Chapter 1

Published by JMS Books LLC

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Copyright 2017 Deirdre O’Dare

ISBN 9781634865838

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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For once I didn’t have any real people in mind when Mal and Dan began to emerge from the shadows to tellme their story. I’m not sure where they came from or even the plot and the events shaping it. We writerstake what we are given, though! That being said, I will just dedicate this to three high school English teachers who encouraged me to write. As you can see, I have done so. Thanks to Miss Rayle, Mr. McLarney and Mr. Gabrielson—even if this was not what you had in mind for me to do!

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Wrenching

By Deirdre O’Dare

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 1

Copper Canyon, NM

Early spring

Malachi Dunbar deftly twisted the wrench to secure the wheel bearing he installed on a customer’s pickup. Few who saw him with his deformed left hand would imagine how skilled and capable he was at his chosen trade of auto mechanic. Determination, perseverance, and creative use of the abilities one had could take a person a long way. Especially if you pursued your goal with dogged persistence and never took no for an answer, not even your own personal nos.

When he heard a noise outside the garage bay where he worked, Mal wriggled out from under the truck and went to investigate. Most of the time, he left dealing with customers to his boss, but Ben was out this afternoon, taking his very pregnant wife to the doctor. It was an excuse even Mal could not argue with, so he’d agreed to mind the store as well as carry on with his regular work.

When he saw who stood inside the front door to the office and parts store section, he rued his acceptance. There stood the last person he wanted to see and deal with. Hero, and subject of both envy and passionate longing, Daniel Winslow probably didn’t know Mal existed. Why should he? Heir to the largest and most successful ranch in the area, he always appeared cool, collected and in control. Dan gave the impression he had the world on the end of his lasso, branded and ear notched with the Flying W’s marks.

Still, Dan looked very anxious and troubled, if the expression on his face was a valid clue. Mal wasn’tquite sure if he was seeing anger, worry, sadness, or a mixture of all three on his idol’s face, but he did recognize he’d have to deal with Dan, whatever it was.

He cleared his throat, trying to find his voice somewhere down behind his breastbone. For a few seconds, words refused to come. Finally, he managed to croak a facsimile of, “Can I help you with something, Mr. Winslow?”

Dan wheeled toward him. “Er, is Ben around?”

Mal shook his head. “Nope, sorry. He had some business in Los Mercados. Won’t be back in until tomorrow morning.”

Dan growled what sounded like a muffled cuss word. Then he gave a half-irritated shrug. “Okay, then. I know you do the work anyway, at least most of the time. If I leave the pickup, can you check it out? The brakes seem to be going. I really don’t want to drive it another yard until someone can determine what’s going on. My foreman’ll be along in a few minutes to take me home, so I don’t need a loaner.”

Hell, Mal had just replaced the fuel pump in the truck a few days ago, and now this? Something sure did not seem right. That time he hadn’t spoken to Winslow, though, which suited him just fine.