Beautifully Broken (3 page)

             
“How long have you lived here?” Cole asked, breaking my comfortable silence. I shrugged as I climbed down off the truck, deciding I would need some tools to get up close and personal with the engine. “About a year now.” I looked around trying to find the tool box before looking at him with a questioning glance. I had to admit the man was easy on the eyes. His dark blonde hair was ruffled and un-styled, falling haphazardly and had sun kissed streaks as evidence of his time outside. Stubble lined a firm squared jaw, firm, broad shoulders leading down to toned and corded forearms and that dang dimpled smile. But above all else his eyes were the most gorgeous blue I had ever seen before. “Marley?” I shook myself out of my studious gaze and felt my cheeks flame up. “Sorry I was thinking.” I argued as Cole laughed. “Uh huh…drooling. The tool box is behind you.” I turned around and found the box hidden in a caddy corner next to the door. I rummaged through it before pulling out a wrench and climbing back up on the truck. “What brought you to Oliver? Not many people chose to actually come here.”

             
Man this guy was an inquisitive one. I sighed as I worked on loosening some bolts to remove what looked to be a faulty alternator and starter. “I broke down here. Never left.” I answered vaguely. “Okay, so what were you running from?” I dropped the wrench with a loud clang as my heart sped up. I turned slowly to look at him. “Who said I was running from anything?” I asked, a little breathlessly. He shrugged and crossed his arms over his broad chest as he leaned against the fender. “A girl like you wouldn’t willingly leave somewhere, or perhaps someone if there wasn’t a reason. I don’t buy into that whole I took a drive bit.” His eyes narrowed as he studied me. It was like he was trying to look right into my head and with the way my heart was racing he wasn’t too far off. I licked my suddenly dry lips and leveled him with my own glare in defense, “How do you know it wasn’t just a little stormy where I was?” I demanded, trying desperately to stay as vague as possible. He shrugged and uncrossed his arms, leaning on the side of the truck instead and close enough that I could smell the minty scent of his gum. “It may have been stormy…but sorry darlin’ it doesn’t rain forever.” We seemed to stare at each other forever, daring one or the other to say or do something. Finally he ducked down and retrieved the wrench I had dropped and handed it back, his skin just barely grazing mine. Before he let go he stared at me a moment more, “ You can try staying hidden as much as you’d like Marley, but it’s time to face facts. No matter how stormy it was where you left, you were still the lightening in that rain. You can still shine through the darkness.” He let go of the wrench and gave a nod of his head before disappearing out of the garage. One thing was for sure….Cole Bradley was going to be my down fall.

             
I tried shrugging him off as I buried myself in the engine. The alternator was rusted and giving me a hard time. I also found a snapped timing belt and a few burnt down coils. I was up to my elbows in grease by the time I was able to yank both the starter and alternator free. I pulled them out and laid them on the ground before looking around the truck. Red didn’t strike me as something that fit with Cole. He seemed more of a gun metal grey kind of guy. The tail gate was rotted and I was pretty sure wouldn’t have opened if I tried and the driver’s side mirror was cracked. All things I wanted to fix to see her up and running again. I opened the door and slid inside on the bench leather seat. I loved old cars. It was one good thing my father passed onto me. When he was feeling particularly nice or wanted to impress someone he would take me down to the run down garage he worked at and show me some of the cars people brought into him. It only happened once or twice but it was enough to secure my love for automobiles. I ran my hands over the dusty dashboard and clicked open the glove box. Pictures fell forward and curiosity got the best of me. I picked them up and studied them. They were pictures of young man. I recognized Cole and Emma Jo in a few of them and even Mason Brady. Carefully I put them back feeling like I had invaded someone’s privacy and climbed out of the truck. I picked up the broken parts and hefted them back to my car. The Bradley’s were nowhere to be seen and for some reason that made me sad. I tried not to read into it as I climbed into the car. One thing I knew for certain was I needed a drink and I needed one badly.

Chapter Three

              I sat in my lofty barn apartment shooting back one burning shot after another. I’d nearly devoured a bottle of whiskey in under an hour and I could still feel the effects Cole left me with. I had spent the better part of an hour sitting on the front fender of the truck trying to tell myself his words meant nothing. I was a bad liar. In the thirty minutes that man was around me he had managed to unravel me into a pathetic ball of tangled yarn at his feet. How did I let him get to me like this? Back went another shot. The burn cut down my esophagus and I blinked away tears. As much as I welcomed the pain the liquor was substantially numbing it. I pictured his dumb dimples and even dumber smile. Yeah I wasn’t claiming to be very mature. Back went another shot. I wasn’t quite drunk but I was definitely feeling it.

             
When a knock sounded on my door I sat and waited, hoping the person would get the hint that I just wanted to be left alone. “Marley Masters! I know you’re in there!” I rolled my eyes as Cole’s velvet cowboy voice rolled through my tiny house. If it was anyone else they would have left me alone. Knowing Golden boy being left alone was a long shot. I’d have more luck getting ice water in hell. I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled my way to the door before jerking it open and walking away. Cole strode in like he owned the damn place and I wanted nothing more than to kick him in the shin. Again not very mature of me. Granted I was seeing three of him but I supposed if I just went kung fu princess on him I was bound to hit one of his smug know it all asses. “And what do I owe the pleasure oh Hercules?” I asked sarcastically as I plopped, yes plopped, ungracefully back down on my stool. “Hercules?” he asked stepping over to the counter next to me. “Yep. You’re a golden boy with a philosophical flare.” I tipped back my shot glass and closed my eyes as the whiskey burned a path into my empty stomach. “Then wouldn’t you mean Aristotle, or Socrates?” He sat down, took my whiskey and my glass and poured himself a shot. I watched as he shot it, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. For some reason that made me thirstier then the whiskey. “It’s not polite to take a person’s liquor.” I slurred as I stole it back. “And no. It would not be either of those. They were rebels in their own right. Hercules was a hero.” I reasoned. He nodded but said nothing as I downed the last shot in my bottle. “What if I told you that I wasn’t always the hero or golden boy as you so affectionately refer to me as?” He smirked. I wanted nothing more than to swat that smirk right off his dagum beautiful face. “I’d say I don’t believe one word coming out of that perfect mouth of yours.” I stood up and reached for another bottle that I had on top of the refrigerator when Cole stopped me by placing a gentle hand on my arm. “Come with me for a little bit.” He asked gently. Those blue eyes were pleading and suddenly I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to say no. Immediately I sobered and was now feeling tipsier than overall drunk.

             
I looked down at my dirty white tank top and greasy coveralls and nodded. “Okay…lemme change.” I stumbled towards my room and slammed the door behind me. Even his presence was sobering me up and that wasn’t something I wanted. Sobering up meant I had to feel. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes. What was one night? I opened my eyes and wrestled out of my coveralls stumbling over myself, slipping a pair of cut off shorts on, I threw off my tank top and grabbed the first thing my hand landed on which was a blue ruffled peasant top. I slipped my feet into my worn brown cow girl boots that Dolly had let me have after finding them when I moved in and lastly pulled the bandana off and letting my hair spill down in waves. Sighing I opened the door and went into the kitchen where Cole was busy putting drops into his eyes. “Well don’t you clean up nice?” he chuckled. “Since you’ve been drinking we can walk over to the diner.” He motioned for me to head to the door and it wasn’t the first and probably not the last time I had to question the reason I was going for. I closed the door behind me, not bothering with the lock. In a place like Oliver there was no reason to lock doors.

             
We walked in silence to the diner, the whole time Cole kept his hand at the small of my back to keep me from stumbling. Whereas I appreciated it, his hand left a burn that rivaled the whiskey. He opened the door to the diner and let me go in first. “Well look at that!” Dolly squealed excitedly. I struggled for a smile but I was sure it came out more like a grimace. “Two please Dolly, somewhere a little private.” Cole asked. I turned up and scowled at him, “That urge to kick you in the shin is getting bigger and bigger.” I growled as I followed Dolly to a back booth. She set down some menus and it was at that moment I realized I was starving but before I could say anything Cole took the menus and handed them back to her. My eyes grew wide and angry, “An ice tea for me, coffee for her and two of the usual.” He ordered. I was seething, he had no idea what I wanted and he had the nerve to order for me. Okay I’ll admit the coffee sounded good but still!

             
Dolly took the menus and winked at us before rushing off to place our mystery order. I opened my mouth to argue but he stopped me. “You’ll like it. I promise. It’s a great after drinking meal. I use to come in here a lot after drinking myself three sheets to the wind.” He smiled and those dimples melted my anger into curiosity. “You weren’t always the hero?” I asked softly as I fiddled with a piece of my frayed shorts. “Nope. I was wild. My life was spiraling out of control.” Dolly approached our table and set down his tea and my coffee with a little container of creamer, just the way I liked it. I smiled and thanked her, pouring the creamer inside until the coffee was a creamy brown. I lifted it to my lips and took a sip. Cole ran a hand through his mess of curls and picked up his sugar packets. He ripped one open and poured it onto the table, right next to the glass. “Um…Hercules, you kind of just missed your glass.” His cheeks turned pink as he brushed off the table. “Yeah, I guess I just missed the glass.” He picked up two more and this time poured them in his glass. I sipped my coffee as I waited for him to stir his tea. “I wasn’t always such a golden boy.” He sighed. “I didn’t care if I saw anything more than the bottom of a bottle.” I couldn’t imagine him as a drunk. He smiled as if reading my thoughts. “So what happened that changed you?” I took another chug of my coffee, emptying the cup and feeling a hundred times more sober. Dolly rushed over to us and poured me a fresh cup with a big pink smile, “It’s so good to see you getting out Marley.” She gushed. “You look good outta a pair of coveralls and letting your hair down.” I nodded and smiled as she walked away. “A life change.” He said quietly as he stared down into his tea. “A life change?” I asked, pouring the cream into my coffee. He nodded and pinned me with those blue eyes. What I saw in them nearly took my breath away. He was broken…something inside him was broken. Only someone equally as broken would recognize that look. “Yes. Something in my life changed. It taught me to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you because you never know when those things are going to be taken from you.” His eyes glassed over and before I could push forward Dolly returned with our food.

             
“Here ya go kids. Two jam packed breakfast burgers.” She set the heaping plate down in front of me and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Can I get y’all some refills or anything else?” I shook my head, unable to tear my eyes away from this meal. I had been here nearly every day for a year, since cooking was certainly not my forte, and I’d never even seen or heard about this before. “No thanks Dolly, thank you.” Cole thankfully answered for the both of us and I could hear Dolly laughing as she left. “This here is the best burger for after a night of drinking. It’s the best of both worlds. Toasted buns, grilled to perfection hamburger, a sausage patty topped with scrambled eggs filled with chunks of bacon, onion and tomato, two slices of pepper jack cheese, topped with perfectly crispy bacon finished off with a leaf of lettuce.” He smiled as he put some ketchup on his top bun, smashed it all together and took a huge bite. “Mmm…” He groaned. I stared at my own burger, wondering exactly how I was going to get my mouth around it. “Oh god…you’re not a vegetarian are you? I shouldn’t have just assumed.” I laughed. The panic on his handsome face was absolutely hysterical. “No! Not at all, it’s just so big.” He laughed as I struggled to take a bite. “Oh my gosh….this is so good!” I mumbled nearly losing the food in my mouth. The burger was seriously the best thing I had ever tasted, granted with how much grease and artery clogging meat on it I was due for a heart attack as soon as I was done but I would die a happy girl after this.

             
“So you’re not going to tell me this life changing experience that turned your bad boy ways into golden boy charm?” I took another heaping bite and chewed as I watched him. Cole smiled and reached forward touching the corner of my lips with his thumb. Like slow motion he wiped away some stray ketchup and sucked it off his thumb, the gesture seemed oddly intimate and I felt frozen in place as my heart rate struggled to catch up with the violent butterflies in my stomach. He stared at me almost like he was gauging my reaction. I licked my lips and took a breath. “Thanks…” I hated how breathy I sounded and I hoped he didn’t notice. He cleared his throat and looked up at me, “No.” I blinked and cocked my head, shooting him with a confused stare, “What?” “No, I’m not telling you what life changing experience happened. Not until you tell me what you’re running from. Fair is fair.” He smirked. I could not believe this man. His cocky attitude was going to be the end of him. Out of protest I finished my food in silence.