Free Trouble In Dixie by Becky McGraw Page A

straddled the bike and cranked it up.
     
    Trying to be as quiet as possible, she
didn't rev the engine, but idled her way down the driveway to the
road. Halfway to Bowie, she saw tail lights flashing ahead on the
side of the road and slowed down to take a look. The truck was
broken down in the middle of nowhere, and she knew there wasn't
cell service out here, so that guy was up a creek. Pulling up
behind the truck, Katie didn't cut the engine, she got off and
flipped her face shield, so she could see better, then walked
around the truck tentatively.
     
    The doors were shut, and the hood wasn't up,
so she didn't see any obvious signs it was broken down, which made
her a little nervous. After she looked around a minute, she
realized she knew this truck. In the dark, she hadn't really
recognized it, until now. It was Tommy's truck and she didn't see
him anywhere, which caused fear to course through her.
     
    She walked around to the driver's door and
tapped on the side window, Tommy vaulted up in the seat, then
before she knew it, she was looking down the snout of a mean
looking pistol. Taking a step back, her eyebrows shot up as did her
hands. The blood in her face drained down to her toes.
     
    His eyebrows shot up too, then fell over his
narrowed angry eyes, as he flung the door open. "What the hell are
you doing stopping in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the
night? Are you nuts ?!?!" he yelled and jumped down to stand
in front of her.
     
    Katie's blood boiled up from her toes and
she put her hand on her hip, then said sarcastically, "Obviously I
am, because I'm stopping to help a dumb ass who's just sitting on
the side of the road, waiting for someone to come along and plow
into him! Is your truck broken down, or are you just enjoying the
scenery?"
     
    Tommy ran a hand through his dark hair, then
huffed a breath, and grated, "I was waiting for you...I was worried
about you on that damned bike."
     
    "You're a mess, you know that?" she said and
stepped toward him to put her hand on his chest and lean up to give
him a quick kiss. "I'm fine...I'm a big girl, I can take care of
myself, Tommy."
     
    He shoved the gun into the back of his pants
then growled and pulled her into his arms, before covering her
mouth with his in a kiss that held frustration and need. "That
doesn't mean you won't get hurt...accidents happen."
     
    "Yeah, they do, and you waiting by the side
of the road for me isn't gonna stop that from happening," she told
him then stepped back.
     
    "It will if you ride with me, instead of
riding that bike," he told her then walked behind the truck and let
down the tailgate. "I have a ramp, come help me load it in the
back."
     
    "God, are you always this overprotective?"
she asked incredulously, then went and shut off the bike and kicked
up the stand.
     
    "Only with those I care about," he said
softly, then slid the board down and leaned it against the
tailgate.
     
    Katie pulled off her helmet and fluffed her
hair, as he took the bike and wrestled it up the ramp and into the
back of the truck. He hopped down, then slid the board in and
slammed the tailgate.
     
    Relief filled his eyes as he turned to her
and asked with a sexy grin, "Ready?"
     
    Her heart skipped to the Lou in her chest
and she swallowed down the desire that swamped her. "More than
you'll ever know," she admitted then walked around to the driver's
door. He opened it for her, and she threw her helmet in then
climbed up.
     
    Katie barely had her butt on the seat, when
she saw headlights headed toward them on the road. She slid over
quickly, so Tommy could get inside, but then Red and Blue lights
started flashing on the top of the car and Katie groaned and put
her hand to her forehead.
     
    Tommy didn't get in, he just shut the door
and leaned against it, waiting for the cruiser to pull alongside
them. Katie scooted over and cracked the window so she could hear
what was going on. The darkened window of the cruiser rolled down
and her eyes