Chapter Five
“Oh, my Lawd.” Debbie Durbin’s words had everyone in the diner turning to look. It was a Wednesday morning and the breakfast rush had cleared out, leaving plenty of space for the folks volunteering to help with the Founder’s Day festival to meet and discuss plans.
“He’s back. Oh my God, Grady Judd’s back in town.”
Festival plans were momentarily forgotten as half the women present got up to hurry to where Debbie stood at the front window of the diner. Cody looked at her sister, Hannah, who shrugged and gestured to Charli, who was curiously watching the others. “Come on,” Hannah said.
With a shrug, Charli rose and followed them. They didn’t stop at the window, they headed right out the door.
Three other women followed, including Debbie, who pointed down the street. “See. Oh my Lawd.”
“Oh my Lawd is right,” Cody commented.
“Cody Mae, you’re a married woman.” Hannah said, but kept her eyes on the sight that had everyone’s attention.
“Yep. Married, not dead and damn, have you ever in your life seen anything sexier?”
“Nope. What about you, Charli?” Hannah asked.
Charli couldn’t seem to find her tongue at the moment, but she figured that was okay. There seemed to be an epidemic of speechlessness going around. Only Cody and Hannah were protected from the force that had the rest of the women standing mute and gaping.
She’d seen a lot of men in her life and some of them hot enough to start a fire without a match, but as God was her witness, she’d never seen anything that could come close to being as sexy as the man who crossed the street in a long, powerful stride and headed down the sidewalk toward them.
He was a big man. From the way he towered over other people he passed on the sidewalk, she’d guess he was at least six, four. And from the way those long, muscular legs of his filled out his jeans, and the brawny chest and arms on display beneath that tight T-shirt, she’d estimate him to weigh in somewhere north of two-fifty.
The hat he wore shaded his face, but did nothing to disguise the strong line of his jaw, or the flash of white teeth as he smiled at a woman in passing. “Holy shit.” Charli hadn’t planned to speak the words, but sure as heck was thinking them.
“Yep.” Cody agreed. “Grady Judd.”
“You say that like he’s some kind of movie star or urban legend.”
“Yep.”
Charli cut a look at Cody. “Well, I know he’s not a movie star so what’s so legendary about him?”
“Watch.” Cody replied.
So Charli did. She watched, and by the time Grady Judd reached the diner, she was feeling a whole lot warmer than the weather elicited. Grady smiled at them, stopped and looked in the window at the other women, and then to Charli’s amazement, did the actual, honest-to-God, hand-to-rim, cowboy hat tip.
It should have looked cheesy, contrived, silly, or anything other than gut-clenching, mouth-watering sexy. She was stunned at the reaction of the women. There were giggles and blushing from everyone, well, everyone but Cody and Hannah.
The women who’d followed them outside returned to the diner, whispering among themselves as they joined the crowd watching through the window.
“Grady Judd,” Cody said.
“Cody Sweet,” he said and smiled.
“Riggs.”
“Pardon?”
“Cody Riggs, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, my apology. How are you, Cody?”
“Fine, thank you.”
“And how about you, Miss Hannah Sweet?” He turned the force of his smile Hannah’s way and Charli saw a bit of color bloom on Hannah’s cheek.
Hannah held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. “I told you last time you were here, didn’t I? It’s Hannah Weathers.”
“Oh, well, I’m two strikes down. Yes, you did tell me. You and Bryson.”
“Yes indeed.”
“Well, again, congratulations to you and Bryson. Hope you’ll enjoy long happy lives together.”
“Thank you.”
“And you. I’ve seen you before. A man couldn’t forget that.” Grady turned his attention to Charli, flashed a smile and damn if it wasn’t like having the sun come from behind a cloud. Red alert. Klaxons blared, bells rang, sirens screamed, and that inner voice shouted warnings. She ignored all of it.
Yes, he was as dangerous a man as she’d ever met. She knew that down to the tips of her toes. His smile was a siren’s lure, his voice analogous to the horn of the Piper, and those eyes—those sky-blue eyes that promised heaven—were danger in its most appealing form.
He was more attractive and more sexy than the night she shared a quick glance with him at the Honky Tonk. And she was drawn to him like that tired old cliché of the moth to the flame.
“Likewise,” she finally replied.
“Grady Judd, ma’am.” He offered his hand, not in a position to indicate a handshake, but palm up.
“Charli Sampson.” She put her hand in his.
That was a mistake. Physical contact made her temperature jump a good ten degrees and she swore she felt her breath hitch. She’d never been so affected by a man. What the heck was it with Grady Judd? He was either magic or the most skilled man in the world in the art of seduction because right now she’d happily climb him like a tree.
“It’s a pleasure, Miss Sampson. Or is that Mrs.?”
“Ms.”
His smile seemed intimate, as if they were alone, without twenty-something sets of eyes watching. “Good to know. Are you new in town, Ms. Sampson?”
“It’s Charli and yes, I suppose. I’ve been here six months or so.”
“I’d consider it a special pleasure to hear what brought you here, Charli. Any chance you’d have dinner with me on Friday?”
“There’s always a chance, Mr. Judd.”
“Grady, please.”
Oh God yes, I’d consider it a special pleasure to moan that a few dozen times. “Why don’t you stop by where I work later in the week and I’ll let you know how my calendar is for Friday?”
“And which shop would be yours, Charli?”
She pointed down the way and he followed the direction she indicated. “Oh, that’s right, police department.”
“Yep.”
“As in dispatch, or put people in cuffs?”
“The latter.”
“Well, I reckon I’m gonna have to be on my best behavior, aren’t I?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It might be more fun if you weren’t.”
The smile he gave her communicated clearly that he was enjoying the flirtation. “Well, I’ll give that some thought and I’ll be seeing you.”
“Okay, see you, Grady Judd.”
Grady smiled and tipped his hat to Cody and Hannah. “Ladies, you all have a nice day.”
“You too.” Cody replied and they all three turned to watch him proceed on down the sidewalk.
“Damn, he looks as good going as coming,” Charli commented.
“Girl, you don’t have a clue the bag of worms you’re about to open,” Hannah said.
“Why?” Charli would have looked at her, but she was still enjoying watching Grady’s fine ass as he strolled along.
“Because Grady Judd has broken the heart of every woman he’s ever been involved with. Every single one. They all fall in love with him and then he ups and leaves like a circus that’s gotten all it can from the townsfolk and is ready for new pickins.”
Charli reluctantly turned away from watching Grady and focused on Hannah. “That has to be an exaggeration.”
“No. It’s not.”
Charli looked at Cody. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Okay, so he’s a heartbreaker. There are plenty of those in the world, but you make him sound like some kind of wraith who swoops in, steals a girl’s heart, and then disappears like a bad dream. And we know that’s not the case. First of all, does he live here, and if so, what does he do?”
“Yeah, he lives here. He has a spread about ten miles west of town.”
“And does what on this spread?”
“Cattle mostly. He did lease some of his land for a windmill farm.”
“So if he raises cattle, how can he afford to just up and leave town after he breaks another heart? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Cody shrugged. “I don’t know. All I can tell you is that it’s been happening as long as I can remember.”
“Well, I don’t buy it, but I can understand how he’d have ample opportunity to break a heart or two. That’s one dangerously fine man.”
“And one who could break your heart if you’re not careful,” Hannah warned.
Charli chuckled. “Honey, this isn’t my first rodeo and I’m not looking for Mr. Forever—just Mr. Take Me There, if you know what I mean.”
Cody laughed, but Hannah didn’t. “Make fun if you want, but I’m telling you, you need to be careful with him, Charli.”
“Oh, I intend to.” Charli wouldn’t admit it, but she didn’t disbelieve Hannah. There was something about Grady Judd that got to her in a big way, which was fine and dandy if it was just about two people pleasuring one another. But something in his eyes told her there was more to him than people knew, and that was what made him dangerous to her because she was a real sucker for a mystery.
Particularly one that filled out a pair of jeans like Grady Judd did.