Page 21 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

Rusty raised his eyebrows. Driving a truck wasn’t the easiest thing if you’d never done it before. This wasn’t a huge truck, more like a larger delivery van, but it was still different from driving a car. “I’m impressed.” Much about Kristy Winslow impressed him.

He heard a car door slam and saw Mel. When he joined them, Rusty began the introductions. “Kristy, Ariel, this is Mel Carson. He works for my brother-in-law, but this afternoon he’s agreed to help you two move.” Rusty checked his watch. “Another guy, Stetson, should be along in a few minutes.”

Mel smiled, shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, and nodded toward Ariel. He might not look like a muscular guy, seeing as he was thin and lanky, but Mel was a hard worker, always pulling more than his weight.

“That’s so nice of you.” Ariel beamed at Mel, as if he were the target and she was the laser.

With that, a black pickup pulled into a space nearby.

“Speaking of the devil.”

Stetson climbed out, and all eyes, including Kristy’s and Ariel’s, turned in his direction. Rusty guessed Stetson might be attractive to a woman. He was just under six feet, had a wrestler’s body, and always looked like he was amused at something. He was a good friend. Had been there back in the day when Tamara had stabbed Rusty in the heart, and Stetson had supported Rusty’s decision to join the air force despite everyone else telling him not to.

Stetson looked the ladies over, as if aware he was the center of attention.

Rusty thrust out his hand. Stetson shook it. “Let me introduce you. Stetson, this is Kristy…” He said her name with emphasis, hoping Stetson would remember his admonition. “And her friend Ariel.”

Ariel stepped forward, her hand outstretched. “Actually, Kristy and I are cousins.”

Stetson shook her hand, looking her straight in the eye. “I see the resemblance.”

Strange, because Rusty didn’t, as Ariel, being small, looked like a good wind could blow her away. But at least Stetson focused on Ariel.

Rusty clapped his hands. “Let’s get this thing unloaded.”

It took a few hours, but between the five of them, with Rusty, Mel, and Stetson doing the heavy lifting, the truck was finally empty. Rusty didn’t mind admitting that he felt every bit of furniture he’d lifted. He needed to work out more. Since leaving the air force almost six months ago, he’d obviously let himself go.

But he wasn’t too tired to collect the “fee” as he stood in the air-conditioned living room of the apartment and took in the clutter of stacked boxes. He took a swig of water from the bottle he’d filled at least three times. “You promised dinner. That was my bribe to Mel and Stetson.”

Kristy sat on one of the boxes. “So I did.” She checked her watch. “If you can return the truck to the rental company’s lot in Gillette as you offered, Ariel and I will be ready in a few.”

Though her hair was tumbled from the wind, with strands sticking to the side of her neck and beads of perspiration dotting her brow, she still looked good to him. She’d worked like a trouper, carrying box after box up the stairs to the second floor, working just as hard as he, Mel, and Stetson had. Ariel too. He like a woman who was not afraid of hard work. A woman like that would make someone a good wife and partner.

Now where had that thought come from? He shrugged, hoping the funny feeling the thought engendered would leave his stomach.

He took a breath. Nope. Still there.

He’d better watch or he’d be fantasizing about something that could never be.

“Come on, Mel. You can ride with me. Stetson, you can pick us up in your truck.”

No woman wanted a guy whose demons wouldn’t go away, much as he tried to rid himself of them.

Chapter 7

Kristy could have curled up and fallen asleep right there on the bench in the Mexican restaurant, but for the company she was with. Ariel, on the other hand, had seemed to get a second wind and was discussing her vegetarian philosophy while she perused the menu.

“These men are from cattle country. They ranch,” Kristy reminded her cousin.

“I don’t hold it against them, as I’m sure they don’t hold it against me that I don’t eat beef. Do you?” Ariel tilted her head in the men’s direction.

“No, ma’am.” Mel chuckled.

Stetson leaned forward. “I’m not a rancher, and I don’t hold it against you one bit. But I’m going to order the steak compadres, so I hope you won’t hold that against me.” He winked at Ariel.

A rosy pink suffused Ariel’s face.

Mel closed his menu. “Sounds good to me. Don’t mind saying I worked up an appetite.”

---