by Em Petrova
“Fuck, you’ve been crying. What happened?”
She looked up at him and then past him. Her face paled.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Aiden standing there. It wasn’t the first time someone was surprised to be seeing double—he and his twin were dead ringers for each other. Except Judd was more good-looking.
“He’s…” She broke off as Aiden thrust a hand between them.
“I’m Aiden, Judd’s twin brother. The better looking one. And this is my wife Amaryllis.”
Amaryllis smiled at Cecily, but when she saw her bloodshot eyes, Amaryllis’s smile fell away.
“She’s got a bad headache. I’ll just walk her back to her shop and meet you in a minute, okay, guys?” Judd said, a protective hand on Cecily’s spine.
His brother’s eagle eyes missed nothing. He arched a brow at Judd and said, “Sure. We’ll order you a giant glass of white milk.”
Judd sent his twin a look that said screw off and led Cecily down the sidewalk.
“Milk?” she said faintly.
“He’s being an asshole. Milk makes me puke. Can’t stand the stuff.”
“Oh.”
Something was definitely wrong with Cecily. Her shop was locked, and she punched in a code—a new one, he was glad to see. Still, the first one hadn’t deterred the criminal. Someone was watching her, and that thought unsettled Judd more than anything else. It made it hard for him to sleep at night and focus during the day.
He reached past her and opened the door, gently guiding her inside. His immediate reaction was to look around for destruction but the place was in order, if a little beaten up from the past break-ins.
So what had happened?
He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “What happened, Cecily?”
“Don’t worry about me. Your family’s waiting for you.”
“Let ’em wait. Talk to me.”
“I told you I have a headache.”
“There’s something else.”
Her eyes were red, and he’d seen her crying enough to recognize the signs. “You were crying. Why?”
She pushed out a sigh. “I don’t want to talk about it. Please, Judd, let it go.”
“Someone hurt you.”
“No.”
“You haven’t gotten any customers back.”
“I had one.”
Her odd tone had him sagging at the knees to look deep into her eyes. “Cecily,” he said in a warning.
“I messed up and the poor woman was allergic to the product I used. I feel terrible, and she’ll never come back now. Plus, she’ll tell all her friends and family members what a fuck-up I am.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “You are not a fuck-up. You’re a beautiful and smart business owner.”
“So why can’t I make my business run here in Bracken?” She waved her hand that wasn’t gripping the coffee. “Forget it. I’ll end up selling out in a few weeks after my bank account runs dry. Now go back to your family, Judd. Please. I’m fine.”
He continued to stare at her.
“I’m serious. You don’t need to rescue me every time I have the slightest upset. I’m going to take more medicine and drink my extra grande coffee and work on some new ways to get customers in my seats.”
He didn’t like the bright chipperness in her voice any better than the depressed one. But he had to give her the space she asked for. He pressed a tender kiss between her furrowed brows and let go of her. “I’ll text ya.”
She nodded.
As he turned, he caught sight of the box he’d sent and saw the tape was slit. She’d opened it, seen the butt plug. This could be part of her reason for wanting him to go.
Talk about a fuck-up.
Judd’s ass hadn’t hit the chair across from Aiden for two seconds before his twin jumped all over him. “You didn’t tell us you were seein’ anyone.”
Judd grunted.
“She’s beautiful,” Amaryllis said, dumping sugar into her coffee.
Aiden gave her a look. “That’s a lot of sugar for you.”
“It’s decaf and tastes like shit.” She softened her words with a pat on his arm.
Judd sat back to let the waitress fill his mug and then stared at the steaming contents for a full minute.
When he looked up, Aiden was grinning.
“Cut that shit out.”
“What shit?”
“Acting like you know what’s going on. You don’t. Her shop keeps getting broken into.”
Aiden’s smile faded. “Any leads?”
“Fucking wish there were. I’ve been out all morning questioning folks. Nobody’s talking, and there aren’t any clues. Except whoever is doing it is close to Cecily. I thought it might have been her husband—”
“Husband?” Aiden leaned forward, elbows on the table in a way that would have their momma slapping him.
Judd waved a dismissive hand. “She’s just gotten it annulled. Doesn’t matter. The guy’s not involved—I checked him out thoroughly.”
“What kind of shop does she run?” Satisfied with the amount of sugar at last, Amaryllis took a big sip.
“Day spa and massage.”
“Oh God. Massage. That sounds sooo good. Aiden, we’ve got time, don’t we?”
He looked at his wife’s eager expression and gave a short nod. “If you can even walk down there after eating all that chocolate chip cake you ordered. Okay, let’s think outside the box. Security footage?”
“I just had a system installed.” Judd pitched his voice low.
Aiden picked up on it right off. “Meaning she doesn’t know you did that.”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Sounds a bit above and beyond a sheriff’s duties, wouldn’t you say, Am?” Aiden shot his wife a look. She buried her smile in her mug.
Judd concentrated on his coffee and whatever Cecily wasn’t telling him. He could find out easy enough. He was the fucking sheriff.
But he wouldn’t dig into her past anymore.
“We’re heading to Eagle Crest this weekend. You should bring Cecily.”
Judd smacked a palm off the table. “There it is. I was waitin’ for it.”
“Momma will be all over that girl.”
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Last time I walked out on the family dinner, my ex was shoved down my throat.”
“Well, you are an uptight fucker who needs a good submissive.”
Amaryllis giggled, a flush along her cheekbones that told Judd his brother’s leanings hadn’t changed either. Maybe it was an inherited trait to be a kinky fucker in the bedroom. If so, Judd was ending the cycle right now, disowning that gene.
Too late—he’d sent Cecily the butt plug.
Which she hadn’t commented on.
“Ask her to come to Eagle Crest, bro. We’ll make it a foursome. Amaryllis wants to ride.”
“Before I get too big to ride.” She smiled, the glow in her face unmistakable.
“I don’t know if Cecily even rides. Her parents aren’t ranch folks.”
“Time she learned then.” Aiden wasn’t letting off.
“Do you have some pact with Momma to get me hooked up or something? You’re pushing mighty hard.”
Aiden met his stare. “You forget our link, bro. And that I know you better than anybody in the world.”
“So?”
“So, I’ve never seen you look at anybody the way you looked at that woman.” Aiden leveled his gaze at Judd. “Including your wife on your weddin’ day.”
Chapter Eight
Cecily couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go with Judd to his family ranch. She gripped the edges of her seat as they bounced up the driveway toward the sprawling home. Perched on the console between them, Echo woofed, and Judd rubbed the dog’s ears.
“He knows where we’re at, don’t ya, boy?”
This was actually what had gotten Cecily packed and into Judd’s truck—the way he acted with his dog. The tough, unsmil
ing sheriff had a soft spot for his dog. Echo adored him, and Judd even let him kiss his face. Which was freakin’ adorable, even though Cecily wouldn’t be putting her lips there anytime soon.
“It’s beautiful,” she said as they pulled up in front of a garage and parked.
“Can’t complain. Fresh country air.”
“As if Bracken’s a polluted metropolis.” She laughed, growing lighter by Judd’s infectious happiness at being home.
He leaned forward to look around the dog at her. “Cecily, my family can be difficult. They say things that embarrass people.”
“I expected that. Parents always do that.”
“And my twin, he’s a pain in the ass.”
“I know his brother pretty well and expected that too.”
“Ha-ha,” he said dryly. “And my cousin Wes could be coming up. There’s a little trouble with my momma hating him being in a biker gang and him thinking he’s bulletproof.”
“Again, I know someone else like that. Look, I’m not worried about meeting your family.”
He eyed her. Echo’s tongue lolled out, panting with eagerness to get out of the truck and start running the acres of fields.
“What are you worried about then?” he asked.
She rubbed a hand through her hair. “Leaving my shop. Who knows what I’ll come back to.”
“About that, Cecily—”
The passenger’s door whipped open, and Cecily glanced up in surprise to see a woman with dark hair who could only be Judd’s mother standing there beaming at her. “You must be Cecily. Welcome, welcome! I’m so glad to meet you. C’mon out and let me look at you. Are you hungry? It’s past lunchtime, and we ate already, but I’ve got enough ham for sandwiches for both of you. And homemade pickles.”
“Jesus, Momma. Let her blink before you push the pickles onto her.” Judd jumped out, Echo barreling past him and disappearing around the garage. Cecily got out more slowly, thankful when Judd rounded the SUV to stand next to her.
“Watch your mouth, Judd Roshannon. You’re not too old for me to pinch your ear.” She gave Cecily a smirk. “He hates having his ear tugged. In case you ever need to make him listen.”
A laugh bubbled up in Cecily’s throat, and she cupped a hand over her mouth to hold it in. Judd’s brows were drawn like a thundercloud over a rainy day. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you, Mrs. Roshannon.”
“Call me Winter.”
“Winter? A lovely name.”
“Was born in the winter, which is Judd’s most hated season, in case you didn’t know.” The woman hooked her arm into Cecily’s and led her away from the SUV. “Oh there’s Echo. Sweet dog but Judd spends too much time alone with him.”
“Momma,” Judd’s warning tone came from behind them. Cecily twisted to glance over her shoulder, meeting his gaze. The corner of his mouth tipped up in the way only a country boy’s could and melted some of her worry away. She was here, there was nothing she could do about her shop back in Bracken, and she’d just have to trust everything would be intact when she returned.
“Look at the ugly mug on that.” Aiden crossed the yard with Amaryllis beside him.
Cecily was a bit embarrassed by the way they’d met earlier. She’d looked like shit and acted like an imbecile. As the couple approached, she smiled and held out her hand to Amaryllis first and then Aiden. “Judd talked my ear off about you on the drive up here. I’m sorry I wasn’t very talkative the last time we met.”
Aiden smiled at her, and Cecily had to blink to clear the thought that she was looking at Judd. When he spoke, he sounded exactly like him as well. “It’s fine. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Judd, all your whips are up in the attic in a trunk. Want me to help you get them down?”
Judd clamped a hand in a vice grip on Aiden’s nape and dragged him several steps away. Amaryllis was pink in the cheeks, and Cecily couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing something. Or that she was on the verge of understanding.
“I’m thrilled you’re all here. If I could only convince Wes to skip out on the biker gang’s ride this weekend and join us.”
“Wes is okay, Winter. Aiden just spoke to him last night.” Amaryllis’s eyes softened as she comforted Mrs. Roshannon.
“Yeah, he’s fine, Momma. Let him be,” Aiden said as he joined the group again.
Judd stepped up behind Cecily, his body heat washing over her. She resisted the urge to lean back against him.
“I’m so afraid Wes will be destroyed like Judd was with Cassie.”
“Fucking hell. Can we shut up in this family for once?” Judd bit off.
Aiden started laughing, and their momma seemed nonplussed. She started for the house, waving them along like chickens in her wake. “Come get those sandwiches and Cecily and I will chat while I start the roast for supper.”
Judd didn’t move. He took Cecily by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “I’m sorry my family’s nuts. This wasn’t a good idea to bring you.”
She eyed him. Dark hungers and whips? She wanted to ask him so bad what that was about, but his firmed jaw told her to stay quiet for a little while longer. She was drawing conclusions, though, and the glint she remembered in Judd’s eyes when he’d tied her up in the SUV was the missing link.
For some reason, he was against showing her these desires of his, and maybe it was because he didn’t trust her. She hadn’t known him very long, after all. But one thing was sure, being with him, seeing him with people he loved in a place he adored made her feelings toward him grow in a matter of seconds.
Her life may be a shamble right now with the upset of her business, but she definitely couldn’t deny she was falling for the sheriff.
* * * * *
Damn his brother to hell, and his momma wasn’t helping matters any. Not to mention Amaryllis had worn a blush that told Judd she most likely bore Aiden’s paddle marks right now.
And Cecily was throwing him questioning looks every three minutes until the womenfolk dragged her out to the yard to see the chickens.
“You look about to grind off your teeth, brother,” Aiden said cheerfully.
“I know looking at the chickens is a pretense to ply Cecily with questions and tell her more about where I went wrong with my ex-wife. Why the hell’s this family in everybody’s business, I have no damn clue. And the whips comment, Aiden? Seriously? That part of my life’s over.”
They strode toward the paddock to saddle a couple horses. Their pa was out with the hired hands checking the herd and the miles of fence keeping the animals safe.
“Over, you say? Why the hell would that part of your life be over?” Aiden asked.
Judd lowered his glare at him. “Cassie burned that out of me when she told everyone I was a sick fucker in the bedroom and left me.”
Aiden stopped with his arm in the air, reaching for a saddle from a shelf. “You’re kidding me.”
“Fuck no. She claimed to like it at first, and then twisted everything around to make it sound like I was abusing her. So, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk whips and ropes in front of Cecily. Or Momma, for that matter.” He whirled on his brother, ready to do real damage.
“Calm down, man. Momma makes up everything in her own mind. I didn’t tell her anything. Neither did Wes. You know he’s dirtier than you and I put together, and he isn’t about to let Momma get a whiff of that.”
Judd stared at his twin for a heartbeat. “Fine. I believe you. But cut it the fuck out, okay?”
“Sure, sure.” They saddled up in silence, and by the time they rode out, Judd was feeling a little less edgy. Though the idea of his mother and Amaryllis alone with Cecily had him clenching his jaw again.
“Your woman gonna talk about me to Cecily?” Judd asked.
Aiden cast him a sidelong look. “Amaryllis is a bold woman but she’s not a gossip. Can’t guarantee she won’t answer questions Cecily puts to her, though.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Look, if you like t
he woman—and I see you do—then why do you want to hide your personality from her? Do you think that might be where you went wrong with Cassie?”
Judd scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling hot despite the cold breeze whipping in from the mountains. Tonight would be a chilly one, and he planned to slip into Cecily’s bed and wrap her close to keep her warm and safe.
“I told you I’m not talkin’ about Cassie anymore. The woman’s dead to me, and I’m over her.” He snugged the strap around his mount and checked to make sure the horse was comfortable.
“I know you are. Because you’re so far into Cecily, your legs are practically sticking outta her throat.” Aiden hitched a boot in the stirrup.
“You’re a freak.”
“We share the same chromosomes, dude. If I’m one, you are too.” He swung into the saddle and Judd did too. They rode out in silence, Judd’s thoughts snowballing through a dozen scenarios revolving around what was happening back at the house with Cecily.
He spotted some riders up ahead, and his pa’s telltale white Stetson among them. He pointed, and Aiden followed his finger. They exchanged a look and simultaneously put their heels to their horses, spurring them into a race.
In the rush of flying along the field, Judd wished he’d forget his worries about Cecily being on her own for a few hours, but it didn’t fade one bit. By the time he got back to her, she’d know things about him that were better left unspoken.
* * * * *
Cecily stretched her legs out in front of her and tipped her head back to let the sun warm her skin. The wind was teasy, cold one minute and then seemingly warm when the sun popped out from behind the clouds. Amaryllis sat next to her, huddled in a thick quilted coat that obviously belonged to her husband.
“My temperature’s been off lately since my hormones are all over the place,” the woman said. She’d told Cecily about the pregnancy when, after lunch, Amaryllis had run behind a bush to throw up. She came out red-faced and sweating, whispering a thanks to the Almighty that Mrs. Roshannon hadn’t seen her and thought she’d caused it with her good lunch.
“My sister was the same when carrying my niece. She was always throwing on a sweater and then stripping it off,” Cecily said.