Читать книгу Night Hawk онлайн | страница 11

“Did your father think it odd for a girl to be a mechanic?”

Shrugging, she said, “He did, but I persevered.” Because she would work with her brother, Steve, who taught her everything that her father refused to teach her about fixing equipment.

“What are you looking for, Kai?”

The question caught her off guard. It was a thoughtfully posed question, without rancor. She saw kindness in Talon’s gray eyes, his face fully readable. There was a gentleness around this man despite how tall he was. Holt wasn’t pretty-boy handsome—he was deeply tanned and tough looking. For a moment, a man from her past, Gil Hanford, came to mind. He’d been a Delta Force operator and Sam’s best friend. Kai quickly slammed that door shut in her memory—too much grief and loss came with it. Moistening her lips, she answered honestly.

“I wanted a family. The military was my family for ten years, but they were downsizing and a lot of us were being let go when our enlistment expired.” She opened her hands. “I love people, children and animals. I like being part of something greater than myself. I was hoping to find a ranch owned by a longtime family and become a part of it.”

He glanced at the résumé. “You’re a widow?”

“Yes. My husband was a Delta Force operator and was killed in action in Afghanistan five years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Talon said, meaning it, giving her a frown. “Are you in a relationship right now?”

“No.”

“How do you see yourself fitting in around here?”

Kai was shocked at the kind of questions Talon was asking. No one had ever asked her questions like this. “I’m a good mechanic. And I’ll be responsible for keeping all the equipment up, running and perform routine maintenance on them. Then, when I’m not busy with equipment, I’d like to be a wrangler. I can do anything asked of me because on my father’s ranch, I did everything. I like working. I like being out in the weather. I don’t mind dog work because I always take personal pride in the job I perform.”

She saw his eyes twinkle. Kai didn’t know if her answer meant he was pleased or not because his expression gave nothing away.