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by Kris Bryant

  “What happens if you go back to Texas?”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “No, thank you. I’m done with the South. Nothing there for me except the past.”

  “How are you and your ex?”

  Sarah took a deep breath. “We’re friendly because of Harley, but honestly, I would be happy never talking to her again. I don’t wish her any ill will. I just don’t care anymore. And I know it sounds bad because she’s not a bad person. She just wanted different things from the ones I care about.”

  “People grow apart. I get that. Tell me more about you. You love your daughter. You’re an accountant, and you like all flowers, but specifically lilies.”

  Sarah laughed. “I like lilies? How do you even know that?”

  It was a nice change to see Natalie blush. She took a sip of her drink and cleared her throat. “Ah, I remember a few things from high school. I’ve always associated you with flowers.”

  “I do like them a lot. I have three tattoos of lilies.”

  “You have tattoos?”

  “Doesn’t everyone anymore?” Sarah asked.

  “I don’t.”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  Natalie nodded. “No ink on this body. Where are your tats? And can you show them to me?”

  Sarah raised her sleeve and pointed to a small tattoo on the inside of her forearm. “I have this one here.” She bit her lip when Natalie leaned closer and traced it with her finger. Her touch was warm and soft and made Sarah’s eyes flutter shut for half a second. When was the last time she had felt a woman’s touch? “I have one on my bikini line and one on my shoulder.”

  “Turn around.”

  Sarah almost moaned at Natalie’s low, commanding voice. “What?”

  Natalie held her forefinger in front of Sarah and made a circular motion with it. “Turn around. I want to see the one on your shoulder.”

  Sarah slowly turned and pulled down the sleeve of her sweater to reveal the back of her bare shoulder. She felt Natalie’s fingers run along the edge of her skin right above the sweater and had to bite her lip again to keep from making a sound.

  “It’s beautiful. Did this one hurt?”

  “More than the other two.” Sarah didn’t even recognize her own voice. Natalie outlining her tattoo again and again was too much. She scooted away and pulled her sleeve back up over her shoulder. And when she turned around, she didn’t realize Natalie was so close. Her eyes dropped to Natalie’s mouth and back up to her dark-blue eyes. “It’s amazing I don’t have more.” She pulled away just a little to try to break the control Natalie had over her in that moment, but it was no use. She couldn’t stop. She was tired of fighting the “should she or shouldn’t she” struggle that raged inside her. “I owe you an apology, Nat.”

  Natalie leaned back, breaking the spell. “For what?”

  “That night. At Ellie’s party. Right before I left Spruce Mountain.”

  Natalie waved her off like she didn’t care, but Sarah saw a flash of pain or anger or both cross her features. It was brief, but it packed a punch that Sarah felt deep in the pit of her stomach. She automatically reached out and grabbed Natalie’s hand. “I know you remember, because I can’t forget it. I blew you off because I wasn’t ready to accept who I was back then. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ve regretted it every day.” She reined in her words for fear of puking out feelings she was still sorting through and scaring the shit out of both of them.

  “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. We both had some growing up to do.”

  “It was so rude of me. Do you forgive me?”

  “Yes, Sarah. I barely remember. We were kids. It’s okay.”

  Having Natalie accept her apology was a weight off her chest and her heart. “Thank you.” It also opened a flood of questions that Sarah really wanted answers to, but she kept her part of the conversation vague and calm. “I always wondered what happened to you and if you were happy.”

  “Life never goes as planned. My dad’s death hit me hard, but I’ve been fortunate overall. My mom and I have never been closer, and I have a great job. Both keep me pretty busy.”

  It wasn’t the answer Sarah wanted, but she didn’t press. She was afraid of the answer, afraid that maybe her rejection had marred Natalie somehow. Not in an egotistical way, because she didn’t think she was anyone special. But in the tender way of when you first fall in love and don’t know how high the ceiling is. When your heart is suddenly ripped out from inside your chest when love falls apart. Not that she was in love with Natalie or vice versa, but something had been there between them seventeen years ago, and something was there now. They had unfinished business.

  “Tell me about your heart. I feel like you know so much about mine, and I know nothing about yours except that a year ago you dated somebody in Bend.” Sarah grabbed her drink and played with the glass to keep her hands busy.

  Natalie fell back against the couch and finished her drink. “I wish I had some super-romantic story to tell you, but I don’t.” She shrugged. “I knew I was gay in high school, experimented in college, and had my first long relationship after college. She was a fitness instructor, and when I came home to help my mom with my dad, she stayed in Denver.”

  “So, wait a minute. You, a tall, gorgeous, sexy blonde who commands attention when she enters any room, haven’t had a solid relationship in eight years except for some woman in Bend? You expect me to believe that?”

  “Okay. Maybe there were a few more. It’s not as if Spruce Mountain and surrounding towns have a large gay population. I did date the vet here, which ended in disaster.”

  Sarah loved Natalie’s smile. “Okay. Now I have to hear the story. Are you taking Ghost Dog to her?”

  “Already did. He’s not chipped. Let’s just say it was a very quick visit.”

  Sarah winced. “Do I even want to know what happened there?”

  “Several misunderstandings, until I simply gave up trying to explain my job or myself,” Natalie said.

  She opened up about the complicated relationship and a few others that made Sarah angry at how the previous girlfriends had treated Natalie. “She sounded bitchy, or she wanted way too much from you” alternated after every ex-girlfriend story—a total of six—was revealed to Sarah.

  “It’s got to be me. I’m the common denominator. I’m just not somebody women date.”

  Her tone didn’t suggest she was asking for pity, and she didn’t make excuses. Natalie hadn’t given up. She’d just stopped looking. That gave Sarah hope. She couldn’t deny that she was attracted to her. “I doubt that. You’re perfect, and your person is out there. I just know it.”

  It was so quiet after she spoke, for a flash she thought she’d gone too far. Maybe she’d revealed too much about what she wanted or touched on what Natalie needed. “And as much as I hate to say this, I think I should probably go. We both have an early start to our day. Mine just happens to be in the form of a highly energetic child, who will no doubt wake me up in six hours.” Sarah looked at her watch and stood.

  “Ah, the proverbial turning-into-a-pumpkin-at-midnight. Okay, Cinderella. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Sarah sighed when Natalie took her hand and gently led her to the front door. Ghost Dog followed, nudging his nose against Sarah’s hand until she stopped and said good-bye to him. “I won’t see you tomorrow, but I’ll see you soon. Hopefully on a leash with Sheriff Natalie.” She stood and slipped into her jacket that Natalie held open for her.

  “Drive carefully. The crazies are out at midnight.”

  Natalie was so close to her. A calm washed over Sarah as she pulled Natalie into a warm, more-than-friends hug. She knew what she was going to do. Instead of stressing and overthinking it, she did what she did seventeen years ago, and what she should have done a week ago, and last night. Instead of breaking apart after their good-night hug, she kept her face close to Natalie’s and did what she had been dreaming of doing again for so long. She kissed her.

  Chapter Nine />
  Natalie lost all concept of time when she felt Sarah’s lips press against hers, softly at first. Her memory took her back to that first perfect kiss, and for a moment she thought she was at Ellie’s party, except the woman kissing her now was bold and not fueled by cheap alcohol. This woman knew exactly how to kiss.

  Sarah’s warm body with all her delicious curves brought her back to the present. They were really kissing. Slowing down or breaking apart wasn’t even an option. Natalie was trying to figure out how to get closer, even though their bodies were flush. She slipped her hands inside Sarah’s coat and ran her fingers along the hem of her sweater, slipping them underneath to stroke the soft skin of her lower back. They both moaned at the contact.

  This was the moment she had dreamed of for so many years, and it was worth the wait. She sucked Sarah’s bottom lip into her mouth and slipped her tongue inside when Sarah parted her lips. It was heavenly. Just when she didn’t think their first kiss could be topped, they perfected it. When she felt Sarah tremble in her arms, Natalie pulled away. She took a deep breath and rested her forehead against Sarah’s.

  “That just happened, right?”

  She felt Sarah pull away too, only to look into her eyes and nod. “Wow. Yes. That just happened.” She was breathless and sexy as hell.

  “And we are in my house, not Ellie’s, right?” Natalie turned her head and saw Ghost Dog a few feet away. “Yes, my house, because there’s a dog.” Sarah’s arms circled her waist and warm lips pressed against her collarbone. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up to afford Sarah more room. When was the last time she felt this much all at once? Passion, need, want, desire, and wetness. The throbbing between her legs was instantaneous. All from a kiss.

  “Definitely not at Ellie’s house.” Sarah took a step back and let out a deep breath. “Okay. I really need to go.”

  Natalie couldn’t let her go. Not now. Not after waiting and wanting for so long. She pulled Sarah back into her arms. “Not yet.” She kissed Sarah again, hungry for her taste. It was as if nothing had changed, but everything was a million times better. She moaned when Sarah threaded her fingers through her hair and pressed up against her again.

  It took everything she had to keep from lifting Sarah into her arms, wrapping her legs around her waist, and carrying her back to her bedroom to do everything she had fantasized about for years. She slowed the kiss until it was a gentle brush of her lips over Sarah’s. “Okay, okay. You have to go. I know.”

  Sarah let out a shaky laugh. “I hate that I do, but it’s probably for the best.”

  “Here. I’ll walk you to your car.” Natalie grabbed her coat but stopped when she felt Sarah’s hand on her arm.

  “I need to separate right now before we both do something crazy. Plus, I need to get home to Harley.”

  Not that she had anything against Sarah’s daughter, but mentioning her gave Natalie pause. “You’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep.” She placed a soft kiss on Sarah’s slightly swollen lips. “Good night.”

  “Definitely good night.”

  Natalie closed the door and leaned against it. What had just happened? One minute they were having a nice conversation, and the next they were in each other’s arms trying to get as close as possible. She had wanted Sarah to kiss her but just didn’t think she would. When they’d talked about their exes, and even about Ellie’s party, Sarah hadn’t acted as if she was still interested. That was a long time ago, and even though they had flirted some, Natalie still didn’t expect the kiss. She smiled at Ghost Dog. “Let’s go for a walk. I have a ton of energy I need to expel.” He wagged his tail as if he understood everything.

  The twenty-minute walk did nothing to cool her. Ghost Dog seemed happy enough walking the neighborhood as if he belonged there. He pulled her along the same path, smelling the same bushes and marking the same trees. It was strange to be out at night so late, but the town was relatively quiet, and Natalie welcomed the peace. She knew she needed sleep, but she had too much electricity in her veins to even consider sleeping. It was ridiculous really. She was an adult and had been kissed several times in her life. But this was Sarah. The girl who had stolen her heart years ago had suddenly swooped back in and picked up where she left off.

  “Buddy, I’m getting nowhere here in my mind. Let’s go home.” Another tail wag. She opened the door, and he walked over to the fireplace and curled up in his bed. When Natalie had made her list of supplies, a giant fluffy, gray dog bed wasn’t on it, but how could she pass up something that looked so perfect for him? He knew what it was the minute she placed it by the bricks. “Get some sleep, buddy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  * * *

  Natalie groaned when she heard the alarm. How was it already six in the morning when she’d just gotten to sleep? She was warm, almost hot, and for some reason, she couldn’t move her arm. And what was that smell? She cracked open an eyelid. Ghost Dog was snuggled up next to her. As adorable as he was with his head in the crook of her arm and his beautiful brown eyes staring at her, she grimaced. “Buddy, we’re going to have to give you a bath if you plan to sneak into my room at night.” She hit her alarm and scratched his head. “Come on. Let’s get this day started.”

  Ghost Dog jumped off the bed and woofed at her. She slipped on sweats and slippers and shrugged into a sweatshirt. After a very quick three-minute walk around the yard, Natalie fed him breakfast and filled the tub. She gave a quick whistle. A happy dog entered until he realized what was about to happen. He flattened his ears and very slowly backed out of the bathroom. “Stop being a baby. You need a bath, and we don’t have a lot of time. Come on. I’ll be gentle. I promise.”

  Twenty minutes later, huffing like she’d just run five miles, Natalie had Ghost Dog out of the tub and towel dried. As she brushed the tangles out of his hair, she wondered about where he came from and why he chose her. She wasn’t a dog person. Or a cat person. She didn’t have time for a pet, but she always paid attention to them when she visited friends who had them. Clean and brushed, Ghost Dog was gorgeous. As much as she wanted to spend the morning with him, the Fall Festival was starting at nine with or without her, and if she didn’t show up on time, Faith would hand out all of the Halloween candy by 9:05.

  Her shower was quick, but the water felt wonderful against her tired body. Her eyes still burned from lack of sleep, but the blood flowing through her veins burned her in a different way. She would see Sarah this morning. And meet her daughter. As much as she wanted to dress up and look nice, she was required to wear her uniform.

  “You’re going to have to stay here, big guy. I just don’t trust the town yet.” His brown eyes were so trusting. He wagged his tail and stood by the door. “No, baby. I’ll be back later to let you out, and we’ll have a lunch date together, okay?” She adjusted her belt, grabbed her coat, slipped on her aviators, and patted the golden on his head before she slipped out of the front door. After checking her watch, she picked up the pace and headed to the station.

  “Sheriff? You coming in?”

  Faith’s cheerful voice made Natalie smile. She clicked the button on her shoulder radio. “I’m thirty seconds out. What’s going on?”

  “You have a visitor.”

  Natalie’s heart jumped. She cleared her throat. “I’ll be there soon.” It was kind of early for Sarah to be there, but like she said last night, six-year-old kids didn’t sleep late. She entered the parking lot from the west side, since Main Street was blocked.

  “The trailer looks fantastic, Faith.” Natalie walked in the front door, wanting to see the wagon before the street was flooded with townspeople. Several businesses were putting up last-minute decorations or cooking the first round of early morning samples.

  “Thanks, Boss. Mom and I hung around last night to finish up. Speaking of moms, yours is waiting for you in your office. I’m off to get more coffee brewed.”

  Even though she was always happy to see her mother, the corners of her mouth turne
d down when she realized it wasn’t Sarah. “Hi, Mom. Why didn’t you call me? I would have helped you unload your car.”

  Linda kissed her and waved her off. “Deputy David helped me.”

  Natalie peeked into the large canvas bags. “Did you overdo it again? What did you make?”

  “Pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bread, ginger snaps, chocolate-chip bars, apple tarts, and a few other things.”

  “Mom. That’s too much.”

  “If it helps the town accept you even more, then I’ll do what I can.”

  Natalie sat in her chair and pointed for her mother to sit down. “I have news.” Realizing that her statement sounded ominous, she quickly added, “It’s good news.”

  Linda removed her hand from her heart and relaxed in her chair. “Don’t scare me, Nat. What’s the news?”

  Natalie leaned forward and whispered, “I wanted to thank you and Judy for the date with Sarah last night. It went well.”

  “Whatever do you mean, thank me?” She winked at Natalie.

  “Tanner’s was too loud, so we went back to my place.” She raised her palm up. “Now before you go thinking the worst or best thing, just know we had a chaperone.”

  “Well, was it a date date, or did you wimp out again?”

  “She kissed me. She made the first move. But to be fair, I just didn’t want to let her go when she wanted to leave.”

  “Tell me she’s not handcuffed inside your house.”

  “Not yet.” She gave her mom an exaggerated wink and smiled at her so hard that Linda questioned her again.

  “Natalie Renee, you better start talking.”

  “I’m kidding. I let her go. Reluctantly. On both of our parts. It was a really nice date.”

  “That’s great news, honey. I just hope she doesn’t disappear again.”

  Natalie grabbed a cookie before Linda had a chance to smack her hand away. “Hey, this is my breakfast. I slept about four hours, and then I had to give Ghost Dog a bath because sleeping by the fireplace isn’t his thing. He’d much rather sleep right next to me, and I’m not having a dirty dog in bed.”