Read Cowboy's Pride (Welcome to Covendale Book 1) for Free Online

she’d either refuse, or take his help with a side of sneering and a fresh batch of lies to spread about him. “Well, this’ll be fun.”
    He got back in the truck and waited for Ellis to climb in the passenger side. As he drove down the row, the headlights of the damsel in distress went through another round of flickering, running lower with every pulse. “She’s going to kill what’s left of the damned battery if she doesn’t stop that,” he said. “Christ, doesn’t anybody know enough to…”
    The words died in his mouth as they got close enough for his own headlights to shine on the troubled vehicle—which happened to be a pickup he’d already seen once too often today.
    That truck belonged to Sydney Davis.
    * * * *
    Sydney wanted to scream.
    She twisted the key and held, listening to the engine give out a series of weakening coughs. Why did her truck have to pick tonight to quit? No way was she going back in there to ask Tommy for a ride home, and she wasn’t going to make Luka leave.
    Well, she probably just needed a jump. She could try to find somebody out here with jumper cables, or call home and ask Dad to help—though she didn’t like that option much, either. Her parents already did a lot for her.
    Just as she decided to give it one more try and hope for a miracle, headlights swept down the row and stopped right in front of her. At once relieved and embarrassed, she cleared her throat and prepared to explain the problem, at least as much as she knew.
    Two doors opened, and two figures came around into the glow of the headlights. She recognized both of them with a sinking heart. The big bear Luka had called Ellis…and Cam Thatcher.
    This was the last thing she needed.
    Cam approached her open window slowly and stayed far back. “Sydney,” he said. “Never pegged you for a racing fan.”
    “I’m not. I came here with—” No, she wasn’t going to say that. Besides, the sneer on his face said he knew what the next word would’ve been. “I’m fine,” she said. “I was just about to call my dad and have him give me a jump.”
    “From the sounds of it, you need more than a jump.”
    She stared at him. “How could you know that from a sound?”
    “Pop the hood.”
    “No, really, it’s just the battery. I’ll call Dad…”
    “Sydney.” Cam folded his arms. “This the first time it wouldn’t start on you?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Any of your lights been dimming before now?”
    She sighed. “No.”
    “Pop the damned hood.”
    “All right.” She reached down and pulled the hood latch. The pop sounded loud as a shotgun, making her flinch a little.
    “Thank you.”
    Cam walked away. As he opened the hood and propped it, the big man wandered over to the window and grinned at her. “I’d listen to him,” he said. “The man knows his engines. He’s practically a mechanical savant.”
    Something clanked under the hood. “Shut up, Ellis,” Cam said.
    “Sorry. We’ll stick with genius.” He stuck a hand toward the window. “Hi, I’m Jack Ellis,” he said. “Saw you outside earlier.”
    “Yes. I’m Sydney.” She shook and offered a tentative smile.
    The truck bounced, and Cam swore loudly. “Gotta get my toolbox,” he said. “Be right back.”
    Cam straightened and stalked toward his truck, and Ellis shook his head. “I guess you’re lucky he’s lost his mind,” he said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be out here tonight.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’ve been offering to buy that bike of his for three years and change. He finally decided to sell.” Ellis shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Just called me out of the blue this afternoon. Said he’d meet me tonight with it.”
    “His bike?” Sydney said. “You mean the Harley?”
    “That’s the one.”
    A sudden chill moved through her. Cam had loved that bike forever. One of her clearest memories of that day back in middle school was him showing her the not-yet-restored version, and the way his