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“Just fill out this form here. Just some basic information. While you do that, I’ll bring the car around.” He turned the form to me, and I grabbed the pen from the counter to complete the information.
“How much do I owe you? Was there anything else wrong with it that needed fixing?” I’d hoped it wasn’t too much. I didn’t have a lot saved up, especially since most of my money was in an account controlled by Jeff, but I did have an emergency credit card I could put it on.
“No charge. Anything for my friend Officer Bennett. And your car was fine. It’s old and needed some basic maintenance. I did an oil change and topped off some fluids. I changed your air filter too since it’s a bit dustier around here than Georgia.”
My eyebrows pushed together. That didn’t sound right. “Are you sure?” Why did I have a feeling he might have done more? My car hadn’t been running all that great, even when it did have gas.
He nodded. “I’ll be right back with the car.” Chase disappeared out back.
“What’s wrong?” Duke appeared next to me, his eyes narrowed. I loved and hated how quickly he was learning my moods.
“It feels weird not paying him anything. I’ve never gotten anything for free before.” I tucked my hair behind my ear.
He chuckled. “You might need to get used to that around here.” His arm bumped my shoulder, and I could see he was fighting a smile.
Chase pulled my beat-up little car around to the front just as we exited. I barely recognized it. It was shiny and clean.
“You washed it?” I lifted my eyebrows. I also had a sneaking suspicion he detailed the inside too.
Chase shrugged. “Every car gets it when they come through right now. My nephew does it. He’s trying to save up for a new saddle.” The smile of pride at the mention of his nephew melted my heart.
“Well, then, please give my compliments to him and make sure he gets this.” I handed Chase a twenty from my purse. He beamed, and I couldn’t help but smile back. He clearly loved his nephew, and I thought it was sweet he gave him an opportunity to earn money at the shop. I glanced at Duke. I was still suspicious about why there was no charge for the work on my car. I had a sneaking suspicion Duke had something to do with it with the way Chase said Officer Bennett.
Chase nodded to me and then to Duke before disappearing into his shop. I stood in the open door, staring up at Duke, wondering if I should ask him point-blank. Before I could decide, my breath caught as Duke caged me in. He was close but not so close that he made me nervous. His body blocked the sun like he had done the first time we’d met. I bit my lip, my emotions rioting in my stomach the longer he stared at me. I drew in a deep breath, his scent surrounding me. He pinched my chin with his thumb and forefinger, and butterflies erupted in my stomach.
“Follow me to the ranch. I’ll be watching closely, but if something goes wrong, honk at me. You also have my cell, but I’d rather you not talk and drive. Be mindful of animals. They tend to come out of nowhere around here.” His steady gaze pinned me in place, and my body heated from head to toe.
“Yes, sir,” I whispered.
A low growl left his lips, and my skin tingled. He may be grumpy, but he was also protective and demanding. It must be how he showed he cared, and realizing that made me want to yank his head down and kiss him.
He leaned in closer, then paused.
Emotions flashed one by one in his eyes as our gazes locked together. Anger, sorrow, need, and what I hoped was lust were the ones I could make out.
I licked my parched lips. He was only inches from me, and the tension rolled off him in waves. I leaned in, and my eyes fluttered closed.
His hand dropped from my face, and I took a second before opening my eyes to hide the hurt from his rejection. I hated that he’d pulled away. Although, without him so close, reality crept in. His distance was for the best. He told me why he thought he was too broken, but the kicker was, he had no idea how broken I was too.
I hurriedly got behind the wheel of my car and shut the door. He lingered outside for a moment, making sure I’d started the car before he headed to his patrol car. Fiddling with the radio, I found a clear station with decent music to keep me occupied on the drive. It had been nice having Duke to talk to on the way into town. The longer I drove, the more I felt like when I had arrived a few days ago—alone and falling apart, with nowhere to go.
Needing the distraction, I called my mom to let her know where I was.
“Hello,” she answered tentatively on the third ring, and I realized she wouldn’t recognize this number.
“Hi, Mom. It’s me, Abbey.” I tried to sound cheerful. I wasn’t ready to tell her about Jeff.
“Oh, Abbey. I didn’t recognize your number. Did you get a new one?” Now that she knew it was me, I could hear the joy in her voice.
“Only a temporary one. That’s why I’m calling. I wanted to let you know that I ended up not going home. I made a detour to visit Blake and Grace in Texas. My cell doesn’t work out here, so I just popped into town and got a temp one.”
“Oh, honey, that’s great. I’m so glad you’re seeing the girls. It’s been so long.”
“I know. And I didn’t want you to be worried if you tried to call me and I wasn’t answering. So, this is my new phone for now, in case you need me.”
“How long are you staying?” Her voice was full of excitement. She’d been pushing me to go visit the girls since they landed here, but I couldn’t tell her Jeff never allowed me to.
“I’m not sure yet. At least a few more days.”
