Title: Looking For Love
A/N: I was overwhelmed by all the reviews, alerts, and favorites after only the first chapter of this story. You ladies are truly awesome :D Hope that you all like this one as well! Enjoy!!!
Tim pulled up in front of Riggins Riggs, quickly killing the engine and hopping out of his truck. He walked around the back of the truck, watching as Julie pulled her small rental car into the parking lot.
"Pull on in the shop." Tim said, motioning for Julie to pull her car into the garage so that he could change the tire.
She nodded, giving him a quick smile as she slowly pulled the car into the garage before bringing it to a stop.
He walked up beside the car, giving her a thumbs up when she looked toward him to see if that was far enough.
He smiled as he watched her pull herself out of the car. She looked tired, with her hair falling out of her ponytail and smudges of dirt on her clothes, not to mention a little on her face.
Tired, but absolutely hot and adorable all at the same time. Tim wasn't sure how a woman could be both, but somehow Julie managed to pull it off.
Little Julie Taylor.
He hadn't seen her in what felt like forever, but he knew it had been just a few years. He had seen her at a football game when she was home visiting a couple of years ago.
They hadn't spoken, but he had watched her long enough to see that she was still as beautiful as she had been back in high school, and that there was still that something about her that made her stand out from the crowd.
Looking at her now, he knew that was still true.
There was just something about Julie Taylor.
There always had been.
"This is a nice place." Julie said, looking around the auto shop, her gaze flitting from one piece of machinery to another, trying to take everything in.
"You sound surprised." Tim smirked, taking note of the sound of her voice.
He didn't blame her. He still wondered sometimes how he and Billy had managed to build such a successful business.
He knew the majority of people in Dillon never would have thought the Riggins brothers would amount to much of anything.
But they'd proved 'em wrong.
"No, I didn't mean it like that." Julie said quickly. "I just meant, well, that it's nice." She said with a shrug, giving him a grin.
Tim chuckled. "Thanks, Taylor." He replied honestly.
"And uh, was that a cow I saw in that fence out front?" She asked, arching her eyebrows at him.
"No." He drawled, trying to hold back a smirk. "It's a steer, not a cow."
"Oh, excuse me." Julie said slowly, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Was that a steer I saw in the fence out front?"
Tim nodded, a grin on his lips. "Yeah. That's Tex."
"Is he like a Riggins Riggs mascot or something?" She enquired, smiling up at him.
He found himself smiling back as he answered her. "Yeah, something like that." He drawled, starting to walk toward the back of the shop. "Come on, let's go find that tire."
He walked from the main area toward the back, passing Ronny and Joe, two of the other mechanics. "Hey guys. How's it goin' around here?"
"Good." Ronny replied, running a hand over his short red hair. "We finished that carburetor on the Buick, and got all the oil changes done. Billy left for the day, too. Something about Mindy bein' sick again."
Tim nodded. "Well, if y'all finished everything y'all go ahead and take off. Get out of here a little early today."
"I knew there was a reason I liked you, boss." Joe said with a laugh.
Tim smirked. "See you guys tomorrow." He stated, continuing on into the back as Julie followed close behind.
"Mindy's sick?" Julie asked curiously.
Tim walked into the back room, beginning to sort through a large stack of tires, looking for one that would fit the rental car.
"Yeah." Tim replied slowly. "You know she's about eight months along, and I think she's had mornin' sickness for all eight of 'em."
Tim had heard over and over from Billy how sick Mindy had been, and how he swore this was the last kid they were gonna have because he couldn't take another pregnancy like this one.
"Now that you mention it, I think I do remember Tyra sayin' something about that." Julie said, following along behind Tim as he chose a tire and headed back out front.
"There's a lobby right over there with a television and stuff if you want to wait in there." Tim stated as he began removing the spare tire from the rental car.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Julie asked with a small laugh, the sound bringing a smile to his lips.
Tim glanced up at her, finding her looking down at him with her hands on her slim hips and a smile on her face.
"No." Tim drawled, giving her a smirk. "Just tryin' to be hospitable, Taylor."
"Well, thanks but I think I'd rather just sit here and watch you." She replied.
Tim grinned at her words, watching as she started to blush as she realized how her words had sounded.
He knew she hadn't meant those words literally, but he definitely wouldn't mind having her watch him.
As long as he could do the same.
"I mean, not watch you." She said quickly, rolling her eyes playfully. "Just, you know, I'd rather stay out here with you and chat than sit in there alone."
Tim nodded, turning back toward the car and trying to hide his smirk from her as he removed the spare.
"So…" Julie said slowly, pulling up a small stool and taking a seat near Tim. "Are those guys you sent home the only other workers besides you and Billy?"
"Yeah." Tim nodded slowly. "Billy handles most of the paperwork and billing, while me and the guys handle most of the floor work. We've got a nice little clientele built up, so we stay pretty busy."
"You like it." Julie stated, giving him a smile.
Tim nodded, giving her a grin. "Yeah, I do."
"I know you went to San Antonio State after high school. When'd you come back home and start workin' here?"
Tim sighed, leaning back against the car for a few seconds. "I managed to stay at San Antonio State for a year, barely." He said with a grin. "It just wasn't for me. So, I packed up and came back home."
"I bet Billy was glad to have you back." She quipped.
"Not really." He said with a grin. "He pretty much chewed my ass for quittin' school, kept tellin' me I was screwing up. But he eventually got over it when he realized I really wasn't goin' back."
"Then you started working here?"
Tim nodded. "Yeah. I took some auto mechanic classes and a few business classes over at Dillon Tech, but that's about it as far as school. Poor Billy never got that Riggins degree from me."
"Well, he got a good mechanic out of the deal." Julie replied. "Seems fair to me." She said with a grin.
Tim grinned back at her, noticing the way her pretty eyes lit up, making his gut clench.
"How 'bout you?" He asked quickly, turning back to begin putting on the new tire. "You're a photographer?"
"Photojournalist."
He looked over his shoulder, giving her a questioning look. He didn't have a clue what that really meant.
She laughed lightly. "I do some journalism writing, and yes I'm a photographer, but the photos I take are used to tell a story. Mostly for newspapers and magazines."
Tim nodded. "You work for a paper, right? I think I've heard Coach say that before."
He'd actually heard Coach mention it many times. He knew that Julie worked mainly for a New York newspaper, but that she also did some free lance work as well.
"Yeah. The Gazette." She replied. "But I do some other stuff on the side. I do a lot of travelling, just got back from Africa a few weeks ago. I stay pretty busy."
"You like it?" He asked, repeating her earlier words.
"Most days." She responded, her smile not quite reaching her eyes this time. "There are days when I'm swamped or weeks when I'm out of town when I wish I had chosen some little office job somewhere, but then I catch that perfect shot and it's all worth it."
"You'll have to show me your work sometime." He said, giving her a smile.
"Uh, sure." She said, giving him a smile.
Tim nodded, dropping the jack as he finally got the new tire on and ready to roll. "Well, here you go, Taylor. One new tire. Well, good as new anyway." He smirked.
"Thanks so much, Tim. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done without you." Julie said as she stood, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I'd probably still be on the side of the road struggling with that stupid jack." She said with a laugh.
Tim chuckled. "You'd done be passed out and dehydrated by now, Taylor."
"I was half way there when you showed up." She laughed, the sound and the sight once again making his gut clench. "That water you gave me was about the best thing I've ever put in my mouth."
Tim tried not to think about her drinking that bottle of water. Watching her gulping down the water, and then the way she had closed her eyes and pressed it to her warm face had been down right sensual.
Tim had gotten half-hard just watching her.
"Well, how much do I owe you?" Julie asked, pulling a wad of money out of her pocket.
Tim shook his head. "Don't worry 'bout it."
There was no way he was going to accept her money. It hadn't taken him long, and he had thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with her.
"Tim, come on. I just told you that you pretty much saved me." She said with a smile. "I don't know how much you charge for this kind of thing."
"For you, nothing." He replied, taking a step toward her. "Consider it one old friend helpin' out another."
Julie sighed. "Alright. But I owe you one." She said quickly.
Tim nodded slowly, unable to stop himself from reaching out with his hand and gently wiping a smudge of dirt off of her cheek.
"You uh, had some dirt right there." He explained, giving her a grin.
"Um, thanks." Julie mumbled, wiping her small hands over her cheeks. "I know I probably look a mess. It's been a really, long day."
"You look good, Taylor." He said softly, meeting her gaze. "Real good."
And she did.
Real good in a way that had him thinking thoughts he probably had no business thinking about.
"Thanks." She replied, her cheeks beginning to redden slightly. "Well, um, I guess I better actually get on home. My parents are probably wondering where I am since my plane landed hours ago."
Tim nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he reluctantly took a step back. "Yeah, you better get goin'."
"Thanks again, Tim." Julie said, giving him another heart-stopping smile. "It was good to see you."
"You too, Taylor." He said, meaning every word.
It had been good to see her.
He watched as she opened her car door before turning back to him. "I guess I'll be seein' you around a lot, with the wedding and all." She said quickly.
Tim nodded. "I guess you will." He drawled, giving her a smile.
"Okay then. Bye, Tim." She smiled, sliding in and starting the car.
"Bye." Tim said softly, returning her small wave as she slowly pulled out of the garage and out onto the highway.
Tim sighed, a smile breaking out on his face as he watched her go.
He had a feeling that it was going to be nice having Julie home.
Very nice indeed.