Jeremiah (Stud Ranch 5)

I was in the hill country and cars passed, some even slowed, but I waved them by. I’d called Charlie and she was coming by with gas.

But when the familiar truck slowed down to a stop behind me and a lanky figure climbed out, it definitely wasn’t Charlie. By his rigid posture and the permanent stick up his ass, I knew it wasn’t Reece either.

I got back out of my car, hands on my hips. “Why’d they send you?” I glared at Jeremiah as he pulled out a gas can from the box in the back of his truck bed.

His eyes narrowed. “Oh, believe me, I have better things to be doing than rescuing you.”

“Rescu—” The gall of this guy. “Well, give me the gas and your chivalrous act for the decade can be over and done with.” I reached forward and tried to grab the gas can out of his hand, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Why don’t you just sit back and let me take care of it. Considering what happened with the paint can last night, I’d hate for this gas to accidently end up all over the ground instead of in your tank.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Did you have to go to jackass school or does all this charm just come natural?”

He shook his head as if I was the one being childish. God, I wanted to grab him and just shake all his superiority out of him. But I guessed the quicker he got the gas in my engine, the sooner I’d be done with him. So I stepped back and let him open my gas cap, align the nozzle, and upend the can.

“This isn’t much, but there’s a station a couple miles down the road. You’ll need to stop there and fill up all the way.”

“I know,” I said. God, did he think I was an idiot?

“And you should keep a better watch on your tank. It’s best to always refill when you hit a fourth of a tank, otherwise sediment from the gas can start to build up at the bottom of the—”

“Thanks, Mansplainer, I got it,” I said as the noise of the gas glug glugging finished and I could finally yank the gas can out of his hands and roll my gas cap back on. “You can go now.”

But he just stood there. “Let’s just make sure she starts up.”

I rolled my eyes but shoved the gas can back toward his chest. He took it and I climbed up into the truck’s cab and shoved the keys inside.

I turned the keys and the engine sputtered. But didn’t catch. What the—

I pressed the gas a little and then turned the keys again. Another sputter. And still nothing.

“Goddammit!” I slammed the wheel, glancing at the clock on the dash. I was already late for dropping off the deposits I’d promised would be in by four o’clock today. Shit.

“Pop the hood,” Jeremiah said, sounding annoyingly calm.

It showed my level of desperation that I actually did what he said. Through my front windshield I saw him walk around the car and lift the hood, propping it open. I pushed out of the car and walked around to join him under the sweltering sun as he looked down at my engine.

It looked like… well, an engine. Nothing was smoking or giving away what was wrong. I looked at Jeremiah and he had a frown on his face. “Well?” I asked.

He shrugged. “No clue.”

I huffed out a laugh at that. So Mr. Great and Mighty didn’t know everything. But my mirth was quickly covered by panic.

“Shit. I have to get these deposits put down today. It’s the last day to drop off Benny’s check or else no booze.”

Beside me, Jeremiah huffed out a noise of frustration. “Fine. I’ll take you.”

I looked up at him in surprise. “You will?”

Jeremiah pulled out the rod keeping the hood up and let it slam closed. “This piece of junk isn’t taking you anywhere. And I have a feeling this wedding is gonna need all the social lubrication it can get.”

Did he really just say lubrication? Shit, get your brain out of the gutter, Ruth. I shook it off and nodded. “Okay, sure. If it’s not too far out of your way.”

He just waved a hand, as gracious about it as I suppose he was able, because he still looked as disgruntled as a goat. “You should call for a tow. Don’t expect me chauffeuring you around town to become a regular occurrence. Only reason I’m out here instead of Charlie or Reece is cause I need some materials in town and they thought I could hit two birds with one stone.”

“What are they doin’?”

Jeremiah grimaced as I locked up my truck and followed him back to his. “They were eating lunch and planning some sort of wedding crap. Vows or some shit. I was about to head out anyway when Charlie got your text.”