She smiled. “I said, in spite of the name, the food here is good.”
“As compared to what?”
“Probably what you’re used to eating. K-rations?” She tipped her head and her halo of curls tilted to the side, brushing her shoulder. “Isn’t that what military food is called?”
“Actually, it’s MREs—meals ready to eat. I think military food is an oxymoron.”
“I thought that was military intelligence.”
He held up a finger. “Now you’re getting nasty, and personal.”
“Aha. So you’re in military intelligence.” She made a cross with two fingers. “Do you have to kill me now?”
Not unless he could do it with kisses, he thought.
Halt. On the double. He wasn’t going there. And after this, he would keep to himself if it took every last ounce of will power he had. The next time he got the wild idea to go into town and invite Maggie to lunch, he would make an appointment to have his head examined instead. He was probably long overdue for a visit to the shrink.
But he couldn’t help smiling at her. And damn, it felt good. “Relax, Maggie. I didn’t confirm your guess about what I do. So there will be no termination.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Jack realized he’d all but for got ten how carefree felt. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d teased, joked and shared a laugh with a woman. He was rusty and a little slow, but he still recognized fun. Maggie pulled him out of himself just by being Maggie. Surely this brief contact wouldn’t taint her? Surely the gray area where he’d lived for the last ten years couldn’t harm her. Not from such a short time in her company?
A waitress in jeans walked up to the table. Her red T-shirt sported an armadillo wearing a Stetson. “Howdy, Maggie. Are you going to introduce me to the fella?”
“Hey, Bonnie. He’s an old friend from high school. Jack Riley, meet Bonnie Potts, owner, waitress and hostess of the Road Kill Café.”
“Hi,” he said, giving her a casual salute.
“Nice to meet you, Jack. What can I get y’all to drink?”
He looked at Maggie. “What’ll it be?”
“I’d like sweet tea.”
“A sweet tea for the lady and I think I’ll have the same,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been anywhere there was the possibility of getting anything resembling a good glass of iced tea.”
“Coming right up,” Bonnie said with a grin. The pretty auburn-haired, blue-eyed woman pulled a couple of plastic-coated menus from beneath her arm and handed them over. “Have a look at these and I’ll be back in a little bit to take your orders.”
Jack opened his menu. It was safer to look there than at the woman sitting across from him. Why was she dangerous? How could she threaten him? How could one small female pose any threat? Samson had probably asked the same thing about Delilah. It was a question that still didn’t have an answer.
Jack just knew spending time with Maggie would be the most dangerous op he’d been involved in for a long time. He was a man of action. He formulated a plan, then carried it out. The best he could come up with at the moment was to finish lunch, check her computer, then get the heck out of town before she was the wiser. Wiser about what? If he knew the answer to that question, there would probably be a way to sidestep the mine field that was Maggie.
“So what do you recommend?” he asked, not looking up from his menu.
“Something tells me you wouldn’t eat quiche.”
He lowered the plastic menu just enough to meet her gaze and give her a wry look. “What does that mean?” The twinkle in her hazel eyes made him want to smile.
“Good heavens, I should think that would be obvious.”
“I’m going to take a wild guess here. As in, real men don’t eat quiche?”
“And I thought I was being subtle. I’ll have to watch my step.”
“And stereotyping.”
“So you’re getting the quiche?” she asked.
“No way. I see a burger combo and it’s got my name on it,” he answered.
She laughed and the sound was so full of carefree joy, somehow it made him ache deep inside. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched him there. The place was so deep sunlight never reached it, yet Maggie had breached his defenses and marched right in without firing a shot.
She studied her menu then closed it. “You know, I haven’t had my quota of raw meat today. That sounds really good. I think I’ll have a burger, too.”
“Okay.”
It suddenly occurred to Jack that this was the first time he and Maggie had been out in public. They’d kept their brief but memorable relationship secret. At the time, that had made it even more exciting, as if the girl Maggie had been needed anything to make her more exciting to him. But the fact remained, she’d been afraid her folks would find out about them. He’d had a couple brushes with the sheriff, giving him a reputation, and she had insisted on furtive meetings. Who knew he’d be so good at clan des tine that he would make a career out of it?
And lose himself in the process.
A bell tinkled as the café door opened. Sheriff Grady O’Connor walked in, looking official in his khaki uniform. He checked out the room, then nodded to Jack and headed in his direction.
He stopped at the end of the booth. “If it isn’t Wild Jack Riley.”
“Grady.” He held out his hand and the lawman shook it. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah.” He looked from him to Maggie and back again. “I didn’t know you knew our Maggie.”
Our Maggie? Was the sheriff implying that he would stand between her and harm? Was he warning Jack off? He’d rather cut off his right arm than hurt Maggie.
Jack met her gaze and swore he saw apprehension lurking in the green-gold depths of her eyes. Apparently she had the law on her side. He had the feeling if he fought the law, the law would win. So what was she afraid of?
He looked at Grady. “Maggie and I were friends. Ten years ago.”
The sheriff nodded. “I saw you two talking at the rodeo last night.”
“Renewing the acquaintance,” Jack explained.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“By all means,” Maggie said, sliding over to make room for him.
Something hot and hard tightened in Jack’s chest. He was used to not feeling anything and it took him a couple beats to recognize jealousy. It didn’t make sense. Grady was a friend from high school and their bond went deep. Besides, there was nothing romantic between himself and Maggie. But the power of his reaction forced Jack to admit that he really disliked watching the sheriff’s tan sleeve brush the bare skin of her arm. He checked out the ring finger of Grady’s left hand, and silently cursed when he found no band of gold. Not even a tan line indicating there had been one there recently.
“So what are you up to these days, Jack? Still in the army? Special operations?”
He nodded. “That about covers it.”
“That covers nothing,” Maggie said. “For a job description, it’s clear as mud. But I’ll tell you one thing. The man is a computer guru.”
“I wouldn’t say that—”
She gave him a sassy look. “Of course not. You don’t say much of anything.” She glanced at the sheriff. “But, Grady, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. He unfroze my home computer with just a flick of his wrist.”
When she touched the other man’s arm in an innocent, friendly gesture, a white-hot poker pierced Jack’s chest.
“And as we speak, he’s updating my system at the shop. The man is a bona fide computer geek.”
“Is that so?” Grady said, meeting his gaze.
Jack rested his arm along the top of the seat back. “I’m not com fort able with the geek part, but I know my way around a hard drive.”
“I may need your help with something. Can I talk to you later?”
“Sure.”
Bonnie Potts returned with notepad in
hand and the three of them ordered the burger combo. About forty minutes later Maggie finished the last of her tea and excused herself to get back to the shop.
Grady slid from the booth to let her out. “Do you mind if I talk to your computer guy for a couple minutes?”
“You’re the sheriff.” She met Jack’s gaze. “But don’t abandon me, big guy.”
Abandon. interesting choice of words, he thought. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
When Maggie left she took his carefree mood with her. Jack tried to ignore the feeling.
“Jack, I’ve got a favor to ask,” Grady said.
“Shoot.” He toyed with the end of his fork, resting on his empty plate.
“You’ve been gone for ten years, so I’m not sure how much of my story you know. But I’ve got twin girls.”
“Yeah. I saw them at the rodeo. Hanging out with Maggie’s daughter Faith.”
“Yeah. The girls are practically in se parable.” He took a deep breath then said, “Billy Bob Adams is suing me for custody of them.”
Jack froze. Hazy memories surfaced. “Does this have anything to do with what his brother did to Lacey that night at the lake. It’s ten years ago now, right?”
Grady nodded. “He’s Zach Adams’s brother. It’s the only connection. But I don’t have a clue why he’s doing this. Zach’s been gone for nine years. But so’s Lacey. What could he hope to gain after all this time? Surely he doesn’t really want the kids. He’ll never get his hands on them,” Grady vowed. “Not while I have breath left in my body.”
Jack was awed by the depth of feeling in his friend, by his instinct to protect his kids. “How can I help?”
“I’ve done a back ground check on him with the computer at the cop shop.”
“Anything turn up?”
The sheriff shook his head. “If you’re as good as Maggie says, and I have a feeling she doesn’t even know the half of it, you may be just what I need. Can you do a private search?”
“Yeah. I can go places you don’t even know exist. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Can we keep this between the two of us?”
Jack nodded. If there was anything he was good at, it was covert. It had started with Maggie. Then the army tapped his talents and turned him into a loner. He’d been seduced by how good he was.
So good, he was sentenced to life outside the fire.
When Maggie arrived home after nine-thirty, the front porch light was on. She had needed to stay late at the shop to get some work done and had called Zoe Slyder, one of the teenage girls she relied on for babysitting to stay with Faith. It was times like this when she missed Dottie Riley the most. Jack’s grand mother had picked up the slack for her and it had been a comfort to know her daughter was with family. Even if Dottie hadn’t known.
It was past Faith’s bedtime, so Maggie quietly let herself in and tiptoed through the living room to the family room and kitchen. “Zoe,” she called softly.
The TV was on low and Maggie stopped short when she saw, stretched out on her couch, a sound-asleep Jack Riley. Apparently there were times when he needed more than a little sleep. She wondered what he was doing there, but didn’t have the heart to wake him to ask.
Silently she went down the hall to Faith’s room and peeked inside. She let out a long relieved breath when she saw her peace fully sleeping daughter. Explanations about changes in plans could wait now that she knew her child was okay. She pulled the pink sheet up and tucked it around Faith’s sturdy little body. It wasn’t even close to being cold, but it was a mom thing she could never resist doing. Somehow that flimsy little sheet was symbolic protection from any threat—real or imagined.
If only she could as easily protect her from real life, Maggie thought.
She moved quietly back into the family room and stood just a foot away from where Jack was sleeping. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind all day. His black hair, blue eyes and rare playful smiles made her yearn for things she hadn’t in ten years. The memory of Jack’s mysterious remark that a guy like him couldn’t be responsible for someone as wonderful as Faith squeezed the tenderness from her heart. He needed to know the truth. She had no right to keep it a secret and she’d made up her mind to tell him the very next time she saw him.
She just hadn’t expected to see him again so soon.
Soundlessly she moved forward and reached out a hand to gently touch him awake. Before her fingers made contact, he grabbed her wrist. The next thing she knew, he’d hauled her onto the couch and was pressing her into the cushions using the weight of his body to hold her motionless. That and his forearm, which was flat against her windpipe. The vivid, intense look in his eyes—like a predator challenging his prey—scared her.
“Jack,” she croaked.
“Shoot, Maggie.” He moved his arm, allowing her to breathe and talk.
“You were expecting Destiny’s resident stalker/slasher?”
“You can’t be too careful.” The words were teasing; the look on his face was anything but. Then he let out a long breath and with it the tension seemed to drain out of him. One corner of his mouth quirked up. “How was your day?”
Apparently they weren’t going to address the fact that he’d just greeted her like he was taking down the enemy. Two could play this game. “My day was just fine, thanks. And yours?”
“Can’t complain.” He released her wrist and slid his hand to her waist, moving his thumb up and down over her rib cage in a subtle caress beneath her breast. There was a slight shift in his expression—from peril to passion. “In fact, my day just now improved one hundred percent.”
He rolled to his side, easing some of his weight off her, but not loosening his grip. Tucking his arm beneath her, he snuggled her more securely to his chest. She could feel him pressing against her leg.
Jack Riley wanted her. Good Lord. She should be outraged, but she needed to catch her breath first. And slow her heart down to normal. And somehow control the trembling that was spreading through her like wildfire. Then she would be outraged.
He slid his hand up and covered her breast with his palm. “Your heart is pounding,” he said, his voice husky and deep.
“There’s a good reason for that.”
“Me?” A slow half smile curved the corners of his mouth.
“Yes, you. But don’t let it go to your head. You scared the bejeezus out of me.”
“I know.” He sighed and his grin faded. “I’m sorry, Maggie.”
“So,” she whispered, “are you going to let me up?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
He looked as if he wanted to swallow her whole and for the life of her she couldn’t find the will to mind. It seemed like forever and back before he finally lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. The contact was electric. Her eyelids drifted closed, and brilliant light flashed across the darkness. Her already-inflamed breathing cranked upward like a kerosene-soaked wick. When his clever fingers kneaded her breast through the denim of her sundress, liquid fire poured through her. She arched her back and settled herself more surely into his palm.
It was like going home again, to a long-remembered haven and finding it changed—for the better. She managed to free one of her hands from between them and rest it against the muscled wall of his chest.
She smiled against his lips. “Your heart is pounding too. Did I scare the bejeezus out of big, strong you?”
“Darn right.”
“I’ll try not to—”
“Over my dead body,” he said, and kissed her again.
Maggie felt every ounce of concentration and focus in the touch of his mouth to hers. That was different. He’d kissed her ten years ago until she went up in flames. It was even better now. He was no longer a wiry teenager. He was a man and she couldn’t help being fascinated by how big he was. How in credibly wide and hard and strong. His shoulders hunched forward, seeming to surround her, to shelter her in his arms. The predator as protector? Why had she nev
er felt so safe as she did at this moment?
When his tongue stroked her lower lip, she surrendered without a fight and opened to admit him. He took possession of her mouth, caressing the interior with single-minded de termination. Yet she felt him hold back. That was something he hadn’t done when they were teenagers. He’d lacked the experience and art to wait and woo and whittle away a woman’s will. Not anymore. She could feel his arms trembling from his effort to hold back. As he tucked her hair behind her ear, his hand shook slightly, showing her the strain he put on himself to wait to make it better.
Maggie slid her hand around his neck and brushed her fingers over the razor-short hair at his nape. She arched closer to him, her breasts pressing against the hard wall of his chest. She nearly lost control when he gently touched his tongue to an almost-for got ten spot just beneath her ear. Obviously Jack hadn’t for got ten. She wanted—
“Mo-om?” Faith’s voice came from down the hall.
Jack pushed away and he was on his feet in a heartbeat. Before she even had a chance to feel the absence of his warmth, he held a hand down to her and helped her to stand.
“Mom? Jack?” Faith stood in the doorway and sleepily rubbed her eyes. “What are you guys doing?”
Maggie looked at Jack and saw the spark in his eyes. “N-nothing, sweetie. Did you have a bad dream?”
She wouldn’t be the only one. What in the world was she thinking? Kissing Jack Riley. The answer was clear. She hadn’t been thinking—at least not with her head. Dormant hormones were dangerous hormones. Her last coherent thought had been that she owed him the truth. The next minute she’d flipped, literally, and wound up with him on top of her. One minute he’d been peace fully sleeping, the next he’d turned into a warrior who could snap her like a dry twig. How in the world could she share with this relative stranger the secret that would no doubt insinuate him more intimately into Faith’s life?
Before she did, there was a lot more Maggie needed to know about Jack Riley.
“Did you have a night mare?” she asked her daughter again.
Faith shook her head. “I just wanted to say good-night to you.”
“Okay. I’ll tuck you back in bed.” Unable to meet Jack’s gaze, she walked to her daughter and guided her to her room.
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