Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 126098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“You would think it would have been the people shooting at you,” she teased.
“Nah. They missed. Usually. But heartburn from the powdered eggs? That’s a sure thing.”
Her eyes widened again, but she couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not about being shot.
“So how did you end up here?” she asked. “Or are you just visiting?”
“No. I live in Rapid City now. My old lieutenant set up shop in town and the boys from the unit just...kind of fell in line, I guess. We’d spent so many years together at that point that it seemed odd not to just keep doing it.”
“Well, he must be a really great guy for all of you to follow him up here,” Abby remarked.
Tex nodded. “He is. He’s the best man I know. And since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after the army, I figured why not do whatever Shooter wants to do?”
Abby grinned. “And you all have nicknames?”
He chuckled. “No way around it. You get them when you enlist and they sort of stick. I’ve always thought mine was unimaginative, but now that I’ve met you, I couldn’t see calling you anything but ‘Vegas’ especially since, like I said, I’ve never met anyone from Vegas.”
She laughed. “I’m not even to the city limits yet and I already have a nickname. This might be a good sign. What’s Rapid City like?”
“It’s a good town. A working town.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Vegas is a working town, too, underneath the glitter.”
“You should fit right in. There for damn sure aren’t many pretty girls like you in town. It’ll improve the scenery.”
Abby blushed and quickly looked away, shoving the last spark plug into place. She dug her keys out of her pocket, but Tex brought his hand up quickly, capturing her own. “Now that you’ve done all the hard work, let me at least contribute.”
He slipped the keys out and she swore he held onto her hand a little longer than necessary. She turned back to the engine. “Thanks,” she told him, in a clipped tone.
He headed to the driver’s side door and leaned in, turning the keys in the ignition. The engine caught and she leaned in to listen to it. Hearing no more crackle and not noticing anything wrong with the idle speed, she nodded to herself and stood up.
“Looks good,” said Tex and she turned around.
He’d come up behind her and for a moment she wasn’t sure if he was referring to her or the engine. Then she shook herself. Of course he meant the engine. Guys like Tex didn’t go for girls like her. He’d said she was pretty, but he was just being polite. Tex was all man. More man than she’d ever dared to look at in the way her mind was turning.
She glanced back at the engine. “Yeah, I think we got it. Thanks for all your help.”
He laughed as she brought down the hood.
“Well, always nice to help a damsel in distress,” said Tex, grinning at her.
She couldn’t help but smile back.
“There aren’t a lot of bars in town,” Tex told her as she wiped her hands. “Maria’s is the best local watering hole. It’s on the south edge of town. If you’re thirsty, head on over.”
She nodded. “Nice meeting you,” was all she could think to say.
“You too, Vegas.” He touched his head like he was tipping a cowboy hat.
Abby tossed the dirty rag onto the floorboard of the passenger side and signaled before she pulled out into a lull between cars. Tex followed her into town, which wasn’t unusual, she thought, since he said he lived there. But she did sigh a teeny tiny bit in relief when at the end of the exit ramp for Rapid City, he turned right and she turned left.
He gave her a wave, which she caught in her window and she beeped her horn once in acknowledgement. She threaded her way through the streets of Rapid City, amazed at its relative quiet compared to home. She was tired. Tired from the road and tired of the glitter of her hometown. Her GPS showed her the last three turns to a new condo development in the western part of town and she drove slowly down the street, looking for the one that was hers.
She’d chosen it over the internet and only paid for a six month lease, not being at all familiar with Rapid City and its various neighborhoods. She finally found hers and pulled into the narrow driveway. The bushes were well trimmed and there was no yard to speak of. Which was fine with her not having ever had a yard and not knowing quite what to do with one if she did.
She parked the car and killed the engine. She gathered her GPS, her purse, and her small overnight bag out of the front seat and headed toward the front door. The movers had arrived ahead of her, dropped off her small amount of belongings, and left the spare key she had given them on the kitchen counter. She walked through the condo, which smelled of new paint and the carpets appeared new, as well. Her only piece of furniture, her bed, which she had bought and given over immediately to the movers, was in the condo’s only bedroom.