Boomtown (5 page)

 I pulled slowly into the lot and turned the truck off and set the brake. Damn, hell and shit, I was nervous. I snatched the ticket off the seat and got out of the truck and shut the door behind me. Pocketed the keys and headed to the tailgate to get the parts. I opened the tailgate, and reached for the whatchamacallit that was in a cardboard box. I almost had it in my arms when two huge hands entered my vision and took it from me. I followed the hands up to muscular forearms with bright tattoos covering nearly every inch of skin, but the Army Rangers tattoo on his forearm dominated my vision. My eyes continued to follow his arms up to his big beefy looking biceps that were partly covered in a tight black cotton t-shirt that fit like a second skin. I let my eyes devour his perfect shoulders and neck as I continued looking up. And up and up. Man he was taller than I remembered. I looked past his full lips and perfectly straight nose, and was instantly ensnared by his big beautiful eyes. His black hair hung partially in his eyes and he flicked his head back to try to tame it back into place. I was frozen by the pure masculinity of him. He was Gorgeous. His eyes flickered the longer I stared, and finally I said "H-hey." 

  Wow, how original Chey. Way to go. He gave a chin lift turned, walked back into the garage bay and was instantly swallowed by the darkness of the garage.  I only got a small glimpse of his ass in those white washed Levis, but man it was one nice ass.  There was a red bandana hanging out of his back pocket with a shiny chrome wrench and a wallet in the other.  I lifted my arm to my mouth and used the back of my hand to check and make sure I wasn’t drooling.  Nope, no drool, but it was a close call. 

  I turned around and headed back for my truck, crumbling the ticket in my hand and tossing it to the floor, starting the truck and reversing out of the driveway. He didn’t even say a freaking word!  What the hell was that? He barely even acknowledged my presence, and why didn’t I say anything. 

Chapter 3

  I arrived back at Nappa in record time and walked slowly into the front lobby. I had worked myself into a pretty good snit by the time I got back to work.  Ember was at the counter talking to the receptionist about it being a slow day.  Normally we didn’t see each other except in passing until lunch time arrived.  I walked up to the counter and immediately said” I just delivered some parts to Free.”

  She laughed and said, “No Fair.  That’s my run!”

  Her brother Max worked at Free.  He used to be in the same battalion as James, but was injured by a road side bomb and lost some hearing ability in his left ear.  They medically retired him, and he started working at Free almost immediately after getting back home.  He was lucky, it could have been a lot worse.  She enjoyed seeing him any chance she got.  She still had nightmares about getting the phone call saying he had been injured.  When he got home she practically smothered him with her over protectiveness.

  I smiled and said, “I didn’t even know it was Free that I was delivering to until I got on Second Street!” 

  Normally each ticket said the name of the business that was being delivered to.  This time it just had an address. 

  “Have you met the guy with the black hair, copper eyes, and Rangers emblem on his left forearm? The right is covered with tattoos but I didn’t get a very good look at them.” I asked nonchalantly.  

  “Yep, that’s Sam.  He is the owner.  Apparently he used to lead the Battalion that Max and James were in.  When his tour was up he retired and opened Free.” She replied. “Why do you ask?” 

  “He came and got the box of parts from me out in the parking lot, gave me a chin lift, and disappeared back into the shop before I could even give him his ticket.” I lied.  

  “Sam and Chey sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love-” she sang before I interrupted her by throwing my hand over her mouth to shut her up.  

  “Would you shut your trap? I never said one word about liking him!” I said fiercely. 

  “Oh, you didn’t have to.  Your face says it all.  You have this dreamy look in your eyes, and your cheeks are flushed.” She taunted me while she hopped up and down.

  I flushed brighter and headed towards the vending machine to get a Butterfinger bar.  I needed chocolate if I was going to have to deal with her shit this morning.  We have been friends since we were five years old.  We met in Kindergarten and have been best friends and inseparable ever since.  It also didn’t hurt that our brothers were friends as well.   We did everything together, shared everything, and were rarely seen without each other.  Neither one of us had boyfriends, but it was because we were picky and knew what we liked.  We couldn’t be any more opposite personality wise, she was hyper, where I was subdued.  I sat back and watched the action.  Ember was the action.

We’ve worked at Nappa together since we were sixteen years old.  Ember had one more semester of college left before she graduated with her sports medicine degree.  She also had a job already lined up at the local college.

  We did however have the same taste in men.  We loved bad boys, but never fought over the same bad boy. 

  I collected my Butterfinger from the bottom of the machine where it spit it out, and headed back to the counter and said, “Fine he is hot.  What more do you want me to say?”

  “Nothing, you didn’t have to say anything.  I already knew.” She replied.  “What are you doing tonight?”

“I don’t get out of school until four, and then I have to make a run to the grocery store and get some chicken for dinner.” I said. “Would you like to come over and eat with us?”

  “Well yea, why do you think I asked?  You know I can’t cook worth a crap.”  She said, “What are you making?”

  I looked at her and said, “Probably just chicken and rice, I won’t have much time to do much more than that before Janie needs to be in bed.”

  “Ok, that sounds just fine to me! I like your chicken and rice.” She quickly said as Anna handed her a ticket that said who needed parts.  She left quickly after that and we went about our day, saying hi in passing as it picked up to its normal pace.

  At twelve I headed to school.  I was going to school for nursing, just like my mom did.  I still had two semesters, and was just now getting into the actual natty gritty where you actually start learning something besides the basics.  The classes were a bore today for some reason.  Just like throughout my time at work, those copper eyes would pop back into my head and I could concentrate on nothing else.  The time passed slowly as I listened to my Anatomy professor drone on and on about the muscles in the head, neck and chest.  Finally he announced that class was over, and we filed out of the classroom into the hallway. 

  I fast walked to the truck and started the engine while stowing by back pack back behind the seat.  The car next to me started this annoying shriek that announced that someone was trying to break into their car.  When really it was because their alarm was too sensitive and the vibration from my engine could set it off when I started it, or revved my engine next to it.  Piece of shit.  

  I headed to the main highway that would take me back to my mom’s house, which is where I lived again since Janie came along.  I could really use a nap, but I knew that Janie would need fed, and my mom was probably close to pulling her hair out by this point.

  I was driving at a steady clip when I started to feel this vibration in my chest and head.  What the fuck is that?  I turn my head to the left to see a motorcycle come roaring past and just get a glimpse of copper eyes and black hair.  A sudden pissed offedness over took me.  But I couldn’t help but think, Oh my god that is the hottest thing on two wheels that I have ever seen in my life! So maybe Ember was right, and I did have a crush on Sam, when all I had to do was get a glimpse of him and I have shocks concentrating in my hoo-hah.  Looks like Ember and I will be fighting over who gets to deliver parts to Free from now on.

Chapter 4

 I pulled into Skinner’s, the corner grocery store, and parked Optimus and shut off the engine.  I started weaving through the cars that were parked randomly in the parking lot until I came to a dead stop when I passed a newer model ford truck and saw the big black and chrome behemoth that Sam was riding earlier. Sweet Jesus, even the bike did weird things to my hoo-hah! I could think of some naughty things I would like to do on that bike.  Not that I had any experience doing them, that is.  I only had one experience, but holy hell was that an experience to remember forever.  I never found a man that I wanted enough to give it up to.  But one look into Sam’s eyes and I knew he was the one. 

  I stared at his bike, and wondered what would happen if I touched it.  It would probably burn me alive.  It looked that bad ass.  There was nothing really distinguishable about the bike.  The paint job was just simple black, but it was so shiny.  The chrome looked like it was wiped down constantly. There were black saddle bags attached to the side, and I wondered what was in them. 

  Just a little touch wouldn’t hurt, right? I crept closer to it, just wanting to run my finger along the big seat.  As I reached my hand out to touch it I heard an amused throat clearing that sounded deep and sexy.  I immediately jerked my arm back and looked up.  There he was just standing there, not even three feet from me with an amused smile on his face, and his eyes dancing with laughter.

  “Hasn’t your daddy taught you not to touch what’s not yours?” Sam asked meanly.

  “Mmmmm.” was all I managed to get out. 

  Say something I said to myself. All I could do was stare at him, and keep berating myself.

  “Your daddy obviously didn’t tell you to be polite and speak when you were spoken to either.”

  That got me going.  I stiffened my back and glared back at him and said, “I have a thing for shiny objects. And my daddy died before I was born, so he wasn’t there to teach me anything.  Although you should already know that, since I know that James talks about him to everyone who will listen.”

  He got a confused look on his face and said “James?”

  “James Allen.”

  “Sergeant James Allen of the United States Army, James Allen?” he asked and started looking a little nervous.

   “Yep, you got it in one! That would be my brother.  Apparently you were his commander not too long ago.  Or at least that is what I heard from my best friend, Ember, today when I told her about seeing you at Free.” I said snottily.

  “You’re Chey Chey?  He sure did make you sound like a little girl, not a grown woman.”  Sam said. 

  “Yea, that sounds like Jamie.  He still thinks I’m that little girl who tags along with all his friends to his secret hideouts, and tattles on him to mommy.  I just learned about you today though.  I never put two and two together when his letters said his commander was coming to Kilgore and setting up shop.  It’s nice to meet you, not in the biblical way at least.” I said as I held out my hand. 

  “You too.” He said as he took my hand.  “You never called.” He said still holding on, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to let go. 

  It felt like I had my hand caught in a trap that would never let me go.  He had a long fingers and his grip was true, not one of those limp dick ones where they barely take your fingers, but strong and steady.   Most men didn’t shake a woman’s hand like they would a man’s hand.  I appreciated a man who gave me a real shake.

  I looked down at our linked hands and compared my blinding white hand against his tanned one.  It’s unbelievable how two people could have such different bone structure.  My hand looked almost delicate compared to his. He yanked my hand and brought my body into his, gave me a no holds barred kiss that curled my toes, then let go.

  Finally his words sank in and I jerked. “I honestly didn’t think you meant it.” I said breathlessly.

  “I did.”

  My breath froze in my lungs.  He sure looked like he meant it.

  He scooted around me to throw his big thick thigh over the side of the bike.  I turned around and watched as he stowed his beer and chips into his saddle bags and throw his foot down to start his bike.  The roar of his bike sent shockwaves through my body.  It was an incredible feeling to be that close to him and his bike.  He gave a quick wave and roared out of the parking lot. 

  Fuck me, but he made my insides feel like jelly.  My hot face caught my attention and I wrested the palm of my hand to feel my cheeks.  They were flushed with arousal, which meant he knew what he was doing to me.

  Apparently I hurt his feelings by not calling.  Guess I should remedy that.

  I headed to the store and made quick work of the task of buying chicken. 

  I dumped the groceries into the floorboard in the passenger side, and started up the truck.  As I was backing out, I noticed a man sitting in a beige Chevy truck nineties model.  I didn’t make eye contact because he looked away when he noticed me watching him.  I shook off the creepy feeling of having his eyes on me and headed home. 

  I arrived home and put all thoughts of Hot Man Sam behind me as Chewy and Janie barreled towards me from the front door.  I had the vague thought that maybe I should run before 130 pounds of girl and dog hit me like a freight train and threw me back into the truck with a thump.  Fuck that was going to leave a bruise. 

  “Up Chey, up Chey!” Janie squealed as I simultaneously reached down for her and patted Chewy’s big ass.  Janie launched herself into my arms and we all clambered into the house and I shut the door. 

  “I’m home, Mom.  You can start drinking now.” I joked as I walked towards the kitchen with my bags.  I unloaded them, and put everything away except for the chicken which I then opened and started cutting the fat off the edges.   

  Just then I heard the front door open and close and Ember yell “Where is everyone?”

  I said, “Kitchen.” and went about cutting up the chicken.  I washed my hands and went to the pantry to get the yellow rice. I tossed it in the general direction of the counter and reached down to get a pot and measured out the water. I started the water boiling and set out another pan to brown the chicken heaping a big spoonful of butter in the middle of it.  I used a pair of kitchen scissors to make the fat cutting process faster, and then tossed the chicken into the pan to brown.