The McEllis Boys

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"We get to ride in the big blue wagon?!" Andrew exclaimed with excitement as he bounced with every step he took across the gravel driveway.

"It's called a truck and it's going to be cramped but it's the only choice we have., Nicole replied, thanking God she'd bought the extended cab.

"Truck?" Jamison asked as he reached out and ran his calloused hand over the metal. "How do they make these? And how do they move without horses pulling them?"

"Um.. I don't know the ins and outs of motors. You put gasoline in them and turn the key and they go. There's a gas pedal for going faster and a brake for stopping and a steering wheel for, well, for steering," Nicole replied awkwardly. She had never once imagined she would be in a situation where she would be the educated one when it came to automobiles.

"Why exactly did people stop using horses?" Cavanaugh asked as he looked at her from over the hood.

Nicole shrugged, determined not to let him know just how badly the episode in the kitchen had shaken her, "I don't know. PETA probably." she replied with a snort. Her joke was lost on these men who had absolutely no idea what PETA was. She shook her head and opened the drivers door. "I'm sure that with global warming they wish they had never invented cars. Horses were a lot cleaner of a way to get around."

"Tell that to the street sweeper," Cavanaugh said with the barest hint of a grin pulling on his lips.

Nicole couldn't help but laugh and she pointed to the back, "Three of you will have to ride back there and then one of you up front."

Cavanaugh was going to get in back and growled when his brothers beat him to it. That damn leg of his had made him too slow.

Ian and Jamison gave him a pointed look while Andrew was less subtle and said, "Guess you get to sit next to the la-aady."

Cavanaugh was tempted to take a page out of Ian's book and shoot something but decided that wouldn't solve anything. Instead he grudgingly got in the front seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

Nicole glanced at him from the corner of her eye as she too sat down and she fought back her laughter. He was pouting! Big tough 1800's cowboy was pouting because he had to sit in the front seat by her.

Okay, so that wasn't quite so funny. Damn her brain! She didn't want to think that Cavanaugh didn't want to be around her. Not when it had felt so damned good when he'd been so close and his fingers had been on her face.

"Put your seatbelts on," Nicole stated and she felt all four men staring at her. She sighed and showed them with hers what to do.

It was times like these when she wished she had a cell phone that took good video because watching the three stooges in the back seat, wrestling for space while trying to buckle themselves in was something she was sure could be an instant internet hit.

After nearly five full minutes of struggling they were all buckled in safely. She glanced over at Cavanaugh to see him struggling as he wrestled with a tangled belt strap.

"I hate when they do that," she said. "Let me help you" She unsnapped her belt and got out of the truck. She went to his side and opened the door. She grabbed the belt from him and with skill and precision she quickly let out a grunt and yanked the metal buckle as hard as she could, freeing it from the twisted strap.

Without giving much thought to what she was doing she stretched out the belt and wrapped it around him, just as she had countless times to the kids she watched. However when her cheek bushed against his hard stomach, she remembered that this wasn't one of her children.