“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Nice talking with you. Enjoy your beer.” Rosey turned and walked away, hips swaying.
Russ figured that woman had missed her calling and could have had a brilliant career in law enforcement. It wasn’t often he knew how it felt to be interrogated, but he did now. And the experience was illuminating but not in the way he would have expected.
First the sheriff had stood up for Lani, and now her boss had made her allegiance clear. Neither of those two could be labeled a fool, which meant that Lani Dalton inspired loyalty in the people around her, not just her family. That would be impossible to pull off if she wasn’t trustworthy. So he had to take her off the suspect list even if she was only on it in his head.
But something unexpected happened to him after Rosey’s revelation about Lani’s love life. Russ knew she’d been dumped—she’d told him when they were in the jail cell that she’d sworn off men. Now, though, he wanted to know more about the jerk who had stomped on her heart.
And he was going to ask when she got off work.
Chapter Ten
It turned out that Lani didn’t get off work as soon as she’d expected. The bar got busy, and Rosey asked her to stay. She passed that on to Russ and told him he should leave, but he didn’t. That made her feel pretty good before she reminded herself it was dangerous when he was nice to her.
She liked him a lot and desperately wanted to be in his arms again. The thing was, he was attracted to her, too. The kiss at the farm was proof because there hadn’t been anyone else around to put on an act for. But he didn’t want to want her, and that didn’t bode well for anything long-term. An affair didn’t interest her. Well, she was interested, but giving in to the temptation didn’t make it any less stupid an idea.
She grabbed her purse out of the office in the back room, said good-night to her boss then walked out into the main bar area, stopping beside the stool where Russ was sitting.
“I’m heading home.” She glanced around the room, where only a couple of customers remained. “There aren’t enough people here to make a difference in maintaining our cover. You really didn’t have to stay.”
“My alternative was an empty room at the boardinghouse.”
“Wow, I was the lesser of two evils,” she teased, but was secretly touched that he’d admitted being lonely. It tugged at her heart. “Way to make a girl feel special.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.” He stood and put his hand at the small of her back, urging her toward the door. “And you are special.”
His voice lowered to a sexy drawl and made her tingle all over. Don’t take it seriously. Danger, Lani Dalton, she warned herself.
“There you go being nice to me, Detective. That could turn a girl’s head.”
“Not yours. You’re too smart for that.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
Russ opened the door and let her precede him outside. The cool air felt good on her hot cheeks. On nights when it was wall-to-wall people in the bar, it got pretty warm in there. Looking up, she dragged in a breath and let it out slowly. The night sky was clear, and stars sparkled like fairy dust. It was spectacular, and she reminded herself not to take it for granted.
“Montana is really beautiful in September.”
“Unpredictable, too. The weather can turn suddenly.”
Not just the weather, she thought. A girl never knew what to expect from Detective Campbell. He’d stuck it out and waited for her to get off work when both of them knew this wasn’t a relationship. So why had he done that? Was he going to kiss her good-night this time? Should she kiss him? She hoped he would make a move, and so much for trying to stay mad at him for running hot and cold. But she couldn’t manage it after he’d admitted being lonely. Besides, playing games wasn’t her style. She just wasn’t wired that way.
“My truck is parked around that side of the building,” she said, pointing to the right. “I need to get going.”
“Before you do, can I ask you a question?”
“About what?”
“The guy who broke your heart.”
The chill in the air penetrated her thin sweater, and she shivered. Without a word, Russ slipped off his battered brown leather jacket and dragged it around her shoulders. It felt good, warm from his body. Like being wrapped in his arms. Safe.
“What did Rosey say to you?” She pulled the edges of the jacket closer around her.
He leaned his elbows on the hitching rail in front of the bar. “For one thing, she’s suspicious of what’s going on with you and me. Your boss is a very observant woman.”
“Suspicious how?”
He shrugged. “She noticed me coming in for a while, but you and I didn’t get friendly until recently, when Gage hired me to work on the case full-time.”
“Is that why you stayed tonight? To prove something to her?”
“Partly.” He glanced at her. “But she warned me not to stomp on your heart like the last guy. Now I’m curious about him.”
“Rosey is protective of all her girls. Don’t worry about her.”
“I’m not. But you once told me that a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy and fulfilled. That sounds like a disillusioned woman to me.”
The subtext was that he was concerned about her, and that sent warm fuzzy feelings sliding through her. “Don’t lose any sleep over it.”
“That’s not why I asked,” he said. “But what she told me is motivation for that remark of yours, and I’d like to know what he did to you.”
There was no point in refusing to talk about it. Anyone in town could tell him her sad story.
She leaned back against the hitching rail and met his gaze. “Jason Harvey was a good-looking cowboy who sweet-talked me until hell wouldn’t have it. He had me at darlin’.”
“What happened?”
“He told me he’d come to Rust Creek Falls to buy up land. After the flood two years ago some folks just didn’t have it in them to rebuild and walked away from their property. Jase talked a good game about developing it.”
“I see.”
“I was really interested in him. And as we’ve already established, I know a lot of people in town. I introduced him to anyone who might be able to get his dream off the ground.”
“What happened?”
“Someone who didn’t have stars in their eyes asked the sheriff to run a background check on him, and bad stuff turned up. He conned people out of money in a phony real estate scheme. When the heat was on here in town, he disappeared without a word to me.” He not only broke her heart, she felt as if he’d damaged her reputation. Some people trusted him because she did. Now she felt stupid, felt as if she’d let her friends down. “Is it weird that his not saying goodbye, not facing me at all, is what bothered me most?”
“Maybe that was simpler and easier for you to grab on to and deal with.”
“As opposed to the fact that he made a fool of me, used me,” she said.
“Lani, I—” Russ dragged his fingers through his hair. “In a way, I’m using you. I feel guilty about that.”
“Completely different. You’re not after something and pretending to care about me to get it.” She thought about that. “Well, I guess you are, but I’m in on it. By mutual consent we’re putting on an act to achieve a common goal. For the greater good.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Still, I want you to know that your help is appreciated.”
“Are you ‘breaking up’ with me?” she teased. “That sounds an awful lot like things are over. If it would be easier, you could text me.”
He flashed a smile and fortunately the moon was bright enough to highlight how adorable he looked. “What kind of guy do you take me for?”
“A good guy.” She tapped her lip. “At the very least, we should
have a fight. Otherwise how would it look when I go out with Brad Crawford to pump him for information?”
“I thought we agreed you were going to wait on that,” he said sharply.
The smile disappeared and she missed it. “We didn’t agree on anything. You just said it wasn’t a good idea.”
“I stand by that.” He looked down at her. “And I think you should let that strategy go.”
“I disagree. So far, he’s the one who seemed to have the most to gain from getting the town drunk. What’s the big deal if I talk to him? Butter him up a little to make him let down his guard.”
“The big deal is that a date with him could be dangerous if he’s guilty and suspects that you’re onto him.”
“What if I do it in a very public place? The bar, for instance?”
“I still don’t like it. You have no experience with this sort of thing, and in my opinion, holding off for now would be best.”
“You’re the professional,” she said, shrugging. “I’ll defer to your judgment. But if we don’t get a break soon, I’m going to contact Brad.”
“Let’s talk it over first.”
“Okay. As long as an opportunity doesn’t present itself before I can do that.”
“Please don’t go rogue.” His voice was wry.
“I make no promises,” she said. “Now I really have to go.”
“Okay.”
She turned to the right and walked around the building to where her truck sat all by itself. After she unlocked the driver’s door with her key fob, Russ opened it for her. This was where one of them usually said something about a plan to meet and compare notes. Right now there was nothing to compare, but she really wanted to know when she would see him again. And his remark about an empty room at the boardinghouse had struck a nerve.
“Would you like to come to Sunday dinner at my house tomorrow?” The words came out before she could think them through and she held her breath, bracing for rejection.
He hesitated. “Are you sure your family would be okay with that?”
She knew he meant Anderson and Travis because Russ hadn’t rubbed anyone else the wrong way. “They’ll be fine.”
He hesitated a moment then said, “I’d like that.”
“Good. Come by the house around four.”
“I have to wrap up the school carnival, so...”
“Okay. Dinner is around five-thirty.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” He leaned down and touched his mouth to hers in a sweet, swift kiss. “Good night.”
“’Night.” Reluctantly, she handed over his jacket then got in and put the window down. “See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there.”
She truly hoped Anderson and Travis didn’t hold a grudge. Otherwise the Dalton family dinner was going to be more exciting than usual.
* * *
Lani was nervous. She’d been watching out the front window, waiting for Russ to arrive and be the one to answer the door. It felt as if she’d been waiting forever but the clock only said four-thirty. Technically he wasn’t late, but she was still anxious.
Finally, the familiar truck pulled up out front, and her heart started pounding. She brushed her sweaty palms down the sides of her jeans and hurried into the family room. Travis and Anderson were sitting on the couch, watching a football game.
Leaning on the back of the sofa she said, “Russ is here. Remember what I said. Be nice to him. He was only doing his job.”
Travis gave her an irritated glare. “We get it. Geez, Lani. We’re not idiots.”
Anderson grinned. “Don’t worry, sis. We’ll be good. Do you want to talk about why our behavior is so important to you?”
No, she thought, it was the last thing she wanted to discuss. Before she could say that, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it.” She shrugged at them then hurried down the hall.
After stopping in front of the door, she released a deep, cleansing breath before opening it. Russ stood there in all his masculine splendor: jeans, boots and leather jacket. The word handsome didn’t do him justice, and the whole package made her girl parts quiver with excitement.
“Hi,” she said in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper.
“Hey. Hope I’m not late. The carnival breakdown took longer than I figured.”
“Everything okay?” That was when she realized a part of her was holding a breath, uneasy about the possibility of another incident.
“Fine.” He came inside. “Quiet.”
“Well, brace yourself. That’s about to change.” She angled her head toward the kitchen-family room, which was the heart of this home—and where everyone was waiting for them. “On the upside, you only have to meet four of my siblings. My sister Lindsay is away, at law school.”
“Walking in her father’s footsteps?” he said.
“Yes.” Obviously, he’d remembered her telling him that she wouldn’t be in jail long because her father was an attorney and would get her out. Not something she wanted to discuss further right now. “Are you ready for this?” she asked.
“I’m a cop. Ready for anything.”
“It’s a good motto. Let’s see if it holds up.” Lani led the way down the hall and stopped in the doorway. “Everyone, this is Russ Campbell.” The announcement was followed by a chorus of greetings from the group. “Some of you already know him—Travis and Anderson—and we’ll make the rounds for the rest of you.”
They started with her parents, who were in the kitchen working together on preparing dinner. “Russ, this is my dad, Ben, and my mom, Mary.”
“Nice to meet you, Russ.” Her father shook his hand.
“We’re glad you could join us for dinner,” her mother said. “Lani says you have a big family.”
“Yes, ma’am. Two brothers and a sister. But you and Mr. Dalton have my parents beat.”
Ben glanced at everyone in the family room. “Wouldn’t trade any one of them.”
“Maybe Travis,” Lani teased.
“He would say the same about his annoying little sister,” her mother pointed out.
“True,” she admitted. “And I take great pride in whatever I can do to make him feel that way.”
“I have to get these potatoes mashed,” Mary said. “Please excuse me.”
“Can I help, Mom?”
“Not this time, sweetie. You make introductions and when you’re finished, dinner will probably be ready.”
“Okay. Follow me,” she said to Russ. In the family room she stopped by the large corner group in front of the TV. “You know Travis and Anderson.”
Both men stood and politely shook hands.
“Nice to see you again.” Travis smiled, and it didn’t look forced.
“Same here.” In spite of the casual words, Russ looked wary. He held out his hand to Anderson. “How’s it going?”
“Good. You? Any progress on the investigation?”
“No, but I wish. Rust Creek Falls really needs closure on what happened. Everyone is paranoid.”
“And that’s not how the people of this town are used to feeling,” Anderson commented. “About the last time we talked... We might have given you the wrong impression. The thing is, everyone is grateful for your focus on this.”
“I second that,” Travis said. “You just kind of caught the two of us off guard, and we got a little defensive. Didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I appreciate that.”
Russ seemed to relax, and Lani wanted to give both of her brothers a big hug. They gave her a hard time, but that was their job as her siblings. They would do anything for her, and she felt the same about them.
She sent each of them an appreciative look. “Sorry to interrupt the game.”
“You should be
.” But Anderson’s grin telegraphed his teasing.
She took Russ’s hand, and they walked over to a corner of the family room where her mom kept a toy box for her one-year-old grandson. Her sister and brother-in-law were sitting on the carpet, supervising the little guy.
“This is my sister Paige, her handsome husband, Sutter, and their adorable baby, Carter Benjamin.”
The little boy had fairly recently started walking, and at the sound of his name he looked way up at the stranger then promptly fell on his tush.
“Hey, buddy.” Russ went down on one knee and held out a hand to the child. “You okay?”
“He’s used to it, poor baby. I take comfort from the fact that he won’t remember.” Paige was a sixth-grade teacher at Rust Creek Falls Elementary School. She was looking at Russ. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Don’t believe everything—unless it’s good.”
When he smiled, Lani swore the world stopped turning on its axis, or maybe her heart spinning out of control just made it feel that way.
“I hear you’ve got a tough job.” Sutter had light brown hair and blue eyes. He made his living training horses.
Russ shrugged noncommittally. “Just wish there was progress to report.” He smiled when the baby slapped a tiny hand in his big palm. “High five, pal. Or should I say low five?”
The baby grinned and did it again.
“He’s got teeth,” Lani said to her sister, admiring her nephew’s two on top and a matching set on the bottom.
“Funny how that happens on his way to eating solid food,” her sister responded wryly.
Lani leaned down and brushed baby-fine strands of hair off his forehead. “He’s growing up too fast. Please tell me you’re not going to cut his hair.”
“Ever?” Sutter and Russ said together in matching tones of male disapproval.
“Well-done, sis,” Paige said, supporting the effort to get a rise out of the two men.
“It was too easy.”
Carter had used Russ’s hand to pull himself to a standing position then grunted and indicated he wanted to be picked up. That was unusual, since the kid was normally shy with strangers. But Russ obliged, proving that he’d been telling the truth when he claimed to be ready for anything.
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