by Roma James
“Yes,” I said, the answer slipping out before I’d even pretended to think about it. “I mean—” I swallowed hard and then jumped as the bell above the door jingled loudly.
And then the other half of my fantasy walked in.
“Thought I’d find you here.” The sheriff’s loud, deep voice boomed through the small store as he scowled at his deputy. He turned his head to look at me and his scowl softened a little. “Nice to see you again, young lady.”
Young lady?
I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or insulted. Twenty-two isn’t that young. And he wasn’t that old. Late thirties, maybe? Maybe forty. Definitely a daddy type, which was super hot.
Okay, so maybe it was also kind of hot when he called me young lady. I was going to take it as a compliment, regardless.
“Nice to see you, too,” I said.
Cole cleared his throat and I felt my face flush again, but he didn’t look annoyed. His eyes sparkled and the corners of his mouth turned up as he spoke. “I think you were just in the middle of accepting my dinner invitation.”
I nodded. “Yes,” I repeated. “That, um… that sounds nice.”
“Tonight?” he asked. “Seven o’clock? I’ll pick you up.”
I nodded again. “Perfect.”
Because it really was just… perfect. How often does a girl’s literal fantasy come to life and then ask her out on a date? Not often enough. Not ever.
Not until now, anyway.
“Break time’s over,” the sheriff said, his scowl firmly in place as he gestured toward the door. “We still have a lot of work to do, Cole.”
Was the sheriff angry? He definitely looked upset. Upset with Cole? With me? I couldn’t tell. I honestly wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Not since my whole world had just been turned upside down.
“Gotta run.” Cole tossed me a quick wink as he moved toward the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”
And then they were both gone, leaving me standing in the middle of the store feeling like I’d just been hit by a tornado. Had all of that seriously just happened? It felt like hours had passed, but it had probably only been a couple of minutes.
Becca wasn’t going to believe it. Janessa definitely wasn’t going to believe it.
I wasn’t even sure I believed it yet.
Chapter 2
Daisy Lynn
I looked over at the bedside clock and tried to ignore the not-so-subtle look that Becca and Janessa had just exchanged.
“Just say it,” I sighed, not doing a very good job of ignoring them after all. “I know you two have something on your minds, so just tell me before Cole gets here to pick me up.”
As I spoke, I double-checked out the window overlooking the driveway for at least the hundredth time. It was still only six-thirty, still a half-hour until our date, but I just wanted to be sure. You know, just in case he wanted to show up extra early or something.
“It’s nothing.” Becca shrugged and gave me a diplomatic smile. “It’s just…”
“We’re just surprised you were out of the house for like five minutes and already have a date,” Janessa finished for her. “Not that I’m knocking it. I just think it’s pretty funny that you weren’t too excited to even come here in the first place and now…”
The two girls exchanged looks again and giggled. Really? They were both giving me a hard time now, but I’d be willing to bet they’d both be waiting up and wanting to hear every little detail once I got back from the date.
“You know I was totally excited to see you,” I said in my own defense. “But you can’t honestly say you blame me for saying yes to a date with a hot deputy.” I looked from Janessa to Becca. “Neither of you can blame me for that.”
They both shook their heads. “I don’t blame you at all,” Janessa said, laughing. “Go get your man, girl.”
“I don’t blame you, either,” Becca added. “I’m maybe a little jealous that I haven’t found my own country boy yet, but I’m not holding that against you.” She shot Janessa a pointed look. “Against either of you.”
Janessa held up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, don’t start on me again. You both already know my situation is… complicated.”
Becca and I nodded even though we really didn’t know much about Janessa’s situation. But yeah, it probably would be complicated having them both under the same roof as her over-protective uncle. And since Cade and Boone were apparently best friends… yeah, super complicated.
It made me think of Cole’s friendship with the sheriff. Were they best friends, too? I’d thought so at first, but seeing the sheriff’s reaction at the store earlier had made me wonder if there was more to it than I’d realized.
Maybe Janessa’s situation wasn’t the only one that was complicated. Was I setting myself up for the same sort of conflicted feelings?
Probably.
Was I going to let that stop me from going out tonight and having a good time with Cole?
Absolutely not.
“Do you know what you’re going to do about Cade and Boone yet?” I asked, unable to stop myself. I kept trying to imagine myself in her place, and I had no idea how I’d find a way to choose between two guys like that.
Janessa nibbled at her lip, hesitating as she looked out the window for a moment. “I have an idea of what I want to do, but… we’ll see. I don’t know if they’ll go for it. I just hope the whole thing doesn’t blow up in my face.”
I didn’t know what she meant, exactly, but I didn’t want to push her too much. She was clearly still a little uncomfortable talking about it, even with just Becca and me.
“I hope it works out,” I said, reaching over to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “And you know we’re both here for you anytime you need to talk.”
“That’s right,” Becca added. “And we’ll keep our fingers crossed that everything works out just the way you want it to.”
Janessa smiled as she looked back over at us. “Thanks. You two are the best. I know things are pretty crazy around here right now, but I’m really glad you both came to visit. Having the two of you here is the one thing that’s keeping me sane.” She sighed, then shook her head a little. “Okay, enough about me. This is your night, Daisy Lynn. You’re going to go out and have a good time, and then come back here and tell us all about it. Are you excited?”
Now it was my turn to hesitate. “Um… yeah, a little? I mean, yes, I am. I’m excited. Just… maybe a little nervous, too.”
“Don’t be nervous,” both girls said at the same time, causing all three of us to laugh.
“Seriously, though,” Janessa continued. “You don’t have anything to be nervous about tonight. Cole obviously thinks you’re hot, or he wouldn’t have asked you out in the first place.”
“Yeah, but what if it’s awkward once we’re alone at dinner? Or what if he decides he doesn’t actually like me once he gets to know me a little? What if I don’t like him?”
She shrugged. “Who cares? It’s not like you have to ever see him again if you don’t want to.”
“Right.” Becca nodded. “We’ll be going back home soon enough. You probably won’t see him again after we leave even if tonight goes perfectly.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I said. Though if I was being honest, the prospect of having a great date and then still never seeing him again didn’t sound particularly romantic.
But whatever.
Tonight would be fun, just like Janessa had said. I’d go out. I’d have a good time. I wouldn’t set my expectations too high.
And then when the time came to leave town, I wouldn’t get my heart broken.
The diner in town wasn’t anything fancy, but it was bright and clean, and the food was… well, it was surprisingly good. Amazingly good.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of a home-cooked meal anywhere except… home,” I said between bites of my country-fried steak and mashed potatoes. “And the portions are insane. Does anyone ever finish a whol
e meal here?”
Cole looked down at my plate and grinned. “I’m glad you like it. I wish there was somewhere in town that was a little more… well, you know… better for a date.” He gave a little shrug. “But this is the best we’ve got within twenty miles.” He grinned again. “Unless you want a sandwich from the bait shop, that is.”
I almost gagged on my potatoes. “No, thank you. Don’t get me wrong—they have cute hats and boots there, but I think I’d rather stick with food that isn’t sold right next to live worms.”
He laughed. “That’s probably for the best. So, are you still in school? You said that’s how you know Janessa, right?”
“Just finished my nursing degree,” I said. “And yeah, that’s how Becca and I know Janessa. She was only on campus with us for a year, but we all had a really great time together. She’s a good friend.”
“It was really a shame that she had to cut her schooling short when her parents passed away,” he said. “I know how badly she wanted to get away from here for a while—to feel all grown up in the big city, you know? It was just a tragedy all the way around.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to block the memory of the day Janessa got that phone call. The day that changed her life forever. It was the most painful thing I’d ever seen in my life up to that point, and it still made my heart hurt to think of the terrible time my friend had gone through.
“Seems like you know Janessa’s family pretty well, then,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back to an easier topic. “Or is it just part of your job to know what everyone in town is up to?”
He smirked. “That’s part of it, I guess. But look around—you can’t help but know everyone else’s business in a town this size. A traffic jam around here is three cars behind a tractor.”
I laughed. It was funny because it was absolutely true. It seemed sort of nice, though—that sense of belonging. It was probably a little annoying to have strangers in your business all the time, but they weren’t really strangers in a town like Bliss, were they?
They were just… neighbors. Friends.
I’d take friends and neighbors over strangers any day, even if it meant giving up a little bit of my own privacy.
Outside the window, the police cruiser drove by slowly. “See what I mean?” Cole nodded in the car’s direction. “He already knew I’d be here with you tonight, even though I didn’t tell him.”
“The sheriff?” I watched as the patrol car moved down the street and then turned the corner. “Are you going to get in trouble?”
“For going out to dinner with a pretty lady?” Cole shook his head and laughed. “Nah. Prescott might be a little jealous that I asked you out first, but he isn’t an asshole.”
Wait, what had he said?
The sheriff was jealous that Cole had asked me out first?
“Are you saying that the sheriff would have asked me on a date if you hadn’t?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around the idea. “He looked like he wanted to lock me up yesterday when he came into the store.”
Cole snorted. “Trust me, that look wasn’t for you. And honestly, I had it coming. I might have taken a little longer than I should have in there once I saw you.” His big, easy grin reappeared. “Totally worth it, though.”
“I’m still not sure he would have asked me out, though.” I shrugged, not wanting to spend too much time on the topic. It was probably rude to talk about going on a date with the sheriff while I was still on a date with the deputy. Cole was the one who had brought it up, though, in fairness. “Anyway, I’m having a nice time with you, so it all worked out.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “Because I’m having a nice time, too. Prescott would have every reason to be a little jealous, though. Any guy would be lucky to go on a date with a girl like you—and Prescott and I just happen to have similar tastes in a lot of things.”
“In women, too?” I asked before I could even think to stop myself. I clapped a hand over my mouth, then shook my head. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. I don’t even know why I asked.”
“That’s okay.” His characteristic grin dimmed a little. “I’d be lying if I said this was the first time we’d both been interested in the same woman. Just like I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cause a little bit of friction between the two of us every now and then.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and pushed his mostly empty plate aside. “No need to worry about that tonight, though. I don’t want you to feel weird about it. You and I can still have a good date tonight and the sheriff and I will still be buddies again in the morning.”
I nodded, though the look on his face made me wonder if it really was that simple. I tried to think of how I’d feel if Becca or Janessa and I were competing with each other for the same guy. How would it make me feel if the guy picked one of my friends over me?
I had a hard time imagining that I’d be too upset with them. We were still friends at the end of the day, just like Cole had said. And to give up one of my closest friendships over a guy?
No.
Just… no.
That wasn’t going to happen.
And since tonight was just a fun date—nothing major, nothing serious—I had to assume that Prescott and Cole would be able to get past it, too.
“Well, here we are,” Cole said, turning to me and smiling as we pulled up in front of Janessa’s big house. It was totally dark aside from the light in her second-floor bedroom, no doubt where she and Becca were waiting up for all the details of my date. “Thank you for tonight. I know it wasn’t much, but I had a really good time.”
I felt my face flush from the way he looked at me. His smile was wide and bright as always, but there was an intensity in his eyes that I hadn’t really seen before. Even in the darkness of his car, I could feel the way he was taking in every detail.
“I’m glad you asked me out,” I said. “I know I’m only in town for a couple of weeks, but… I hope we can do this again sometime.”
He nodded. “I hope so, too.”
Somehow during the short conversation, we’d inched closer together on the long bench seat of his pickup truck. He was still giving me that same intense look, and I knew he must be waiting for some kind of signal.
I unfastened my seatbelt, and instead of opening the door and getting out, I gave him the most obvious signal I could by smiling again and inching even closer to him.
And yeah, it definitely worked. His hand moved up behind me, gently reaching around the back of my neck and pulling me in closer until our lips finally met.
His kiss was surprisingly soft, even a little tentative at first. I opened my mouth to him, whimpering a little as his rough stubble brushed against my skin. God, it felt so good to be this close to him. I wanted to reach over and touch him, to see if his body was reacting the same way mine was.
But no.
Not tonight.
I wanted to save something for next time—and judging from the look in his eyes when our lips parted again, there would definitely be a next time.
Hopefully very soon.
“Thank you,” he said, making me blush all over again. “You’ve just made my night. My whole week, to be honest.”
I laughed, then winked as I opened the passenger door and climbed down out of the truck. “I’ll take that as a good sign. Don’t be a stranger, deputy.”
“Oh, you’ll be seeing more of me,” he said, grinning. “I can promise you that much.”
It was a promise that I truly hoped he intended to keep.
I waved goodbye and watched as his truck disappeared back down the driveway into the night. God, he was hot. And sweet. And… hot. I took a deep breath and smiled to myself. That date alone was enough to make this trip a memorable one.
And to think there was a chance the sheriff might have asked me out as well? Nobody would have believed it. I could hardly believe it myself.
It was probably for the best that he hadn’t said anything, though. What would I have done? How
could I have possibly chosen between the two of them?
Thank goodness it was a choice I wouldn’t have to make.
The front door opened as soon as I made it to the porch steps, and Janessa waved me inside. “Come on!” she whispered urgently. “We’ve been waiting here forever.”
Becca was waiting just inside the door, and I could only laugh as she waggled her eyebrows at me. “We saw you kiss him,” she said as we hurried up the stairs to Janessa’s room. “So… how was it?”
Once the three of us were inside Janessa’s bright bedroom with the door closed behind us, they both turned to me. “Come on.” Janessa nodded. “Give us the details. Was that kiss as hot as it looked from in here?”
I wasn’t even a little bit surprised that they’d been spying on my kiss with Cole. I wouldn’t have expected any less—and if I was being honest, I would have done the same thing if it had been either of them on that date tonight.
“Hotter,” I said, laughing as both of their eyes went wide. “It was perfect. Just… perfect. The whole night was really nice, actually.”
“What did you guys do?” Becca asked. “Where did you go?”
“Just to the diner.” I shrugged. “Then we drove around for a while. There aren’t many places to go around here, you know. But it was still really nice just getting a chance to talk to him. He’s… easy to be around.”
Becca cocked her head to the side, but I couldn’t really explain it better than that. Cole was just… he made me comfortable. He was so sweet and laid-back. It felt like a night out with someone I’d known for a while instead of the jittery, awkward first date I’d been afraid of.
“I’m glad you two had a good time,” Janessa said, walking over to sit down on the bed and motioning for me and Becca to move closer. “I knew you would. Cole really is a good guy. But while we’re sharing secrets…”
I felt my breath catch in my throat as I leaned in. Was she going to tell me something about Cole? About the sheriff? Had she guessed that they’d both wanted to ask me out on a date? Had they said something to her? Or maybe to her uncle?