Page 1 of Unbroken

ONE

ELI

Islowed down as I got closer to the stalled Nissan on the side of the road. My day was jam-packed, but I was always quick to lend a hand when someone was having car trouble. Most problems were pretty easy to fix. I could change a tire with my eyes closed and had even rigged a timing belt with a strip of horse blanket once—but when I saw smoke puffing from the car’s engine, I realized I might be out of my league. As I closed in on the car, I narrowed my eyes and scowled when I saw the driver leaning up against it.

There was no mistaking the auburn hair and the sassy stance. Fiona Cafferty was back.

My boss, Josh Cafferty, had mentioned in passing that his youngest sister was coming home to the ranch—probably only temporarily—so it wasn’t a complete surprise to see her in Poplar Springs. However, my reaction toseeingher, to actually resting my eyes on the woman who was the source of so much frustration and annoyance to me for years, was unexpected.

Dammit, why did Fiona Cafferty still make my heart beat off rhythm?

I talked myself down as I eased my truck behind her car. At this point Fiona was basically a stranger to me. Sure, we’d had our fun sparring with each other in high school, but then things took a turn for the worse after she crossed the line. Our competitive relationship ended after that, and we didn’t keep in touch after graduation. That, plus the passage of time and all the changes that came along with it meant I had no clue what Fiona was like now.

My truck tires crunched on the gravel, and Fiona turned around to beam her trademark showstopping smile. Sort of wished I had a dashcam to memorialize her reaction once she realized precisely who was coming to her rescue. “There we go,” I said aloud as I watched her smile fade as quickly as it had appeared.

Not that the lack of a smile mattered. She was stunning, frown or not. If I were honest with myself, she looked even better now than she had eight years ago when we graduated from high school. The hair that had been a wild mass of copper curls looked sleek and businesslike now—in direct contrast to her personality, which I assumed was still just as fierce. I scanned her quickly. The curves I remembered were still there, but now they were highlighted in some sort of print romper thing that managed to show off her legsandchest. I didn’t understand the outfit other than it looked expensive and she wore it well.

I opened the door and hopped out. “Fiona,” I said, bumping my fingers under the brim of my hat in a shorthand greeting. “Been a while.”

“Hey, Eli,” she said as she recovered a semblance of her smile. “Figured I’d run into you sooner or later. Josh told me he hired you. Guess that means it’s gonna be tough to avoid you.”

“Yup, he did,” I replied, ignoring her jab. I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat with her, even if her brother was a fairly neutral topic. “You need a ride?” I pointed at her stalled car.

Fiona pretended to kick the tire in frustration. “Yeah, that would be great, thanks. If it’s not a problem for you.”

“Not at all. Let’s go.”

“I appreciate it. Let me just grab some of my stuff first.”

“I’ll help—” I started toward the trunk.

“No, I got it,” Fiona said, flashing her hand at me to stop me in my tracks. “I’ve made it this far without help. I can get my things myself.”

My eyebrows flew up. City living had toughened her up. Not that she’d ever been soft, exactly. Ranch girls grew up strong. But city life brought out a different sort of attitude—one that apparently didn’t appreciate the offer of a helping hand. Or maybe she just didn’t appreciate it when it came from me.

Fine.

I watched her struggle with a briefcase and an oversized, flashy silver suitcase, a bemused smile on my face. How the hell was she going to lift the thing into the back of my truck on her own? She dragged it down the pebbly shoulder and paused when she got to the back of my truck, seeming to calculate the best way to hoist the suitcase up and over. Fiona took a deep breath and bent her knees, bracing herself for the hammer toss move that would be necessary to get it in. Could she pull it off? Doubtful. Still, I’d let her try. She gripped the handle, her arms shaking as she tried to swing it up, but the suitcase just landed on the ground with a thump. With a growl, she glared at it as if its hefty weight wasn’t her fault. Rubbing her hands on her outfit to wipe the sweat off, I tried not to watch how the fabric pressed tightly against her curves.

When I considered the definitions of “stubborn” combined with “persistent,” I would always picture Fiona. She had the suitcase in handagain and took a wobbly step back as she readied to attempt another throw.

I didn’t have time for this.

“Let me,” I said, sliding my hand next to hers on the handle. Her eyes went wide as she snatched her hand away as if I’d scorched her. I smoothly popped open the tailgate with one hand and lifted the suitcase with the other. Sure, it weighed a lot and nearly dislocated my shoulder, but I wasn’t about to let Fiona know it was a struggle for me to lift it.

“I’ve got the number for Anderson’s Garage; we can get them out here to tow you.”

“Thanks. I do appreciate your help, Eli. I have no clue what happened. I mean, sure, there was this warning light that kept blinking at me over the past week or so, but those aren’t a big deal, right? But then when I was driving today, there were a bunch of lights going off on the dash, everything was flashing like some sort of video game …”

I turned to her with a start. “Seriously, Fiona? It’s probably an engine problem. Flashing lights are bad.”

I stopped talking when I saw the smile creeping onto her lips.

“No, I’m not serious, Eli. I takeexcellentcare of my car.”

How typical was that? She always used to say that I took things too seriously, which was why she’d deemed it her self-appointed job to get me to lighten up. I wasn’t sure how light she’d made me, but she’d definitely had a knack for getting under my skin … and it looked like she still did. I was about to shoot back at her, the beginning of the banter we used to have, when I realized that everything was different now. We’d both grown and changed.

And the truth was, what she’d done to me all of those years ago still smarted.

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