in anger. I shrugged at her shock as I reached into the truck and grabbed the keys that had tumbled onto the seat.
“Most people forget to lock their back windows; I’ve done it a time or two myself.” I dropped them into her hand.
“You mean you could have gotten them this whole time?”
“Sure.”
“But, you waited until I was wedged between the truck to tell me?” she snapped.
I couldn’t help but grin. “What can I say? I wanted a little show for all my hard work.”
“You are a disgusting pig, just like that man.” She jerked her head in the guy’s direction. “Now, I think I’m stuck, so thanks again.”
“Need a little help?” I grinned.
She glared at me. “I think you’ve done enough; I wouldn’t want to give you the satisfaction.”
I shrugged, hopping from the bed of the truck and fighting the urge to watch her squirm her way out. The man was starting to stir on the ground. Before he came back around, I patted down his leather vest, finding his billfold and slipping it out. I flipped it open.
“Oh, that’s great, now you’re going to rob him? Some hero.”
“I wasn’t—” I turned around, my words falling short as she brushed the dust from her shorts and top.
Her curves called to me, the tight curls of her hair fighting to escape the tie as she softly cursed under her breath. Every thought I had slipped away. Even when she thought no one was watching, her fiery personality shone through.
I wanted to know more about her. I had to know what made her the wild little woman that I saw before me. There was an attraction, that was obvious. At my feet, the man groaned again, drawing my attention away from the way she glared at me and back to the task at hand. I quickly rifled through the business cards and ID in his wallet.
It didn’t take me long to find the information I was looking for. Once I had it, I tucked the man’s billfold back into his breast pocket and gave him a hard nudge with the tip of my boot. The steel plate dug into his bloated stomach. He’d been out for a solid twenty minutes.
By the time his eyes fluttered open and he pieced together the recent events, fear jumped to his sweaty face. He tried to scramble to his feet, stopping when he got to his knees and letting out a low moan. You weren’t a cattle farmer until you’d felt the harsh sting of a prod. It was a time-honored tradition and gave you a healthy respect for the small device.
It wasn’t something you used on an animal unless there was no other option. A lot could be said about a man who would use it liberally on a cow, let alone another human. My anger started to twitch again. I wanted to beat the man unconscious again but steadied my hand.
“I should run the prick over with my truck,” the woman hissed.
I chuckled. “You would have the right. Ain’t a judge in Texas who would convict you. I don’t think you need to worry about him anymore. So, can I get your name? Since I was nice enough to—”
“To stick your nose where it didn’t belong?” she hissed.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. I could see from the soft tremble of her hand that she was still shaken. My heart lurched, the unfamiliar sensation of protectiveness rearing up. I wanted to pull her in my arms until the trembling stopped, promising her that nothing bad would ever happen again.
“Listen, I’m not sorry for stepping in. You can take your pride and flaunt it somewhere else. I’d rather have you pissed off and safe than the alternative.”
She sighed. “Hailey. And who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”
I chuckled. “I don’t normally come this far north in the state. My ranch is a good drive south, but I’ve got business up this way. Good thing I stopped in for a drink too.”
She rolled her eyes. “There you go bragging about yourself again. Boy, one good deed and you’d think you’d get bumped up to sainthood. And you never told me your name. How will I alert the media that a hero walks among us?”
My jaw clenched. “Jackson. My name is Jackson Wheeler. Would it kill you just to say thanks? Good grief, it’s no wonder you’re single.”