Page 24 of Red Hot Rancher

“How long will the repairs take?” He had an old pickup that he kept running, so a backup wasn’t an issue. The time without his regular ride just added to the general inconvenience of it all.

“About a week. But we can’t fit you in until next week.” Larry shrugged a heavy shoulder. “It’s drivable.”

Yeah, if he wanted to go back to cruising around in a beater that people would use to judge his character. That’d worked so well for him in high school.

“Go ahead and write me in. I’ll drop it off Monday before work.” He’d figure out how to get home from work Tuesday morning.

Larry still held the paper. A bushy eyebrow rose and he jiggled it.

No, Caleb didn’t want to take proof of how much less he had for a house. His policy was going to increase after this claim.

He found where Larry had parked his pickup outside the shop. A brisk wind cut through his sweater. His heavier winter coat was draped across his backseat, where it was nice and warm. He crawled inside and blew out a breath. The cold was refreshing, and he needed it to keep his head from returning to that steamy bathroom with a not-naked-enough Brigit.

He’d had her in his arms again. Her round ass in his hands. Her tongue in his mouth.

And she’d responded with as much energy as he had. If he hadn’t forced himself to stop, would he have been inside her? Would either of them have thought about protection?

Would he have cared?

Yes, of course. He’d been safe his whole sex life, and someday he’d love to be a dad, but only if the other person was all in. Brigit had never mentioned kids. Maybe once, and only as a rigid step in her ideal life path. College. Career. Marriage. Kids. And none of that shit in Moore.

So he should pat himself on the back. His restraint had been Herculean. If only he could stop imagining how it might’ve felt to have nothing between them—both literally and metaphorically.

He flung the pickup into gear, not knowing where he was going and not caring.

The morning had been spent on the phone with his insurance agent while he finished chores. He’d missed lunch while he waited for the estimate on his vehicle.

His stomach rumbled. Okay, then. Food. He might as well run through the grocery store. But first the butcher shop. The deer wasn’t going to squeeze itself into sausage casings.

He was across town within minutes. Walking into the butcher shop, he nearly groaned. The scent of spices surrounded him, reminding him of their meat-filled dinner with the Jameses. Just what he needed. Another Brigit recollection rising up like the lady of the lake. Hanging out last night. Being together. In public—sort of. It might’ve been as friends, but he hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted that. No matter how many years had passed, he went back to being that kid who yearned to be out with his girlfriend.

As he wound around the shelves full of seasonings and marinades, another smell hit him. Flowery perfume that clashed with the savory scents.

“Caleb?”

He turned toward the unfamiliar female voice. It took a moment to recognize the girl he’d gone to school with. Priya Patel had grown into some dead-sexy curves. Long, shiny black hair hung over one shoulder, but the biggest change was the lighter touch she wielded with her makeup brush. Her natural beauty had a chance to shine through.

The first smile of the day hit him. “Priya, hey. Back in town?”

They hadn’t hung out in the same crowd until her best friend had dated Justin. Then broken up with him. Then dated him again. Maisy wasn’t on the list of people he missed socializing with, but seeing Priya again was nice. She’d always balanced the effect of Maisy.

Why couldn’t he have been interested in Priya? She probably harbored feelings for Justin, but still. How would things have been different? Instead, he’d given his heart to one woman.

And moved on. Sort of. He dated other women, had sporadic sex, and tried not to think about growing old alone.

Priya grinned and crossed her arms, the mass of necklaces around her neck jingling. “I’m actually back for good.”

“Seriously?” He glanced around. The owner of the shop nodded at him from behind the counter. That’s right. Priya’s grandpa ran the place.

“Yeah. I’m finishing my residency and I got a position here.” She spread her hands out. “Meet the new OB/GYN in town.”

“Hey, congrats.”

“Thanks. And you? I’ve been so far in the med school rabbit hole, I haven’t heard much, except from, you know. Maisy.” Her smile turned strained. Apparently, the relationship between him and Brigit wasn’t the only one to suffer under maturity.

“I’m a fireman.”

Her laugh tinkled through the shop. “Of course. How could I forget that was your dream job? Didn’t your family ranch like Justin’s?”

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