I’m driving out to Baker City to meet with a potential artist. You sure you want to be stuck in a car for that long?
With you? Anytime
.
“I’ll even drive.”
She stopped in her office to grab her purse and let Brit know they were leaving. The assistant smiled and waved at him like she thought they were going on a date, not a business drive. He wished. Taylor frowned at the girl as they left.
As they left the gallery, Taylor slipped on a pair of sunglasses, hiding her eyes. He nodded to the Porsche sitting in the parking lot to the side of the gallery. A 1985, 944 model, the baby was his pride and joy. He’d bought the thing for pennies and had put thousands into restoring the car to its former glory. Candy apple red, the car got its share of looks when he took it out for a drive.
“Flashy,” Taylor admitted. “And so not what I expected. My father would kill you for this car.”
“You should have seen it when I bought it. James told me I was out of my mind. That finding the parts alone would ruin me.” He held the passenger door open for her, watching as she slipped in. Her long, elegant legs were the last part of her body to disappear into the Porsche.
When he climbed into the driver’s side, he turned the keys, letting the engine sing. A smile tickled his lips. The car made him happy. He wasn’t proud of the fact, but it did.
“So, you had to prove your brother wrong?” Taylor questioned.
“No. Well, maybe. James is James. As the older brother, he has an opinion on everything.” Jesse turned to Taylor. “I love the car, but James was right about one thing. It ran me an arm and a leg to restore her. I just make sure he doesn’t know how much.”
“Angie said the two of you grew up with your dad. That must have been fun—living out in the country like that. Is that where you learned to ride bulls? Did your dad teach you?” Taylor pulled a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to him. “Key this into your GPS, it’s the guy’s address.”
Jesse typed the address into the navigator he’d had installed. When the map pulled up, he frowned. “Two hours, thirty minutes? You’re going to have to feed me lunch and dinner.”
Taylor laughed. “Who said anything about food?”
“I am driving, the least you can do is feed me.” Jesse pulled the car out into traffic, adjusting the rearview mirror. From his peripheral vision, he saw Taylor turning her head toward the gallery, watching it like they were leaving forever.
“That can be arranged,” she finally said after they’d turned the corner, and the building was no longer in sight.
They reached the freeway and headed east before he answered her questions. “I’m surprised Angie said anything about Dad. She likes to pretend all that didn’t happen.”
“I don’t understand.” Taylor turned down the stereo. “She doesn’t like to talk about her divorce?”
Jesse turned his head and looked at her. “She didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?”
Jesse wondered if he even wanted Taylor to know about his sordid past. He sped up to pass a minivan that was slowing for the exit to Eagle, using the distraction to think. He considered his options. “Look, you can’t tell Angie I told you this. If she wants you to know, you’ll know. But it’s hard for her to admit what she did, and I don’t want her hurt.”
Taylor held her hands up. “I’m not going to hurt Angie. Or at least, I hope not. I don’t know what I said yesterday, but she teared up on me. So what really happened?”
Jesse glanced at the GPS. Seeing he didn’t have a turnoff to worry about for miles, he decided to let her in. “When James and I were kids, Angie left Dad.”
“They got a divorce. It happens in the best of families, believe me.” Taylor checked her cell phone for messages. “Most of my senior class was playing the two-step home game, one week at mom’s, one at dad’s. I could never find anyone.”
“No, well, yeah, they got a
With you? Anytime
.
“I’ll even drive.”
She stopped in her office to grab her purse and let Brit know they were leaving. The assistant smiled and waved at him like she thought they were going on a date, not a business drive. He wished. Taylor frowned at the girl as they left.
As they left the gallery, Taylor slipped on a pair of sunglasses, hiding her eyes. He nodded to the Porsche sitting in the parking lot to the side of the gallery. A 1985, 944 model, the baby was his pride and joy. He’d bought the thing for pennies and had put thousands into restoring the car to its former glory. Candy apple red, the car got its share of looks when he took it out for a drive.
“Flashy,” Taylor admitted. “And so not what I expected. My father would kill you for this car.”
“You should have seen it when I bought it. James told me I was out of my mind. That finding the parts alone would ruin me.” He held the passenger door open for her, watching as she slipped in. Her long, elegant legs were the last part of her body to disappear into the Porsche.
When he climbed into the driver’s side, he turned the keys, letting the engine sing. A smile tickled his lips. The car made him happy. He wasn’t proud of the fact, but it did.
“So, you had to prove your brother wrong?” Taylor questioned.
“No. Well, maybe. James is James. As the older brother, he has an opinion on everything.” Jesse turned to Taylor. “I love the car, but James was right about one thing. It ran me an arm and a leg to restore her. I just make sure he doesn’t know how much.”
“Angie said the two of you grew up with your dad. That must have been fun—living out in the country like that. Is that where you learned to ride bulls? Did your dad teach you?” Taylor pulled a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to him. “Key this into your GPS, it’s the guy’s address.”
Jesse typed the address into the navigator he’d had installed. When the map pulled up, he frowned. “Two hours, thirty minutes? You’re going to have to feed me lunch and dinner.”
Taylor laughed. “Who said anything about food?”
“I am driving, the least you can do is feed me.” Jesse pulled the car out into traffic, adjusting the rearview mirror. From his peripheral vision, he saw Taylor turning her head toward the gallery, watching it like they were leaving forever.
“That can be arranged,” she finally said after they’d turned the corner, and the building was no longer in sight.
They reached the freeway and headed east before he answered her questions. “I’m surprised Angie said anything about Dad. She likes to pretend all that didn’t happen.”
“I don’t understand.” Taylor turned down the stereo. “She doesn’t like to talk about her divorce?”
Jesse turned his head and looked at her. “She didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?”
Jesse wondered if he even wanted Taylor to know about his sordid past. He sped up to pass a minivan that was slowing for the exit to Eagle, using the distraction to think. He considered his options. “Look, you can’t tell Angie I told you this. If she wants you to know, you’ll know. But it’s hard for her to admit what she did, and I don’t want her hurt.”
Taylor held her hands up. “I’m not going to hurt Angie. Or at least, I hope not. I don’t know what I said yesterday, but she teared up on me. So what really happened?”
Jesse glanced at the GPS. Seeing he didn’t have a turnoff to worry about for miles, he decided to let her in. “When James and I were kids, Angie left Dad.”
“They got a divorce. It happens in the best of families, believe me.” Taylor checked her cell phone for messages. “Most of my senior class was playing the two-step home game, one week at mom’s, one at dad’s. I could never find anyone.”
“No, well, yeah, they got a
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