They all laughed as they retook their seats.
“Have you set a date?” she asked, pouring water into her glass.
Connor nodded, draping an arm around his fiancée’s shoulders. “October eighteenth. It’s after the fall cattle drive, plus it’s not too damn hot out that time of the year.”
“It’s also not too cold,” Kerri added.
It also didn’t give a lot of time for preparation. “That’s only a little over four months away,” she felt obligated to point out.
Her friend turned to her and smiled. “I know. But we don’t want anything huge, and I’ve coordinated a few of these so I know with your help, and my sister’s help, it’ll be fine.”
“Hey, what are we? Chopped liver?” Connor drew back, brown eyes twinkling with fake disdain.
“No,” Kerri replied. “You’re guys.”
“What?”
Brandi had a tough time holding in the laugh bubbling up her throat at the cowboy’s raised brows.
“You know what I mean.” Her friend waved a hand at him. “You’re all fairly useless when it comes to planning parties. But, of course, if you want to help…”
“Nope. No, darlin’, that’s not necessary.” Shaking his head, her fiancé held up his hands in surrender. “You girls can have all the fun.”
Brandi glanced across the table at Kade and caught his amused gaze.
“That’s what I thought,” Kerri said, regaining her attention.
The cowboy nodded. “You thought right.”
“Good, then you can help me with another thought.”
Interest sparkled in his dark eyes. “Sure, darlin’. Anything.”
“You can help me clear the dishes.”
“Ah, and here I thought it was something good,” Connor joked as he stood to stack their dirty dishes on a tray before he followed a grinning Kerri into the kitchen, leaving Brandi with the sheriff. Alone.
The perfect opportunity to apologize for the second time.
She turned her attention to the silent man again and watched as he poured coffee from a carafe into his mug. He took a sip, and she absently wondered how he could drink it without the aid of milk or sugar to soften the bitter taste. But, it was fitting. The man was a no-nonsense type of guy. Setting his mug down, he sat back and raised a brow.
Yeah, okay, perfect lead in. She cleared her throat and, as always happened when the gorgeous man looked at her with those amazing gray eyes, she forgot her thoughts.
“Something wrong?”
“No…I mean, yes,” she stammered like the idiot he’d reduced her to. “About this morning, I want to apologize.”
He stiffened and all light disappeared from his expression. “You did. It’s in the past.”
“No.” She shook her head and leaned forward. “I apologized for accusing you.”
“Like I said, it’s done. Forget it.”
“No,” she said again. “I’m trying to apologize for accusing you.”
He blinked. “Well, that’s different then.”
Smart ass. She laughed despite her frustration at not being clear. “It is, you goof. I got to thinking about what you said. You were the first person from the ranch that came to my mind when I saw the abused horse, and that isn’t right.”
He didn’t move a muscle, just sat there staring. Maybe he didn’t hear her.
“Look, Kade, I’m sorry you were the one that came to mind. It wasn’t right. Heck, I’m not even sure why that happened.” But she had the feeling that wasn’t true. Okay, she knew it wasn’t true.
So did he. She could tell by the disbelief curling his lower lip. His scrumptious lower lip. The urge to capture it with her teeth and soothe with her tongue hit Brandi with an unexpected force that held her immobile.
“It’s because you hate the military.”
She reeled back. Apparently, no longer immobile. “What? I don’t hate the military.”
He muttered something under his breath before bringing the cup to his lips.
“I don’t,” she insisted. “But I’m not fond of the last guy I dated, and he was in the Guard.”
Kade set his mug down, never breaking eye contact. Again, he remained silent, but something in his gaze compelled her to continue. And tell the truth.
“Ed was an ass, and I think maybe you’re right. I may have transferred my negative feelings for him to you because you’re also in the Guard.” She sat back and grimaced. What an awful thing to do. She really didn’t know Kade, which was completely her fault, but necessary and not something she wanted to change. Still, he did deserve an explanation. “You are not like him.”
“I should hope not. Especially since we’ve established he’s an ass.”
She smiled. “Right.”
“So…what am I?”
The only man to make my panties wet with just a look.
Okay, not something he needed to know, but he was looking at her, studying her with that damn unreadable gaze of his, waiting for a reply. She’d have to fudge it.
“The sheriff.”
Now he laughed. And heaven help her, laughter looked good on him. Real good. His tight features relaxed, making those incredible smoky eyes sparkle with life, and his tempting lips curve in an even more inviting way.
“Thanks for pointing that out,” he said quietly.
“Glad I could help.”
They stared at each other, and soon, the amusement warming his gaze shifted into something hotter, stealing her breath, heating her from the inside out. Brandi tried to swallow. Which was a problem because her throat was dry. Very dry. Parched to the point of crumbling into dust.
In desperate need of regaining control, she ordered her body to retreat. To sit back, keep a respectable distance. So, why in the world did she find herself leaning closer to the man leaning across the table toward her? The edge cut into her ribs. That didn’t stop her. She drew near, until their breath mingled, and heat coursed through her body, tingling all her good parts to life. Lord knows those parts had been dormant for far too long. She was afraid they’d gone on a permanent vacation.
Nope.
Everything happily tingled for the sexy sheriff and his commanding presence.
Then his gaze dropped to her lips. Holy hell. That was it. She was done. She stopped breathing altogether. Her whole body vibrated in anticipation. This was nuts. This was crazy. Something in the back of her mind nudged and prodded, and she knew it was a warning to stop. That she shouldn’t be doing this. That she didn’t want to do this. But, oh, yes. Yes, she did want to do this. She wanted very much to kiss this man with lips so sensual, so damn tempting her toes were already curling in her pink bunny slippers.
Correction, Kerri’s pink bunny slippers.
Kerri…
Nothing like a fake animal bringing you back to reality. Brandi sat back in her chair so fast it moved an inch. Holy smokes, that was close.
A weary gleam entered Kade’s eyes.
“What are you afraid of?” he asked, settling in his seat, his gaze back to unreadable.
Before she could answer, or deny, the kitchen door creaked, signaling they were no longer alone.
“Sorry to leave you so long, but we, ah, had some dishes to do.”
Dishes…right. Judging by the blush in her friend’s cheeks, the couple disappeared to do more than just dishes.
“No problem,” Kade said, transferring his attention back to her. “Brandi was apologizing.”
“Apologizing? What for?” Kerri’s frowning gaze shifted between them as she sat down.
Unwilling to allow the bugger to reply for her, Brandi opened her mouth to speak, but he wasn’t the only one she had to worry about.
“Well, darlin’, it seems Brandi came across an abused horse in Kade’s stable and thought it was his.”
Now she was frowning. At Kade. What the heck? Didn’t take him long to blab her mistake all over the county. Disappointment soured her gut, killing the last of the butterflies.
“O
h, he would never do that,” Kerri said, placing a hand on her arm. “He loves animals.”
“So I’ve heard.” She turned back to the man. The man whose good looks were clouding her judgment. “I never took you to be the loose-lipped kind.”
His chin rose, and gaze hardened. “I’m not.”
“It wasn’t Kade,” Connor rushed to say. “Kevin told me and Cole when he came by the ranch to pick up my brother for their commute.”
Oh…
Now she owed the man another apology. Just friggin’ great. Maybe if her brain cells didn’t play dead whenever the darn guy was around, she’d have an actual clear thought. Cripes. It was maddening.
“Sorry, it’s been one of those days.” She held the sheriff’s unwavering, sterling gaze. “I think my brain stayed in bed this morning.”
He rose to his feet and glanced at the happy couple. “Thanks for lunch, but I have to get back to work.”
And without a word to her, or a glance, Kade Dalton left the restaurant.
“Don’t mind him,” Connor said with a wave of his hand. “He’s just being a little girl today. Must be the skunking.”
Brandi nodded, and even managed a smile, but she knew that was not the reason. Heck, no. She was the reason. Her and her big, fat mouth.
Yeah. She did it again. Managed to piss off the sheriff. She really needed to work on that.
Kade hadn’t been in the best of moods lately, and he refused to believe it had anything to do with a certain designer and her ability to jump to the wrong conclusions about him. Several days ago she’d accused him of animal cruelty and gossiping. What a joke. The woman had a real high opinion of him.
He sipped his third black coffee of the day and decided he wasn’t going to let it bother him. She was just a woman, of which there were plenty. So, why this one got under his skin and crept into his thoughts with her sun-kissed hair, warm brown eyes and beautiful smile was a complete mystery.
And pissed him off.
His mug hit the desk with a thud. He didn’t like mysteries or surprises. Everything was better on the up and up. Hell, he’d had enough surprises and disappointments to last him a lifetime. Several lifetimes.
Sure, his job was a mixture of routine and surprises. He knew that going in. The Guard was a mixture of routine and surprises. Again, he knew it going in. But Brandi Wyne? Christ, the woman was a walking, talking, sexy contradiction capable of twisting him into knots. A complete mystery. Hot and cold. Interested, not interested. What the hell? Several years ago, he would’ve been up for the challenge. But now?
Now, he was just weary. Tired.
As if to concur, he yawned and stared at the clock on his office wall. Eleven fifteen. Still morning. And a quiet morning, thank the Lord. Paperwork he’d put off for two weeks finally managed to end up in the ‘done’ pile on his desk. One less bothersome chore.
“Mr. Sheriff, sir, I finished cleaning the car out again,” Deputy Don announced, right before he tripped over his size thirteen feet and took a header into the desk.
Muttering under his breath, he surged to his feet to steady the boy. “You all right?”
“Yes.” The deputy nodded, eyes rounding as he stared over Kade’s shoulder. “But…ah…sorry, sir.”
The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach increased as he turned to find the completed paperwork soaking in a coffee bath of epic proportions…because Deputy Don did nothing in a small way.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Sheriff, sir. I’ll clean it up,” the kid stammered, swiping a folded T-shirt from a stack of physical training clothes on a nearby bench before Kade could stop him.
So much for running after lunch.
“Don. Don…Donald!” He had to use his First Sergeant tone to get the kid to stop.
The poor boy jumped a foot before turning to Kade, eyes wide, shoulders hunched. “Y-yes, sir?”
“Let it be. It’s all right. I’m more concerned about you,” he said, grasping the kid by his upper arms and checking him over. “Did you hit your head?”
“No, sir,” Donny replied. “That was my shoulder you heard. I’m fine. Honest. And I’ll get this cleaned up, and print out what I can. And what needs typing, I’ll type. You’ll only have to sign—”
The ringing of the phone in the outer office cut through the kid’s babbling. Kade exchanged a look with his deputy before releasing him to head to the doorway.
“Okay, Mr. Haggerty,” the secretary/dispatcher said into the phone.
The middle-aged mother of three was the most organized person he’d ever met. A real asset to the team. Too bad she was only part time.
Too bad she didn’t have a permit to carry.
“Someone will be right out there to help you round up Old Charlie.”
Ah hell.
He turned to Donny and cupped the boy’s shoulder. “I’ll handle this. You take care of that paperwork.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Sheriff.” The kid nodded, already reaching for the wet papers.
Kade sighed. “Donny, what did I tell you about calling me all that?”
“Sorry, Sheriff.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said, unlocking the drawer where he kept his firearm. Old Charlie was harmless, but general rules stated he couldn’t leave without his issued piece. “Just save yourself a mouthful.”
“Yes, sir, Sher—…I mean, sir,” the deputy stammered.
Kade nodded. “Better.” Now, if the kid would just remember that two minutes from now it would be a miracle. He secured his belt, grabbed his hat and headed for the door.
Old Charlie, Mr. Haggerty’s aging horse, could be a good mile from home by now, with not much chance of finding his way back. For as clever as he was at getting loose, the old trooper had lost his sense of direction and most of his sight, and often wandered for miles. Luckily, everyone knew the gentle giant and always brought him back.
But if the horse made his way to the highway, it could be trouble for all involved. Kade had seen more than his share of accidents involving wild horses or burros running into vehicles to last a lifetime. He didn’t want Old Charlie to become another victim or cause harm to others.
As he sped toward Haggerty property, he mentally mapped out areas to check. The mischievous bugger liked the ocean and seemed to be drawn to the sound of seagulls. Trouble was, in certain areas, the highway stood in the way.
But so far so good. Kade turned off the highway and drove down a local, less travelled road which led to several properties, including the McCalls and the back of Haggerty’s five acres. With any luck, he’d intercept Old Charlie before the horse found trouble.
Live oak and willow trees dotted the landscape. To the left, behind barbed wire, the terrain splintered to the gulf several miles away. Thanks to a wet spring, the marshes and waterways thrived with birds and ducks, as well as hogs and deer. On most days, it was picturesque. But there wasn’t time to enjoy the view.
Still no sign of Old Charlie.
Rounding the bend, he immediately forgot about the horse when he caught sight of a white pickup kissing the side of a tree, smoke rising from the crushed hood. His insides twisted tight. He knew the truck and its owner. The damn designer took over his thoughts most every day.
He parked behind the busted pickup, flung the door open, then rushed to the driver’s side, heart pounding heavily in his chest, only to drop to his boots when he found the vehicle empty…with blood on the steering wheel. “Brandi?” He whirled around, searching for signs of the woman.
Christ. Where the hell could she have gone?
He’d just come from the highway, she hadn’t headed that way for help. He would’ve seen her… unless someone had stopped and picked her up. The knot in his stomach twisted. Why hadn’t she used her phone? Dispatch would’ve called. He glanced inside the truck again. Fuck. Her purse and phone sat on the seat.
Turning around, he resurveyed the area. Although mostly flat, there were several dips and bends, as well as large trees that could be obscuring his
view of the injured woman. An invisible band tightened across his chest. Visions of the beauty stumbling around with a head injury flashed through his mind.
He sprang into action. Since he already knew she wasn’t behind him, he sprinted forward on foot. “Brandi,” he called as he searched. “Brandi, where are you?”
Movement, up ahead and to the left, caught his eye. He upped his pace.
“Kade?” Her voice was faint, but he spotted more movement. “Thank God. Hurry!”
Running full out, sweat trickling down his back and face, he didn’t ease up until he reached the woman. What the…?
He stopped dead.
“Quit gawking and get the horse,” she said, pointing to Old Charlie grazing near a tree.
He wasn’t gawking. He was stunned. Utterly and completely stunned. “How the hell did you manage to get caught in the fence without a shirt?”
Chapter Four
She wasn’t just caught. The woman was practically sprawled out, ripped shirt hanging from the barbed wire fence in one spot while she apparently reattached herself a few feet away as she reached for something on the other side. And, damn, at that angle, she was spilling out of her sexy-as-hell black lace bra.
“That’s not important right now,” the trapped woman replied. “What’s important is the horse and the dog.”
Kade blinked, forcing his body to ignore the luscious spillage. “Dog? What dog?”
“The one I’m trying to reach. You get the horse, I’ll get the dog,” she muttered, struggling to grab something behind her, apparently mindless of the fact she was shirtless and bleeding.
With Old Charlie still happily grazing by the tree, Kade rushed to Brandi. “Hold still,” he told her, trying to unhook her jeans from the fence, but she brushed him away.
“No, take care of the horse. I hit him…or he hit me. It happened so fast. I don’t know. Just make sure he’s okay. I have to get this puppy out of the hole before it fills with water.”
Her words rushed through his brain so fast it took a second for his mind to catch up. He glanced at the object of her attention. At first, he saw nothing, then the scraggly pup moved in an attempt to jump up the small ridge, but fell back down to where water from the marsh began to seep in.
Her Uniform Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 3) Page 5