“Yes, angels. They gave me the cheat sheet.”
“The what?”
“The cheat sheet for who’s who.”
“They must like you.”
“Of course they do. I plied them with red vines, red hots and red punch. What’s not to like? Besides, all that red dye works better than truth serum.”
He shook his head. “I still say they must like you. I can’t get them to cooperate after that much junk. Mostly they’re devils disguised as angels.”
“Those girls are beautiful little cherubs.” She grinned, showing straight, even teeth and a beautiful smile that made her green eyes sparkle like precious gems.
“Okay. Eighty percent of the time they’re as good as gold. But they have their dark side.”
“No,” she said, exaggerating the word.
“Everyone does, Jen.”
He wasn’t thinking of the twins now, but her husband. He wasn’t the man she’d thought. But there was no reason to speak ill of the dead, and worse, destroy her illusions. And she did have them, or she wouldn’t have stayed single all this time mourning the creep.
“I know that, Grady. I’m not naive,” she scoffed. “In my line of work, I see the best and worst.”
“I suppose that’s true. So do I.”
“Tell me again why you haven’t remarried?”
“You’re like a dog with a favorite bone on that subject.”
Her eyes widened. “Geez, I’m sorry. I guess questions are what I do. But I don’t usually badger my friends. Really I don’t. Maybe I’m a little tense. Because of the next couple of events. Maybe I should go…”
He put his hand on her arm. “No. I don’t mind distracting you. I guess I haven’t remarried because I can’t find someone I like.”
“We’ve already established that hordes of women are on your trail. Aren’t you just a tad picky?”
“We haven’t established anything. And if the counselor would let me finish my thought…”
“By all means,” she said, with an expansive hand gesture that told him he had the floor.
“If I was looking, it would be for a woman I was attracted to who would also be a good mother to the girls.”
She tapped her lip with her index finger. “If? You’re not looking?”
“That would be a waste of time and energy.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t exist.”
“It? You mean love? Relationships?”
“Either or both—yes.”
“Hmm.”
He looked at her. “What does that mean?”
“Just that you’re very cynical. I’ve heard that men who love once are likely to find it again. So why would you think it doesn’t exist? You loved Lacey.”
And there was another secret he would keep. “Has anyone ever mentioned that you ask a lot of questions?”
“Yes.”
“I guess that goes with the territory. Being a lawyer and all.”
“I guess.”
“So what’s your story? Why isn’t a pretty lady like you married by now with a couple of kids?”
When her sunny expression faded, Grady could have kicked himself from here to kingdom come. He’d only wanted to sidestep her questions, not take the smile from her face.
“I already had my chance at love.”
“So women get just one chance? It’s only men who are likely to find it again?”
She shrugged. “I had one perfect year with the love of my life. I won’t ever find that again and, like you just said, looking is a waste of time and energy that could be put to better use.”
Grady wished he could tell her the truth, because the man she’d loved hadn’t been worth the time and energy she’d wasted on him. Along with Mitch, Dev Hart and Jack Riley, he’d spent a lot of years keeping the hurtful information from her. If she learned the facts, what would be the point? It wasn’t only Zach’s memory that was keeping her single. Jensen had been busy with college, law school and pursuing her career. She was made for love, and when the time was right it would find her—whether or not she knew the ugly truth about the jerk she’d married.
Right now Grady had better things to do. Like putting the stars back in her eyes. “Okay. So let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’re a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do kind of gal?”
“Of course not.” Her gaze narrowed on him.
No stars yet, Grady noted, but the shadows were gone. “But you think I should marry again, and it’s not in the cards for you?”
“You have two girls who need a mother. I just have me,” she pointed out.
“All the more reason you should be a touch more open-minded about finding someone. I’m not alone.”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Being alone is nothing to be ashamed of. I happen to like my own companionship. The company is always agreeable—quite witty and stimulating, in fact,” she said, her eyes twinkling.
Almost there, he noted. But he wouldn’t let up until he coaxed a smile from her. “I’d like to try that sometime.”
“Being alone?” she asked.
“Considering Kasey and Stacey are nine and talk like a couple of magpies, being alone sounds like a small slice of heaven. But that’s not what I meant.”
It looked as if she was struggling to hold back a laugh as she caught the corner of her lip between her teeth. “Then what did you mean?”
“You said you like being alone. I’d like to be alone with you, too.”
Eyes wide, she stared at him for several moments. Son of a gun, he’d rendered the legal eagle speechless. Not a bad night’s work. On top of that, he’d made her smile, or would have if she’d just let go. And the stars were definitely back in her eyes, along with a blush on her cheeks.
Before he could figure out what to say next, a busty, dark-haired, approximately thirty-year-old woman stopped on the bleacher stair beside him. “Sheriff O’Connor?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, putting on his hat as he stood. “What can I do for you?”
She pulled an envelope from the large denim bag slung over her shoulder and handed it to him, then started back down the bleachers. She looked back and said, “You’ve just been served.”
Chapter Two
As Grady studied the summons, Jensen named every emotion that washed over his face—surprise, shock, anger, then fear. She swore he turned white beneath his tan. Standing, she put a hand on his arm.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He quickly folded the papers and shoved them back in the envelope, then tucked the packet into his shirt pocket.
“I’m a lawyer, Grady. Someone else might buy that it’s nothing, but I know better. You’re being sued. What I want to know is by whom and what for?”
“It’s just a pain-in-the-neck suit. No big deal.”
“If you tell me not to worry my pretty little head…”
“Would I do that?” He smiled, but it was strained.
She knew this, even though they hadn’t seen each other much in the past ten years. But they’d been friends once; she didn’t believe he’d changed all that much. So two things were clear to her—he was shook. And he wouldn’t admit it. Why?
It was obvious—he was a man. A lawman. It all boiled down to testosterone and training.
“I’d be happy to read the papers and advise you,” she offered. “You can’t turn down free legal advice.”
“Watch me. Thanks, but no thanks.” He snapped out the words like pistol shots, sharp and shocking.
Before she cross-examined him, common sense prevailed. It was none of her business. She’d offered help and he’d turned her down. End of story.
“I have to find the girls,” he said quickly, and there was a hint of desperation in his voice. “I need to get them home.”
“Yeah, it’s getting late.”
Before he could answer, there was a metallic galumphing on the bleachers. Kasey and Stacey, followed by their best friend, Faith Benson,
hurried toward them. The three nine-year-olds were a study in contrasts. Faith was blue-eyed and fair skinned with a cap of dark, curly hair. The twins were tan, blond and brown-eyed. They took after their mother, and were identical. But they’d confided to Jensen how to tell which was which. Stacey had an almost invisible scar at the edge of her hairline caused by a run-in with the corner of a table when she was a toddler. S for Stacey and scar. With bangs over it, no one could see, or tell her from her sister.
“Hi, Jensen,” they said in unison.
“Hi,” she answered, folding her arms across her chest.
“Hi, Daddy,” the two girls said together.
“Hey, you two.” He pulled them close, one on each side of him. “Hi, Faith.”
“Daddy, we have a completely brilliant idea.”
“Beyond brilliant,” Kasey added.
“Is that right?” He sat down on the bleacher bench and settled the girls, one on each knee. Their friend stood watching.
“Dad, you’re squishing me,” Stacey complained.
“Me, too,” said her sister, squirming.
“Sorry.” The sheriff loosened his grip slightly.
Jensen studied him with his children. Was it just her imagination, or was he hanging on to them for dear life? As the girls chattered, she noticed that he scanned the crowd like a secret service agent protecting the president of the United States. This behavior was a complete contrast to the laid-back lawman he’d been a few minutes before receiving the papers.
If she was a betting woman, she’d wager that summons had something to do with his children.
“So that’s why we think it would be a good idea for us to spend the night at Faith’s house,” Kasey finished.
“What?” he asked, turning his attention to the eager little girls.
“Weren’t you listening, Dad?” Stacey brushed her hair off her forehead. “We want to spend the night at Faith’s house.”
“No,” he said sharply. “I want you home.”
Identical faces creased with disappointment. “But why?” they said together.
“My mom said it was okay,” Faith added.
Jensen studied the girl and somehow knew that the little schemer was fibbing. She couldn’t be sure whether or not it was a conspiracy.
“That’s right,” Kasey said. “We asked Maggie and she said it was okay with her if it was okay with you.”
“She did, Dad,” Stacey piped up. “Honest.”
Aha, Jensen thought. Collusion. With malice aforethought, if the knowing glances exchanged by the three amigos were anything to go by. He was being tag-teamed big-time. She recognized the technique because she and Taylor had done the same thing to their father until tutoring from their mom had wised him up. Did Grady have a clue what they were doing?
“I’ll just go talk to Maggie and see what she has to say.”
A superhero, able to leap conniving kids in a single bound. That was refreshing. Or maybe dealing with crackpots and criminals gave him the edge of cynicism he needed to keep their feminine wiles-in-training from overpowering him.
“Kasey, Stacey,” Faith said, “I’ll see you guys in a little while. I hafta go check in with my mom.” Before Grady could stop her, she turned and raced down the stairs.
The twins started to wiggle off his lap, but he held on.
“Not so fast.” He checked the arena, then looked at Jensen. “The final events are about to start. I have to go make sure that my staff is in place. It’s been nice talking to you. I’ll take the girls with me.”
“Aw, Dad. We can take care of ourselves. It’s so dumb hanging out with you when you’re working. We’ll die of boredom.”
Which twin was it? Jensen wasn’t sure. The speaker brushed her hair off her forehead and she identified Kasey.
Grady looked at the girl and tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “Kase, I don’t want you unsupervised. There are a lot of strangers here.”
“So.” The girl looked around. “We talked to a nice man just a little while ago. Remember, Jensen?”
“What man?” Grady asked sharply.
Jensen shrugged, trying to recall. “I was sitting here with the girls feeding them junk and braiding their hair and a man walked up to us.”
“What did he say?”
“Small talk,” she said. “He wanted to know if the girls were mine. He asked about you, where you were.”
“What did you tell him?” he asked, frowning.
“That you’re Destiny’s sheriff.”
“Anything else?”
Jen shook her head, but she’d been around the legal system long enough to know when she was being officially questioned. “You joined us right after that and he disappeared. I haven’t seen him since.”
“I want you guys to stay with me,” he told the girls.
“Aw, Dad…”
“There’s too many wackos and weirdos around,” he said sternly.
“Dad, this is Destiny. Nothing bad happens here,” Kasey said.
A muscle in his jaw contracted, but when he spoke, his tone was calm. “Mostly that’s true. But sometimes stuff happens even here.” He looked at each of his daughters in turn.
“We could hang out with Faith and Maggie,” Stacey suggested.
Grady shook his head. “Maggie’s busy with her booth. If she doesn’t have customers, she’ll be packing up. I can’t take a chance.”
Interesting choice of words, Jensen thought, noticing that the worry creases in his forehead deepened. What was going on?
Identical pairs of brown eyes focused on her. “Can we stay with Jensen?”
“I can’t ask her—”
“Of course I’ll keep an eye on them,” she volunteered.
“Awesome,” the two girls said together.
“Wait a second. I didn’t give the all clear,” he reminded them.
“But you’re gonna. Right, Dad?”
He met Jensen’s gaze. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t think boredom killed anyone yet.”
When he looked like that, she wondered how she could say no to anything he asked. It bothered her until she remembered he hadn’t asked. The girls had. But when she saw those two sweet, eager little faces, she couldn’t say no to them, either. Like father, like daughter. She couldn’t resist him—them. She meant them. He wasn’t irresistible. She wouldn’t let him be.
“I’d like spending time with the girls.”
He smiled, and the tension in his face eased a bit. “Okay. I’m going to take you at your word. If you’re sure—”
“I am.”
“No more junk,” he warned.
She put her hand over her heart. “I swear.”
He kissed both of the girls, then left.
“Jensen, my French braid came out.”
“Can you do my hair that way, too?”
“I would be happy to,” she agreed. “I am woman—I can multi-task. But two at once would take more than my two bare hands. So one at a time. Okay?”
“Okay,” they said together, giggling.
As she worked on twisting Stacey’s hair into the intricate style, Jen scanned the arena. The final events had started. She wasn’t sure who should be more grateful to whom. Grady to her for watching the girls while he worked. Or her to him for giving her a distraction against the onslaught of awful memories brought on by the imminent bull-riding competition.
And then there was the question of what was in that lawsuit that Grady O’Connor wouldn’t talk to her about.
After the medical transport chopper left and he dispersed the milling crowd in the arena, Grady hurried into the stands to find his girls and Jensen. Ronnie Slyder was semiconscious after a run-in with the bull he’d ridden to win the competition. The teenager had been airlifted to a hospital twenty miles away. Hannah Morgan, the doctor who was filling in for Doc Holloway at the rodeo and in his office, had gone to the facility with Dev Hart to make sure everything medically possible was done for the kid. As Grady surveyed
the area, he noted that the crowd had all but cleared out.
He wasn’t sure whether or not that reassured him. Some creep was suing him, then he’d found out that a stranger had approached his girls and was asking questions. He didn’t like this one bit. All he wanted was to get the girls home.
That was all he wanted until he took one look at Jensen’s tense white face. No matter what he thought of the guy she’d married, Jensen had loved him and he’d been killed in an accident similar to the one tonight. Even though it was ten years ago, she would have to be a robot not to be shook.
He pulled the hand radio from his belt and pushed the button. “Deputy Haines?”
“Yeah, Sheriff?” a voice asked through his receiver.
“Meet me in the bleachers.”
“Right.” There was a click and the line was silent.
Grady walked up the stairs and greeted the girls. “Hey, you guys. Doin’ okay?”
Two identical pairs of solemn brown eyes and one-of-a-kind serious green ones regarded him.
“Is Ronnie going to be okay, Daddy?” Kasey asked.
“I sure hope so, honey. I’m going to check on him as soon as I make arrangements to get you two home.”
They both nodded and he was relieved that he wasn’t going to get an argument. He’d had about all he could deal with tonight.
Deputy Haines walked up the several steps and joined them. He was young, just twenty-one, with black hair and blue eyes and a face that barely needed a razor. But he was trustworthy and would put himself between the girls and trouble. Grady would stake his life on it.
“What’s up, Sheriff?”
“I want you to take my girls home and stay with them until I get there.” He looked at them and noted the big yawns that meant there wouldn’t be any arguments about bedtime. “Kasey, Stacey, I want you guys in bed, and don’t give Deputy Haines any trouble. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” they said, their voices sleepy.
“I’ll take good care of them, Sheriff.”
“I know.”
Grady watched the three as they walked down the stairs. At the far end of the arena a black-and-white SUV belonging to the sheriff’s department was parked, and the three got in and drove away.
What If We Fall in Love? Page 2