Page 46 of Catch Me, Cowboy
“Why are you working so late?” It was almost two hours after his usual quitting time and he obviously hadn’t been stuck that long, because he hadn’t dug the wheels out yet.
“To get the fence done so that I can leave?”
All right, then…
She shoved her hands in her back pockets, ignoring his show of temper. “Want a ride back, or do you want to try to pull it out now?”
“Now.”
“I need to call Wyatt.” She glanced up at him after pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Why didn’t you call when you got into trouble?”
“Manly pride,” he muttered so low she could barely hear him.
Shelby made her call then put her phone away and propped her hands on her hips. “It’s been a long time since we tackled a situation like this.”
“Last time it was a tractor, if I recall.” His voice had softened an iota.
“Gramps was so pissed.”
Ty continued to study the four-wheeler as if it were the tractor all those years ago. “Someone should have been watching where they were going.”
Shelby also kept her eyes firmly on the half-sunk four-wheeler. “I was distracted,” she murmured.
Something about a hand working its way up her thigh. And it had felt so good right up until the tractor tipped drunkenly into the bog.
“I remember that, too.”
The roughly spoken words made her insides tumble. Shelby let out a breath and turned and walked back to her four-wheeler. She did not want to dwell on how she’d been distracted the day they’d buried the tractor in a bog not that far from this very spot. Or the fact they’d made love afterwards.
She got the tow strap out of the milk crate, fastened to the back rack with bungee cords, and handed it to Ty. He hooked it to the front of the four-wheeler while Shelby turned hers in a circle, bringing the rear end as close to the buried machine as she dared. Ty fastened the other end of the strap and signaled Shelby with his hand. She moved her quad forward, the strap tightened and then the buried quad started moving. Ty signaled her to stop, climbed on the muddy machine, straightened out the wheels, then signaled Shelby to move again. She stopped as soon Ty was on dry ground.
Shelby got off her four-wheeler and waited while Ty unhooked the muddy strap and rolled it. He stowed it in the milk crate, then headed back to his machine and started it. She waited for him to pull up beside her then started back the way she’d come, her headlight now cutting through the darkness.
When they got back to the machine shed, Ty parked next to her and shut off the engine. The building was dark, but light filtered in from the yard lamp just outside.
“Thanks for the rescue.”
“I was getting concerned. I don’t like it when people aren’t where they’re supposed to be.”
His expression made Shelby wish she’d kept her mouth shut, but he didn’t ask for clarification. “I’ll try not to do it again.”
Like he’d be there long enough to do it again. She started out of the building, then stopped after stepping out onto the gravel. “Are you going to town tonight?”
“Why?”
He spoke warily and Shelby didn’t blame him. She moistened her lips. “I have leftover pot roast in the house.”
He gave her a hard look. “After everything that’s gone down between us, why would you invite me to dinner?”
“I don’t know.” She spoke the truth flatly. “Maybe therearethings to be said.”
“In front of Les?”
“Ten to one he’s still asleep.”
“This early?” Ty knew Les’s habits almost as well as she did, having worked with him for over a year.
“Crazy, I know. I made an appointment for him to get a quick checkup today, but he cancelled it.”
