A Buckhorn Summer

by Lori Foster

  “My family?” She smiled again. “You fit in so perfectly, I forget you’re not from around here and don’t know. See, Dad married Mom when I was six. I’m family, 100 percent, but I’m not blood related.”

  He recalled Shohn mentioning it, that her mother had married when she was still young, so she’d grown up in the area. “So Jordan is your stepfather?”

  “Technically. But Adam and I don’t think of him that way. He’s just... Dad.”

  “I’m glad.” Unable to stop himself, Gray stared at her mouth. “So he’s happy to have you home?”

  “Everyone is.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m the oddity, you know. Once, ages ago, my cousin Casey lived away from Buckhorn for a while. But it didn’t last. The rest have always been more than content to settle here. They’re all supportive, but they’ve never understood why I ventured away.”

  “Do you know why?”

  Troubled, she shrugged, looked away. “Not really.”

  Gray teased a kiss over her temple and that brought her attention back to him. He smiled. “You liked your job?”

  “I loved my job.” She sighed. “Right up until I didn’t.”

  “What changed?”

  “I don’t really know. Instead of feeling pumped about some of the challenges, I got fatigued. Things would happen and instead of being motivated, I’d get annoyed.” She shook her head. “I started getting sick, too.”

  “Sick how?”

  “Bad headaches, nausea.” She flattened her mouth. “High blood pressure, too.”

  Shit.

  “And I could never seem to sleep. How dumb is that? Me, the one who thrived on pressure, getting stressed out.” Making a face, she whispered, “It made me feel weak.”

  “Only because you’re so strong.”

  She laughed. “I didn’t feel strong. I felt pathetic. Like a stranger in my own skin. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah, it does.” Because that’s how he’d felt, too—until he met her. He lifted her hand, kissed her palm. “You’re okay now?”

  “Yes.” She drew a bolstering breath. “Ever since that night with you, the night I decided I needed a big change, I’ve been more relaxed, sleeping better. Well, mostly sleeping better. But sometimes...”

  “Sometimes what?”

  “Sometimes you.”

  Gray studied her, how the morning sunlight shone on her face. “You said you still think about that night.”

  “Think about it, dream about it. About you.” She stared at him with those dark, consuming eyes, then sighed. “A lot.”

  “It was memorable for me as well.”

  Suddenly antsy, she pushed to her feet and walked to a tree, leaning on the trunk while watching him. “We were supposed to use this time to get to know each other.”

  Gray stood but didn’t approach her. “I did.”

  “How? We’ve been swamped.”

  “You think I haven’t paid attention? Not for a second am I ever unaware of you.”

  Her gaze locked on his. “I’ve seen you watching me.”

  “I can’t help myself.” He didn’t point out the obvious, that she knew because she’d been watching him, too. “I know you like two cups of coffee first thing in the morning.”

  Her mouth slipped into a smile. “True.” Her gaze flickered to his chest, then away. “I know that you only shave every third day.”

  “Unless there’s a special occasion.” Nice that she’d noticed. And given her interest in his chest, he wished he hadn’t pulled on a T-shirt. “It bothers you?”

  “I think it’s sexy.”

  “Now, see? I know that you’re honest, too. That you say what’s on your mind.”

  “Actually, I didn’t mean to.” Again her gaze dipped to his body and she let out a breath. “Around you, I just forget myself.”

  He smiled. “I figured out, pretty quickly, that you know a hell of a lot more about boats than I do.”

  Playing along, she said, “I figured out that you’re a quick learner.” She didn’t leave it there. Brows together, she added, “And you have a knack for just knowing things. Like, you look at a trolling motor and somehow figure out that the propeller got tangled in lake weeds. Or that the breaker had blown on the freezer chest—and how to fix it. Or the most expedient way to get a fishing line out of a tree.”

  “Those were all common sense.”

  “A rare commodity.”

  “And you?” Slowly, not wanting to push her, Gray moved closer. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

  Her chin lifted. “I can read instructions, so no. Unless it involves brute strength.” She flexed her arm, showing a small biceps. “It’s the truth, I lack muscle.”

  Sliding his fingers around her slender arm, he tugged her closer. “I have a feeling that, if necessary, you’d figure that out, too.”

  Staring up at him, she whispered, “There’s usually a way.”

  “Would it be rushing things too much if I kissed you?”

  She breathed a little faster. “I was hoping you would.” And before Gray could make a move, she came against him, her arms around his neck pulling him down, her mouth lifting to his.

  Sweet. And hot. He tangled a hand in her loose hair, keeping her close, turning his head for a better fit.

  She made a soft sound and opened her mouth. He felt her tongue and gave her his own.

  Scooping his other arm around her waist, he arched her into him. It wasn’t enough, not when he wanted, needed, to be inside her again, hearing her fast breaths and small cries, feeling the clench of her body as she neared release...

  Tires on gravel alerted them both and they jumped apart.

  Lisa looked startled, her hair mussed, her lips swollen.

  He blew out a breath. Damn it, he had a boner. “Stay put and I’ll deal with it.” Pulling his shirt out and down to cover himself, he headed for the building.

  Her cousin Amber exited her truck with yet another man.

  Jesus, where did she find all the guys? Did she recruit them from out of the county?

  Pasting on a smile, he said, “Amber. Hi.”

  “Hey, Gray.” She slid a look over him and gave a very knowing smile. “Dave and I were headed into town and I figured I’d stop to say hi to Lisa. Is she here yet?”

  “I’m not sure,” he lied, and eyed the guy.

  “Dave and Lisa went to school together.”

  “Is that right?” Like he gave a shit? Why did Amber persist in throwing men at her cousin? If the men were that great, she should keep them for herself. “You live around here, Dave?”

  “Next county over.”

  Well, hell. Amber was bringing them in!

  “I’m here visiting my mom. I didn’t know Lisa was back. And working here?” He laughed. “Hard to believe.”

  It occurred to Gray that Amber still watched him. Waiting for his reaction to that possible insult? Gray smiled again. “Pretty sure she could work anywhere she wants, but yeah, she’s helping out.”

  Dave rubbed his hands together. “When do you expect her?”

  Lisa came around the corner. She’d smoothed her hair and straightened that sexy top, but her lips still looked thoroughly kissed and damn, he wanted her.

  Dave probably did, too, the dick.

  “Hey, Dave,” Lisa said. Just that, nothing more.

  “Lisa!” He took a step forward, his gaze gobbling her up. “It’s so great to see you. How’ve you been?”

  “Busy.” She kept walking, right past Dave and right up to her cousin, where she hooked her arm and began dragging her away. “If you guys will excuse us a moment?”

  Amber looked back at Gray and laughed. In triumph? Sounded like.

  Hands in his pockets, Gray eyed Dave. “So.” />
  Dave kept staring after the women. “She looks good.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Last time I saw her, she was all buttoned up in a business suit.”

  Bet she looked sexy as hell, too. “When was that?”

  “Few years ago. We were both out of town and ran into each other.”

  “Got to catch up?”

  “Not really. She had a grueling schedule to keep.”

  Good.

  The women returned. Lisa, utterly serene, said, “Dave, it was nice seeing you.”

  Confused by that dismissal, Dave said, “Uh...”

  “I need to get to work now.”

  Amber kept grinning. “Come on, Dave. We don’t want to hold them up.” But as she opened her truck door she said to Gray, “So Sunday. Any chance you can get away?”

  Lisa, whipping back around, lost her serenity. “Amber!”

  Gray said, “Probably,” and hoped like hell he didn’t regret it. “I have a part-time guy who helps out when necessary.”

  Lisa blinked at him. “I didn’t know that.”

  “He’s been on a vacation to visit his brother in Texas, but he’s due back Wednesday.”

  “Who?” Lisa demanded, which sort of tickled Gray. For a hotshot businesswoman, she’d really taken a territorial liking to her job at the marina.

  “Petie Burkman.” And from what Gray could tell, Petie was another veteran of the county. Everyone seemed to know him.

  Sure enough, Lisa nodded. “He used to run the garage in town. He has to be in his seventies now.”

  “Almost his eighties, I think.” Petie had the thickest white hair Gray had ever seen, a lot of wrinkles from overexposure to the sun and a lazy way of getting things done. But he was also trustworthy, sharp as a tack and reliable. “He came with the shop when I purchased it.”

  Lisa took that in, said, “Okay,” as if it had needed her approval and then rounded on her cousin again. “Amber.”

  Amber ignored her. “Two o’clock, okay, Gray? Join my family and me and I’ll introduce you around, let everyone get to know you better. Lisa can show you where. I’ll tell everyone to expect you.”

  Gray gave it very quick thought, saw Dave staring at Lisa’s legs and said, “Sounds good, thanks. Can I bring anything?”

  “Your swimming trunks and a smile.” Amber practically stuffed Dave into the truck, then got behind the wheel and drove away.

  Her dust hadn’t yet settled before Lisa groaned. “I’m sorry.”

  “For?”

  “Getting you shanghaied. I told her no more on the man parade and she apparently refocused on you. I should have expected it. Especially after...” Her voice trailed off and she touched her cheek.

  Intrigued, Gray asked, “After?”

  Lisa sighed and dropped her hand. “After she saw the whisker burn on my cheek.”

  He tipped her face up, saw the small pink mark and bent to kiss it gently. “She asked?”

  “She’s Amber. Of course she asked.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I think I stared, stammered and then told her to take Dave away and cease with the matchmaking.”

  “Avoidance and deflection. Guess it didn’t work?”

  She huffed. “With Amber? Not ever.”

  “She means well.” At least, that was the impression Gray got. Assuming the moment had passed and she was done making out with him, Gray went to the shop door and held it open for Lisa.

  “Everyone encourages her, that’s the problem.” Grumbling, Lisa strode in past him. “Someone should meddle in her love life, let her see how it feels.”

  Love life? “My family is small, especially compared to yours.” Gray figured every family might be small compared to hers. “So clue me in. You and Amber get along or not?”

  “Of course! I love her—pushy faults and all.” Heading to the coffeepot, she added, “And usually she’s dead-on. I mean, Amber is the one who fixed up Shohn with Nadine, and she had a lot to do with Garrett and Zoey getting together.”

  After chugging down half the coffee, Lisa continued. “Rumor has it Amber even had a hand in Casey’s romance with Emma, even though she was only a kid at the time.”

  “Sounds like she’s good at what she does.”

  Lisa ignored his input. “But she’s never been able to accept that I—”

  This time her voice dropped like a stone in the lake. “That you what? Were too busy working to get interested?”

  Deflated, she stared at the remaining coffee in her cup. “That I’ve never met anyone interesting enough to get interested.”

  So he was interesting enough? Because, damn, it sure felt like she was interested.

  “Mmm,” Lisa said around another drink of coffee. “How is it you do everything so well? Even your coffee is excellent.”

  “Lisa?”

  She peeked at him and said, “What?”

  “That kiss.”

  Her expression softened, her eyes going darker, sultry—just as he remembered. “You did that really, really well.”

  Behind them a family walked in, chatting. When Gray glanced that way he saw the mom, the dad and even the kid were decked out in clichéd fishing gear, which meant they were novices, because all the seasoned fishermen knew better than to wear hats full of hooks.

  With free time gone, he turned back to Lisa.

  Those soul-sucking eyes of hers were steady on his face. “We were supposed to be getting to know each other better.”

  Gray nodded.

  “But you’re right. I know you.” She closed the space between them, put a hand to his chest, and whispered, “I wish we’d had more time.”

  Well, damn. How was he supposed to work after she said that?

  “You owe me a second cup.” And with that she upended her coffee to finish it off, patted his chest and started for the family. Watching her sassy walk, it took a second before Gray grinned. He’d made headway.

  So now all he needed was more time.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  HAD HE REALLY left the force for a slower pace? Didn’t feel like it. The first three days of the second week with Lisa had been nothing short of insane. Vacationers flocked to the lake, and more than half of them had no clue about boating safety and lake regulations.

  A bunch of college kids had shown up with a pontoon that they planned to drastically overload. The cop in him came out and he’d refused to let them launch—which had caused a scene with thirteen pissed-off college idiots who were already lit at ten in the morning.

  Gray hadn’t seen Lisa disappear, but a few minutes later her uncle Morgan, the freaking mayor, was there with the sheriff, and Gray had taken satisfaction in being able to back off and let others handle it.

  Lisa did introductions immediately afterward. Gray liked the sheriff. Tucker Turley gave off a mild-mannered, won’t-get-riled vibe that he quietly backed up with pure steel. It was actually entertaining to watch.

  He also learned that her uncle, who had once been sheriff before being elected mayor, now headed up the COCP program, or Community Organized Crime Prevention. Made up of local agencies, which included Shohn as a ranger and Garrett as a firefighter, as well as area residents, the COCP coordinated to fight minor crime, delinquency, vandalism and such.

  Nice that her uncle cared enough to stay so involved, and because of that he wielded a lot of respect and confidence.

  Turley, much younger, had the badge but didn’t seem to mind Morgan’s input—which proved Turley was confident and smart. Better to work with Morgan than fight against him.

  Being the authority figure, Gray knew, was hard to shake. It got in your blood, settled into your bones and stuck.

  Just yesterday, early evening, some yahoo had decide
d to teach a ten-year-old kid how to swim by throwing him in without a jacket. He’d heard Lisa yell, a bigger splash, and seconds later she’d waded out with her arm protectively around the shaken kid, who was still coughing up lake water. Already headed toward them, Gray watched her gently seat the boy on a bench, then whirl in a fury on the man. She’d poked his chest, crowded into his space and snapped loud enough for everyone on the lake to hear, “Are you an idiot?”

  With a lot of audacity, the guy had yelled back, “Mind your own damn business, lady!”

  Gray hadn’t remembered moving, but in a heartbeat he was between them, so pissed that breathing wasn’t easy. Through his teeth, he’d growled, “Back it down. Now.”

  The guy had, but before Gray could say anything more a woman appeared. She was even more pissed than Gray. From what he could figure, the man was a disappointing blind date and the lady was already done with him. After chewing the guy up one side and down the other, she’d put a life preserver on her son, gotten him in the boat—which was apparently hers, not his—and she took off...leaving the man still on shore.

  Smug, Lisa had watched him head for his car. When he’d realized he didn’t have the keys, he launched into another fit. He’d even kicked the car.

  Scowling, Lisa had headed for him, but Gray cut her off. “No.” She tried to go around him, so he’d stopped her again. “I’ll deal with it.”

  Gray had watched the hesitation in her eyes, then saw the trust. “Okay.”

  The confrontation hadn’t gone well. The guy had blustered and shouted and caused a scene. Gray kept his cool.

  Finally, with some vague threats, the man stomped off. Where he’d gone, Gray didn’t know, but as long as he left, it didn’t matter to him.

  Lisa had smiled at him, patted his chest, and just that easily she’d gone back to helping other folks. When the woman and her son returned near dark, she’d taken the time to thank both Lisa and Gray. Blind dates, she declared, were off her agenda forever. She’d hugged her son, a cute little boy, and said she’d be back again. Gray and Lisa both waved her off, and they hadn’t had a chance to talk about it since.

  Luckily, the mishaps after that were simple ones, easily corrected. But he made a note to stock up on life preservers and to post a large sign sharing navigation rules and a required equipment chart.