by CP Smith
“Had to be. Jenn has the man wrapped around her finger so tightly if he had to choose sides, I know exactly where his loyalties would lie . . . Not with me.”
Shane cocked a brow. “How’s this man still breathin’?”
Jack shrugged, then pulled a radio from his belt loop and placed it on the table, turning it on. “He’s still breathin’ ‘cause he isn’t stupid enough to act on how he feels. That, and I know Jenn only sees him as a friend. He was the first person she met when she moved here and she’s loyal to those she cares for.”
“Would he cover for her if she was up to her neck in trouble like she’s been in the past?” Max questioned.
Jack shook his head. “No. There the loyalty lies with safety first. He wouldn’t hesitate to contact me if he thought she was placing herself in danger.”
“Does that happen often?” Shane asked.
“More often than I’d like,” Jack sighed. “She always has her nose to ground, sniffin’ out a story. Usually the type that puts her in a position where I have to put my foot down.”
“I’d prefer managin’ editorial pursuits than prayin’ Mia hasn’t been mauled by a bear on a daily basis.”
Shane nodded in agreement, then Jack and Max looked at him and raised a brow.
“I’ll trump your concerns and see you one madman with a vendetta.”
“Been there,” Jack grumbled.
“Done that,” Max added, leaning back and crossing his arms. “You’ll have to dig a little deeper if you want to top us.”
Shane raised his hands in defeat. “I’ll let you win this round. It’s not a title I want.”
“Give it time. You’ve only been together a few days. Sage has been on her own for a while and is set in her ways. It won’t always be smooth sailing for you both,” Max stated.
“I’m thinkin’,” Jack grinned as he raised a glass of tea to his lips, “that Max wins, though. He has two aggravating women in his life.”
All three chuckled.
“Maxine alone would have won the contest,” Shane laughed.
They continued to swap stories while they waited for their food. When their burgers arrived, Jack’s radio crackled then went quiet.
Raising his burger to his mouth, Shane paused when the radio jumped to life again.
Jenn, how does this thing work?
It was Maxine.
“What the fuck?” Jack grumbled.
“Was that Maxine?” Max asked mid-bite.
You . . . button . . . then talk.
Shane rose a brow when Sage’s sweet voice kept disappearing as she explained how to use the radio.
“Why are they messing with the police band?” Shane wondered out loud.
Maxine, don’t mess with those yet. We have to change the channel or Jack will hear.
The line went dead.
Jack scowled, mumbling, “Too late,” then reached out and started flipping channels until the static disappeared and Jenn’s voice came through.
Testing 1.2.3.
You’re coming in loud and clear, Jenn.
Okay, you and Sage check that end of the cemetery, and Mia and I will check this end for any hazards.
“Why the hell are they at a cemetery?” Max asked.
“She better be pickin’ out her plot. If she’s there for anythin’ else, I’ll wring her beautiful neck,” Jack bit out.
According to the legend, the miner whose ghost haunts this cemetery is looking for his stolen gold.
We should have brought a metal detector then. We could have searched for the gold while hunting for his ghost.
I’m not hunting for the gold. The old miner would haunt me for the rest of my life if I found it.
Pish posh. Betcha he’s as friendly as Casper. That bein’ said, you do know you should be gettin’ hazard pay for this, Jenn. It’s one thing to investigate a story, but hangin’ out in a cemetery in the dead of night is goin’ above and beyond.
We’ve got an open grave here. Mia, watch your step.
Wonder who’s being buried there?
As long as it’s none of us.
Okay, the radios work. Let’s save the battery for later. Signing off.
Shane’s attention shot to Jack and he scowled. “Tell me this is a joke.”
Jack closed his eyes, shook his head, and grumbled, “Pain in my fuckin’ ass,” as he switched the radio off.
“So the toy party was just a ruse so they could search for a ghost in the dead of night? Unprotected, I might fuckin’ add, with a killer on the loose.” Shane’s hand twitched with anger. His little minx had boldfaced lied to him. He could already feel the soft skin of her ass against the palm of his hand.
“Give me the keys to a jail cell,” Max rumbled low, holding out his hand. “If Mia can’t use her head, then I’ll lock her up for peace of mind.”
“We could hunt them down and lock them up,” Jack advised, rubbing both hands across his face, “but I can tell you from experience Jenn won’t stop until she’s staked out the cemetery. And all those women are resourceful enough to help her. They’ll find a way.”
Max took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his hands fisting then releasing. Shane figured he wanted to wring Mia’s neck as much as he wanted to spank Sage’s ass.
“So you think we should let them have their way while we keep an eye on them? A very close eye, by the way. If we don’t, Mia will find a way to turn ghost huntin’ into a search and rescue mission.”
“Fuckin’ ghost huntin’ in a deserted graveyard,” Jack grumbled. “I married a nut.”
Shane scowled at the idea of letting them continue with their reckless plan, but Jack was right and he knew it. Short of locking them all up, they’d find a way.
His jaw twitched as they mulled over their choices. After a minute and a deep sigh of resignation, he jerked his head in agreement. “I’m in. Let them have their fun while we keep a close tab.”
“We could teach them a lesson,” Max threw out.
“Have no doubt; Jenn’s ass will become intimately familiar with my hand once we’re home.”
“That goes without sayin’,” Max grunted, “but I was thinkin’ more along the lines of scarin’ the shit out of them.”
A slow grin pulled across Shane’s mouth. “I’m listenin’.”
“They’re lookin’ for a ghost, right?” Max grinned. “I suggest they find one . . .”
***
With the cemetery searched and hazards pointed out to an incensed Mia, we headed back to town for dinner. Jenn pulled up in front of a steakhouse called Lumberjacks. It was rustic, log-framed, as one would expect, and had matching carved Lumberjacks flanking the door dressed in black and red-checkered flannel shirts. Mia stopped in front of one and inspected it.
“They got the height right, but he isn’t near as handsome as Max,” she giggled.
“Wait until you taste the steak,” Jenn said as she pulled open the door. “Melts in your mouth.”
When we entered, we immediately ducked. The waiters were throwing rolls to the diners, and one had gone wide, hitting the wall behind us.
“It’s a war zone,” I laughed.
A man with a nametag that read Frank came bounding over when he saw us, smiling brightly.
“So happy to see you, Mrs. Gunnison,” he beamed. “Is it just the four of you or will the Sheriff be joining you?”
“Frank, this is Jack’s Aunt Maxine and her daughter-in-law Mia. And this is Sage Sloan, a friend of the family. It will just be the four of us this evening; Jack is working.”
Grabbing menus from the hostess station, Frank led us to a booth and we settled in.
“I’m starving,” Mia stated.
“I hope you’re starvin’ cause you’re carryin’ my grandchild,” Maxine mumbled, eyeing Mia with a caustic look.
“Give me a break, Maxine. I’ve barely settled into Max’s cabin.”
“Are you planning a family so soon after marrying?” I asked as I looked over the menu.
“
She’s not ready,” Jenn replied without lifting her head.
“How do you know I’m not ready?”
“You sat in jelly at the kitchen table and had to change your clothes.”
“I’m confused. How does that tell you I’m not ready for kids?”
“Because a mother would have wiped the jelly of with a wet paper towel, not changed her whole outfit.”
“Yes, but that was my favorite bear t-shirt and faded Levi’s. You can’t get jeans like that without scouring thrift stores. I didn’t want them to stain.”
“Exactly. When you’re dealin’ with kids, you let go of what’s important and wear stained clothes.”
“The clothes are the easy part,” Maxine jumped in. “It’s never having sex again without interruption that’s the real hurdle.”
“Quietly when you do get the chance,” Jenn laughed.
I was giggling as I listened, still scanning the menu, when I noticed the table went quiet. When I looked up, all eyes were on me. “Don’t look at me; I’ve only been with Shane a few days. I’m not ready for kids.”
“Good thing, too. She’ll need to practice bein’ quiet,” Maxine chuckled.
I gasped then hid my face in the menu. Blood rushed to my cheeks and my face burned with embarrassment, but instead of laughing at my discomfort, they started throwing out advice.
“Practice walking across nails or something equally sharp without crying out, and you’ll have it mastered. In a pinch, though, you can always turn on the TV really loud to cover your moans.”
“Um, okay. Why nails?” I asked.
“Legos. Men must have invented them to torture their wives. They end up everywhere, and you’ll walk on them in the dead of night. If you can do that without waking up your kids, you’re a pro.”
“I’m having second thoughts,” Mia mumbled.
“Well, have third and fourth thoughts and then get to multiplyin’ like the Good Book says,” Maxine insisted. “I’m not gettin’ any younger.”
“Please, you’re the youngest one at this table,” Jenn scoffed.
Maxine grinned and nodded.
“I am. Age is just a number, not a guideline for how you should act. Each one of you possesses the same spirit; it’s also what attracted your men to you. You have a zest for life that keeps them from gettin’ bored, keeps their attention on you and away from all others.”
“So you’re saying don’t grow old gracefully, but act as young as you feel?” I questioned.
She scoffed at the notion, her lips contorted at the idea of acting a certain way because you’re older. “Never accept defeat,” she stated emphatically. “But I’m not worried about you three. No, you ladies will do me proud and keep the home fires burnin’ while dancin’ to the beat of a different drum just like I do . . . And because of that, you’ll never grow old, only older-looking.”
“Sage advice coming from a rebel,” Mia pointed out.
“I’m full of Maxine-isms.”
The table erupted with laughter just as Frank returned to take our orders. When we looked up, he turned to Jenn and said, “You and the Sheriff had the same idea tonight. He just sat down with two other gentlemen.”
“Jack’s here?” Jenn asked, leaning past him.
I leaned forward as well and caught sight of Jack, Max, and Shane in a booth across the restaurant. They were studying their menus.
“Did you tell him I was here?”
“I did,” Frank smiled.
“And they didn’t want to join us?” Jenn gasped.
“I believe he said it was better to leave you to your friends to avoid imprisonment.”
Jenn gasped. Then she narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, “His or mine?”
Frank shrugged.
“Shit,” she muttered. “He’s extremely pissed.”
“Would you like to order now or should I come back?” he asked, catching the sudden mood at the table.
We ordered, Frank left, then we sat in silence staring at the booth across the restaurant.
“They won’t even look at us,” Mia whispered.
Bordering on nervous, I pulled out my phone, looked at the girls, then sent Shane a text. Did you have a good day? I watched him pick up his phone when the text chimed, then he laid it on the table and kept eating.
“He ignored you,” Maxine said, surprise lacing her voice.
“Pigheaded. They weren’t even locked up for a whole minute. I was locked up for a whole afternoon,” Jenn griped. “There’s no communicating with Jack when he thinks he’s right. I knew he’d be miffed, but this is worse than I expected.” She looked crestfallen for a moment. “I hate it when he’s mad at me.”
I knew how she felt. After a week of Shane keeping me at arm’s length, the fact he was ignoring me left me with an uneasy feeling.
I monitored their table as we tried to eat our steaks, but with the exception of Maxine, the rest of us pushed our food around.
Twenty minutes later, Shane stood from his table and headed toward the back where the restrooms were located. I followed him with my eyes. He had cocked his head to the side before he turned the corner. It appeared to me he was looking back at our table from the corner of his eye.
Does he want me to follow?
Wiping my mouth, I said, “Excuse me,” and rose from our booth.
I made my way around to the restrooms and leaned against a door marked storage, waiting for Shane to emerge. Man after man came out but none was Shane. I was about to give up when I heard his voice. I turned and found him on his phone as he walked around the corner. Pushing off the door, I swallowed hard when he glowered at me.
“I’ll call you back, Chester,” was all he said before he swiped it off and grabbed my arm. Opening the door to the storage room, Shane pushed me inside and locked the door behind him. He spun me around then and caged me in with his arms, leaning down as he did, and then he kissed me . . . thoroughly.
“Were you lookin’ for me?” he asked against my mouth.
I threw my arms around his neck and wiggled up his body, trying to get closer.
“Yes,” I breathed out.
Shane took advantage when I opened my mouth to speak and kissed me deeper, making my head spin.
He grabbed my ponytail and pulled my head back, then found the spot on my neck that drove me wild.
“Is there something you wanted to tell me?” he whispered in my ear then grazed my neck with his teeth.
When his hand brushed across my breast, his fingers rolling and tugging my nipple, I whimpered, “I’m sorry?”
Either he missed his calling as an interrogator or I was putty in his hands. Either way, I wasn’t opposed to his brand of questioning.
“What are you sorry for?”
“Locking you in the cell?”
Shane pulled back and searched my face, his thumb still circling my nipple. “That it?” he purred like honey, his stormy depths dark with lust.
There was more?
My brows creased in confusion and I answered hesitantly, “Pretty sure?”
Gray pools flashed like a lightning storm, then turned darker, hungrier.
“You’ll learn,” he whispered. “And I’ll enjoy explorin’ you inside and out while I’m teachin’ you.”
My head was spinning, but I managed to get out, “Learn what?” between breaths.
He pulled back and held my hooded gaze. “What it means to be mine . . . Don’t you get it? After months in the dark, you’ve woken me up. I’m shakin’ in my boots for the first time since I left the war. All I see now is you.” He placed his hand over my heart then leaned in and ran his nose next to mine. I melted like butter. “I can hear your heart beating from across the room. It calls to me. Beats for me. This, this right here is all that matters. Nothin’ else. Only you,” he whispered, then caught my bottom lip between his teeth, tugging gently before taking my mouth again.
Tears welled behind my closed lids. His soul was so beautiful, and it humbled me to the bone t
hat he let me see inside it after all he’d been through. I would have told him, too, but his focus now seemed to be on seduction instead of expressions of love.
Gone was his sensitive side, in its place was a passionate force.
I whimpered, “Shane,” when he rubbed against me, his erection pressing into my stomach. I was coming apart in a stock room and didn’t care. He could take me hard against the door and I wouldn’t have protested.
Pulling my shirt from my jeans, Shane pressed his mouth to my neck as he ran his hand up my side, whisper-soft, weakening my resistance further. But someone tried to open the door as he pushed my bra aside and tweaked my bared nipple. He paused, pulled back, and looked at the doorknob.
A female voice could be heard asking for the keys to the stock room, so Shane pulled my shirt down.
“We’ll finish this later,” he murmured, his warm breath caressing my ear. I could barely walk when he pulled open the door. He grinned smugly at the wide-eyed server, to my mortification, and escorted me back to my table.
Before he joined Jack and Max, he kissed my forehead and whispered, “Be good.”
I stared at his retreating back as he met up with Max and Jack. Then I sat down hard, still a little dazed, and watched them leave the restaurant.
“You were gone a while,” Maxine grinned.
“Um, yeah, I had to talk to Shane before they left.”
“From the looks of your hair and clothes I’d say you did more than talk,” Mia chuckled.
I reached up and found my ponytail loose and half my hair spilling around my shoulders. Then I looked down and saw my shirt was cockeyed.
“Animal,” I sighed. “He was trying to make a point.”
“Really? And what point is that?” Jenn asked.
“That I’m putty in his hands and resistance is futile.”
“And did he make this point?” Mia grinned
“Of course, he did. Sage likes to be topped.”
“Maxine! You don’t have to tell everyone.”
“If that’s the case, we need to keep her close. If Max or Jack suspect anything about tonight, they’ll send Shane in for information,” Jenn said.
“I held firm, but given more time, he would have cracked me like a dried-out nut under a boot if he knew there was anything else to learn.”