He left it at that and opened the french doors of the fridge again. “Damn.” He disappeared behind the panels like he was going to climb inside. “How could I run out of butter? It’s a travesty.”

“I’ll run and get some.”

“Nah. I can get it.”

“Dawson, you’re doing all the cooking. I can run to town.” I’d see if Kate wanted to come. “I just need to warm up the pickup.”

I could start my pickup with my phone. I hit the button and frowned when I got a failed message. I tried again. Same thing.

“Something wrong?” Dawson drifted over, his hands stuffed in his jeans. His hair stuck up in hunks. He must use the same finger-comb method I did, only I hadn’t worn a stocking hat all morning.

“The pickup’s not starting.”

We both got in our boots and coats and went outside. I tried to start the pickup. Nothing. “Battery’s dead. The farm store open?”

Dawson ducked his head. “Until noon, I think.”

“Can I borrow your ride?”

He didn’t say yes, but a slow grin spread across his face and his eyes sparkled even though clouds packed the sky. I narrowed my eyes and his smile grew.

“The thing is, Aiden, I might need my pickup.”

Like hell. He could use Bristol’s. She hadn’t upgraded her old beater, but it purred like a two-ton kitten after a few days at the shop.

“When Beck and Xander come to town and need wheels, they use the other pickup.”

The only other pickup was… “You asshole.”

CHAPTER 15

Kate

My winter boots hit the snow-packed parking lot and I let go of the door and the seat. This old pickup of Beck’s was something. I hadn’t ever ridden in it before, but I’d seen the others drive it around. A ride like this would’ve been right up my brothers’ alley when they were teens. It had been easy to picture each King boy driving around in this as a teen, except for Aiden. Until now.

He wore his nice sweater and his good jeans with his North Face coat, but he had on cowboy boots and handled the big pickup like it was nothing.

My gaze lifted to the KC lights lining the top. Hadn’t those gone out of style years ago? Way before my husband and his brothers’ time.

A wall of heat closed in behind me. I’d almost needed my husband’s help getting into the monster-truck wannabe.

“That was a climb.” It wasn’t much larger than a big farm pickup, but I wasn’t over six feet tall like Aiden. I’d needed three points of contact to get in and out.

“It’s something,” he said grimly, but I didn’t miss the humor underlying those words.