Wendell Burgeon just wanted a hot night in town. Instead, he picks up a stalker…a dangerous one. When his make-up doesn’t hide the bruising, a friend at the office jumps to conclusions and tries to cheer him up. Cecil Rochette convinces his brother Teague to give Wendell a ride in his classic car…the one Wendell has been drooling over for years. To Wendell’s shock, Teague’s behavior belies his brawny jock image. He’s kind and sweet and seems interested in him, asking Wendell on a date when the car ride is over. He even comes to his rescue when his stalker shows up. Can Wendell’s knight in shining armor truly be as wonderful as he seems? When Wendell discovers that Teague has secrets of his own, he must make a decision. Who’s the more dangerous…his stalker or his knight?
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Shoving his hands into his pockets, Wendell took a moment to stare at the beautiful car he’d been admiring from afar for so long. The sleek vehicle had sweeping silver fenders, chrome bumpers and trim, white-walled tires, and a curved black roof. The front end appeared to make up nearly half the car, but it didn’t look awkward at all. Instead, it seemed regal.
A touch to the small of his back startled Wendell out of his thoughts. He turned his head and found Teague standing beside him. The big man’s lips were stretched into a warm smile, and his dark eyes twinkled.
Taking in that look, Wendell felt his heart rate pick up speed and warmth flowed through him. He swallowed hard, knowing he had to be completely misreading Teague. No way could that be interest gleaming in his eyes.
“She is pretty, isn’t she?”
Wendell tore his focus from Teague and returned to staring at the Streamliner. “Yeah.” For some reason, it didn’t surprise Wendell at all to hear Teague refer to his vehicle as a girl. “Was never a car guy, but anytime I saw yours, I had to stop and stare.”
“You flatter me.” Teague’s voice had deepened, sounding husky. When Wendell peered back at his coworker’s brother, the guy wasn’t looking at him, and a bit of color stained his cheeks. “Want me to pop the hood?” Teague refocused on Wendell, a crooked smile on his lips. “I would have offered before, but you said you weren’t a car guy. I didn’t want to bore you.”
Wow! That was thoughtful of him.
Wendell chuckled softly. “It really would be lost on me. Sorry.” Figuring Teague might enjoy talking about his car anyway, he cocked his head and offered a small smile as he offered, “You can if you want though. I’ll smile and nod and look interested. I just won’t understand a word of it.”
Guffawing, a huge grin curving his lips, Teague shook his head. His brown eyes twinkled as he said, “Naw. I won’t waste your time like that.” Teague rubbed his fingertips up and down Wendell’s spine lightly, drawing attention to the fact that he still touched him. “Come and check this out, instead.”
Too shocked that Cecil’s brother was guiding him to resist, Wendell strolled toward the stone safety wall. He paused before a plaque and read the information there. It was a simplistic picture of the valley sprawled before him, with tags that pointed out tree types, common animals, and the names of several points in the distance.
“If you look just to the left of Mount Kiskillion, you might be able to see the sun reflecting off something.” Teague pointed in that direction. “That’s a waterfall. The hike isn’t too bad if you use a back way that the park rangers use.” Winking, Teague dipped his head as he murmured, “I can show it to you, but you can’t tell anyone.”
Wendell smiled up at the man, amused at his playfulness. “You have permission to use park ranger trails?” After Teague nodded, Wendell asked, “Does that mean you are one?”
Teague shook his head. “I’m not, but I’m friends with most of them. I do their web design and take nature hikes with a photographer buddy of mine, Coby.” His grin turned sheepish. “I’d like to say Coby and I decide on awesome shots together, but it’s more really him. The man’s got a great eye.”
“Coby? Coby Myers? That photographer?” Wendell didn’t even try to hide his surprise. “The one who owns the gallery in town?”
“Yeah. You know him?”
Wendell couldn’t believe the small world. “I do. Coby’s husband, Richard, is a good friend of mine.”
“Oh, wow,” Teague responded, his smile turning crooked. “It’s amazing that I haven’t run into you before, then.”
Probably not so amazing, since Wendell didn’t often attend their barbeques. He’d tried it a few times. Being a vegetarian around all Coby’s meat-eating friends could get a little uncomfortable.
Wendell preferred small get-togethers, anyway.
“So, does that mean you’ll go hiking with me?”
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