walk away, still in shock over the events that had transpired. Fortunately, Mia’s fifth wheel was only a few rows over.
“I have some tarp I can put over the hole until you can get someone out here to fix it,” Seth said.
“Thank you.” She bit her lip and let her eyes linger on his handsome face. He really was a good guy.
“I’ll walk you over to Mia’s and then come back and do it.”
She frowned. “I can help you.”
“No need. Won’t take but a few minutes. You need to rest.”
“What about your leg?”
“It hurts, but it won’t keep me from doing what needs to be done.” He nodded at her motor home. “Get what you need for the night. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Tonya struggled with the notion. She wasn’t the kind of female who needed a man to take over or take care of her. She’d grown up with that for the first two decades of her life with four older brothers. Part of her wanted to rebel and assert her independence, but Seth didn’t come across as doing it because he thought she couldn’t. He genuinely seemed to want to do it because it would be helping her, not controlling her. She’d learned how to discern between the two. Finally, she gave a slow nod. “Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll go get the tarp and be right back.”
She watched him go. Then turned back to face the steps that would take her into her home. Where she’d just been attacked. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn’t want to go inside. Not by herself. A hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped and screamed.
“Hey, it’s me. I’m sorry.”
Seth. Tonya slapped a hand over her thudding heartbeat. “You scared me to death.”
“I’m sorry. I called your name twice.”
“Oh. Didn’t expect you back so soon.” She twisted her hands in front of her. “I was just going in to pack.”
“And you don’t want to go inside alone.”
She flushed, surprised he read her so well. Then again, she hadn’t realized he’d been watching her either. “Not really.”
“Come on.” He took her hand and led the way up the steps and into the motor home. She gave his fingers a squeeze and blinked at the mess.
“Wow.”
“Wow is right,” he echoed. “You really put up a fight.”
“Yeah.” She stepped over the ottoman and the pillows from the couch that had somehow wound up on the floor. “I’ll be just a minute.”
“No problem.”
She stopped at the bathroom and peeked inside. Plastic and glass littered the area. The fan hung by a short wire from the ceiling. She sighed and gathered her toiletries and shut the door.
Ten minutes later, she had a packed bag. She walked back into the living area to find everything put back in its place. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m saying that a lot, aren’t I?”
He winked at her. “Hey, you saved my life. I owe you.”
“Stop saying that. I did my job.” He frowned and she rubbed her eyes. “That didn’t come out right.”
“I understand. Come on. I’ll walk you over to Mia’s. I have a friend in the area who owns an RV shop. I’ll call him and see how fast he can get you fixed up.”
“That would be amazing.”
He smiled and her heart flipped. She froze. No, no, no, no. She couldn’t be attracted to him. She couldn’t. She’d sworn off buckaroos. She’d vowed never to get involved with someone in the rodeo ever again. And what was her traitorous heart doing? Going all crazy over Seth Starke. A buckaroo. Just like Daniel had been. It was just a reaction to the stress, to finding comfort in his arms, to...something. Anything but that she was truly drawn to him.
She cleared her throat and stepped toward the door. Confusion flickered in his blue eyes, but he didn’t say anything, just followed her outside.
As she walked away from her home, she couldn’t help the shudder that raced up her spine. Was her ex truly gone? Or was he in the shadows, hiding behind one of the RVs in the crowded park?
Seth slid an arm across her shoulders and she left it there, appreciating his nearness, the comfort his strong, steady presence offered. She did appreciate it even though she might not want to appreciate it.
Mia opened the door to her trailer as they approached. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Seth’s arm around Tonya’s shoulders. Tonya moved away from him. She didn’t want to give Mia the wrong idea.
“Come on in,” her friend said. “I’ve got the top bunk all made up for you.”
“Thanks, Mia.”
She nodded, paused and gave Tonya and Seth another lingering look. Knowing what her girlfriend must be thinking, Tonya lifted a brow and Mia flushed. “I’m just going to go get the dogs’ leashes. Now that they’re up, they’ll want to go out for the night.”
“Thanks, Mia.” Once her friend disappeared into her trailer, Tonya gazed up at Seth. “Thank you for everything. Again.”
“Of course.” He cleared his throat. “I know the police here are working on it, but as I mentioned before, my brother Clay is a sheriff’s deputy in my hometown. Would you mind if I gave him a call and filled him in on everything that happened tonight? He could do some looking into Mr. Newman’s background and see if he’s got an address or what the latest is on him. He might even find out something before these guys do.”
“Sure, that would be great.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
Tonya looked around, probing the darkness, feeling the dread of spending the next few hours in the dark settle in the pit of her stomach. But she’d be with Mia. It would be all right.
Wouldn’t it?
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с
