Andy’s office was about the farthest thing you could imagine from a sheriff’s office. Instead of accreditations and newspaper clippings from a job well done, his walls held pictures of wrestlers from the dramatic weeknight wrestling shows. Large men wearing small underwear and masks adorned nearly every free inch of space.
Andy was in the middle of them, looking small and slightly pitiful in his oversized uniform. He sat in his chair at an odd angle, in reverence to his bad hip, and frowned when he saw me.
“I sent the form in, Lacey. Don’t think I’ve forgot that you threatened me, yet, either. I’m not all that happy with you, young lady.”
I tried to send him a sweet smile, but I feared it came out more of a scowl. “Andy, I had to threaten you. We can move past that. Besides, I’m here to give you a job.”
He waved his arms around the office. “I’ve got a job. Look at my job. I sit here and I make reports when you get your truck stolen.”
“Twice. It’s happened twice.”
“That you’ve told us.”
I resisted the urge to yell at the infuriating man and sat in the chair facing him instead. I glanced over my shoulder at Jagger, where he stood posted in the doorway. “We’re having some trouble at the ranch.”
Andy’s eyes were on Jagger. “We’re? You run off and get married again? Your daddy know about this?”
“Of course I didn’t get married.”
“Well, no one expected you to the first time, either. It wasn’t like any of us got invitations. But I guess you don’t send out invitations when you elope in the middle of the night.”
I was tempted to bang my head into his desk. “Andy! I’m serious. Someone is messing with the ranch and we need your help finding out who it is.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and pulled at the sticky drawer beside him. After a few jerks, it opened with a scream and out came a huge notebook. He opened it to a clean page and pulled out a pen. “Talk to me.”
I knew I should drop it, but I couldn’t. “That’s your notebook? Shouldn’t it be small enough to slip into your pocket?”
“I can’t see those little notebooks. I need something bigger so I can read it. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Jagger snorted from the doorway. “This place deserves its own TV show.”
Andy’s eyes widened. “I think so, too. Something like Miami Vice?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of Barney Fife.”
“Why are you even here, son? I don’t recognize you from around here. How do we know you aren’t the one messing with the ranch?”
I groaned. “Jagger Crimson lived here when he was younger, Andy. Dad called him in to work security.”
“Security? Are you sure, Lacey? He looks questionable.”
I glanced back at Jagger and lifted a shoulder. Andy wasn’t wrong. There was something about Jagger that had my back ruffling like a stray cat in an alleyway brawl. “I guess he does look a little questionable.”
“Maybe I should lock him up until we know it wasn’t him.” He hesitated. “What did he do, by the way?”
Jagger growled. “You come near me with those cuffs, old man, and I’m going to lock you up in your own jail cell.”
“He threatened me! Did you hear that, Lacey?!”
I couldn’t help the grin that stretched my lips. “I heard it. Hell, maybe you should lock him up. I don’t think he’s the one who’s been harassing the ranch, but I’d still enjoy it.”
“You want to see me in cuffs, Lace, all you have to do is ask.”
I blushed and cursed myself for it. He was going to know he was getting to me. That was infuriating. So, I did what I could do. I turned to Andy and acted like Jagger wasn’t there. “Someone broke into our house. That’s after they mowed down a few fences and let our cows run free. And stole my truck. And left a few rats on our porch. Mom is a mess. Have you had anything weird happen in town?”
“Well, hell, Lacey. Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”
He shifted and then staggered to his feet. Hefting up his belt, he limped over to a gun cabinet in the corner and opened it, just to grab a fifth of whiskey and stagger back to his desk. “Want a pinch?”
I shook my head and glanced back at Jagger. His eyes were locked onto the bottle, a hard look on his face, but he turned his head and looked out into the hallway.
“There hasn’t been anything strange reported in town. Unless you count my wife’s obsession with MTV lately.”
I didn’t want to picture that, so I just shook my head. “I think it’s someone who read the article about Jason. I think they’re messing with us. It’s lost its comedic edge, however. I want to find them and I want them locked up.”
Andy nodded as he took a long pull straight from the bottle. “Of course. I’ll keep an eye out for anything weird. Hardly anything happens in this town that I don’t see.”
I didn’t point out the fact that my truck had been stolen not even thirty feet from his window. “Just let me know if you see anything, Andy.”
He nodded and then tilted the bottle to point it at Jagger. “Watch out for that one.”
I led the way outside and stood next to Jagger’s bike, looking around. Barossa was about the size of a postage stamp. From where I stood, I could see the whole main street.
Without much to claim as its calling card, Barossa wasn’t exactly a tourist attraction. Besides the men who came to hunt on the ranches, there was no reason for anyone else to be around. A stranger would stick out like a sore thumb.
“Want to get some dinner at the café?”
Jagger trailed his hand across my lower back and made a noise of agreement. “I thought you’d never ask me out.”
I frowned at his retreating back as he crossed the road and headed towards Bertha’s. “This isn’t a date, Jagger!”
I was about to cross the street after him when Franklin Dubrow’s obnoxious hummer pulled in between us. I looked up to see Franklin’s lecherous smile aimed at me.
“Well, look who I get the pleasure of running into again. Howdy, Ms. Lacey.”
I crossed my arms and nodded a greeting at him. “Sorry, I was just heading across the street.”
Franklin reached out and tugged at a piece of my hair. “I was heading into the café for dinner myself. Want to join me?”
Jagger rounded the front of the truck, looking bigger than ever, which was impressive. He trailed his hand along the fender and tapped his knuckle on the tire. “What’s she get? Ten miles a gallon?”
Franklin looked at Jagger like he’d stepped in something disgusting. “It’s fuel efficient.”
Jagger grinned at me before looking back to Franklin. “Kind of hard to impress the ladies when you’re stopping every three blocks for gas, isn’t it? There’s also that whole thing about overcompensating. Women always think that. It’s rough on a man, I’m sure.”
I was staring at Jagger with wide eyes when he turned to me and swept me into his arms. Before I could think about what was happening, he’d lowered his mouth to mine and was kissing me like he’d never stop. I was kissing him back in seconds and in a few more, I had my hands lodged in his hair, tugging it out of its bun again.
When he pulled away from me with a nip to my lip, he groaned and dug his fingers into my hips. “Maybe we should skip dinner and just find someplace private?”
Forgetting all about Franklin, I bit my lip and ran my hands down Jagger’s hard chest and stomach. If we hadn’t had sex the first night and we did have sex right then, it could still be a one night stand. I’d still get a chance to experience Jagger and damn, did I want to.
“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you.”
Jagger ran his thumb over my lip, pulling it from between my teeth, and stepped away from me. “Jagger Crimson. I’m Lacey’s boyfriend. And you are?”
“My company rents the clubhouse. She didn’t mention you.”
I balled my fist up in the back of Jagger’s shirt and tugged. “Come on, I’m starving.”
Jagger looked back at me and forced a smile. “Of course. Sorry, Franklin. We’re busy. Maybe we’ll get the chance to chat later.”
I could only lift a hand in a wave as Jagger tugged me after him to the café. Once we were inside, he snagged a table in the back and sat with his back to the wall. His eyes moved over the place, taking everything in faster than I could’ve ever imagined possible. When he landed back on me, his eyes darkened.
“You kissed me back.”
I chewed on my bottom lip and looked down at the dessert menu that’d been left on the table. “Didn’t want it to look fake. Thanks for saving me, by the way. How’d you know I needed it?”
He reached across the table and lifted my face with a knuckle under my chin. “I didn’t. I just saw that dickhead talking to you and decided to take my chance to kiss you again. You needed saving?”
I shouldn’t have felt flattered by his manipulation but I did. My body warmed and I shifted in my seat. Jagger wanted to kiss me. That was exciting. “He’s a jerk. I can’t act like he is, though. Dad keeps renting to him and I’m biding my time until Dad releases the grips on the ranch enough for me to cancel the contract.”
“He’s the one who always hits on you.” His eyes moved behind me and tightened at the corners. “I don’t get the feeling he’s a fan of mine.”
A chill went down my back and I tightened my grip on the menu. “Just tell me if he comes close.”
Jagger’s eyes narrowed even more and he stiffened in his seat. “Are you afraid of him, Lace?”
I thought about it and finally shook my head. “Not afraid. Just…uncomfortable. I don’t trust him. He’s touchy and weird and it makes my skin crawl.”
“I could kick his ass. It would be the most fun I’ve had in years.”
I shook off the bad feelings and let myself have a little fun. I sent Jagger a slow smile and lifted an eyebrow. “Years, huh? I would’ve sworn we had fun the other night.”
That brought his eyes back to me. He swore under his breath and then leaned forward. When most of his upper half was across the table with his forearms planted firmly on it, he looked down at my lips and then back up to my eyes. “Kiss me.”
Feeling a little bit like I’d been spinning in circles for a few hours, my breath caught in my throat. “What?”
“Kiss me. Now.”
I knew I shouldn’t. I knew that if I had any common sense, I would run. The man wasn’t the boyfriend type. Not that I had time for a boyfriend. I couldn’t get used to kissing him.
I opened my mouth to turn him down and then he was kissing me again. His mouth was warm and soft, gentle enough for me to push him away if I wanted. I didn’t. I was an idiot.