Hugh's Chase

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  “Wow…that’s some invitation, but I’m a girl who needs to pay her bills. I have another job scheduled soon and I have research and preparation. A businessman of your position would certainly understand.”

  “Oh, I do. If it’s money you need, darlin’, I have plenty. I’ll make it worth your while.” His smile became slicker and his eyes slightly wider.

  She blinked. “Again, I’m not making myself clear. I’m a working girl, but not that kind of working girl.” She started to pass, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist, not in a hurtful way, but still, the touch invaded her space.

  He reached out and skimmed the back of his knuckles down her cheek, pausing at the corner of her lips. “I don’t think I’m wrong with the idea that you and I could have a lot of fun together. I could show you around Colton. We could use my plane and take a trip. I bet a smart woman like you would find interest in what Texas has to offer. Wine country escapes. Unique castles. Sandy beaches. I own a place on South Padre Island.”

  “Quite some resume you have there.” She gave her hand a jerk, removing his hold from her. “But no thank you, Mr. Reed. I’m not interested,” she said firmly.

  He was proving that he wasn’t used to being rejected. His smile fizzled and his brows scrunched. “I have enough power and influence that I could see your career booming by the end of the year.”

  “Look, I get that a man of your…well, caliber isn’t used to meeting women who aren’t looking for a free handout, or some alone time with you, but I don’t know how to make it clearer. I’m just not interested. Now, if you’ll step aside, I must be on my way.”

  She didn’t reach the door before he was behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist, dragging her back against him. Her throat tightened and her stomach turned. “Let go or else,” she pushed through clenched teeth.

  “Or else what?” His laughter teetered through her.

  Without thinking, she swiveled on her heels and drew her fist back, slugging him in the jaw. He jerked back, holding his face, his mouth twisted.

  “What the fuck was that for?”

  “Have you never been told that you don’t have the right to touch a woman unless she gives you permission?” Anger coursed through her. And her hand smarted. She had never struck anyone, not once in her thirty years. She hoped he finally got the message that she didn’t like him, let alone want his sweaty hands on her.

  “You’re going to pay for this, you hear?”

  “You don’t scare me, Reed. You think you own everyone, and everything, in this town, but you don’t own me! And as far as the Jericho brothers are concerned, I know why you don’t like them. You can’t stand the fact that you walk in their shadow. They are real men who don’t need to force their intentions on a woman.”

  He stood straight then, dropping his hand to his side, and his gaze filled with a hatred that she couldn’t quite ignore. The hair on her nape lifted and acid burned the back of her throat. “Is that so? We’ll see what you have to say after Sheriff Jericho arrests you. Now, get out of my house, you bitch!” he slurred.

  “Oh my, such hard language. You’ll make me cry. My daddy always said I was a bit too sensitive.” With a smile, she turned and strolled out, hoping she hadn’t broken a finger on the bastard’s hard cheek.

  Chapter 3

  Most days, Hugh loved his job.

  Today, not so much.

  “I’m being arrested? For what?” Adira Miles stood in the doorway at the Colton Bed and Breakfast, one hand on her tilted hip and her thin brows scrunched.

  “I’m not arresting you, yet. Just detaining you. Punching someone is a crime, Miss Miles, and Marshall Reed has filed a complaint. He has the proof on his face and he said you hit him.” Hugh dragged off his hat that still dripped with water and held it in his tight grip. The pounding rain battered the roof and the roll of thunder vibrated the old walls of the hundred-year-old house.

  “I can’t be arrested. I’m leaving town. My bags are packed and Johnny is waiting for me.” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the suitcase sitting on the bed.

  “Unfortunately, you didn’t leave fast enough.” He didn’t want to notice how the pink shirt she wore fell down one shoulder. Or how bright her blue eyes were, although they were narrowed and skeptical. “I’m here doing my duty, ma’am.” And that didn’t include admiring her, or thinking of the dreams he’d been having about her.

  She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Another crack of thunder shook the window and she jumped. “Aren’t you even interested in why I punched him?”

  “Very interested. Come down to the station and we’ll talk about it. Marshall Reed has already told me his side of things. Judge Marley is also interested in hearing what you have to say. Reed said he won’t push for charges to be filed if you’re punished.” Truth was, Hugh was more than just a little interested in hearing her story. For a while now, he and his brothers had been dealing with the likes of Marshall Reed and his borderline criminal shenanigans. When he’d filed the complaint, Hugh had held back his pleasure knowing a petite woman, no taller than five two or three, probably one-ten drenched, had given Reed a black eye, and a bit of what he deserved. However, the downfall, Reed and the Judge were golf buddies, and Hugh was expected to uphold the law even when it stunk, otherwise he’d give her a medal of honor.

  “Fine! I’ll meet you at the station so that we can leave from there. I’ll grab my suitcase—”

  “Sorry, ma’am. I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me.”

  She blinked. “What? I’m not a criminal. You can trust me. I’ll be there. In fact, I can see the front door of the station from my window.”

  He held up his hands in supplication. “Even if you were a blood relative I’d still have to escort you. We can skip the handcuffs. With any luck, we’ll make this fast and easy and you can be on your way.”

  Hugh had been planning to go home, something he hadn’t done much of, wash the day off down the shower drain and catch some Zzzs. He’d been on his way when Ben had radioed him to say Reed wanted to speak to Hugh—and Hugh only.

  He’d made a U-turn a half a mile away from home, headed back to the station where Reed was waiting to make a complaint that Adira had struck him in the face after they’d squabbled. Although Hugh saw the bruising on Reed’s face, there was no way he would make such a big stink over a woman punching him unless there was personal gain or revenge intact. In fact, Reed had an ego the size of Texas, so it was downright puzzling that he would want the incident public knowledge.

  “Wow, should I thank you for not putting cuffs on my wrists?” she said sarcastically, which he didn’t take to heart. He understood her frustration.

  “You need to call your cameraman? Fill him in on your…” he chose his words carefully, “delay?”

  “Give me just a minute.” She pivoted on heel and strolled over to the bed, picking up her phone. While she talked, he stepped in and watched her. The knuckles of the hand holding the phone were white, while the fingers of the other hand twirled a lock of her hair. A nervous tic? He could see the bruising on her knuckles and guessed she must have hit Reed hard. She let go of the tendril of hair and the strand fell with the rest of the dark mass that hung down her shoulders in soft, large coils. He wondered if the lighter highlights were natural?

  Hugh barely listened to her conversation as she told Johnny to grab her bag and wait for her, and she wouldn’t be long. Hugh felt a nudge in his gut and hoped Judge Marley made this quick.

  After she hung up, he said, “You have a raincoat?” Her thin shirt and jeans would be soaked in no time.

  She gave her head a quick shake. “I’m not a sugar cube, Sheriff. Let’s get this over with,” she mumbled, grabbed her large purse and dragged it up on her shoulder.

  He motioned for her to lead the way and her frown drove right through him, but when she was ahead of him, he smiled. “How’s the hand?” He closed the door behind them.

  “Huh?” She gave him
a curious look over her shoulder.

  “The hand that you hit Reed with? I noticed the bruising.”

  Her gaze lowered to her mentioned hand and she shrugged. “Hopefully better than that bastard’s cheek.”

  Biting back laughter, he followed her to the stairs and they descended together. “I’ve known Reed to push buttons, but he must have done something pretty serious.” He hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. “Right?”

  “Oh, so now you want to hear? Not at the station?” The tone to her voice told him she wasn’t happy and he didn’t blame her. No one liked run-ins with the law. “He made me angry.”

  “I’m not sure how you city folks handle things, but we usually don’t go around hitting people when we’re angry.”

  “I don’t know how you cowboys handle things here in Texas, but where I’m from men don’t take liberties with women. No means no. And should I remind you how you punched Urban because you were angry?”

  “That’s different.” He stopped. She paused and looked at him in confusion. “What did Reed do?”

  “I had asked him several times over the last month for an interview for the documentary with Urban, but he declined every time. Finally, when we stopped filming, he decided he wanted to give me an interview. Johnny and I went to his house. At first, Reed seemed friendly and had a field day talking about himself and how much he hates the Jericho men. When the camera shut off and Johnny stepped outside, Marshall Reed thought he’d flash that Gremlin-like smile and I’d fall at his snakeskin boots. I told him no and a man like him thinks he has enough money to do what he wants, and how he wants. He touched me and it was my first reaction to defend myself. Sure, maybe I shouldn’t have punched him, but he shouldn’t have continued to make advances after I made it clear that I wasn’t interested and wanted to leave.”

  Hugh swiped a palm down his cheek as anger raced through him. This wouldn’t be the first time Reed didn’t understand boundaries. “Touch you? Did he—?”

  “No, he didn’t go that far, but he had his hands on me.” Her pale blue eyes turned a shade darker.

  He had a lot of respect for a woman who didn’t take any shit from a man. Growing up, Hugh and his brothers had been taught that a decent man was supposed to act respectful. “You’ll have your chance to tell the Judge everything.” Hugh opened the door of the bed and breakfast. The rain was still coming down hard.

  She stepped out onto the large porch. “Question is, will he listen?”

  Placing his Stetson back on his head, he lowered it against the cool breeze and dampness. “Fair warning, try to leave the attitude outside his door. He has little patience, but is fair, in most cases.”

  “Attitude? Really? That’s easy for you to say. When was the last time you were taken advantage of?” She snapped up a brow.

  “Point taken.” Whether out of habit or desire, he placed his hand on the small of her back as they stepped off the porch and onto the sidewalk, but an electrical jolt shot up his arm. He pulled his hand back, but didn’t look to see if she noticed his discomfort.

  Pounded by the rain, they hurried across the street to the door of the station and they pushed through the double doors. The building was quiet and he switched on the overhead lights which didn’t help a whole lot. One of the bulbs flickered and creaked in resistance.

  “If you ask Deputy LaGatta, she’d say this building is haunted. I say it’s just old.” He removed his hat and placed it on the hook. “Let me grab you a cup of coffee. It tastes like the bottom of a shoe, but at least it’ll warm your blood.”

  “Thank you.” She shook out her damp hair, using her fingers to give the thick mass a finger comb.

  Swallowing hard, he tore his gaze away and strolled to the coffeemaker and grabbed a cup from the stack. From his vantage point, he watched her examine her surroundings with a smirk. Her wet hair hung in slick strands around her pink cheeks and the shirt and jeans now clung to her body. “Cream and sugar?” he asked.

  “Yes. Both.”

  He dropped in a spoonful of powdered cream and a packet of sugar, stirred the contents, then handed her the Styrofoam cup, careful so their fingers didn’t brush.

  “I think this building has history. Didn’t it used to be a saloon back in the day?”

  “Yes. How’d you know?”

  “Research is my job, Sheriff.”

  He noticed that her bottom lip was slightly quivering. Grabbing his jacket from his office, he brought it in for her. “Here, take this.”

  Reluctantly, she accepted the offering and covered her shoulders. She wasn’t shaking as much. “It’s quiet here. Not what I’d expect for a police station.”

  “Everyone’s home. It’s not the weekend when all the rowdy folks come out and land a night in jail.”

  “You’re here. Aren’t you always here?”

  “Yeah, most of the time. Have a seat.” He nodded at the chair with a large cut in the vinyl and swiped his hands down the thighs of his jeans, not sure why his palms were sweaty. Or why his shirt seemed too tight.

  She did as he asked, holding the cup between her fingers as if drawing in the warmth.

  “Where are you from, Miss Miles?” He sat down behind the desk and clasped his hands.

  “Chicago.” She sipped her coffee and squinted.

  “Told you. It’s bad.”

  She shrugged and licked her lips. “At least it’s hot. I didn’t know Texas got this cold.”

  “On occasion. We’re reminded how hot it is most other days of the year. Do you want to make a complaint against Reed? You did say he touched you.”

  “Is that possible?”

  “Did you feel threatened?”

  She hesitated, straightening in her chair. “No, not really. Is it a crime when someone makes my skin crawl?”

  “It should be, but technically, no.”

  “Doesn’t this come down to his word against mine? I hear he has a lot of people scared around these parts. You know, he’ll take their jobs. Their farms. Raise prices on feed.”

  Hugh rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If you felt like you had to protect yourself—?”

  “Honestly, yes, but not because I was scared. A man like Reed doesn’t scare me. Creeped out? Yes. Let’s just say, he isn’t shy about making his feelings clear. Does he realize he’s narcissistic?”

  Holding back laughter, Hugh lowered his gaze a second. “Only his therapist knows.”

  “I should have kept my distance.”

  “No, don’t do that. You don’t have a built-in-asshole radar and it’s not your place to take any of the blame for Reed’s actions.”

  “I think I do.” Her expression softened. “You’re on my side then?”

  “I’m the Sheriff, Miss Miles. It’s not my job to take sides.”

  Her gaze narrowed and she leaned forward, placing her cup on the desk. “Please tell me Mr. Reed doesn’t have you in his pocket too?”

  He stared for a good three seconds. “Why would you think that’s a possibility?” He lifted a brow. Her tongue came out to roll along her bottom lip and he felt a growing issue behind his zipper. He shifted in the chair and stretched his legs.

  “I’m hearing a pattern of his underhanded business dealings. You coming to arrest me—”

  “I didn’t arrest you, Miss Miles.” He sat forward and leaned his elbows on the edge of the desk. “I’m doing my job.”

  “Please, if it doesn’t blur any boundaries, call me Adira.” She shrugged out of his jacket. “Do you always uphold the law, Hugh? Even when you don’t want to? Even when it’s unfair?”

  She used his name with such comfort that it made his heart hitch. “That’s a trick question, Miss—Adira.”

  “Ahh, that ain’t so bad, now is it?” She picked her cup back up to take a sip. “You could let me go and tell Judge Marley I had left already.” Did her bottom lip pucker slightly?

  “And then I’d have to put a warrant out for you.”

  She rolled her finger around
the rim of the cup. “How can we do this without things getting messy? I have a…well, a reputation to uphold.”

  Hugh had a feeling there was more than her reputation at stake. “I’ll help in any way I can.”

  “I get this is about you, Hugh.”

  He blinked. “Me? What do you mean?” Could she see that he wanted her to stay? Wanted to find out how her lips tasted.

  “Reed has it in for you and your brothers. That’s no shocker. I managed to fandangle myself right into the middle of things. So, really, this isn’t that I gave Reed a dose of reality. This is his way of controlling you.”

  He opened his mouth, but his words were lost when the front door swung open and Judge Albert Marley stomped in, muttering a string of curses under his breath and stamping his feet loudly. “Damn this weather.” He shrugged out of his dressy overcoat and dropped it onto a hook. Marley was a tall, gangly man with thick, silver hair who took considerable pride in his expensive suits and polished shoes. Hugh liked the man, but often wondered if he’d ever worked hard enough to sweat. “This better be good.” He swiped his spotless loafers on the rug.

  “Judge, this is Adira Miles.”

  Marley looked down his sharp nose and sighed. “So, you’re the one who assaulted Marshall?” He snapped up a skinny brow.

  She squinted. “I wouldn’t call it assault, sir.”

  “Whatever you call it, Miss Miles, I was called away from a charity gala for this. You were in his home and you punched him, is that correct?”

  “After he crossed a boundary, yes, I did.” Her shoulders were straight. Hugh was glad that she held her ground.

  “Crossed boundaries?” Marley found a chair and dragged it a few feet closer, taking a seat. His impatience showed in his tight jaw.

  “Mr. Reed apparently doesn’t have a clue what “no” means.”

  The Judge heaved a drawn-out sigh. “Miss Miles, do you understand I could sentence you to jail time?”

  “Not until after I’ve had my day in court.” Her chin came up.