Texas Heat (Stubborn Texas Siblings Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Travis had been on the road for so long now; it felt like
he’d spent years staring at black top and long stretches of
desert. The dry Texas heat was killing him as he looked
around him. Nothing but dried, cracked earth, cactus and
the occasional tumble weed as far as the eye could see on
either side of the freeway. He hadn’t even seen an exit for
too many miles to count.

His poor Mustang sputtered and the engine gave a bang a
shudder and then it quit altogether. Travis sighed and
jumped out, pushing it to the side of the road. He looked
around and groaned. There wasn’t a sign of life anywhere.
He looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes against the
bright sun. It was the middle of the day. Where was
everyone?

Sweat beaded his brow and he reached up to wipe it away
with his shirt sleeve. He was sweltering. His fingers shook
as he unbuttoned the shirt and shucked it into the back seat
of his car. At this rate, he’d end up fried to death on the
side of the deserted freeway before he was rescued.

Sighing heavily, he headed towards the car, praying he
could get the airconditioner to work while he made a call
for a tow truck. With any luck, there would be a good
mechanic close by that could get him back up and running
… the sooner, the better.

Regretfully, his car wouldn’t allow him to turn on the
airconditioning any more than it would turn over for him, but
thankfully, his cell phone miraculously had signal and he
was able to Google a nearby towing service. The man
who’d answered had assured him that he would be hooked
up and headed to the nearest town within a half hour.

Travis decided as he hung up that he’d believe it when he
saw it. If a tow truck could get to him that quick, they must
already be parked in the middle of the desert, because there
was no way a town … even a small one, was anywhere
near this Hell hole. He’d heard that there was a town called
Hell in Arizona, but this was Texas. It wasn’t supposed to
be that bad here.

He was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car, fanning his
face with his Stetson when the tow truck pulled up beside
him twenty minutes later. At first, Travis was sure it had to
be a mirage. It seemed impossible that anyone could have
gotten to him that quickly. Not unless the truck had grown
wings and flown. No matter how much he blinked, the
truck remained and the grizzled burly man who was
hitching the front end of his car to the truck seemed real
enough.

Travis climbed out of the car and plopped his hat back on
his head to shield his eyes from the hot summer sun. “You
sure got here fast,” he said watching the man move to
activate the machinery that pulled his car up onto the
flatbed trailer.
The man offered him a toothless grin and nodded at him.
“Don’t get many calls … Mechanic in town does a right
fine job, keepin’ everybody’s rigs running great, so when
an out of town call comes in, I’m usually free to jump right
on it.”

“Yeah? Think there’s any chance they could fit my car in?
I’m in kind of a hurry to get back on the road…”

The old man nodded his head and then motioned towards
his truck. “Hop in and buckle up. We’ll be hittin’ the road
in a few, and I’ll take you right to the shop. If anyone can
git ya up and runnin’ in a jiffy, I reckon that’d be the place
to go.”

When Travis climbed into the cab of the tow truck, he was
hit with an icy cold blast of air and he sighed in relief as he
pulled the door closed behind him. The old coot was a bit
back water and Travis didn’t have the highest hopes for
anyone in whatever town he was being taken to, but a
raving review like the one the old man had given their
mechanic gave Travis hope. With any luck, he’d be back on
the road and on his way to his mother within a day … two
at the most. Then his only problem would be explaining the
lack of the wife he’d made up.

Right at that moment, that was a dilemma he didn’t want to
contemplate. He was worried enough about his mother’s
health. The idea that finding out about her son’s lie might
make it worse had him flat out scared out of his mind.
The old man climbed into the cab, pulled his seatbelt on
and started the truck. “Ready to rock?” he asked, glancing
over at his passenger.

“I was born ready,” Travis answered, lookin
g out the
window. “Just how far is this town anyway? It doesn’t look
like there’s anything alive for a good long ways.”

“We are a bit off the beaten path,” the old man answered,
chuckling. “We’ll be smack dab in the middle of town in
about twenty minutes, give or take. Not much traffic
around here in the middle of the day. Most folks are
workin’ … either their own farms or in town.”

“Can’t be much of a town, around this God forsaken
place,” Travis observed dryly.
“We do alright… You won’t see any of us complainin’
none.”

“I didn’t mean to insult you or your way of life,” Travis
said, blushing lightly. “I guess it’s just frustration talking
combined with the desert heat. Is it always this hot around
here?” he asked, wiping the sweat from his brow again,
feeling warm despite the airconditioned interior of the
truck.

“In the summer time, yeah. Pretty much,” the old man said,
shrugging. “After a while, you get used to it.”

“I seriously cannot imagine ever getting used to being this
hot,” Travis declared, shaking his head. “You people who
live here must have skin as thick as leather.”
The old man laughed again and nodded his head. “I’d say
that may very well be true for most of us.”

Travis closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of
the seat, tipping his hat low over his eyes. “I think I’m
going to rest my eyes a bit until we get there. The sun is
giving me a headache, and I forgot my sunglasses.”

The rest of the ride into town was silent. The only sound in
the cab of the truck was the sound of the tires hitting the
pavement and the labored breathing of the old man behind
the wheel.

It seemed like his eyes hadn’t been closed for very long
before the truck rolled to a stop. Travis opened them and
looked around, squinting. They were sitting in front of a
large garage with two bays. A sporty car was sitting out
front, running with a very happy looking woman sitting
behind the wheel. The woman pulled the car out onto the
road and drove away with her music blaring and Travis
climbed out of the truck, instantly regretting it. It was
seriously muggy outside.

The old man unhooked his car and nodded to him. “You’ll
be taken care of shortly. It’s goin’ on supper time, and the
Mrs. is waitin’ on me.”

“Thanks for the tow. What do I owe you?”
“I’ll just have the shop add my bill to your total and collect
it later. We’re pretty easy goin’ round these parts.”

Travis watched the old man jump back up into his truck
and drive away and he shook his head in disbelief. It was
rare for anyone to put that much faith in anyone else.
Especially when it came to their money. Figuring that this
mechanic must be something really special, he turned and
headed inside.

He spotted someone bent over behind the counter when he
got inside. He couldn’t really see them at all. The only
reason he knew someone was back there was because of all
the clattering sounds of tools being placed in a large
toolbox.

“I
was just towed in, and I was told that this was the only
place that could get my car back up and running quickly. I
have to warn you, that car is my baby… she means the
world to me.”

Feminine laughter came from the other side of the counter
and the woman stood up. The first thing he saw was the top
of her head, covered with long flowing raven black hair.
She had a slim figure and was wearing a top that was
knotted just under her breasts, showing off a lot of skin. On
her bottom half, faithfully hugging her hips, she wore cut
off blue jeans that barely covered her butt.

Travis felt as if his tongue had swelled in his mouth, which
had gone as dry as the desert his car had broken down in.
This woman was by far the sexiest he’d ever seen. He could
see tattoos covering her side, the top of her chest, her elbow
and another peeking up out of the top of her shorts on her
hip. He’d always loved women tough enough to have ink;
they were naturally a little on the wild side and acted the
part in bed, driving him equally wild.
“I’m sure Lou told you that I feel the same way about
pretty much every car that comes through here. No
worries,” she assured him, settling a wrench into the tool
box and wiping her hands on a rag. “We’ll have your car up
and running in no time. Why don’t you help me push her
into bay two… First thing in the morning, we’ll take a look
at her, and see what’s going on. It’s the end of a pretty long
day here at the shop and I was just gearing up to head
home. Where you stayin’ cowboy?”

“I really don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “Is there
even a hotel around here? This town seems about the size
of a postage stamp to me,” he said chuckling.

“A
hotel?” she asked laughing. “Yeah, pretty much no one
stops on their way through. Like you said, we’re a fairly
small town and we’re in the middle of nowhere. We’re not
exactly a tourist trap. Sorry, but no hotels. Anyone who
does stop through here knows someone who would be
insulted if they stayed anywhere but with them. I’ve got a
spare room, you can stay with me,” she offered, grabbing
her keys and heading to the front door to lock up. “My
truck’s around the back, follow me.”

“Just like that? You don’t even know my name,” Travis
said, scratching his head as he followed that. “For all you
know I could be a serial killer…”

“Are you?” she asked, chuckling as she opened the back
door and held it open for him.
“No, of course not, but then again, I wouldn’t exactly admit
it to you if I was,” he answered laughing with her, liking
her easy going personality.

The woman nodded her head and held out her hand in
offering. He reached out and shook it, smiling when she
spoke. “I’m Laurie Schmidt… and you are?”

“Travis
Robbins at your service,” he answered, shaking her
hand. She had a strong grip for a girl. He turned and looked
at the truck sitting just beside them and whistled in
appreciation. “That’s some ride you’ve got there,” he said,
walking over to it and walking slowly around it.

The truck was a dual cab with an extended bed and dual
wheels in the back. It was solid black with royal blue
interior. The thing was gorgeous. Almost as much so as its
owner. Travis gained a whole new appreciation for the
woman who had so willingly opened her home to him.

“Thanks,” she said, climbing behind the wheel. “This is my
baby,” she added, grinning widely. “The first thing I bought
for myself after I moved out on my own. My folks died and
my younger brother took over their place… I figured it was
past time for me to move on. It would have just been
pathetic for me to live at home with my brother.”

She was driving and Travis relaxed in the seat, enjoying her
company. “What time does the shop open in the morning?”
he asked, looking at her, thinking just how beautiful she
really was. “I’m in a bit of a hurry to get back on the road.
My Ma is really sick and I really need to get home to her…
I gave her my word.”
“I’m sorry about your Ma,” she said, flinching. “I know
how hard that can be. Be glad you get to spend time with
her before she goes. I didn’t get that opportunity. My folks
died suddenly with no warning. As to the shop, I normally
open the doors at seven in the morning. I suppose, I can see
about coming in a half hour earlier… Depending on what
the problem is, I don’t see why I can’t get you back on the
road by the end of the day… The next day at the latest,
unless I have to order in parts from out of state… Then,
we’re at the mercy of the mail delivery service.”

“What about the mechanic?” he asked, sneaking a glance
over at her. “Will he have issues coming in early?”

She tensed up and he wondered what he’d said wrong. She
gritted her teeth and shook her head. “I
AM
the mechanic.
Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to make
assumptions? Just because I’m a woman, doesn’t mean I’m
not perfectly capable of fixing a car. Why, when I found
this truck, it had to be towed in. I refurbished it and rebuilt
the engine from the ground up. She runs like a top.”

“Sorry if I insulted you… I honestly didn’t know,” he said,
feeling ashamed of himself. “I just figured you were the
one who booked all the appointments and ordered the
parts… Didn’t figure that would leave time for much else.
That’s a lot to take on for any one person.”

“It is,” she agreed nodding her head, relaxing a little bit. “I
run the place alone and believe me; my brothers are
constantly getting on me about hiring help. I’m determined
to show them that I’m perfectly capable of running my own
life without their help.”
“Real protective, huh?” he asked, laughing. “I’m sure
they’ll be not so very happy that you’ve invited a complete
stranger to stay at your house with you.”

“Thankfully, my youngest brother is out of town for a few
days and my older brother is so wrapped up with his wife
and kids; he is too busy to notice. As long as we’re not seen
out in public together, looking like we’re on a date, it won’t
get back to him and I won’t be put in a position where I
have to explain my decision to him… This time anyways.”

“With your folks gone, I can see where a big brother would
feel the need to protect his little sister,” Travis said, leaning
his head back against the head rest. “But I’m mighty
thankful you’re willing to take the chance of putting me up.
Knowing that there’s a possibility you could have to deal
with your brothers coming down on you for doing so… it
means a lot to me.”

“I’m a big girl,” she said, flipping her hair over her
shoulder and turning on her turn signal. “I can handle my
brothers. As a matter of fact, there’s not a whole lot I can’t
handle.”