Free Shoe Strings by Christy Hayes Page A

theoretically how to change a tire, but I’ve never
actually done it myself.”   She let
her arms fall and pursed her lips.   “I guess, if you have the time, I’d appreciate your help.”
    His grin grew slowly across his impossibly handsome face
and, for a moment, she nearly smiled at him in return.   “Why do I get the feeling that if
anybody else was here, anybody at all, you’d accept their help over mine?”
    “I guess you’re just insecure.”   She moved to open the back.   The new car had less than three hundred
miles on it and she didn’t even know where to find the spare.   “Well, the extra tire has to be here
somewhere?”
    Jesse gently guided her to the steps.   “You just have a seat right here,
darlin’, and watch the master at work.”  
    He ignored her snort, walked back to the SUV, and dropped to
his knees.   It didn’t take but a
moment for him to locate the spare, mounted under the vehicle, and crank it
down like magic.   Considering the
age of his own car, it was a wonder he had any idea where to look for a spare
on her new one, but he’d found it in less than twenty seconds and was soon
rolling it to a rest against the garage.   He set up the jack, had the bumper raised, and the flat tire off in less
time than it would take for Lita to use the bathroom.   Though she desperately didn’t want to
be, Lita was impressed.   And once he
had the spare on, she felt both impressed and grateful.  
    She’d actually enjoyed watching him change the tire.   Besides the obvious entertainment of
watching Jesse’s muscles bunch beneath his shirt, it wasn’t very often the men
in her world performed manual labor tasks.   They were too busy picking out clothes and drowning themselves in
cologne.   Not one of her male friends
from home could have changed her tire and done so without getting sweaty or
dirty, as Jesse had.   He had the
most amazing ability to look rumpled—and simultaneously gorgeous, yet
smell freshly showered and incredibly male.   She suspected he had his own arsenal of
sweet smelling shampoos and soaps at home.  
    “Thank you, Jesse.”
    He stopped rolling the injured tire and stood upright to
look at her.   “That actually sounded
genuine.”
    “It was.   I’m
grateful.”
    “I like the sound of that.”   He continued rolling the tire to the
back of his Scout.
    “What are you doing with the tire?”
    “It’s got a nail.”   He hoisted it into the back and clapped the dirt off his hands.   “I’ll run it into town and get it
fixed.   Your spare is full-sized, so
I’d suggest using this as the spare from now on.”
    “Well…”   She
didn’t know what to think about his very generous offer, especially after he’d
already changed her tire in record time.   “That’s very nice of you, but I can take care of it.   I was heading into town anyway.”
    “So was I.   As
soon as I figure out where the old man has Ty.   I’ll drop it by the body shop and have
Bobby Joe fix her up.”   He moved to
stand in front of her and she got the first glimpse of sweat gathering in a v
beneath his collarbone.   It made her
stomach clench.   “Barring any
off-road accidents, you shouldn’t need it before later tonight.   I’ll run it back up after dinner.”
    Lita was floored and more than a little wary.   Why would he change her tire and run the
spare into town for a fix?   “Jesse,
I can’t ask you to do all that.   If
you’ll just load it in the back of my car, I’ll find the body shop and take
care of it myself.”
    “You didn’t ask and it’d be easier for me to do it than give
you directions to the shop.   Plus,
Bobby Joe would probably spend an hour ogling you instead of fishing out the
nail, so it’ll save us both time.   I
need to see him about a part anyway.”
    Well, she hadn’t seen this coming.   “Okay, I’d really appreciate it.   But instead of bringing it back after
dinner, why don’t you bring it back before and