He couldn’t help thinking of how the five-hour drive remaining to the ranch seemed so very far at the moment. Had he been the superstitious type, he’d have wondered if the fates were conspiring to keep them from getting there—after doing everything possible to get him started on this journey he’d had no intention of taking.
Without moving, Molly sat looking at her cell phone for so long that he finally asked, “What’s the problem?”
She sighed. “I’m giving myself a mental pep talk before calling Shane.”
“Why is that necessary?”
Wrinkling her nose, she explained, “He’s going to chew me out again, and I’m bracing myself for it.” “Why would he chew you out? This is no more your fault than spraining your ankle was. Your car has been well maintained, but there’s no way to prevent an occasional mechanical problem. It’s just bad luck that it happened near a small town on a Sunday afternoon.”
Though she looked grateful for his reassurance, she seemed no more eager to call her brother. “Shane will point out—rightfully so—that I never should have been on the road today in the first place. Had I gracefully accepted your answers about the party and resisted the impulse to drive to Tennessee to nag you, I wouldn’t have sprained my ankle and I wouldn’t have put you to all this trouble and expense. And don’t even think about paying one penny of these car repairs or our motel rooms for tonight. These charges go on my credit card.”
“I’ll pay my own motel bill. As for everything else, it’s really none of your brother’s business, is it?”
She made a rueful face. “You really don’t remember Shane very well at all, do you?”
“I take it you and he don’t get along very well.” Her eyes widened almost comically. “Shane and I get along great! He’s always been my best friend in the world, in addition to being my big brother.”
Never having had a sibling, Kyle was confused. “But you said he yells at you all the time and that he bosses you around.”
“Well, yeah. But that’s just Shane. And he doesn’t really yell at me. He just worries too much sometimes. He was fifteen when I was born, you know. He’s kind of overprotective. Almost like a second father.”
“He still thinks of you as a little girl who needs his advice and protection.”
“Yes,” she conceded with a sigh. “I’ve been trying to change that, but it’s taking time. He says when he’s seventy-five and I’m sixty, he’ll still think of me as his baby sister.”
“Mr. Reeves?” A barrel-chested mechanic in grease-stained work clothes stood in the doorway of the waiting room. “Your loaner car is here. I’m sure you and your wife will be more comfortable in one of the local motels than here in this room.”
Kyle didn’t bother to correct the guy about his marital status. “Thanks. Maybe you can give me directions to the nearest decent motel?”
“There are a couple of chains just off the freeway. And several restaurants and fast-food places nearby. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting around. I’ll call the cell number you gave me as soon as your car’s ready tomorrow.”
Kyle nodded. “The earlier you can get to it, the better. We have a long drive still ahead of us.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Thanks, Bill.” Kyle handed Molly her crutches, then slung the straps of her overnight bag and his own over his shoulders. He couldn’t help wondering what Bill-the-mechanic was thinking as he watched Molly hobbling across the room with Kyle limping along behind her. Probably that they made an odd pair—and he would be right about that.
As Bill had assured them, they found a motel without any problem. Once again, Kyle rented two rooms, putting one on Molly’s credit card, as she demanded.
He didn’t think another cozy dinner in her room was a good idea—especially since he was still aching from the kiss they had shared. Instead, he gave her time to call her brother and prop her foot up with an ice bag for a while. He tried to talk her into taking something for pain, since he could tell she was uncomfortable, but she refused to take anything more than an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory. He supposed that would have to do—and he couldn’t blame her, since he hated pain pills himself.
After they’d both rested and freshened up, he took her to a casual steak house he had spotted on the way to the motel. Molly ordered fried shrimp and French fries, while Kyle selected a thick-cut steak with a baked potato. They were both hungry after the long drive and a very light lunch, so they ate without speaking for a while.
Kyle kept expecting Molly to get the conversation going again, but when she didn’t, he finally asked, “How did your talk with Shane go? Was it as bad as you feared?”
She dipped a fry into a puddle of ketchup, stirring it around without enthusiasm. “No, it was okay. He was sort of resigned this time, I guess. He told me to be careful and to call him tomorrow when we get underway again.”
Kyle studied her face, trying to read her expression. She sounded kind of down, but she wouldn’t look at him, so he couldn’t see her eyes. Maybe she was just tired. Or still sore from her injury. Or maybe her brother had been less understanding than she had let on.
It really ticked him off to think of Shane yelling at her—for any reason, justified or not. Kyle was guiltily aware that he had snapped at her a few times when he shouldn’t have, but he thought he might just take a swing at anyone else who treated her with anything less than respect. Even her brother.
The inappropriately possessive and protective nature of that thought made his scowl deepen.
“What’s wrong?”
He smoothed his expression and met her eyes.
“How would you like to go to a movie or something after dinner?”