Authors: Kimberly Dean
“Who, Cam?” She tugged at the hem of her shirt but stopped when the fabric pulled even tighter over her breasts.
“The hatchet man, yes.”
She let out a scoff. “He’s hung up on Lexie. Anyone can see that.”
“Yeah, I see it, but let’s try not to confuse him. Okay? Because if he gets too
cuddly
with you, I might have to find my gun.”
Chapter Eight
The day was going to be a scorcher. The sun was still low on the horizon, but it beat on the back of Zac’s neck as he walked from his Jeep to the station house. The humidity had lowered overnight, but it was getting ready to pounce again. He let himself in through the back door and savored the coolness of the air conditioning. The situation with Maxie was getting more and more tangled, but there were things he had to do here.
He was sheriff of a small town that was having a major event. It may be centered on family fun and wholesome entertainment, but it also meant a cluster of people would be packed into one place. That could cause problems right there, but with this heat? Tempers could flare. People could suffer heat stroke. He needed to check in and make sure he’d put enough coverage on the streets.
Then he could get back to his rapidly evolving love life, if that was what was truly happening.
He spotted one of his sergeants at the water fountain. “Hot enough out there for ya, Dodd?”
The older man was one of the most experienced on the force, but he looked weary as he stood upright. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “It’s like one of them fancy-ass saunas, Sheriff, and I hate them things.”
“Me too, but I’m about to head back out into it. I’m off duty, but I’ll be at Park Art if anyone needs me.”
Dodd grimaced. “Why head out there today of all days? A sane person would stay inside where there’s air conditioning.”
“Are you saying I’m not sane, Sergeant?”
“It was a metaphor, sir.”
Sure it was. Zac grinned. The man was probably right. He hadn’t been in his right mind since Maxie had fainted into his arms. “Let’s just say I got an offer I can’t refuse.”
“Ah, the Miller girl.”
Zac lifted his head, his attention darting away from the duty roster.
Dodd let out a chuckle. “Word’s gotten around that you were seen with her down at the Indigo Iguana last night. In fact, three of her, whatever the hell that means.”
“We had dinner with some friends.” He left it at that. It still surprised him how people’s lives were considered open books here. In Chicago, he’d gotten so used to protecting his private life, hiding it so nobody could find it, that it had nearly disappeared. With his job, there’d been no other option, not if he’d wanted to reduce the risk to his friends and family. Maxie was a hometown girl here, though, and people weren’t shy about poking around. It was going to take some adjusting. He just wasn’t sure what he should say about her visitors. That was her story to tell, when she wanted to tell it.
“She’s a sweetie pie,” Dodd commented. “Last April, I was a bit late in calling for flowers for Lorraine for our anniversary. Hell, I forgot, but Maxie didn’t. She had a bouquet already made up. I like that girl.”
“So do I,” Zac admitted. He liked her a lot.
“Easy on the eyes too, if you don’t mind me saying.”
He did mind.
Easy on the eyes. Cute and cuddly.
Way too many other men were looking at her.
“So is there anything going on that I should be aware of?” he asked, getting back to business. When it came to Maxie, there was only so much he wanted to discuss. He wasn’t quite sure what was happening between them. He knew what he wanted to be happening, but she had him bouncing around like one of those Super Balls. Hot then cold. Go then stop. He was having a hard time keeping up. “Has there been any trouble down at the Falls?”
Dodd wrapped his thumbs around his gun belt. “Not at Falls Park, but we were called down to the Inndigo last night.”
Zac stilled. “The Inndigo?”
“Yeah, a couple of construction workers got into it. Nobody was hurt, and they didn’t cause any damage except maybe to their egos. They were so drunk, neither managed to land a solid punch.”
So no report of three hot women skinny-dipping. Good to know.
He leaned back against the wall and nearly sighed at the coolness against his shoulder blades. “Any charges filed?”
“No. We hauled them both in and let them sleep it off in separate cells. Fortunately, we had the space.”
As harmless as the scuffle sounded, Zac was glad he’d gotten Lexie and Roxie out of that place when he had. “How much longer before that bridge project is supposed to be completed?”
“Not for another month or so, from what I hear.”
He frowned. “Their people are running on fumes as it is.”
“I know. I had a talk with their foreman about it.”
“You called him?”
“He was there.”
That sounded about right. Zac mulled it over. Maybe it was time they stopped being lenient. Next time something like this happened, somebody was going to have to face the consequences. Maybe that would get the company’s attention and make it clear their guys were running ragged. Hell, he knew how it could get when work separated a guy from friends and significant others for a long time. You went a little bonkers. “Okay, keep me updated.”
He turned into his office and tried not to scowl. New paperwork was in his inbox. He ignored it. He’d deal with it when he was on-hours and getting paid. Today, he had other chores that needed his attention.
He waited for the computer to boot up. It seemed like ages since he’d last been at his desk. He’d worked a full shift yesterday, but a lot had happened since five o’clock last night.
He ran a thumb across his lower lip. A
lot
.
He glanced through his open door towards the sergeant’s desk. He didn’t mind people knowing that he was seeing Maxie—if he was truly seeing her. Things had spiraled out of control with her faster than he’d expected. He’d underestimated her, and he’d underestimated his attraction to her, as impossible as that seemed.
He ruffled his hair as all that sexual heat and frustration built back up inside him. He’d only meant to kiss her last night, to mess around a little and get her out of her head. He hadn’t expected her to react the way she had or for his own thoughts to go completely haywire when she’d touched him back.
Shy? Timid? It was
always
the quiet ones. When would people realize that?
His chair squeaked as he leaned back in it. She’d been embarrassed this morning, but he hoped to God it had been because she’d left him hanging high and dry, not because she regretted letting it go as far as it had. She’d kissed him on the porch readily enough. Then again, she’d also left the bed pretty damn quickly, hightailing it down to the kitchen without waking him.
Shit. These were the thoughts that drove men crazy.
The computer cursor was blinking in front of his face. Rolling his chair closer, he typed in his password and organized his thoughts. Most of her uneasiness was caused by having too many questions coming at her too fast. If he could find some answers, she’d feel better. Calmer and more in control.
Then they’d get down to the questions he had—and ways to make them both feel better.
It was already warming up by the time Maxie and her helpers unloaded The Green Thumb’s van. Fortunately, she didn’t have a lot of big things to transport, mainly trinkets. Fresh-cut flowers didn’t do well in heat, so she’d brought other things they could sell. Park Art was just too good of an event to miss. It brought so many people into town. She and her grandmother had participated in the event every year since it had started.
Grandma. Maxie took an unsteady breath as she ran her finger over a dried rose. Why hadn’t she ever been told she was adopted?
“Where should I put the potpourri and sachets?” Roxie asked.
Maxie pushed down the feelings of sadness and confusion. “On the table over there.” They were small and cheaply priced. They’d sell well if they were displayed up front. She stepped back to look at the dried arrangements she’d hung on a corkboard. They looked attractive, if she did say so herself.
Roxie inhaled deeply. “Everything smells wonderful.”
“I tend to take that for granted.”
“Work in a bar for a while, and you’ll get acquainted with an entirely different set of smells.”
Maxie laughed. “No thanks.”
She’d take working with flowers any day, although it had its own drawbacks. She rubbed her thumb over the healing pricks on her finger. She was sure bartending was an exciting job, but even as a florist she never knew what the day would bring. Or who.
“Morning, Maxie. Looks like you’re about set up.”
She turned at the sound of her name, but nobody else was in the booth. She looked at Roxie questioningly, but knew she hadn’t been the one talking.
“Those yard ornaments are great.”
Lexie’s voice drifted through the tented booth’s walls. She’d volunteered to set up things outside. “Actually, I’m not—”
The visitor talked right over her. “I heard you were at the Iguana last night with Sheriff Ford.”
Oh no. Maxie recognized that voice.
Roxie tried to peek around the corner. “Oooh, this should be good. Lexie could totally pull off the triplet-switch thing.”
Maxie knew that. It was what had her worried. She wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to break up the conversation. Becky from the coffee shop was one of the town’s biggest gossips.
“You’re no fun,” Roxie called after her.
She had too many secrets to spill to consider having fun.
“Hi, Becky,” she called as she popped outside. The sun was still low enough on the horizon to make her squint, but she could see the back of her neighbor’s curly blonde head. “You’re here early.”
The woman turned, surprised to be interrupted. “Well, when you’re in the coffee game— Oh, hi.
Maxie
?”
She nodded. “Is your booth nearby?”
“Right over there.” Pointing, the barista found herself looking at Lexie again. Confusion settled onto her heart-shaped face.
It wasn’t the first time it had happened. People had been staring all morning, and it was bound to get worse once Park Art actually opened.
“This is Lexie,” Maxie said, stepping over to her lookalike’s side.
The lines of puzzlement on Becky’s forehead deepened, but then her eyes cleared. “Oh, you must be one of Zac’s cousins.”
Maxie’s jaw dropped.
“Once removed.” Lexie had a bemused smile on her face as she held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I saw your shop. It’s cute.”
Becky shook her hand with enthusiasm, but her gaze kept darting back and forth between the two of them. “Martin said you had visitors in town.”
Yes, Shimwell would have. Maxie raked a hand through her hair. He and Becky were fast friends and, really, the two comprised the hub of Indigo Falls’ rumor mill. If one picked up a piece of fresh news, the other would have it as fast as the airwaves could carry it. She wondered how long it had taken Martin last night before he’d been on the phone texting.
Cousins. Sheesh. As if there wasn’t enough confusion already.
She took a wire butterfly from Lexie and stabbed its holder into the ground. She could hear Lexie fighting not to laugh. Still, a giggle escaped when she said goodbye and went into the booth with Roxie. The mirth only intensified when those two were together.
Catching Becky by the arm, Maxie pulled her farther away.
“Wow,” the coffee girl said, glancing over her shoulder. “What an amazing coincidence.”
One in five hundred thousand, actually, at least according to Wikipedia. It was one of the many things Maxie had learned yesterday when she’d been scouring old papers and skipping around the web.
“Is Martin here?” she asked.
“No, he called me last night when he got off his shift. I didn’t think he was telling the truth, but now that I see them…” Becky waved when Roxie poked her head out of the booth. “Well, I suppose he was telling the truth about you and the sheriff too?”
There it was, the question she’d been waiting for. The phone lines must have been burning up. “We did have dinner together,” Maxie said vaguely.
“Really? Well, pooh.”
“Excuse me?”
The coffee maven nudged a clump of grass with the toe of her sandal. “I just thought… Well, he comes to my shop every morning. I thought we had chemistry, and he said he’d be here today.”
Maxie didn’t know what hit her more, surprise or jealousy. Becky and Zac? Her stomach curdled as if she’d just taken a sip of Java Mama’s coffee.
“It’s new,” she confessed. Half of her felt the impulse to apologize, while the other half rejected that idea with vehemence. She had nothing to be sorry about. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Really, if she looked at things in a certain way, she’d asked the sheriff out on a date and he’d accepted. Just because he liked coffee didn’t mean that he was interested in the vivacious blonde. Did it?
Maxie cocked her foot back onto its heel. The way he’d kissed her on the porch this morning said no. So did the events of last night, but that was a topic better left unsaid. “We’re having a nice time together.”