Roadside Attraction Read online

  She hesitates. She’s definitely in some kind of trouble.

  Flash nudges her hand, which has briefly stopped scratching him behind his ears. The corner of her mouth curves up in a wary smile, but she gives the dog what he wants, more scratches. She finally s meets my gaze with haunted eyes and says, “I dialed you seven times, and no one answered.”

  “Sorry. I was out of the office.”

  “Hire help, then.”

  “Okay. You still haven’t told me your name.”

  By the challenging look on her face, she ain’t done asking questions. I like this version of her better than the visibly shaken woman I found about to murder someone on the side of the road.

  “How did you know I was out there? Do you patrol the highways like some superhero?”

  I rub my calloused hand over my chin. “My mom used to say something about lookin’ a gift horse in the mouth.”

  She clicks her tongue, and Flash adjusts his head in her lap. “A horse is a terrible gift for someone with no barn and no pasture. I have questions.”

  “Sheriff saw you from the overpass.”

  “So why didn’t the sheriff come to get me himself?”

  I think about what I know of Sheriff Mooney. He has been trying to get me married for well over a decade. He’s been known to call me to traffic stops even when my towing service is not needed, if he thinks a female motorist might be my type. During last summer’s baseball tournament, he set up a system of barricades and detours to keep the parents from other towns driving in circles so that they couldn’t leave Fate. This plan did result in parents stopping into my shop to ask for directions out of town. As he forgot to inform me to be on the lookout for any single moms that day, that scheme of his went right over my head.

  “Why? You weren’t in any danger, and I’m the only soul within 39 miles with a tow truck.”

  She squints at me, her knuckles rubbing over Flash’s flanks. Her fingers curl through Flash’s fur, and I sense the temperature drop in the cab of the truck.

  “Name’s Juniper Rollins. Thanks for the ride. But I suggest you forget you heard me say my name as soon as you fix me up.”

  She exits before I can respond. Flash follows her out the door like a big ol’ traitor.

  I say nothing but hop out to unhitch her car while watching her out of the corner of my eye.

  She crosses her arms in front of her and effectively pushes out her smallish breasts. I snap my eyes back to my work of getting this car to where I can assess the problem with it.

  Before I can stop myself from speaking a cheesy line out loud, I say it. “Tough to forget.”

  I pop the hood and take a look around. I’ve worked on a hundred Civics in my day. They don’t usually break down.

  “My name? Yeah. I get that a lot.”

  I smirk as I slam the hood back down. “No. I meant you.”

  “Nothing special to know about me.”

  She looks back at me defiantly, but her body language tells a different story: she darts her eyes around, gnaws on her lips, brushes her hair back from her face.

  Juniper can try to sell me that scrappy attitude, but I can see that she’s tired and hungry. “Go on next door and get yourself some food. Ruby’ll put it on my tab.”

  She softens at the mention of food. “I appreciate that, but I prefer to stay here, with you. In case…”

  I try to sound casual, but there’s nothing casual in the subject matter. “In case he comes back?”

  Juniper glances up at me. Her anger and grit have fallen away; all I see is a sweet soul, alone. She nods.

  I want to ditch the car and take her home with me. Hide her and keep her safe. But that might not be the most desirable scenario for this particular person.

  “Suit yourself.”

  I nod toward the small, dingy waiting room that’s visible from the garage, indicating she should wait in there. “Holler if you need me.”

  Chapter Five

  Juniper

  * * *

  The floor-to-ceiling windows could use some Windex. That’s the first thing I notice about this sorry excuse for a repair shop waiting room.

  The next thing is that the only magazines are car part catalogs. My mind tabulates a list of everything I would do to make this space more inviting if it were mine.

  But maybe that’s the point. Rex doesn’t want people hanging around watching him while he fixes cars.

  Too bad, because he is something to watch.

  A man with his head under the hood of a car, covered in grease, is an all-too-familiar sight. Just not for my car. Roy was never much interested in keeping my car in tip-top shape.

  Behind me, Flash barks. I turn and see his fringed tail wagging at a woman approaching the repair shop, her arms laden with bags and cup carriers.

  I rush over to hold open the door for her. With no introduction, she says, “Rex didn’t know what you wanted, so I brought a selection.”

  I take the drink carrier from her, and she walks to the register counter to set down the rest, then hands me a takeout box.

  The aroma of food—real food, not gas station hot dogs—makes my stomach roar and my mouth salivate.

  “That there is eggs, pancakes, and bacon, and I also brought turkey club with chips, and a burger and fries. If you prefer a vegetarian option, I can go back and—”

  Wordless, I grab the burger and take a big bite. I don’t care what time it is; this is the best breakfast ever.

  I don’t speak until I’m finished with it, too famished for proper etiquette.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m Ruby,” she says.

  “From the billboard,” I say.

  Ruby nods. “I also brought coffee, diet soda, and sweet tea. And I’m trying out a fancy iced coffee thing if you’ll let me know what you think.”

  I haven’t had a sweet coffee drink in years—not since before I met Roy—but it’s glorious.

  “So good.”

  She looks pleased and curious. That’s when I realize I haven’t told her my name.

  “Oh my god. I’m so rude. My name’s Juniper.”

  “Oh, I know,” she says with a knowing smile. “I’m sure the whole town knows by now.”

  I shoot her a queer look. “The whole town? How?”

  “Rex is the mayor, sort of. He texted me this food order and then called Sheriff Mooney to let him know some rude driver’s looking for you, so the whole town is on the lookout for a black Caddy with a flame job. Don’t you worry, sister, you can stay here as long as you want to.”

  I gape at her and wonder aloud, “What the hell kind of place did I just break down in?”

  Chapter Six

  Rex

  * * *

  “A week? I have to stay here for a week?”

  I’ve just broken the news to her: the part I need to fix up her car has to be shipped here from another state, and there’s a shortage of car part delivery drivers.

  “I don’t suppose ordering online would be any faster,” she says with a hollow, despairing sound in her voice.

  Her belly full, that wild look in her eye has calmed a bit.

  When I shake my head, she says, “I guess I’ll have to get a room at the Motor Lodge. Although with it being right along the highway, Roy’s brother—at least I think that’s who it is—will check there first when he comes back to find me.”

  “That place has been closed for years,” I inform her.

  She glances out the window toward Ruby’s parking lot next door. “Maybe somebody has a room to rent?”

  “Someone does, yeah. Real cheap. I’ll even drive you there.”

  I’m relieved she doesn’t question the fact that I’ve already taken the liberty of removing her belongings from her car and stowing them in the truck.

  We drive through bustling downtown Fate—past the cemetery, around the courthouse square, past the closed textile mill—and arrive at my house. The three-story Victorian has seen better days, but the town bylaws dic
tate that the mayor has to live in what has historically been known as the mayor’s residence. Owned by the town, it’s a three-story money pit.

  As we pull into the driveway, Juniper’s eyes light up the way they did when she met Ruby.

  “This town has a bed and breakfast? I’m impressed.”

  “Nope. The mayor’s residence.”

  I grab her bags, and Flash follows me up the stairs to the wraparound porch.

  “Excuse me,” she says, following me. “But aren’t you the mayor?”

  I turn around to make a second trip for the rest of her things. “Not exactly. Flash is the mayor, so I have to live where he lives to carry out mayoral duties that he cannot. And as the default mayor, I’m obligated to show hospitality to our town’s visitors.”

  She laughs as I continue to unpack my truck. Flash trots to his favorite spot on the porch, spreads out, watching the scene between Juniper and I unfold.

  “Is that a problem?”

  I could tell her about my empty bungalow, just one street over. But I’m a lowdown dirty dog, and I don’t. I want her to stay close.

  “I don’t want to inconvenience you,” she says.

  As I close in on her, the 150-year-old porch creaks under my boots. “If I know anything about men in general, I know that guy is gonna come back looking for you. And when he does, he’s gonna have to come through me.”

  Her voice drops. “You…you don’t even know why he’s looking for me. I could be a fugitive.”

  I turn and look at Flash. “Flash? Do we care why someone is looking for Miss Juniper?”

  Upon hearing his name, Flash’s big amber head lifts off the patio sofa. Seeing I’m not offering treats, he goes back to nuzzling the cushions.

  “Flash, is this nice lady an imposition?”

  The mayor makes a snuffling, sighing noise.

  I turn back to Juniper and see her smiling. It does my soul good to see her smile. “Any more questions for the mayor before he’s off to dreamland?”

  Juniper smirks. “Just one more. Where’s the shower?”

  Chapter Seven

  Juniper

  * * *

  After the single most excellent burger of my life, I experience the most fabulous shower of my life. The hot spray cleans away all the tension and worry that ruled my life up until an hour ago.

  I don’t know if it’s this odd little town, Ruby’s friendliness, or Rex’s generosity, but I haven’t thought about Roy all day.

  I have the second floor to myself, with my own modern bathroom that someone has recently added.

  After the shower and an epic nap, I’m surprised to see Rex is still at home when I come back downstairs.

  He stands when I step out onto the porch, and I notice how different he looks. Hair combed, clean shirt, fresh shave. He looks like a guy who’s getting ready for a date.

  “I thought you’d be back at work now that I’m safely tucked away in your nest,” I remark.

  I notice his eyes roaming down my body, and I’m suddenly very aware that I’m in my bathrobe. His gaze seems to land on the spot where my hair drips water down my cleavage.

  “No more cars to work on today. And I’d much rather be here to keep an eye on you.”

  The idea that he’s missing work makes me feel guilty, yet the thought of his protectiveness floods me with warmth.

  “But what if someone needs a tow, or there’s another breakdown?”

  “Then I’ll get a phone call from the sheriff. You hungry?”

  I shake my head and smile. No, those are not hunger pangs but butterflies in my stomach. Knock it off, Juniper. What is it you think is going to happen with this guy? You can’t go jumping in his lap just because he’s the first decent-seeming guy you’ve met in years.

  Rex looks disappointed, though only for half a second. He covers it up quickly, not letting me see his hopes dashed.

  “But I’d love to go for a walk? I’ve been driving for days. I’d love the fresh air.”

  For the first time since we met this morning, I see a hint of a smile on his face.

  “I’m ready when you are.”

  Minutes later, I’m wearing my cutest summer skirt and frilly sleeveless top. My hair may still be wet because I skipped town without my hairdryer, but other than that, I am very much aware that I am presenting myself like a woman who is about to go on a date. As I stroll around the mostly abandoned downtown square with Rex and Flash, it feels very much like a date. But somehow, not like a first date. More like a tenth date. Or the fifteenth date between two people who have been together for months.

  I listen as Rex tells me all about how Fate used to be the county seat until it was moved down the road to Gold Hill. Most interesting was that the basement jail once housed the famous James gang.

  “They were arrested for robbing the bank, and they were kept in the holding cell together while the town waited for the circuit judge to show up. They caused a diversion and escaped. They were never caught or tried for robbing the bank, of course. The town once tried to make the jail a historical site, but the efforts never went anywhere. Now pretty much all we have is the Curiosity Spot, which ain’t much of a curiosity.”

  I look up at him warily as we walk. “Do I want to know what that is?”

  When he laughs, my soul stirs. “It’s a hill out back of Ernestine Jenkin’s farmhouse. When you stand on the top, your compass goes wonky.”

  I make a mental note to try out the Curiosity Spot before I leave town.

  “Some folks think we should do something to get the attention of the Guinness Book of World Records. But that seems far-fetched to me.”

  I smirk. “Like the world’s largest ball of rubber bands?”

  “Yeah,” he replies. “People are already talking about selling souvenirs, but they don’t even have the ‘thing’ yet.”

  “What happened there?” I say as we pass by a vast flat-roof structure with a cylindrical chimney. The bank of windows along the front is boarded up.

  “That’s the vacated textile mill. Not much to see there.”

  “It looks old. I love old buildings.”

  “Yeah, it’s old, all right. About 200 years, if I’m not mistaken.”

  I slip my hand in his and say, “I’d love to see it inside.”

  “It’s off-limits, I’m sorry. The town lawyer says…”

  I step in front of him and remind him of who he is. “You are the mayor, aren’t you? Please?”

  I’m not even ashamed to admit I bat my eyelashes at him.

  “What do you say, Flash?” Rex asks the official mayor, yet never taking his eyes off me.

  Flash understands what I want and trots over to the chain and lock that holds the doors shut at the top of the steps.

  Rex grumbles but gives in. “Can’t go that way; I don’t have a key. But come on, I have an idea.”

  Around the back of the building, we sneak inside through a loose board behind some overgrown bushes.

  “Pretty sure this is where the bored teenagers are sneaking inside the mill on weekends. Watch your step,” Rex says, taking my hand. His touch reminds me of our wrestling match earlier, when he’d had my wrists pinned to my car. My body hums at the memory of that tense closeness.

  Once inside, it takes several minutes for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. When I do, however, it looks bigger inside than it does outside.

  In front of me, I see something so unexpected that I gasp. “Rex, how long did you say this place has been closed?”

  “About four years. Why?”

  My mind reels for a minute, and I suddenly have an idea. A half-baked idea. It might work, or it might not, but I need to tell it to him anyway. Rex gives the vibe of the kind of person who wouldn’t laugh at a half-formed idea, so I feel like sharing it.

  “I think I know what you’re supposed to do now,” I say, turning to him.

  By saying that, I didn’t mean a kiss. But that’s what I get.

  There in the dusty, cavernous, an
d dark space, my tow truck savior kisses me with lips so tender against mine that my body ignites with both shock and excitement.

  I pull away and tell him, “I meant about the Guinness Book of World Records thing. That’s what I was going to say. I have an idea.”

  Rex’s wide, brown eyes are full of confusion. “What’s your idea?”

  I tell him, and he studies me with interest and just a shade of skepticism. “I can see how that could work,” he replies, looking over at the thing that I see.

  “Oh, it’ll work. People will stop and take pictures on the side of the highway for just about anything, and this is not just anything.”

  Rex returns his gaze to me and says. “So, wait, you didn’t want me to kiss you?”

  I smile up at him shyly. “No, I definitely wanted you to kiss me.” I circle my arms around his neck and pull him in just as his arms go around my waist and cinch me close.

  “Good.” Our mouths come together in a more heated kiss this time, and it’s not long before I’m letting him slide his tongue against mine. I probe his mouth with my tongue, and his hands drag down my back. My nipples harden against his chest. I would feel embarrassed by how turned on I am, but then that familiar pressure against my pelvic bone tells me I’m not the only one.

  When his thick fingers dig into my hips, I let out a small moan of pleasure into his mouth. His hands travel lower, cupping my cheeks, our mouths still exploring, tongues diving and teasing and tasting. He’s somehow gentle and forceful at the same time, threatening to undo me. It would take no effort at all to lose this gauzy skirt. Are we about to have sex in a dirty, abandoned building? Sure, why not?

  That small moan does more than what I expected it to, provoking a low growl in his chest that rattles against mine.

  My hands grab fistfuls of Rex’s shirt when his firm fingers brush over the split between my cheeks.

  I whimper when he pulls away from the kiss. “I wanted you the second I saw you, even as you pointed that gun at me. I wanted you in my bed. I knew—”