Carrillo's Cowboy by Tee Smith (english books to improve english txt) 📕

like at mechanics?” she asked as he made his way to her.

He raised and dropped his shoulders in a shrug. “Not too shabby. What do you need?”

“I was hoping to get Dad’s old tractor started. It’s been locked up in the shed since we moved here. I don’t know what it needs.”

“Sure, I can take a look.”

“Thanks.” She smiled. She expected Cody to walk away, but he stood there just taking her in. Unspoken words left hanging in the air. “Well, I better go,” she finally said, awkwardly.

“Right.” He nodded. “Have a good day, guys.” He waved to Grace and Austin while she turned and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“You like him, don’t you, mum?” Grace asked as she turned the key, bringing the old car to life.

“Yeah, of course, I do. Don’t you?”

“Yeah, but I mean you like him, like him.”

“Yeah, like you like Hunter Jamieson, hey Grace?” her brother taunted from the backseat.

“I do not,” Grace whined. “Shut-up.”

“She does, Mum. She and Lina talk about him during lunch. That’s why they won’t let me sit with them. You think he’s sexy.” Austin drew out the last word in a higher pitch, mimicking his sister.

“Do we have to take him to school, Mum?” Grace rolled her eyes as she watched her mother for a reaction.

Callie held back a chuckle as she listened to her kids bickering. She recalled talking about boys when she was Grace’s age. She’d have wanted to run and hide if one had tried to speak to her. Maybe that’s what she should be doing now, with Cody, running and hiding.

“Stop teasing your sister, Austin,” she called over her shoulder.

“At least I don’t love Miss Brayshaw,” Grace retorted, referring to the new school receptionist who was barely out of high school herself.

“I do not.”

“Do so.”

“Do not.”

“Enough, you two,” Callie snapped as they reached the gate. “I’m starting to wish I’d put you on the school bus.” That made the bickering stop. She knew they hated travelling on the bus. They only lived twenty minutes from town, but the bus took almost an hour by the time they picked up all the farm kids en-route. Chatter turned instead to motorbikes. That was the one thing Austin did like about living out on the farm. About the only thing.

“You-who,” she called out over the rumbling of the engine as she made her way into the shed.

“Oh, hey, there,” Cody called from somewhere she couldn’t see.

Spinning around, she saw him walking toward her. He had stripped down to a black singlet, the shirt he wore earlier swung lazily from the back pocket of his jeans. His biceps bulged unapologetically from the tight fabric. He was everything Adam wasn’t.

“I, ahh . . .” she started, her words getting lost on their path from her brain to her mouth. His lips finding hers before they had the chance to escape.

“I really do have work to do,” she panted out when he finally let her up for air. However, she could have happily allowed herself to get lost in his touch. “I have a mountain of phone calls to make.”

“I understand,” he agreed, although the look on his face didn’t match his words.

“I can’t believe you got the tractor going. I thought it was going to cost me a tonne.”

“It just needed service and a greasing up. I changed the oil filters; all the parts were here.”

“Sounds like my dad,” she laughed out. “He probably thought I’d do it myself. Maybe you could service the kids' bikes for me as well.”

“No problem,” he answered with a smile. It was paying off, having him around. He was handy for a whole world of things.

Chapter Nine

Taking in a long, cool drink of water, Cody stared out the window. The sun was just peeking its first rays over the hills in the distance, casting dusky hues over Carrillo Estate. He’d only been in Harlow’s Bend for six weeks, and already it was feeling more like home than anywhere else. Of course, it helped that the woman sleeping just down the hall had taken him in and showed him some old-fashioned hospitality, but it was more than that. Something he couldn’t articulate. Something deep in his soul.

“What are you doing here?”

 He startled at the voice and spun on his heel to see Austin standing almost ghost-like in the shadows.

“You gave me a fright.” He placed his palm over his heart.

Austin took a step toward him and repeated his question. “I asked what you’re doing here.”

Cody’s mind reeled. What could he say? He had been sleeping in Callie’s bed every night for the last week and sneaking out through the French doors in the morning, making his way back to the quarters.

“I, ah . . .” he stammered in an attempt to buy some time.

“She still loves my dad, you know.” The boy’s face contorted in a look of distaste, which told Cody he knew exactly why he was in his boxers outside of his mother’s bedroom in the early hours of the morning.

“I’m not trying to take your Dad’s place. If that’s what you’re thinking.”

Austin shrugged. “Wouldn’t matter anyway. It’s not like he would care.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Cody tried.

Austin’s head shook from side to side. “Nope. He’s a loser.”

“Hey . . . that’s not very nice,” Cody defended, even though he tended to agree. The man had a beautiful family, one any man would be envious of, one he was jealous of, and yet, he had let them go.

“He’s an asshole. He doesn’t care about us anymore. He’s got a new family now.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.” Cody leaned against the sink, crossing his feet at the ankles as Austin moved in alongside him. The fact he had just found a man in the kitchen semi-naked seemingly forgotten.

“No, but he’s always too busy for us now.” Austin overemphasised the last words. “He promises all the time he’ll come on the weekends, and then he gets too busy. Probably taking