoved the cart to the side and walked toward him, arms crossed. She reminded him of his mother when he’d spilled something on the clean kitchen floor. “Something’s not gelling with you. Everyone knows you’re rehabbing your shoulder. At first I thought it was because Coyote Creek is such a small town, but now this guy you haven’t seen in ten years knows about it.”