Dry Spell Page 3

  Quinn grinned. “My mothers are lesbians.”

  At first his eyes widened as shock crossed his features, and then his face softened with acceptance. “So what talents did you get from your other mother?”

  “She’s an marine biologist. I got my love of science from her—and the ocean.” She’d gotten used to the reaction men gave her when she told them she had two mothers. Kyle accepted her unique familiar situation and treated her mothers no differently than his own parents. Now Jake seemed to. Maybe she’d ended up here for a reason?

  “And joining the military, where did that come from?”

  “Teenage rebellion.” She laughed.

  Jake chuckled, the kind of laugh that put her at ease. “You are possibly the most unique woman I’ve ever met.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment, Sheriff.”

  “Call me Jake.”

  “Jake. So what do you do other than writing speeding tickets or saving out-of-staters from tornadoes?”

  He stepped up beside her, easily keeping pace. “I play pool at Wild Joe’s Saloon. I do a little drag racing at the old airfield. I like the outdoors, go white-water rafting, hiking, camping, that kind of stuff. I also like to play coed mud volleyball at the annual Frontier Days celebration. All the proceeds go to raise money for disaster preparedness for the community. And I happen to need a partner.”

  “Don’t know if I’ll be around Evans Point long enough to play.” The image of a half-naked Jake in swim trunks with splatters of mud across his toned muscles hit her broadside. She looked away quickly, blushing, even though the fully clothed man walked beside her and she hadn’t so much as seen him without a shirt. Dirty boy. Quinn peeked sideways at him. Her imagination then took the fantasy a step further. He grabbed a garden hose and began to rinse off. Rivulets of water ran down his chest, over his washboard, the one she’d felt when they pressed body to body.

  “You all right?” He leaned in and looked her in the face.

  “Yes!” Her gaze snapped back to his and warmth bathed her cheeks. She balled her shaking hands. Her voice came out several octaves higher than normal, sending a fresh batch of heat across her face. Where the hell was the picture show coming from? “I…It sounds like a lot of fun.” Her, him. Covered in mud. Hoo, boy.

  “Oh, yeah.” He grinned in a way that made her insides go all gooey, and damn if that didn’t sound like a proposition for something more than volleyball. “Where else do you get to play in the mud like a kid, and all for a good cause? And…. You’re in luck. The game is this weekend. You can practice with me out at the old airfield while you wait for your claim to come back. That gives you five days to perfect your spike.”

  Her spike? Kidding? Quinn stopped walking. No, she couldn’t stay here, not long. She needed to get on with her life. “I don’t know. I’m a stranger. They didn’t seem to like outsiders in town when I passed through earlier.”

  “If you’re with me, you’re not an outsider. Evans Point is a tight-knit community and they are a little wary of people they don’t know. They warm up quick though, especially if you do something to help their cause. Come on, it’ll be fun.” He grabbed her hand and gave a little squeeze. “You won’t regret joining.”

  “Oh, all right. Since you twisted my arm.”

  Jake nodded but didn’t let go of her hand. Little jolts raced up her arm and her heart accelerated, thumping out a quick cadence. He walked beside her oblivious, as though they were taking a stroll through the park, and for some bizarre reason, the current moving through her, didn’t seem to affect him. He acted like they’d known each other for years. “Care to sing a bit more?”

  Quinn shrugged. “Sure.”

  Chapter Three

  Jake tossed Quinn one of his T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. She’d probably have to roll the bottoms up, but at least the drawstring would keep them on her hips.

  “Towel’s next to the tub on a stand, if you’d like a shower. Bring your clothes out when you’re done. I’ll put them in the wash. Tomorrow I’ll take you to get something else to wear. Don’t know how long it will be before we find your Jeep and get the insurance settled.”

  Her stomach growled.

  Jake gave himself a mental slap. He sometimes got so wrapped up in work, he forgot to eat, and that’s exactly what had happened since they’d gotten back to town. He’d focused so much on getting her settled in and making calls, he’d spaced the dinner hour. Ma would be all over him for his lack of hospitality. Which meant he should correct the situation, pronto. “Are you a meat-eater?”

  She nodded.

  Bonus. Nothing wrong with a woman unafraid to eat beef, especially in ranching country. “Good. I’m going to step out and get us a couple of burgers and pops from Joe’s.” Being a bachelor, he didn’t have much in the house. Beer, catsup, and some pickled eggs from Maggie Farrell, the owner of the guesthouse in Evans Point. Not exactly a gourmet meal, or anything he’d force on a guest, but on Sunday night in this town, options were limited, unless you wanted spaghetti.

  He’d already reported the incident, so when they found the debris, they wouldn’t expect to find bodies. The rest he could take care of tomorrow. Except for the food. Something warm in their guts would go a long way in making a bad day a little better.

  “Okay.” She gave him a soft smile and shut the bathroom door. Sounds of her clothing rustling and a zipper being drawn down came from the other side. That could mean only one thing.

  Yeah, well…shit. Down boy. Jake walked out. Yeah, he didn’t need to be fantasizing about her soaping up in his shower, and his mind had already managed to head down that path more than once today. The tangible attraction was absolutely crazy. He couldn’t get over the way his body reacted to her. Jake thought for sure he’d long since gotten past the urge to rut like a teenager. They didn’t even know each other, but the attraction proved damn near impossible to ignore.

  He’d have to stop this. Just passing through. She didn’t plan on staying. He’d committed a serious error in judgment by kissing her in the culvert. Even when clocked out, he still represented the law in town and was in the process of ticketing her when he caught her. No way would he let her think he backed off the fine so he could get in her pants. Things needed to stay professional and perhaps he made another bad call by offering to let her stay with him. Really, the best thing to do would be to pack her up and send her to Maggie’s place. But when around her, he swept that thought off the table, and reverted back to his Neanderthal ways of wanting to drag her into his cave and give into base desires.

  Stepping out of his apartment, he didn’t bother to lock up behind him. Evans Point was one of the few places in the United States you didn’t have to. Besides, only an idiot would break into the home of the town’s sheriff. He trotted down the stairs and outside.

  “Evening.” He nodded to the Logan twins, ninety-year-old men with nothing better to do than play checkers on an old whiskey barrel in front of the barbershop. They cut hair during the day and could be found every night in the same spot, doing the same thing.

  Locals didn’t go to them much anymore for the trims and shaves, as their eyesight had failed them a decade ago, and one of them had emphysema. Dwight could and did break into coughing fits at the most inopportune times, and when he did, his clients often ended up with a strip shaved off the middle of their heads, or worse. You could always tell the newbies and visitors to the area by the chunks of hair missing.

  Regardless, they were as much a part of Evans Point as the old inn and brick bank across the street, robbed at half-dozen times in the late 1800s. The old wooden sidewalks on this side of the main drag gave Evans Point a real Old West feel, the elderly gents adding to the ambiance.

  The wooden planks also hid a secret, one the town protected fiercely. The same secret that had them giving him a leery look. The twins weren’t just playing checkers, they were sentinels, guarding one of the main entrances to the shelter, where everyone had gone to inventory their supplies after the big storm and to have their meeting. Once a week, they prepared a meal in the industrial kitchen in the shelter to make sure the appliances remained functional.

  They trusted Maggie would keep the stranger from wandering into areas they didn’t want her in. But Jake, well, he could see the lack of trust in their eyes. Young, in his thirties, single and not as safe a choice for boarding the stranger. Some cute young stranger could seduce the secret from him by batting her eyes. Right.

  “Evening, Jake. You got a guest,” they said in unison.

  “For a little while.”

  “Don’t let Maggie hear that you’re hoarding her away up there.”

  “Don’t plan to.”

  “Good luck with that.” They smiled and shook their heads. She’d hear—soon enough. If someone else didn’t tell her, the twins would. Just one of the facets of living in a small town.

  Jake kept walking. He loved this place, never wanted to leave, and he guessed that he’d pay the price with loneliness, but damn, a cold bed and even more frigid nights, had begun to get old. When Gina Levitt tempted him, that bespoke of a whole different level of desperation, one he didn’t want to sink to and almost did.

  People in small towns talked, and the news about what happened would be everywhere by morning, if not rolling out of the town gossips’ mouths already. The twins knew, but then again, they didn’t miss much. The town mothers would kick his ass if he didn’t do everything in his power to be hospitable to the poor woman who’d just lost everything to a tornado. Not that he wouldn’t anyway. His ma had raised him right, but the townsfolk were still a little sensitive about tornado victims, with their own wounds were so fresh.

  Hell, he’d probably get yelled at for putting her up at his place instead of taking her to the b
ed and breakfast down the street. Not very gentlemanly. But he wanted her with him, needed to know more about the woman with diamonds on her lip and blue streaks in her hair. And yes, he wanted to kiss her again. Even though he shouldn’t.

  Most everyone was at the weekly spaghetti supper anyway, and the exact reason he headed to Joe’s for the burgers. Better to avoid them tonight. Otherwise he’d get some of her comfort food from Maggie, and most likely an earful for not bringing Quinn to the guesthouse.

  Not exactly in the sharing mood at the moment, and not willing to elaborate on his reasons, Jake felt a little selfish.

  And then there was Gina. When she heard, shit would hit the proverbial fan. If he wanted to have any chance with Quinn, he needed to keep them apart, and Gina worked at the guesthouse.

  Jake let his eyes adjust to the bar’s darkness. Except for Mercy Evans and her fiancé, Justin Redway, the place sat empty. The newly engaged couple played darts in the corner. Justin turned and motioned him over. “You want to play a game, Jake?”

  “Nah, got company. Grabbing a couple burgers.”

  Mercy lifted her chin and stared into his eyes. “It’s not Gina, I hope? I heard she plans to make a move on you soon. That woman is bad news, Jake. I’d stay away from her. She’s telling everyone she’s going to have your babies.”

  “No, not Gina.” He eyed them for a second before what they’d said registered. He blinked. My babies? Whoa! Wait a minute. Shit. Thank God for speeding storm chasers with blue streaks in their hair. He moved over to the bar and gave Joe his order. When he walked over to them, they were both staring at him. “What?”

  “Who you hiding over there?” Justin asked, tipping a bottle of water up to his mouth and taking a slug.

  “Who said I was hiding anyone?” Jake mumbled, breaking eye contact with the nosey reporter. Not explaining this. Not now.

  “Well, you didn’t bring your guest with you,” Mercy said “And that look you just gave us. Super-secret, much?”

  “She’s taking a shower. Not a secret at all.”

  “Oh. A woman, and she’s taking a shower.” Mercy raised her beer in salute. “About time. But don’t let Maggie…”

  “I know. Don’t let Maggie hear. And just for the record, I haven’t slept with her, nor do I intend to. She had an accident, lost everything, and I’m putting her up for the night—just being a good guy. She’s passing through on her way to California.” Jake frowned. He could say his intentions were pure, but he knew it was a lie, and from the expressions on their faces, they weren’t buying his story.

  “Right. Nothing going on there, after you’ve lived like a monk for how many years?” Justin chuckled and threw his dart, hitting the bull’s-eye. “I know better.”

  “And this is coming from who?”

  “Exactly.” Justin glanced back. “Someone who knows abstinence sucks the big one. Your secret’s safe with us. We won’t tell anyone you got someone up there, but you know how word gets around here. They’re going to find out.”

  Did the whole county know he didn’t have sex life, and what made it everyone else’s business? And like they had any room to give him any shit. The two of them had set the town’s gossip mill on fire months back. Which reminded him…. The tornado had torn up the fence on Will Evan’s spread, the same place Justin managed. “By the way, you got wire down on the north pasture. I meant to call you, but it slipped my mind. A twister ran along the highway this afternoon.”

  “I heard we had one. Didn’t know it hit the fence. I’d better fix that. Don’t have any stock there now, but I don’t like to put things like that off, in case I need to move the herd.” Justin flagged the waitress over and handed her several bills. “See you later.” They walked out, their arms wrapped around each other. Jake watched them go. They made a nice couple. If only he could be as lucky.

  Well, at least not everybody had heard about his guest yet, but that kitty would be out of the bag soon enough. The spaghetti supper would be over soon and the rumors flying. He’d like to get under cover before he needed to explain anything. Much easier to deal with the impending interrogation once he’d slept and cleared his head.

  Candice handed Jake his order, and he headed back toward the cozy apartment over his office. He trotted up the stairs and opened the door. Quinn stood on the balcony, staring at the sunset. Jake shut the door and she turned around, nearly swimming in his clothes. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself. Hungry?”

  “Starved.” She hugged her torso, her eyes puffy red. Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, she worried the rosy flesh.

  Jake set the bag on his old tavern table he used as a dining table as he passed and pulled her into his arms. “Everything will be okay.” She rested her head against his chest with a sigh and though he barely knew her, Jake didn’t want to let go. He clutched her to him. The soft rise and fall of her chest, the warmth of her skin sank through his shirt and into his heart. No, he didn’t want to let her go, he wanted to be her hero.

  “I wish I could believe that.”

  He pulled back and searched her eyes, holding her shoulders. “It will.” He’d make sure of it. Grabbing her hands and walked backward, pulling her off the balcony and back into the apartment before the meeting got out, someone spotted her, and visitors showed sooner than later. “But, first, you eat. Then you tell me. I can’t help, if I don’t know.”

  “I don’t think you can. It’s too late for white knights.”

  Jake gave her a grin. “I’d like to try. I’ve been told I’m a pretty good dragon slayer.”

  “Are you now?” She gave him a dubious smile.

  His inner caveman took notice. Challenge. He might as well start thumping his chest. Instead, he remembered his manners. “Sit.” He pulled out a chair for her. Quinn sank into her seat.

  “Dinner is served.” Jake opened the bag and pulled out their food, setting a white Styrofoam container before her. “Tonight, we have Angus burgers with aged cheddar, served on toasted sesame-seed rolls, complimented with hand-cut fries and root beer, vintage 2012.” He pulled out a glass bottle of root beer, popped the cap off by slamming in down on the edge of the table where several marks marred the surface.

  He set the bottle down in front of her. Root beer foamed up and over the sides, pooling around the frosty bottle.

  “Are you trying to seduce me?”

  “What? Me?” He gave her his best innocent look. Okay, popping the cap off like that did look cool, and that’s why he’d done it.

  Quinn sat back. She lifted her eyes from the feast he’d set before her and began to laugh. “Where’d you learn to open a bottle like that? Pretty suave.” Quinn raised her drink in salute. “College?”

  “Police academy.” He clinked his root beer against hers. “To moving forward, and putting the past behind us.”

  “To moving forward.” Quinn frowned. “Someone once told me, as long as I did that, I’d be okay.” She traced her fingers over his initials embedded in the table. Something about the action touched him, as though her fingers stroked him and not the souvenir left on the old tavern table from the night of his twenty-first birthday.

  “Sounds like a wise person.” He pulled out of his trance and focused on her face.

  “Yeah, he did, didn’t he? He was my husband.”

  Jake blinked and set his bottle down. “I thought you said you weren’t married.”

  “Was.” She blew out a breath. “Kyle was killed in action a little over two years ago. You ever heard of the Tangi Valley Massacre?”

  “Yeah.” Not only that—the man responsible for the airstrike lived in their community, and he’d spoken with him minutes before. Probably not the best thing to bring up at the moment. Unless her true reason for climbing that fence had zero to do with a tornado and everything to do with the man who worked for Will Evans. Redway had made headlines in national newspapers and magazines and ran on every television channel a few months back. Only a blind and deaf person could’ve avoided the hullabaloo.

  Could she have been lying, that she might not have been just passing through? Jake made note to check out her background when he filed his claim for the Charger in the morning.

  She dipped a fry in catsup, her hand trembling, but she lifted her chin and held his gaze. “The chaplain showed up at my house with an officer I’d never met. I knew before he said anything Kyle didn’t…. I can’t tell you how helpless I felt. I collapsed like I had a noodle for a spine. I couldn’t breathe, or think. Took a trip to the hospital in an ambulance. Two weeks later, I miscarried. To make matters worse, he forgot to change his life-insurance policy. All the money went to his little brother, and his family didn’t like me much. I packed everything I had left in the back of my vehicle. Everything. Can you slay that dragon, Sheriff? Can you get my pathetic life back for me?”