Chapter Two

Beck wrapped one hand around the steering wheel and used the thumb of his other hand to jab at the buttons on his phone. His cell service had drifted in and out since he’d turned off the main highway. Damn technology. Rocks pinged against the underside of the giant SUV he’d rented in Austin, and a cloud of dust floated up behind him as he navigated down the deserted dirt road.

No attorney would have an office out here in the middle of nowhere. He must have made a wrong turn. The map flashed across his phone, and he focused all his attention on the tiny screen, trying to figure out where he was before the image disappeared again.

No luck.

He glanced up just in time to see something charge across the road. Squinting behind his dark shades, he tried to see where it went. Was it a cow? Were cows that agile? He’d only ever seen them on TV, and even then, they just stood around chewing.

He’d been sweating since he’d landed in Austin. Even with the air-conditioning blowing on high, the heat and humidity made him feel like he’d stepped into a steam room. His sunglasses slipped down his nose. As he reached up to push them back in place, whatever he’d seen before darted into the road again, this time so close it nearly clipped the bumper.

What the hell? He slammed his foot on the brake. The SUV fishtailed. “No, no, no.” His hands turned the wheel, trying to straighten out the back end, but it was too late. The tires couldn’t catch on the gravel. He ended up doing a one-eighty before sliding down the embankment and coming to a stop in the drainage ditch. The vehicle sat at about a thirty-degree angle with the passenger door on the low side next to a field of tall grass.

“Dammit!” He slapped both palms against the steering wheel, his heart battering against the walls of his chest like a pissed-off bird shoved in a cage. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. No pain. Nothing broken. Everything was okay.

The driver’s side door groaned in protest as he pushed it open. With a grunt, he extricated himself from the seat belt and scrambled up the embankment to the side of the road. Hands on his hips, he assessed the situation. There was absolutely no way he’d be able to get the SUV out of the ditch on his own. When would he catch a freaking break?

A glance at his phone confirmed he still had no service. The attorney had probably given up on him by now. It was pushing four o’clock, and their appointment had been scheduled for three. How was he supposed to know his flight would be delayed and it would take him an hour to get the rental car from the Austin airport? With no cell service, he didn’t have a way to call. He should have just printed the directions Hill’s secretary had emailed him.

He didn’t even know which way to walk. Hadn’t seen another car on the road for more than a half hour. And what the hell had run across the road? Hopefully whatever it was had fared better than his SUV.

He put his hand to his forehead to block the unforgiving sun and tried to determine which direction offered the better option—an endless dirt road to the right or…oh yeah, an endless dirt road to the left.

Screw it. He reached into his pocket for a quarter, ready to let fate choose for him, when he noticed a cloud of dust in the distance. As he baked in the hundred-degree heat, without even a stirring of a breeze, the dust ball moved closer. With his luck, it was probably a stampede of runaway longhorns coming to crush him into the dirt.

He knew he should never have left New York.

* * *

Charlie sang along to the radio, performing an impromptu duet with her country crush, Blake Shelton, as she made her way over to the stretch of dirt cutting through the Martinez’s acreage. Where could that ornery pig be? Baby Back couldn’t have gone too far. The patch job Dwight assured her would hold “even against Houdini” had barely kept the pig contained for the past week since her last wild escape.

With Sully gone and the honky-tonk temporarily her responsibility, Charlie didn’t have time to chase the stupid sow halfway across Conroe County again. The truck bounced down the dirt road; she squinted ahead. What in the world was that? Who would be out for a walk in this heat in the middle of nowhere?

She slowed the truck, taking in the sight of the tall, sandy-blond, seriously cut stranger. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d hallucinated on a deserted back road. The combination of humidity and heat could do that to a lonely gal.

But as she got closer, she noticed the brand-new SUV tilted in the ditch. This was no mirage. She studied the man again. A starched button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up exposed strong forearms. Flat-front khakis stretched tightly across muscular thighs. Spiffy shades, fancy leather shoes… This had to be Beckett Sullivan Holiday III, Sully’s long-lost grandson. Tongues were wagging all over Holiday about him coming to town this weekend.

Her appreciation of his physique morphed into something between indifference and disgust. Served him right for driving his fancy car off the road. Tempted to pass right by, she was compelled to bring the truck to a stop only by her affection for Sully.

The man approached the driver’s side, his mouth curled into a sheepish smile.

She forced a tight grin and leaned out the window. “What seems to be the trouble?”

“Thank God. I was starting to think I might die right here on the side of the road.” He rested one of those sinewy forearms on her door. A hint of expensive cologne wafted off his skin. “I seem to have lodged my rental in the ditch.”

Charlie ignored an uptick in her pulse and peered past him. “You did a nice job wedging yourself in there.”

He glanced toward his SUV, then back at her. “Yeah, I don’t really do things half-assed. Lucky for me you came along.” He offered another apologetic grin.

She didn’t reciprocate. Might be lucky for him, but her luck had apparently run dry. Who the hell had she pissed off recently to deserve a day like today? First she had to deal with Baby Back and now this city boy.

He waited a beat for a response that didn’t come, then tapped his hand against the doorframe. “So, yeah, something ran across the road, and I had to slam on the brakes. I’ve got Triple A. Does your cell phone work? I’ve got no service out here, but if yours works, I can call for a tow truck. I’m sure they’ll have me out of here in no time.”

The Yankee continued to spout off about cell towers and roadside assistance while she slid out of the truck. She turned her back to him and walked to the edge of the road. “There’s only one tow truck in town,” Charlie finally interrupted. “You’re welcome to give him a call. But I heard he went fishing. Depending on how the fish are biting, might take him a while to tear himself away.”

Beckett wiped away the sweat beading at his brow and shook his head. “Damn.”

He probably deserved to get stuck here all day waiting on a tow. She almost climbed back into her truck. But something about the way he cocked his hip and funneled a hand through his hair reminded her of Sully. Dammit.

With her hands clamped on her hips, she nodded toward the bed of her truck. “Why don’t you hand me a rope and I’ll see if I can pull you out?”

“You sure?”

“Unless you want to sit in the ditch all day.”

“No, ma’am.” The dimple on his left cheek practically winked at her as he climbed onto the bumper and stepped into the bed.

She ran her gaze over his classy khakis, catching a glimpse of bare ankle at the hem. Loafers with no socks? Seriously? The local boys were going to chew this guy up like a wad of Skoal and spit him out before he even had a chance to settle that fine-looking ass onto a barstool.

“Will this work?” He held up a coil of rope.

“That’ll be fine. If you toss one end down here, I’ll tie it up.”

The whole truck rocked as he climbed over the edge and hopped out. “I can do that for you.”

She smirked at the chivalrous offer. “Just toss me the rope. I wouldn’t want you to get your fancy shoes dirty.”

Beckett glanced down at his feet before shrugging and tossing her the rope. “I guess nobody told me loafers weren’t fit for Texas.” He was so easygoing about it, she almost felt bad for poking fun. But then she thought of all the years Sully had waited for some word from his family out east, and it made her want to shake him up even more.

“Boots aren’t a requirement. But they do come in handy when you find yourself wading through the tall grass to rescue a city boy in distress.” The end of the rope sailed her way and she snagged it out of the air, then scrambled down the embankment to secure it underneath the front bumper.

“I’ll try to avoid any further trouble.” He offered her a hand as she climbed out of the ditch. “I sure do appreciate your help.”

Charlie opted to take it. Warm, firm grip, smooth… Not like the hands of the men who worked on her family’s ranch. Those were callused and rough.

“Plus, they help keep the ticks away.” She reached the road and reclaimed her hand, not wanting to admit to herself how nice it felt to be touched by a man. Even if it was this man.

He paused. “Ticks?”

“Yep. Ticks like to hang out in the weeds.” Charlie brushed her hands against her thighs, trying to wipe away the tingles of contact before she bent down to secure the other end of the rope to her trailer hitch.

“Then I’d better keep my car on the road from now on. So what do we do next?” Beckett shifted his weight, gesturing to the SUV. “Do you think this will work?”

Standing, she squinted up at him. “Now you put it in drive and aim for the road, and I pull you out of the ditch.” She directed a pointed look to the SUV.

“That easy, huh?”

Charlie angled her hip. “Helps if you get in the car.”

He let out a deep laugh, and she had to bite back her grin. She didn’t want to admit to herself how much she was enjoying their little exchange. It had been a long time since she’d made a man laugh.

He half stepped, half slid down the embankment and climbed into the driver’s seat while she clambered up into the cab of her truck.

The truck engine roared to life, and she yelled out the window. “On three, okay?”

She caught his nod in her rearview mirror…along with her own reflection. Nice, Charlie. A smudge of dirt decorated her cheek, and her hair had escaped her ponytail to stick out from under her hat like she’d been electrocuted. She reached up to smooth down her hair but stopped herself. Whatever. Not like she needed to impress anyone.

Turning her attention back to the steering wheel, she held her hand out the window and lifted a finger. “One.”

She shifted into drive and held up another finger. “Two.”

With her boot on the gas pedal, she held up a final finger and floored it. “Three!”

The truck surged forward and stopped, straining, trying to gain purchase on the dusty dirt road. Then, slowly, inch by inch, the SUV rolled up and out of the ditch. She drove a few feet, just to make sure they cleared the edge of the road, and put the truck into park before climbing out.

He met her halfway between their vehicles. “Wow, I really didn’t think that was going to work. Thanks so much for your help.”

“Too bad I didn’t have the winch on the back. You’d have been in for a real treat.” She rocked back on the heels of her boots, not sure how to bring the somewhat awkward, somewhat pleasant interaction to a close.

“A winch? I take it you make a habit out of rescuing strangers from the dangerous back roads around here?”

“Ha. Only the ones who can’t fend for themselves.”

“Hey, no fair,” he said with a laugh. “I can fend for myself.”

A flirtatious smile sneaked past her lips. “You fended yourself right into the ditch, didn’t you?”

His voice dropped a notch as he flirted right back. “I talked you into helping me, didn’t I?” He winked, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her gut. “I’m just a little out of my element here, that’s all.”

A little out of his element? That was an understatement. Charlie shook her head, trying to keep her voice calm, even though her heart still played hopscotch in her chest. “You didn’t talk me into anything. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I drove on by and found out later something bad happened to you.”

He lifted his arm to wipe the sweat off his brow again. “You mean besides melting on the side of the road?”

“Or worse.” Get your head out of your butt, Charlie. Nothing good would come out of flirting with Sully’s grandson, no matter how much she enjoyed it.

He reached for his wallet. “Can I pay you something for your time?”

She backed away, offended. “No. People around here help each other out because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t expect to get paid for it.”

His smile faded. “Oh, right. I’m sorry. It’s a little different where I’m from.”

“I can imagine.” And thank God for that. She leaned down to untie the rope connecting their vehicles.

“Let me get that.” His fingers connected with hers on the knot.

She backed away like she’d been struck by a rattlesnake. Sully had never mentioned that his grandson looked like a cross between Thor and that good-looking actor who starred in the chick flicks she’d watched all by herself last weekend. Although, in his defense, Sully hadn’t met the man, and his idea of attractive probably didn’t coincide with hers.

Beckett cleared his throat and handed her the coil of rope. “Sorry for being a smart-ass. It’s my superpower.”

“Yeah,” she said, still off-balance. “Just like your granddad.”

“You knew my grandfather?” He leaned closer, like he wanted to hear more but didn’t want to appear too eager. The effect was almost charming.

“You’re the grandson, aren’t you?” At the blank look he gave her, she clarified. “Beckett Sullivan Holiday?”

His brow furrowed. It was probably hard for someone who lived on an overcrowded island with several million strangers to realize what life in a true small town would be like. He’d learn soon enough that people around Holiday would often know his business before he did.

“Just call me Beck. But I didn’t catch your name, Miss, um?”

“Charlotte.”

He slid his shades off his nose. She wasn’t prepared for the hint of humor in his kind, blue eyes. Could they really be the exact same shade as the bluebonnets dotting the hillside of her family’s ranch? She cringed at the cheesy thought. Wouldn’t do her any good to go soft all of a sudden. The combination of heat, dust, and an attractive relative stranger’s attention must have made her a little woozy.

“I’ll be around for the weekend, staying at the bed-and-breakfast on Valentine.”

Yeah, she knew that too. Darby’s parents owned the historic B and B just off the main road and had been telling everyone in town that Sully’s grandson had booked two nights there.

“I’d love to hear more about my grandfather, but I’m running late for an appointment. Can I buy you a drink later?”

She wanted to dislike Sully’s heir on sight. But he reminded her so much of her old friend it was hard to give him the cold shoulder. Plus, he had such a charming smile, and those hands…

“Or even just a coffee sometime?” he pressed.

What was that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Something like that. Maybe it would be in her best interest to be on speaking terms with Sully’s heir. At least until she figured out what his plans were for the Rose. “Sure. Coffee would be great.”

“Then it’s a date.” One side of his mouth quirked up into a lopsided grin as he realized what he’d said. “I didn’t mean a date date.”

Her face flushed. “Yeah, I know what you meant.” When was the last time she’d had a date date? She didn’t even want to try to think about it, especially not now, when she could still feel the weight of his gaze on her, even through the shades he’d slid back over his eyes.

“So how does tomorrow sound? Ten o’clock? Is there a Starbucks in town?”

Oh, he was so out of place he was like a turkey at a tea party. It was almost painfully cute…if he hadn’t been the self-proclaimed smart-ass grandson of her favorite person in the whole wide world.

“Not unless you want to have coffee in San Marcos. I’m sure we’ll run into each other sometime this weekend.” Probably a lot sooner than he realized, since he’d most likely be stopping by the Rose later on. She climbed into the cab and leaned out the window, a thought occurring to her. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“You said you saw something run across the road. Was it a pig?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a self-deprecating laugh before turning that dazzling grin on her again. “I thought it was a cow but then assumed maybe I was just seeing things. Do you have wild pigs around here?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, ignoring the faint flutter in her chest. Wild pigs ought to be the least of his worries. “Something like that. Which way did it go?”

“Over there.” He pointed to the right, in the direction of Mrs. Martinez’s garden.

Not again. It might be time for Baby Back to retire. “Thanks.” She shifted into gear, then hesitated. Maybe this youngest Holiday wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. She’d toss him a bone, just this once. For Sully. “Can I offer you a piece of advice?”

“Sure.”

She pointed to his loafers. “If you want to fit in, you might want to pick yourself up a pair of ropers along with some boot-cut Levi’s. And don’t even think about tucking your jeans into your boots, cowboy.”

He glanced at his shoes, then smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate the advice.”

“Oh, and one more thing.” Beck met her gaze. “Don’t forget to check yourself for ticks before you bunk down tonight. I hear they especially like that rich Yankee blood.”

He swiped at the legs of his pants, but before he had a chance to respond, she eased away. The reflection in the rearview mirror showed him standing in the middle of the road, in the center of the cloud of dust her tires kicked up. He looked so out of place in his fancy shoes and wrinkle-free dress pants, she almost turned the truck around. She could have done more. Like offered to let him follow her into town. Or warned him about what a busy Friday night at the oldest honky-tonk in Texas might entail.

But until she got a read on what his plans were, she might as well let him flounder. If he was half the man his granddad thought he was, he’d figure things out on his own.

Oh, Sully. Maybe it was better that the old cowboy wasn’t around to see what a hopeless city boy his grandson had turned out to be.