She laughed, and humor replaced the annoyance curling her lips. “I shouldn’t be in the least surprised. You’re a hard man to resist, Jed Lafferty, but I’m pretty sure I’m up to the task.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
Her smile grew. “Don’t hold your breath. I never learned CPR.”
“Too bad. I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy having you resuscitate me.”
With an eye roll and a whistle to her dog, she broke into a jog and never looked back.
* * * *
“Do you mind if we stop at the local market before we go back to the campground?” Claire flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I forgot to buy shampoo yesterday when we went to the store, and I need more lunchmeat.”
“No problem, especially since I’m the one who ate it all. How can you survive on one sandwich?”
She glanced down. “Do I look malnourished?”
Jed took his gaze off the road for longer than he should have to study her. “No, you look…healthy.”
Her cheeks heated. After that mind-blowing kiss, every word out of his mouth sounded like a proposition.
“How can you make a word like healthy sound sexual?”
He grinned. “It’s a gift. Just tell me where to go.”
With an effort, she withheld the comment that sprang to mind. “We don’t turn until we get into town.”
Following her directions, he made a left at the stop sign in the center of what passed for Shady Bend’s business district, slowed in front of the hardware store when a man in overalls jaywalked across the street and then parked in the lot of Hansen’s General Store. The mom and pop establishment had apparently survived the encroachment of a big chain supermarket built on the highway.
The car door opened with a squeak, and Claire hopped down. Turning, she dug through her backpack for her wallet before giving Scoop a shove when he pushed between the seats. “You stay here.”
“Huh?”
“The dog.”
Jed smiled as he walked around the hood of the SUV to her side. “Oh. I thought you were barking orders at me.”
“Not out of the question if you push too hard.”
His eyes heated. “I promised not to…no matter how tempting you are.”
“Jed…”
He held up his hands then dropped them to his sides. “I’ll back off. For now.”
Elbows brushing, they strolled toward the entrance. A bell over the door dinged as he pushed it open. Inside, narrow aisles were crammed with an array of merchandise, from canned goods to work boots to greeting cards and party supplies.
Claire looked around and sighed. “I always loved this store. Seems like if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a real treasure hidden under a stack of towels or buried beneath a selection of fall produce.”
Jed lifted a straw hat decorated with pink ribbons off a shelf and plopped it onto her head. His gaze dropped to her mouth. “The place does have its charm, but do they carry lunchmeat?”
“There’s a meat counter and deli in the back. At least there used to be.”
“Is turkey okay?” At her nod, he turned toward the rear of the store. “Then I’ll take care of our lunch needs while you find shampoo in this rabbit warren.”
“I’ll meet you at the checkout stand in a few minutes.” Removing the hat after he left, she turned—and rammed into a solid chest. The breath left her in a whoosh as big hands grasped her arms.
A deep voice rumbled in her ear. “I’m sorry. I should know better than to hurry through this place.”
Claire’s chin snapped upward. The voice hadn’t changed. Neither had the dark, unruly hair or the chocolate-brown eyes. Only the torso she’d slammed against was different, thicker than she remembered. At a guess, Dallas Simms had gained at least fifty pounds since his glory days playing high school football. Old emotions churned, memories of sitting for hours in his car, planning a future….
“Claire?” His grip loosened as he stepped back. “It is you.” The chest she’d pulled away from rose and fell on an exhaled breath. “Theresa told me you’d be in town.”
“It’s good to see you, Dallas. You look…good.” She pressed her lips together on the final inanity, feeling like a fool.
His eyes darkened. “Wow, you look incredible. How long are you staying in the area?”
“A few more days at least.”
She edged backward as he advanced to enfold her in a hug. Her nose smashed against a hard button. The yeasty smell of beer permeated his shirt.
“I can’t believe how great you look, though I don’t know why I’m surprised.” When she tugged against his embrace, he released her. “We should get together to catch up. Have dinner or something.”
“Uh, maybe, though I am here to work.” This was Dallas, her old boyfriend. Just because he was easily twice her size and had her pushed up against a display of brooms and dust mops was no reason to feel nervous.
“Theresa mentioned you aren’t married. Did she tell you about my divorce?” His lips flattened. “Mandy took the kids and moved up to Portland.”
“I’m sorry about that.” She put another foot of space between them. “It must be hard.”
On his long sigh, the scent of beer drifted her way. “Yeah, it’s been rough.”
“Claire?”
She turned quickly then reached to steady the broom display when it swayed. Jed’s focus was on Dallas, eyes narrowed.
“Everything okay?”
“Sure. I ran into an old friend.” She forced a smile. “Literally. Jed Lafferty meet Dallas Simms.”
Both men nodded a greeting. Neither stepped forward to offer a hand. Tension sizzled.
Claire cleared her throat. “It was great seeing you again, but I’m afraid I’m a little pressed for time right now.”
Dallas shrugged one broad shoulder. “I understand.” His gaze flicked back to Jed. “We’ll talk later. Theresa told me you’re camping. Are you at Towering Trees?”
“I am.” With a hesitant smile, she escaped around the end of the aisle.
Jed followed close behind. “I didn’t like the way that guy looked at you. Needy. What’s up with him?”
She stopped in front of a shelf full of hair care products. “Nothing. We used to date.”
“You dated that guy? Do you have a thing for Neanderthals?”
Her back stiffened as she reached for a bottle of honeysuckle scented shampoo. “He’s a big man. So what? In high school, he was also kind and open with his feelings. I imagine he still is. Did you get the lunchmeat?”
He lifted a package wrapped in white paper. “Lunchmeat and steaks. They looked too good to pass up.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Neither said anything as they paid for their purchases and left the market. Dallas was nowhere in sight. The silence stretched when Jed stopped for gas.
Leaning back in the seat, she studied his tight lips as he stood by the door, waiting for the tank to fill. “What has your tail twisted into a knot?”
He glanced at her through the open car window, and the lines around his mouth eased. “Your ex-boyfriend reminded me of this bully who used to give little kids wedgies when I was in third grade. I know I’m stereotyping, but the resemblance is scary.” He rolled his eyes. “Sorry. I’m sure Dallas is a swell guy.”
Her lips curved upward. “Swell guy? Are we in Mr. Roger’s neighborhood?”
“How about a good dude?”
She held her response until he’d finished pumping the gas and climbed back into the SUV. “You can call him whatever you want. What happened to the bully?”
“He gave me one wedgie too many, and Kane beat the crap out of him.”
“Good for Kane.”
“So, are you going to tell me about Dallas?”
“Not much to tell.” She stared through the windshield as he started the engine. “He was my high school sweetheart.”
“Let
me guess—the guy played football.”
“Captain of the team. We dated for two years and planned to attend the same college. Only problem was, he didn’t get in. Dallas wanted me to go to the local community college with him instead.”
“You didn’t.”
She shook her head. “He was hurt, and I felt awful. At one point during our senior year we’d talked about getting married sometime in the future….” A long sigh slipped out. “You know how it is when you’re young and think you’re in love. Lucky for me, I wised up before ruining my whole future.”
“Your ex never left Shady Bend?”
“He married the head cheerleader on the rebound, then went to work in his father’s hardware store where he’s now the manager.”
Jed rolled to a stop at the corner and flipped on his blinker. “You seem well-versed in the life and times of a guy you haven’t seen in what, sixteen or seventeen years?”
“That’s because my friend, Theresa, the one who told me about the Bigfoot sighting, is overflowing with local gossip. I’m sure you’ll meet her sometime in the next few days. We plan to get together while I’m here.”
“Don’t change the subject. Is Dallas still married to the cheerleader?”
“No, he and Mandy divorced a couple of years ago. She took their kids and moved to Oregon. According to Theresa, Dallas drinks too much and needs a new woman to buck him up.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
“Good thing I thrive on competition. Sounds like I’ll have my hands full fighting off all your old boyfriends. First Ian, and now Dallas.”
She did her best to squash a spurt of satisfaction. “Jealous?”
He glanced over. “Should I be?”
“I’ve never been one to backtrack in my relationships.”
“Smart woman.”
The emotions churning in her middle eased as they headed toward the campground. When they passed the entrance booth, she waved at the attendant reading a romance novel with a picture of a bare-chested cowboy on the cover. Turning right, the vehicle bumped down the dirt track to their campsite. When Jed hit the brakes, her head snapped back.
“What the hell?”
She rubbed her neck. “What’s wrong?”
He pointed toward her motor home.
A string of puffy metallic bells in silver and gold hung across the windshield. Beneath them was a sign with bold, black lettering. Time’s up. You promised.
Chapter 5
Claire held her hands closer to the flames and shivered. Despite the mild evening temperature and crackling fire, she couldn’t get warm. Those damn wedding bells had chilled her to the core.
Jed kept a steady eye on her from across the fire, a frown etched between his brows. “I suppose we could notify the police, tell them someone’s harassing you if you’re really concerned.”
She hunched into her down jacket. “It’s not like he—she—whoever threatened me. What would the authorities do, besides laugh? The mad wedding planner strikes again.”
His head jerked back. “What do you mean, again?”
Another chill shivered through her. “A couple of weeks ago I found a package in the post office box I use mostly for work. In it was one of those little wedding favors, a plastic champagne flute with two entwined pink hearts stamped on the front. The accompanying message was similar to this one. Almost time. Can’t wait. I thought it was some kind of joke sent to me by mistake.”
“Obviously you were the intended recipient.” He scowled. “Mailing a package is one thing, but those bells were hand delivered. Whoever put them on your motor home is here in Shady Bend.”
Her gaze darted toward the dark woods beyond the edge of the campsite, and she shuddered. “This person followed me?”
“Unless he was already here.”
She turned back to face Jed, dread settling in the pit of her stomach. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the message is pretty clear. You promised. That implies a personal connection. This nut job—let’s assume it’s a he—wants something you promised to give him. The wedding decorations lead me to believe his fixation is with marriage…to you.”
“That’s ridiculous. I never promised to marry anyone!”
“I can think of two men who may feel differently. And those are only the ones you’ve told me about.”
She clamped her teeth together then mentally counted to ten. After taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and managed not to yell. “Are you saying I asked for this?”
His brows shot up. “Huh? No, of course not. I’m saying one of your exes doesn’t like the fact that you dumped him.”
“I didn’t dump anyone. I simply walked away from both of them years ago. Why would he—whoever he is—say my time’s up now?”
Jed shrugged. “How am I supposed to know how a crazy person thinks?”
“Ian isn’t crazy. Well, maybe a little crazy. He’s nuts for Bigfoot, not me. Dallas is just lonely, not a lunatic.”
He leaned forward to place another piece of wood on the fire. Sparks shot upward. “Personally, my money’s on the football player. I already know he bugs me. The jury’s still out on good old Ian.”
His blue eyes sparkled, and she narrowed hers. Is he enjoying this?
“Good God, Jed. We’re not playing some kind of mystery game where you follow the clues to uncover the killer’s identity.”
“No dead body, so of course we aren’t. Still, the whole thing does remind me of a good whodunit.”
“Since the dead person would probably wind up being me, let’s be thankful for small favors.”
He stood then stepped around the fire to reach out and draw her close against his side. The contact provided comfort despite her irritation. She met his gaze and gave him a weak smile.
The bright speculation in his eyes dissolved, leaving only concern. “You aren’t frightened, are you? I thought you were more annoyed than worried. It’s not like the guy left something dead on your windshield.”
“Eww. Don’t even say that!”
She tugged against his hold, but he didn’t let her go. Instead, he wrapped both arms around her. With the solid warmth of his chest behind her, some of her anxiety faded.
“I’m not afraid…exactly. More like unnerved. I’d almost prefer it if the person who left the bells was someone I know rather than a crazy stranger with a possible fixation on me.”
“Well, you can start with the direct approach and ask each of your old boyfriends straight out if he’s the one leaving you messages. Maybe whoever set this up was just trying to be funny.”
“I hope so. Still…” She bit her lip. “I can’t ask either of them a question like that. What am I supposed to say? ‘Um, Ian, have you been harboring a secret obsession with me over the last decade and a half? Since I insisted we have our marriage annulled?’”
His chin came down to rest on top of her head. A little quiver shot through her as his arms tightened.
“So, you think it’s Ian?”
“No, I don’t think it’s Ian. I don’t think it’s Dallas, either. This whole theory of yours is ridiculous.”
“Do you have a better one?”
She let out a sigh. “No. Maybe if I ignore the bells the way I did the champagne glass, whoever left them will get tired of waiting for a reaction and quit bothering me.”
“I guess it’s worth a try. It’s not like he actually threatened you. I’d be more concerned if the messages contained direct warnings.”
“The vagueness is part of what makes it so creepy.”
He turned her in his arms. Light and shadow from the flickering flames danced across his face, but his gaze remained locked on hers.
“You don’t have to worry about it, Claire. No one is going to harm you while I’m around, and I’m not going anywhere.”
For a moment, she relaxed against him then stiffened. “You said you were only staying in the area for a
couple of days.”
He shrugged. “Plans change. I’m not on a set schedule, and there’s nowhere I have to be until snow flies in the mountains. That’s two months from now at the earliest.”
“Still, you shouldn’t have to rearrange your life because of me, though I’m grateful for the offer.” Her voice came out a little breathless as his big hands squeezed her waist.
“I do what I want. Right now I want to hang out with you. Unless you don’t—want me I mean?”
“I want you.”
When heat shimmered in his eyes, her cheeks burned. She glanced down, wanting to kick herself for the thoughtless remark. “You know what I mean.”
His lips twitched. “I know what you mean. More’s the pity.” One hand left her waist to cup her chin, forcing her gaze upward again. “I’m serious, Claire. No one will hurt you while I’m around. I promise.”
She tried to speak, but emotion clogged her throat. When was the last time anyone put her needs before their own? “Thank you.”
“You bet.”
As much as she was enjoying the hard arms wrapped around her, after the kiss they’d shared in the woods, this type of closeness would only lead to…trouble. Getting involved with Jed would surely be right up there with rollercoasters when it came to fun and excitement, but she wasn’t ready to risk the plummet back to reality. He was the ultimate good time, no strings attached, type of guy. Hadn’t he warned her he’d never had a serious relationship in his life? Alarm bells clanged a raucous tune in her head.
“It’s been a long day. I should go to bed.”
His head dipped, and warm breath fanned her cheeks. “Do you always do what you should?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“That’s the difference between us.”
“Oh?” Her stomach fluttered.
“We covered this already. I do what I want.”
He closed the distance, and his lips caressed hers in a kiss so sweet she ached with wanting more. His arms tightened for a moment before pulling away. When she stepped back, he released her completely. Already she missed the contact.
He frowned. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” She fought to bring her breathing under control. “Good night, Jed.”
Every Vow She Breaks Page 5