The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker

by Carrie Nichols

  “Huh?” Evie scrunched up her face. “What does that mean?”

  Sasha eased onto the edge of the bed next to Evie. “It means I can’t date a parent of any of my students.”

  Remy reached over and stroked Henry’s head. “So, kiddo, that means you have to get good grades so you can pass Miss Honeycutt’s class or I won’t ever be able to ask Miss Honeycutt for a date.”

  A guilty look passed over Evie’s face. “Oh.”

  Remy gave her a stern look. “So you’re going to try your best to bring your grades up, aren’t you?”

  “I will. I promise.” Evie held up her hand as if making a pledge.

  “So there you have it.” He winked at Sasha. “One problem solved.”

  After Remy and Evie left, Sasha washed up and brushed her teeth. She glanced at her reflection before turning off the light. “Don’t fall for him,” she cautioned herself sternly. “You came to be your own person, not to fall for the same kind of guy as Jimmy. You’ve already heard everyone calling him ‘our sheriff’ with affection, and you don’t need that if it all goes south.”

  But even the reflection looking back at her warned her she might be too late. No, this was just a case of lust. And who could blame her? Five years was a long time, and Remy was hot. No need for Angie Cunningham to check your pulse. Shutting off the overhead light, she went into the other room to read for a while.

  Sasha set the e-reader aside when her cell phone chirped. Her heart stuttered as she picked it up to check the caller ID. Ethan. She scolded herself for the initial pang of disappointment that it wasn’t Remy and swiped the screen to answer. Why would she even be thinking it was Remy? He was home putting Evie to bed. Ethan was a nice guy, and she wouldn’t be jeopardizing her job—or her heart—by dating him.

  “Sasha? Are you there?”

  “Yes, sorry.” Damn. She needed to push Remy out of her head. Yeah, how’s that working?

  “I wanted to check in and make sure you got home okay.”

  “Yes, I got back a little while ago.” Holding the phone to her ear, she wandered over to the small desk and lined up the folders she’d brought home from work. She noticed the pencils and pens were no longer segregated in the two cups. Remy.

  “Sasha? It’s Ethan.” There was a chuckle. “His brother…remember?”

  Damn. She must’ve said Remy’s name out loud. “Of course. I’m sorry…he…uh, he left something when he…when he brought me home.”

  “Would you like me to let him know?”

  “No…um, I mean, that’s okay. I’ll take care of it.” Lame, lame, lame. She squeezed her eyes shut. Ethan could probably hear her guilt over the phone.

  “I called to apologize again for ducking out like that. I swear I’m normally a much better behaved date.”

  “It’s okay. I understand. Really.” Yeah, that will convince him. She began separating the pencils from the pens. “Were you able to save the mare and her foal?”

  “Yes, it was a difficult birth, but both are doing well. I’m optimistic for a happy outcome.” His tone sounded upbeat. “I’m just sorry it spoiled our date.”

  “It was worth it to save a life…two lives.” She set the pencil cup next to the manila folders. “I’m glad you were able to help. What you did made it all worth it.”

  “And I knew I’d be leaving you in good hands with Remy. He always makes sure everyone and everything is okay.” Ethan sighed. “I may not have appreciated it, but it’s true.”

  She wandered over and sat in one of the upholstered chairs. Henry jumped onto her lap and curled up. “Oh? Does that have anything to do with your comment about him being like a father?”

  “My parents were killed by a drunk driver when I was sixteen and my sister was fourteen,” he said.

  She burrowed her fingers into Henry’s thick coat. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I know Remy said his sister had lived with him until recently.”

  “Thanks.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “It was a rough time, but Remy stepped up. Left a promising career as a homicide detective in New Orleans to come back to Rose Creek and raise us.”

  “Wow.” Is that the best she could come up with? But this new information put Remy Fontenot in a whole new light…and a dangerous one to her piece of mind. Now she wasn’t just attracted to him physically but admired his character.

  “Yeah, he could’ve made us come to him, but he said uprooting Charlotte and myself would be adding more trauma to what we’d already suffered.” He paused. “He gave up a lot to come here. I thought you should know that.”

  What was he trying to tell her? It sounded as if he were recommending Remy to her. “I had no idea.”

  “I wanted to be sure you knew what a great guy he is. You like him, don’t you?”

  She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “Teachers aren’t supposed to date a student’s parent.” Among other reasons…

  Ethan chuckled. “That’s not what I asked.”

  Oh man, he sounded so much like Remy when he laughed and scolded. But he wasn’t Remy, and that was the problem. “Look, I don’t want to cause conflict between you and your brother. I—”

  Ethan snorted. “Don’t worry. We manage to do that all by ourselves. I like you, Sasha, but I think we both know this is going to be more of a friendship thing.”

  Sasha released a huge breath. She liked Ethan, but he was right. They were missing that romantic spark. At least she was, and now it sounded as if he agreed. Or was he stepping aside because of Remy? Either way, she wasn’t going to argue. “I’d like for us to be friends.”

  “Me, too.”

  “And I will need a vet for my cat. Do you do small animals, too?”

  “As the only vet in town, I do it all. Bring your cat in, and I’ll see you get the friends and family discount.”

  “Thanks, but I wasn’t angling for a discount.”

  “I know. And if you need anything, let me know…especially if it involves giving my brother a slap upside that big head of his.”

  Sasha laughed. “I don’t think I’ll need that, but thanks for the offer.” Once Remy showed her the place he had in mind for her to rent, she planned to stay far, far away from the man.

  …

  “Do you think Miz Honeycutt had fun tonight?” Evie asked as Remy set her Eloise book on the nightstand.

  “I’m sure she did. She got to spend time with one of her favorite pupils.” And he got the date with Sasha he’d been hoping for.

  Remy tucked the covers around his daughter and gave her a kiss.

  Evie giggled. “Miz Honeycutt says everyone is her favorite. It must be true, because she didn’t send Bobby Russo to Mr. Drake’s office even when he said he didn’t want to do his homework, but she said if he continued to be incorrigible she would.”

  Remy could imagine Sasha’s tone and facial expression when she called poor Bobby incorrigible. “Well, I hope that works and he behaves himself from now on.”

  Evie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Bobby says he doesn’t know what that word means.”

  He swallowed his laugh. Maybe Bobby was angling to stay in second grade another year, too. Not that he could blame the kid.

  Evie snuggled under the covers and sighed. “I wish Miz Honeycutt could come and live with us. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

  “I’m sure it would be, but I think she’d rather have her own place. You’ll still get to see her at school even when you’re in the third grade.”

  She frowned. “But I won’t get to see her all the time like I do now.”

  “Maybe you’ll like your new teacher just as much.” He gave her another kiss on the forehead.

  “I’m not sure I can like any teacher as much as Miz Honeycutt.”

  Welcome to the club. Remy turned off the light and left Evie’s room. He would have to be careful his daughter didn’t get hurt. His job was to protect her.

  Ideally, he would have kept Evie out of the situation until he’d gotten
to know Sasha better, introduce them once he was sure the relationship was going somewhere. But Evie was the one who’d brought them together. Whether he liked it or not, she was in the middle of it.

  He rubbed a hand over his face as images of Sasha flashed into his mind. Sexy, sultry Sasha from that night in New Orleans, the school teacher with the terribly unsexy outfit, and tonight’s alluring and amusing Sasha. One thing didn’t change—his attraction to her.

  In the kitchen, he grabbed a long neck from the refrigerator and twisted the top off. He was going to have to make a decision. Leaning against the counter, he sipped his beer as he mulled over his options. Proceed or end it now. He could call Sasha in the morning and tell her he was sorry but something came up. Or get Ethan to show her the place.

  He took a long draw on the IPA. Evie had already decided what she wanted. Now, all he had to do was convince the delectable Miss Honeycutt he was the perfect guy for her.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning Sasha dressed with more care than if she’d been going to tour a rental apartment on her own. She opted for a yellow sleeveless sundress with white lace stitched around the scooped neck and five rows of the same crocheted cotton lace rising up from the hem. The hemline and neck were modest and not an appliquéd school bus or crayon in sight. The humidity was lower today, so she’d elected to leave her hair loose. Yup, decreased humidity was the explanation and nothing to do with not wanting to look “all teachery.” She wasn’t vain, but she knew her hair looked best left loose to fall around her shoulders.

  She gathered up her things, checking to be sure she had her checkbook in case she needed it for a rental deposit. Zipping her purse closed, she realized Remy had never explained much about the rental. He was a master at distraction. Jimmy had been good at that, too. Was it a cop thing, or was she easily distracted? She’d have to put a stop to that. She was done playing roles assigned to her by others or being swallowed up by forceful personalities.

  Rose Creek was her home now, and she was determined to make it on her own. Her parents, who’d retired and moved to Arizona, had tried to persuade her to move to Scottsdale, but she knew they would dote on her. As much as she loved them, she was done being smothered. She could take care of herself. Sure, she was interested in dating, but she had no intention of tying herself down to a man again right now. Especially not to too-sexy-for-his-boots Sheriff Fontenot.

  Which is why you changed your outfit six times, right? She pushed the thought from her head as she glanced one last time in the mirror.

  “Now, behave yourself while I’m gone,” she cautioned Henry, who opened his eyes but didn’t move from his spot where the sunlight was hitting the bed.

  After checking her watch, she opted for taking the stairs. She came out of the stairwell as Remy, dressed in jeans and a NOPD T-shirt, entered the lobby. He stumbled a bit on the smooth floor when he spotted her. She had to appreciate the way he recovered and the sexy little grin he wore.

  “Don’t you just look good enough to eat, cher.”

  “Not all teachery? Hmm?”

  He chuckled. “You’re never going to let me live that faux pas down, are you?”

  It was her turn to grin. “Not likely.”

  With a nod to the desk clerk, they went through the glass double doors to the parking lot. A bright blue sky and low humidity greeted them. Sasha chuckled.

  “What’s that for?” Remy glanced at her.

  “That’s me being mean. According to the Weather Channel this morning, they’re in for a spring snowstorm back home.” She walked beside him to his car.

  “Back home?” He tilted his head as he gazed at her and pressed the key fob to unlock the car. “Isn’t Rose Creek home now?”

  “Huh…you’re absolutely right.”

  “So, I’m more than a badge and a cheap haircut?” He opened the passenger door.

  She got into the car. “Isn’t fishing for compliments beneath you, Sheriff?”

  He leaned over, his arm resting on the doorframe. “Nothing is off the table where you’re concerned, Miss Honeycutt.”

  A thrill ran through her, and she averted her head to fasten her seatbelt. He shut the door and hustled around the front.

  He got into the driver’s seat and started the car’s powerful engine, then turned to look at her before backing out. “I want to be sure of one thing before we go to look at this place. Henry is an indoor cat, right?”

  She frowned. Was this rental going to be off the table before she even got to look at it? “Yes, but he’s been neutered and litter box trained and I’ve never had any problems. I can pay a pet deposit, if the owner is concerned about—”

  “You misunderstand me. I asked because there’s a series of creeks running past the house in the woods.”

  Her frown deepened. Where was this going? “I can’t imagine Henry going near the water or—”

  Remy pressed his index finger into a furrow between her eyebrows, a sensuous glow in his dark eyes as he gently twisted his fingertip.

  It was just a fingertip, and he barely made contact, but that touch was causing her senses to sizzle and snap. She swallowed and tried to get things back on track. “Remy? My cat?”

  “Right.” He dropped his hand and put the car in Reverse. “I mentioned it because I can’t totally rule out alligators.”

  “Alligators in Texas?”

  He slipped on a pair of Ray-Bans. “Yeah, we’ve posted Keep Out signs at the border, but those wily creatures ignore them.”

  She rolled her eyes but had to admit she enjoyed his teasing. “Very funny.”

  “If you like that, I’ve got some more.”

  She tutted her tongue before saying, “I’m not sure I could take much more.”

  “You’d be surprised, cher.” He inched the sunglasses down with his finger and met her gaze. “Still interested?”

  “I told you, I can’t date the parent of a— Oh, you meant about the rental because of the alligators.” She wished she had a pair of dark glasses to hide behind, but she’d forgotten them on the desk in her room. Not that a measly pair of sunglasses could hide her embarrassment anyway. The bane of living with pale skin.

  He pushed his sunglasses back into place and backed out of the parking space. “We can discuss the other if you’d like.”

  “No thank you,” she said firmly, her hands folded in her lap. “Besides, it’s not like Henry tries to dash out whenever I come or go. I’ll just be extra vigilant and guard against illiterate alligators.”

  He burst out laughing and reached for her hand. “As if that hair and those legs weren’t enough, I find out there’s a sense of humor hiding in there. You’re going to be lethal, cher. Maybe I should be warnin’ the gators.”

  A smiled played about her lips. She couldn’t resist that sexy laugh. “You could post signs, but I hear those aren’t always effective.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Where have you been all my life?”

  She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Running away from men like you?”

  “Ouch.” He let go of her hand as he pulled onto the road and merged into the light traffic.

  “Did Evie get off to her birthday party okay?” Maybe a change of topic would help dispel some of the tension sparking between them. If not, she was in danger of melting into a puddle at his feet. Not exactly a good way to convince him she was serious about not getting involved.

  “She did.” He checked the mirrors before changing lanes. “This place is on the other side of town. It’s right on the edge but within the town’s limits.”

  “In other words, still in your jurisdiction.” Not that it mattered. Her thoughts had been on him when he’d been a nameless stranger in a piano bar.

  “Yep, you can call me with your complaints.” He smoothly merged into the traffic. “Not to mention, you get weekly trash pickup.”

  “By you?”

  “Ha-ha.” He stopped at a red light. “Unless, of course, you have some sort of fantasy I could fulfill?”


  She shook her head slowly and rolled her eyes. No need for any extra fantasies where Remy Fontenot was concerned. She had enough for a movie and not Fellini this time but the X-rated kind.

  “It was worth a shot,” he said as the light changed.

  “I doubt you get many complaints. Everyone seems to love you.” She’d bet half the women in the town had fantasies about him. Let’s keep that observation to ourselves.

  He huffed out a breath. “Until they get a parking or speeding ticket.”

  “That won’t be a problem. I’m very law abiding.”

  “I’m sure if we put our heads together we could come up with a few laws for you to break.”

  “I’m sure you could, but I do want to thank you for warning me about the alligators. I know he’s just a cat to some, but he is my cat.” And that little speech cemented her cat lady status.

  He gave her a quick sideways glance. “So that makes both of you important to me.”

  Sasha’s stomach did a little flip. How was she supposed to stay casual when he said stuff like that? It had been a long time since she’d been important to anyone but her cat. And she suspected Henry tolerated her because she fed him.

  …

  So that makes both of you important to me. Remy groaned inwardly. What kind of sappy talk was that?

  She was more skittish than her cat. He needed to take this slow, not scare her off. But Sasha Honeycutt was worth every bit of time and attention.

  What else was he supposed to talk about? How about how her bare legs in his peripheral vision fueled fantasies spawned by last night’s dreams?

  Finally he pulled the Charger into a driveway that curved around the front of an immaculately maintained, white two-story home. The brick sidewalk was an invitation to climb the three steps onto an open front porch that ran the length of the home. A white-painted wooden door with three narrow vertical windows inset into the top divided the front of the house in half. Floor to ceiling windows flanked by black shutters on each half. Black-painted swings hung from the ceiling on each end of the porch and four simple box columns supported the roof. The place reminded him of Sasha…sunny, welcoming, and traditional.