Curves and the All-American Male (BBW Western Romance - Coldwater Springs 7) (3 page)

“So how was it?” Sarah whispered as they reached the front door. “Did Ty behave himself?”

“Yes.” Lori nodded. In truth, Ty had been a perfect gentleman, if you didn’t count his confident grins. And she’d have to be pretty prudish to hold those against him. “He was fine.”

“Good.” Sarah hesitated. “Chase admitted he’d hoped you two would get along. I think my cousin Libby inspired him when she helped Kate and Flynn get together last Christmas.
I swear I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Lori reassured her friend. “It wasn’t that bad.” She stepped onto the porch. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow. And I’m happy to baby-sit anytime - without Ty.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

***

Two days later, Lori drove home from school. She’d had a busy day with her students, and all she wanted to do was relax on the sofa with her feet up and watch some mindless television for an hour. With a cupcake from Kate’s bakery.

She suddenly heard a bang. The steering wheel veered to the left and she turned it hard to the right to correct her course on the road. She frowned, listening to the constant thud, thud, thudding noise as the car lost speed.

Pulling over to the side of the road, she turned off the ignition. Did she have a flat tire? Was there a spare in the trunk? Although she’d been driving for eight years she’d never had a flat before.

The occasional car whooshed past, but nobody stopped to see why she was parked on the shoulder. She walked to the left side of the car and studied the tire. Flat as a pancake. Great.

Lori opened the trunk and picked up the black matting that covered the bottom. A yellow donut tire, smaller than a regular tire, lay inside the well. At least that was something.

She got back into the car and reached for her purse. She’d have to call for help. Finding her membership card in the glove compartment, she dialed the number, telling herself it could be worse. She could be on her way to work, instead of on the way home.

After speaking to the customer service representative, she placed the phone back in her purse with great restraint. An hour’s wait.

Her tummy rumbled, reminding her she’d barely had time to eat lunch. She’d had to handle a dispute between two little boys in her class, and then another teacher had wanted to discuss the Math curriculum with her. By the time lunch was over, she’d only eaten half her sandwich. She’d comforted herself with the thought of buying a delicious red velvet cupcake from Kate’s bakery on the way home.

By the time she got her tire fixed, the bakery would probably be sold out.

Lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize that a silver pickup truck had pulled up behind her. She glanced at the door, checking she’d locked it when she made her phone call. Even living in a small community like Coldwater Springs, she didn’t like to take any chances.

A tap on the driver’s window made her jump.

She glanced to her left, her heart thudding in relief when she saw who it was.

Ty.

She wound down the window. “Hi.”

“I see you’ve got a flat.” He gestured to the tire.

“Unfortunately.” She grimaced, attempting to ignore the quickening of her pulse. She’d been telling herself for two days now that nothing could come of her attraction to this man, and the best thing she could do was put that whole night out of her mind. And if she wanted to start dating again, she’d ask Sarah if she could set her up on a blind date. As long as it wasn’t with
him.

And now he was -
here.

“Need some help?” He quirked an eyebrow.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. He looked just as good as he had two nights ago. And he still had that easy charm. Today he wore a red checked long-sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans.

“Someone should be coming in …” she glanced at her watch, “forty-five minutes.”

He frowned. “You shouldn’t have to wait that long. Got a spare?”

“In the trunk.” She unlocked the door and stepped out. “It’s only a donut though.”

“That should be able to get you back into town and to Bob’s garage. I’ll get my jack.”

She watched him stride to his pickup, determined to stifle the stirring of excitement in her belly. It was decent of him to help her out, but she was sure he’d do that
for any friend of Sarah and Chase’s.

“Can I do anything?” she asked when he came back holding a jack.

“I’ve got it.” He grinned at her, but this time she didn’t find it so annoying. Perhaps it was because he was doing her a favor.

She smiled back, watching him hunker down, helpless not to admire his tight butt in those jeans. Why did simple denim jeans look so good on some men?

A few minutes later, Ty had the flat off.

“Roofing nail.” He examined the puncture in the tread. “How far did you drive with it like this?”

“Not long. I was coming home from school and the car suddenly veered to the left and started making a thudding noise.”

“You must have picked it up on the road.” He shook his head. “If something like this happens again, make sure you pull over right away. You mightn’t have made the few miles to Main Street driving on it. You’ll have to get a new tire. Once I get the donut on, follow me to Bob’s.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Although she was perfectly capable of going to the mechanic’s herself, she did appreciate Ty taking the trouble to help her. Not every guy would.

Ty attached the donut, tossed the flat into her trunk, then wiped his hands on a piece of cloth from the back of his pickup.

“Let’s go.” He climbed into his truck and waited until she turned on her ignition before he pulled out.

He drove slowly into Coldwater Springs. Lori followed him, glad he was so thoughtful, because the car felt different to drive with three normal sized tires and one smaller one. When they reached Bob’s auto shop, Ty pulled up outside the small brick building, and Lori did likewise.

Bob, a wizened man of indeterminate age with a kind smile, told them it wouldn’t take more than thirty minutes to fix.

“Want to go to the diner?” Ty looked at Lori in invitation.

Surprise fluttered through her. She’d expected him to leave her here, not ask her out. But this wasn’t a date, she told herself firmly. It was either wait here, in the tiny office with a single hard backed wooden chair kept for customers, or go to the diner with Ty, enjoy a cup of coffee, and maybe a slice of cherry pie.

“Sure.” She hoped he hadn’t noticed her slight hesitation.

“We’ll come back,” Ty said to the mechanic, then opened the passenger door of his pickup.

Lori climbed in, hoping she did so without looking clumsy, glad she wore dark brown pants. His truck was a little higher off the ground than her compact car.

Ty pulled to a stop a few blocks down Main Street, snagging a prime parking space outside the diner.

Lori glanced across the road to Kate’s bakery. She’d have to buy a red velvet cupcake tomorrow, and enjoy cherry pie today. She was just about to open her door when Ty did it for her, and she looked at him in surprise.

“Come on,” he said. “I don’t want to miss out on the cherry pie.”

She bit back a giggle at their similar thoughts, raising her hand in a wave when she spied Kate through the sparkling plate glass window of the bakery. She’d have to explain to her friend what she was doing with Ty, especially when her friend gave her a surprised smile and wave.

Ty claimed a booth inside the diner. Its dark vinyl flooring, blue walls and rows of booths reminded Lori of a fifties diner. An old-fashioned country song played in the background, the male singer crooning about finding love.

Lori slid in on the other side of the Formica table, leaning back against the cushioned leatherette seat.

“What can I get you two?” Betty, the matronly gray-haired waitress who ran the diner, appeared at their table.

Ty gestured for Lori to order first.

“Coffee and a slice of cherry pie, please,” Lori said. Sarah had told her that Betty’s cherry pie was legendary, and after tasting it soon after she moved to Coldwater Springs, Lori had to agree. Although her friend Kate baked truly scrumptious treats, she didn’t make what the diner offered, and vice versa.

“I’ll have the same,” Ty added.

“Coming right up.” Betty closed her notepad with a snap. She winked at Lori, then bustled over to the kitchen.

Lori picked up the napkin in front of her and started pleating it. Now she was alone with Ty, and he wasn’t fixing her tire or driving the few blocks to the diner, she didn’t know what to say to him.

Why did she have to find him so attractive? After Ron’s betrayal, she wanted to make sure the next guy she dated - if there was a next time, because, she had to face facts, men weren’t exactly beating a path to her door - was the right kind of guy for her. Somebody who wouldn’t cheat, for a start. Somebody who was kind and considerate.

Like Ty.

Her fingers stilled on the napkin. Yes, he’d been good to her today, but she couldn’t forget her initial impression of him - too good-looking and charming. And from what Sarah had told her, it sounded like he’d sown his fair share of wild oats.

“What are you thinking?” Ty’s teasing tone snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Nothing.” She felt her cheeks heat at him catching her out. No way was she going to admit she’d been thinking about
him!

“Coffee and cherry pie.” Betty appeared, placing the cups and plates on the table. “Let me know if you two need anything else.”

“We will,” Ty promised, giving the waitress an easy smile. “This looks great.”

“I baked it this morning.” Betty patted her hair. “And it’s nearly sold out.”

“I can see why.” Ty picked up his fork.

“He’s all yours, hon,” Betty murmured to Lori, winking at her again before heading off to another table.

Lori furrowed her brow. Surely anyone could see she and Ty weren’t exactly a couple? Not wanting to think about that right now, she forked up a small piece of pie, looking forward to the sweet-tart taste of the cherries, glad her tummy wasn’t embarrassing her by rumbling.

Halfway through her pie, she looked across at Ty. He’d finished his piece and was taking a long swallow of coffee. He must have been hungrier than she was.

“That was good.” He settled back against the cushioned booth back.

“Yes,” she agreed, finding it hard to concentrate on the purple-red cherries in their flaky pastry when she felt his gaze on her. Putting down her fork, she looked up at him. To her surprise, a faint crimson stained his cheekbones.

He made a show of looking at his chunky watch with numerous dials. “When we’ve finished here, I’ll take you back to Bob’s so you can pick up your car.”

“Thanks.” She smiled shyly.

Lori concentrated on eating the rest of her pie. Although her stomach felt like a jumble of nerves, especially when Ty had finished eating and she hadn’t, she didn’t want to waste the few delicious mouthfuls of pie that remained on her plate. Finally, she pushed away her plate; two tiny morsels remained, the cherry juice staining the white china.

She picked up her coffee cup, taking a big sip. Although this was just ordinary percolator coffee, not a fancy latte or cappuccino, it still tasted pretty good.

Lori put down her cup, not bothering to finish the rest of the brew. She just hoped Ty hadn’t noticed her fingers trembling on the handle.

“Let’s go.” She summoned a bright smile.

“After you.” He waited until she slid out of the booth before doing the same.

Lori took out her wallet and reached for the bill lying on the end of the table.

“I’ve got it.” He picked up the white piece of paper, scanned it, and dug out his wallet.

“But …” she faltered when she saw him frown. “I thought we were splitting the bill.”

“I’ve got it,” he repeated, taking out some bills and placing them on the table. “You’ll need your money to pay Bob.”

Lori inwardly winced at the thought, although she knew she had enough money in her checking account to pay for the new tire. Probably.

Ty held the door open for her as they stepped out of the diner. Maybe she’d had him pegged all wrong. How many guys would take a friend of their buddy’s wife for coffee after helping her with a flat?

She instantly knew that Ron wouldn’t do that. Not unless there was something in it for him.

What on earth had she seen in Ron in the first place? Ty might have reminded her superficially of her ex-boyfriend in the first place, but now she was seeing another side to him. And she liked it.

Except … Ty couldn’t possibly be attracted to her. She had curves. And wore clothes that skimmed and draped, instead of clung to every ounce of flesh on her frame, unlike skinny women who seemed to look perfect in tight fitting, clinging clothes. Lori knew she would look awful if she wore something like that.

Shrugging away her depressing thoughts, she climbed into Ty’s silver pickup. When he switched on the ignition, she turned to him.

“Thanks for the coffee and pie.”

“Anytime.” He grinned, his dark brown gaze holding hers for a long second, then he shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror, and maneuvered out of the parking space.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived at Bob’s. The mechanic had put a new tire on her car, and had returned the donut to the trunk. After she wrote a check for not nearly as much money as she’d expected and handed it to Bob, she turned to Ty.

“Thank you. You really helped me out today.” Why was her stomach tied up in knots? She just hoped he couldn’t tell how he made her feel when she was around him.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her, and she felt herself melting. Although his earlier smiles
seemed
genuine, she knew this one definitely was
.
“But you could help
me
out.”

“How?” she asked curiously. She certainly couldn’t refuse, if his request was within reason.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night at The Petite Duck, the French restaurant Chase and Sarah went to. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while, and Chase said the food was great.”

Lori inhaled shakily, not expecting
that.
She’d wanted
to test it out as well, but its reputation as a posh date night restaurant
had intimidated her. And she’d had nobody to go with, unless she organized a girls’ night out with Sarah and their friends.