Cowboy Deputy

by Carla Cassidy

  Greg hadn’t been her first mistake. Before him had been Charles, a man she’d dated for almost a year, a man who hadn’t known the meaning of fidelity. Loving stupid, that was what she was good at, and it was better to never love again than continue making the same mistakes.

  Her head began to pound again as if in protest of her thoughts and exhaustion slammed into her with a force that made her long for the comfort of bed. “I’ve got to go to bed,” she said as she pushed back from the kitchen table. “The extra blankets are upstairs in the closet. I’ll just get what you need for the sofa.”

  He got up, as well. “I’ll follow you so you don’t have to make an extra trip down the stairs.”

  “Thanks,” she replied and wondered if he was always so nice. She was far too conscious of him behind her as she climbed the stairs.

  “Blankets in there?” He pointed ahead of them to the hall closet. “I’ll take care of myself,” he continued as she nodded. “Let’s get you tucked into bed.”

  She walked to her bedroom doorway and then turned to face him. “Thank you, Benjamin, for agreeing to stay here for whatever is left of the night. I’ll be fine once the new locks are installed.”

  “It’s not a problem.” He took a step closer to her, so close she could smell the scent of him, feel the heat that radiated from his body. “You had a scare and I’m glad to do whatever I can to make you feel safe.”

  She felt wonderfully safe and intensely in danger with him standing so close to her. “I guess I’ll say good-night.”

  “Wait, there’s just one thing I’ve been wanting to do all night.” He reached out and pulled her against him, close enough that she could feel his heartbeat beneath the solid wall of his chest.

  She held herself stiffly but as his hand slid up and down her back as if to comfort, she allowed herself to relax against him. She hadn’t realized just how badly she’d needed a hug until now.

  The feel of him against her, so warm, so strong, finally banished the last of the chill that had resided in her since the moment she’d awakened and realized somebody was in the house.

  Moments passed and the slide of his hand over her back slowed and instead of being comforted, Edie felt a new tension building between them.

  She raised her head to look at him and saw the flames that filled his eyes. Instantly she knew that she should step out of his arms, gain some distance from him.

  She did neither.

  As his mouth descended toward hers, she opened her lips to welcome the kiss, telling herself she could always justify the madness by claiming brain numbness from her fall.

  His mouth plied hers with a welcome heat, his tongue touching hers as he tightened his arms around her. Falling, she felt herself falling into him, consumed by him as all other thoughts fled her mind.

  She tasted his desire for her, a desire tempered with a tenderness that threatened to be her undoing, and that was ultimately what made her halt the kiss.

  A small groan escaped him as he dropped his arms from around her and took a step back. “Are you sure about this celibacy thing?” he asked with a teasing grin.

  “One little kiss isn’t about to change my mind,” she replied. “Good night, Benjamin.” She escaped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, needing to gain some distance from him.

  She fell into bed, exhausted by the events of the night, but sleep refused to come easily. The kiss. It was that kiss that haunted her. And the man.

  Benjamin Grayson was like no man she’d ever known before and he scared her. She needed to keep her distance from him until she left Black Rock to return home.

  But how soon could she get back home? With Poppy getting beaten up and the break-in tonight, how could she possibly consider leaving? She wasn’t sure what worried her more, the mess of Poppy or the insane attraction she felt for Benjamin.

  She fell asleep with the taste of him on her lips and awakened with the sun streaming through her window and the sound of the lawn mower growling from the front yard.

  By the time she’d showered and dressed for the day, the noise outside had stopped. She found Benjamin in the kitchen, seated at the table and sipping a cup of coffee. The very sight of him brought back the memory of the devastating kiss and an irritation surged up inside her.

  “Shouldn’t you be at work chasing bad guys?” she asked sharply. “This town is obviously infested with them.”

  One of his dark eyebrows rose. “Sounds like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed.” A blush warmed her cheeks as she headed for the coffee. “I contacted Ed Burell, the local locksmith. He’ll be here in the next half hour or so to take care of changing the locks.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate your help,” she said as she joined him at the table. It was impossible to be cranky with him when he was going out of his way to make her life easier.

  “My brother Caleb is already out interviewing the neighbors to see if they saw anyone or anything suspicious last night. Tom has been talking to some of the high-school kids to see if they know anything about Walt’s attack and I’ve already alerted everyone in town who processes film to give me a call if somebody brings in an instant camera. There’s not much else that can be done at the moment.”

  “I didn’t mean to sound like I thought you weren’t doing your job,” she replied. “I just wish we could figure out what’s going on.”

  “We will.” There was a fierce determination in his voice. “Sooner or later the person who attacked Walt will be caught and charged with the crime. This is a small town and eventually somebody will say something and we’ll have our man.”

  “And hopefully the doctor will tell me all Poppy needs is a pill to fix him right up and I can get back home.”

  “Now, I’ve got to admit I’m not in any hurry to see you go.” He stood and carried his cup to the sink. “But speaking of going, I need to get out of here.” He turned back to face her. “Do you want me to wait with you until the locksmith arrives?”

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I do appreciate everything you’ve done. Just keep me informed about the investigations and that’s all I really need from you.” It was an obvious dismissal. “An occasional check-in phone call would be great.”

  Once again that well-shaped dark brow rose and a twinkle filled his eyes. “That kiss was either very, very bad or very, very good.”

  The familiar warmth of a blush heated her cheeks. “That kiss was stupid, the result of a head injury that didn’t have me thinking clearly.”

  He laughed. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to get through the day, then so be it. I’m sure I’ll talk to you later.”

  She remained seated at the table as he left the house, trying to ignore the slow burn that he created inside her. Okay, she could admit that she was intensely physically attracted to him, but the kiss they had shared was the beginning and the end of acting on that attraction.

  She’d only been seated at the table for about ten minutes when Ed Burell arrived to change the locks on the doors. He left after handing her the new keys.

  Edie left soon after that, deciding a visit to Poppy was in order. As she drove down Main Street, she found herself looking at the various businesses.

  There was a cute little dress boutique, the Canyon Pizzeria, the café and dozens of other businesses. Unlike many small Kansas towns that had fallen on hard times, Black Rock seemed to be thriving despite the current economic climate.

  Edie parked on the street next to the small hospital. She walked inside and headed to the second floor where Poppy’s room was located. When she entered his room, she was surprised to see him dressed and seated on the edge of his bed. A plump nurse with a pretty smile greeted her.

  “I just tried to call you,” Poppy said. “I can go home. Fit as a fiddle, that’s what I am, other than my black eye and cracked ribs. Dr. Drake gave me all kinds of tests and says he wishes he was as healthy as I am.”

  Edie looked at the nurse, who nodded in affirmation. “He
’s good to go,” she replied. “Dr. Drake should be in any moment if you have any questions.”

  Moments later a talk with the doctor in the hallway let Edie know he’d found no medical reason for her grandfather’s delusion. There was nothing more he could do but release him.

  A half hour later they were back home. As Walt prepared lunch, Edie sat at the table and listened to him regaling his hospital adventure to her.

  She tried not to be depressed as she realized she was no closer to solving the problem of Poppy than she’d been before his attack. Granted, somebody had beaten up the old man, but it definitely hadn’t been a space alien.

  As they ate she brought him up-to-date on the break-in and the new locks on the doors. When she told him that the only thing that had been missing was his camera, he blew a gasket.

  “The bastards knew I had pictures of them. The night before you arrived here.” He got up from the table with jerky movements that spoke of his irritation. “I was going to take that camera down to Burt Smith’s discount store to get the pictures developed.”

  “Poppy, you have to get this idea of aliens out of your head,” Edie exclaimed.

  “Out of my head? I’m not about to get those bastards out of my head. Tonight I’m going hunting again and this time I’m going to take my gun.”

  Edie stared at him appalled. Just what Black Rock needed, a crazy man with a gun out in the middle of the night.

  Chapter 5

  It was just before midnight when Edie and her grandfather left his house. Edie knew it was madness but at least she’d managed to talk Poppy into leaving his gun at home. The good people of Black Rock should give her an award.

  “Where are we headed?” she asked once they were in the car and pulling out of the driveway.

  “Go south on Main Street, I’ll tell you where to turn off when we get there,” he replied. He was clad all in black, like a ninja warrior ready for battle.

  “Are we going back to the cemetery?”

  “Nah, lately on Friday nights they’ve been in Devon Moreland’s clearing,” he replied.

  Not for the first time since agreeing to this madness, Edie’s thoughts turned to Benjamin.

  Edie had considered calling Benjamin to ask him to come over and help her change Poppy’s mind about going out tonight, but after some thought she’d decided against it.

  What worried her was the idea that perhaps she wanted to call Benjamin not because she needed his help with Poppy, but just because she wanted to see him again.

  Earlier she’d listened to Poppy talk about his time in the hospital and while he’d napped she’d watched television, but no matter how she tried to keep her mind occupied, thoughts of Benjamin and the kiss they’d shared kept intruding.

  He’d kissed her as if he’d meant it, as if it were a prelude to something hot and wild, yet something tender and enduring. She didn’t want to believe in the promise of his kiss and if what he’d told her about himself was right, she didn’t want to be the first woman in his life to break his heart.

  And she would break his heart if he tried to pursue anything with her. Even if he thought he might be the right man for her, she definitely knew she was the wrong woman for him.

  At this time of the night the streets were dark and deserted. Edie drove slowly, wishing they were back at the house and not on some crazy hunt for aliens.

  “This is the kind of night they like,” Poppy said, breaking the silence. He leaned forward to look up at the sky through the windshield. “See them clouds chasing across the moon? They like cloudy nights. Turn left up ahead.”

  She made the turn and tried not to feel as if she were indulging Poppy’s fantasy. They both should be home in bed, but she was hoping that she would see whatever it was that made the old man insist there were aliens in town. Then maybe she’d be able to make him understand that he’d been mistaken.

  “How are you doing with that boyfriend of yours?” Poppy asked.

  Edie tightened her hands on the steering wheel. “We broke up,” she said, pleased that her voice remained neutral.

  “Turn left here,” he said. “So, does that mean you have a new beau?”

  “At the moment I’m footloose and fancy-free, and that’s just the way I want it,” she replied as she focused on the narrow road they traveled.

  “Turn right up ahead,” Poppy said.

  She felt as if they’d entered a forest. Trees crowded together so closely that the moonlight was obscured overhead. “You can park right up there under that oak tree and we’ll walk the rest of the way.”

  “How did you find this place?” Edie asked as she parked her car and shut off the engine.

  “I didn’t find it, the aliens did and I found them. It took me a couple months to figure out their routine. Some nights they’re in the cemetery and then some nights they’re out here.” He grabbed the flashlight he’d brought with him and opened his car door. “Come on, I’ve got a perfect hiding place where you’ll be able to see them.”

  Edie left the car and followed close behind Poppy as he took off walking through the thick woods, his flashlight beam bouncing in the darkness with each step he took.

  No wonder Poppy was in such good physical shape, she thought. On the nights he went alien hunting he must walk miles. They didn’t go far before he gestured her down behind a large bush.

  “See that clearing?” He pointed the flashlight beam forward to reveal a small break in the woods. “That’s where I’ve seen one of them several times before.” He shut off the flashlight and sat in the grass, indicating that she should do the same. “Now we wait and see if one of the bastards show up tonight.”

  Edie settled in next to Poppy and for the next few minutes the only sounds were those of a soft breeze stirring the leaves overhead and insects buzzing and clicking their night songs.

  “You know you won’t find a better man than Benjamin,” Poppy whispered, breaking the silence.

  Startled by his words, she tried to see his face in the darkness. “I’m really not looking for a man, Poppy.”

  “I’m just saying. Most of the women in town seem to find him attractive, but he’s not a trifling man. Out of all the Grayson men he’s always been my favorite. Tom is a take-charge kind of guy and Caleb is impulsive and easy to rile. Jacob was always a loner but Benjamin is solid as the earth and has a good heart.”

  As Poppy continued to extol Benjamin’s virtues, all Edie could think about was the dark chocolate color of his eyes as they filled with desire and that crazy hot kiss they had shared.

  “I keep telling him he should forget his deputy job and work full-time at the ranch. That’s what he loves, working with the animals and the land.”

  Edie remembered the passion that had filled his voice when he’d talked about the ranch. “If that’s what he loves to do then why isn’t he doing it full-time?”

  “Don’t know. I can’t ever get a solid answer from him.”

  They both fell silent once again. The minutes ticked by in agonizing slowness. After half an hour of sitting, the ground seemed to grow harder beneath Edie and sleepiness began to creep in.

  They both should be home asleep, not sitting outside in the brisk autumn night air waiting for aliens to appear. She should especially not be out here thinking about Benjamin Grayson, warmed by the memory of the kiss they had shared.

  “Poppy, let’s go home,” she finally said when another fifteen minutes or so had passed. “It’s really late and I’m tired.”

  He sighed, obviously disappointed. “I wanted you to see one of the aliens. I want you to know that I’m not crazy. I know everyone in town thinks I’ve done gone around the bend, but I’m not nuts.”

  “Poppy, I don’t think you’re nuts,” she protested softly.

  “You’re just like your mama, Edie girl. You have her good heart,” he replied, a smile obvious in his voice. “I’ve missed you, Edie. I’ve missed your phone calls. You’re the only family I’ve got left.”

  Edie’s �
��good” heart squeezed tight in her chest. Was it possible this whole alien thing was nothing more than a manifestation of Walt’s loneliness?

  “I’ve missed you, too, Poppy. And I promise I’m going to be better about keeping in touch with you,” she replied.

  Before he could answer, the sound of a low motor filled the air. “Here they come,” Poppy exclaimed.

  Edie peeked through the brush and in the distance saw a small lit vehicle approaching the clearing. It took her only an instant to realize it was an off-road ATV, but with the lights radiating out from it, she could easily see how a confused old man might think it was some kind of a space terrain vehicle.

  “Poppy, keep down and keep quiet,” she said as the vehicle came to a stop. Her heart slammed against her chest in a frantic tattoo. What would somebody be doing on an ATV in the middle of the woods at this time of night? Certainly nothing good, she thought.

  The ATV shut off and Edie gripped Poppy’s arm tightly, hoping and praying the old man didn’t suddenly jump up to confront the driver.

  Her curiosity turned to fear when the lone man stepped off the ATV and she realized he wore some sort of full hazmat suit. No wonder Poppy had thought the aliens had landed.

  With the moonlight playing on the silver suit and reflecting off the mirrorlike face of the helmet, the man looked not only otherworldly but also ominous. What on earth was going on?

  He carried with him a small spade and some sort of bag that held an eerie yellow-green glow. As Edie and Poppy watched, the man quickly dug a hole and dropped the bag inside.

  “I’ll bet that’s the one who beat me.” Poppy’s voice was far too loud for the silence in the clearing. The man’s head lifted as Edie held her breath and squeezed Poppy’s arm even harder.

  The man raised a high-beam flashlight and began to shine it in their direction as he pulled a gun with his other hand. Edie gasped as the light found them.