By two o’clock we were headed to Ogden. Emma kept reading something on her tablet as we drove, once in a while breaking her concentration when my truck hit a deeper pothole.

“Not the smooth asphalt you’re used to.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid a few more of these and I’ll puke.”

I laughed. This girl was all business and proper one moment, and then country within hours of arriving. The boots she wore surprised me. Maybe they were part of a past Halloween costume get-up she’d packed.

“Where’d you get those?” I asked.

“It’s for the strip club. I wear them sometimes on the stage.”

I hit my foot on the brakes, jolting us both forward and looked over to the side. Emma simply fluttered her lashes before bursting out in laughter.

“You’re kidding?”

“Of course I’m kidding. Come on, Cowboy. Do you honestly think I’d been there more than once?”

“There are other bars…”

“Eric, snap out of it. I promise I’m kidding. Grace got these for me last fall, and I’ve never had a good place to wear them to.”

I breathed out with relief. The thought of Emma dancing in nothing else but the boots, and all those men admiring her body, had not only infuriated me, but also sent all the blood rushing south. No one had ever kept me on my toes as much as she did. What would she say next? That she’d danced as part of a showgirls act in Las Vegas? This time the image was a bit more appealing because at least the showgirls had some attire to cover themselves. I’d been to Vegas once, with a buddy of mine I hoped to see today. It had been a long time since we’d talked, and we had some catching up to do.

I eased my foot and started rolling forward again. “Why don’t you tell me the kinds of dares Grace conned you into, and the bets you’ve lost?”

“First of all, no one has ever conned me into a dare. Grace just knows what I need to feel alive. Why do you need to know?”

I thought about how I could make her feel so alive. I’d rejuvenate her body with my mouth and hands. It’d be like an adventure I’d never get tired of.

“I just don’t like surprises.”

“That’s only because you haven’t had the right kinds of surprises, Cowboy.”

“I’m afraid to ask you what the right kind of surprises are.”

Emma leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. A soft smile surfaced on her face as she said, “Ones that you cannot wait for. They tickle you in your stomach when you get a hunch, because you sense a change in the air of excitement and anticipation.” Her head jolted up and she looked at me, her eyes wide now as if she were experiencing Disneyland for the very first time. “I get that feeling when I’m onto something with a case. It’s the surprise you’re never expecting, like unwrapping a Christmas gift and finding someone bought you two puppies instead of one.”

She smiled as if she were reliving a memory. That smile on her face could have melted Mr. Freeze’s stone-cold heart. Yet there was a fraction of sadness in those small corners of her beautiful eyes as well, and I wondered why.

“Is Grace taking care of your dog?” I asked.

“How do you know I have a dog?”

“I saw him running around the back, and Jack told me it’s yours.”

“No, Dino will stay at my parent’s while I’m away. What else did Jack tell you?”

I recalled my chat with Emma’s nephew as I’d given him a piggy back ride. Thankfully Emma wasn’t aware that her brothers had invited me over to their family’s home a full hour earlier to discreetly interrogate me about the dangers of my case and feel me out. After all, they already knew I’d be spending a lot of time with Emma, as that was the point of me taking her away from the city, like we agreed. Although I must say that the nature of their personal questions and subtle threats had me wondering whether they wanted me to keep my hands to myself as well. That was something I definitely couldn’t promise. Yet my fifteen-minute conversation with Jack, who seemed to take a liking to my cowboy hat, gave me more information about Emma than anyone could have.

“Jack said not only do you need a man who can give it to you, but also one who can take care of you and love you the way his daddy loves his mommy. ‘Unconsciously’ was the word he used, though I’m pretty sure he meant to say ‘unconditionally.’ You know, his vocabulary is quite extensive for a little kid.”

She laughed. “You need to remember that Jack is only four and still believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny, so his words don’t mean much.”

“Are you telling me you don’t believe in Santa?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. Her laugh vibrated through my body. “You’re definitely one of a kind. But Jack hasn’t been stabbed by life’s sharp thorns of reality.”

I knew she was lying about Jack. A shadow passed over Emma’s face when she tried to hide the truth. The little boy was right – unconditional love was something Emma had once lost.

“Have you been stabbed, Emma?” I pulled up beside the general goods store. If we were going to stay at the ranch, I had to pick up a few groceries for the house. After our brunch, the fridge had been emptied.

Emma shook her head sideways, and I knew she’d just put a wall up between us. “I’m pretty much built like a machine when it comes to getting hurt, and refuse to let anyone to do so. There aren’t many things anyone can say to hurt me.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Emma.”

She rolled her eyes, and I sighed.

“Is this it?” She motioned with her head at the town coming up, changing the topic.

“Yup, that’s Ogden.”

“Looks like a Western movie set.”

“You’ll find people here a bit nosy, which may be good for your job. I need to get some groceries. If you’d like to look around, I can meet you back here in an hour or so? Sheriff’s office is that way, local post office and I guess what you can call a motel.” I pointed them out. “Just tell them you’re with Eric, if anyone asks.”

Emma’s cheeks flushed, but she recovered in two beats of my heart. I was beginning to love that pinkish shade on her face. It was so rare and unique, I doubted she even knew she was doing it. The few freckles that decorated her skin darkened, and her eyes brightened.

“So, I’ll meet you back here in an hour?” she asked.

“Sounds good.” I rushed around the front of the car to open the door, reaching just before she pulled on the handle.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” I stepped closer, leaning in. “And one more thing, Emma. I’m really glad you’re staying with me, and I hope you can find some time to relax while working, too.”

“If anyone can relax, it’s me, Cowboy.” She was lying again. “But not while I’m on the clock.”

“Then I will make it my mission to make sure the clock stops for you once in a while.”

“You’re the one that’s paying the bill. If you want me to take it easy, it’ll cost you more time.”

“Money’s not an object.”

“Really?” Her brows rose. “You don’t look like someone with loads of cash.”

“Just because I don’t flaunt it doesn’t mean I don’t have it.”

Her mouth formed a perfect O, and I said, “See you soon, Emma Cross.”

She didn’t say anything as I left her by my truck, speechless. There weren’t too many people in town who knew about our family fortune: flowing crude under the fields of my ranch. At the time my grandfather had left the property to me, his first grandson, not even my parents knew about it. The horses now camouflaged a secret that had been passed on to the first born in each family, and I’d always had trouble figuring out why the secrecy.

“Hello, Mr. Front,” I greeted the butcher. While he’d kept the meat store clean, his apron held the permanent stain of blood, which always sent shivers down my spine.

“Good to see you Eric. Where’d you pick up that beauty?” He nodded to Emma, who was making notes on her tablet and taking pictures.

“On my way back from Rutherford.”

“How was the horse sale? Did you get any new breeds?”

“None interested me.”

“Could it be because she interested you?”

“Could be. Once I saw her, I knew I was done.”

“She looks a bit out of place.”

“She’ll adjust. Emma will be staying with me for a while.” Hopefully for much longer than she expects.

“Make sure you introduce her around town, Eric. You know how jealous the girls will get if they find out you’re off the market.”

“Thanks for the advice, Mr. Front.”

Didn’t he know I never truly let myself be on the market? None of the women in Ogden could ever hold my interest for long enough, the way Emma did. But then again none of them were dancing nearly naked when I first saw them either. Emma was so different and fresh, no wise man would let that one go – so why was she still single? I ordered a few dozen cuts of steak and ribs, packing the frozen pieces of meat in the cooler in my trunk. Just as I finished stacking the remainder of groceries, a hard and loud slap on my back shook through me. “Look what the cat dragged into town.”

“Hey, buddy.” I shook my friend’s hand before giving him a man hug. “It’s been a while.”

“What are you doing here? Couldn’t get your shopping delivered?”

While it was true that my parents had often brought my groceries on their way to visit, I’d mostly avoided the town. Whenever I came here, I had the odd sensation that I’d somehow run into Huntz.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m some sort of a spoiled brat.”

“Never would, brother.” Derek often referred to me as his brother. The one-year difference in our ages, made it feel as if we were twins sometimes. We’d become good friends while away from home, both being forced to return from serving our country too early. So much connected us since childhood, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to explain to anyone how we’d become so close. But once you lived through what we had, there was no way that bond could be broken.

“Derek, I need a favor.”

“You know you can ask me anything. I’m indebted to you for the rest of my life.”

“You would have done the same. And I would have done much more than I did if I could have.”

“What’s up?”

“It’s Annabelle. I need you to check up on her in San Francisco. But keep it to yourself. If she finds out I sent you, she’ll flip.”

“Your little sister? How old is she now?” I knew exactly where my friend’s mind was drifting.

“She’s my little sister. You’ll keep your hands to yourself.”

“Of course.”

“And your dick in your pants.”

“Hey, if she’s your sister, she’s like my sister. Besides, I remember her as a freckled kid, so I doubt she’s my type.”

“Are you calling Annabelle ugly?”

“No, I’m calling her not my type.”

“Fine, whatever. Just check up on her, will ya? Make sure she’s not in any trouble.”

“Something I should know about?” The concern crossing his forehead in the form of straight lines reminded me what a good officer he was. His instinct out in the field had only failed him once – and for that reason we were both back on home soil.

“No, everything is fine,” I lied. “I just haven’t heard from her in a while, and this thing I need to clear up is taking up my time.”

“By ‘this thing,’ you mean this blonde sex-goddess you brought back from the city? And why is she here playing dress-up?”

I followed Derek’s gaze toward the window where Emma and the cashier, Missy, were chatting as if they’d known each other for years. I’d never seen Missy be so open with anyone before. It looked like Emma was fitting in with the town’s most difficult girl quite well. The girl I’d heard had been hanging around with Derek’s younger brother Blake enough to start rumors of them being an item.

Looking at Emma from behind the glass, part of me wanted to know where she was planning on wearing all those clothes she was buying. I mean, I was sure the outfits would last for the next ten Halloween parties she’d go to. Yet as I watched her face, studying each piece of clothing and chatting up Missy, I couldn’t help but think that Emma was in her full investigative mode, even while blending in with the town. And was that nerves I noted in Missy’s body language? Why was she so anxious and sweating?

“I’m branching out, dude. She’s keen on learning all about cowboys, and I intend on teaching her everything I know.” I couldn’t hide the coy smile on my face, but also felt guilt tug at my stomach for the way I’d referred to Emma.

“You mean you haven’t scored yet? What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing’s wrong. She’s just… different.”

“Wow, you like her.”

“What’s not to like?” I really hoped that I didn’t have that dumbfounded puppy love look on my face, because if I did, there was no way I could hide it from my friend.

“Claire will be jealous.”

Goosebumps covered my arms at the mention of her name. Claire had had her eye on me for years, and tried to get her claws into my pants every time she saw me. And all because I’d made out with her once after school. All right, maybe twice, if you counted the fall fair after I returned from the military. But I was a starving man, and the moment she slid her hand down my pants behind a popcorn stand, I knew I was done. She offered exactly what I needed at the time – a quick release. Plus, with the booty she had to offer, how could a man say no? Hopefully Claire had moved on, though, and Emma would not run into her anytime soon.

“Isn’t that your brother chatting with Missy now?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think Blake’s into her. I don’t know, though. There’s something odd about that girl.”

“What do you mean, odd?”

“Can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“Maybe it’s an orphan thing?” I said, feeling an odd connection to the girl behind the counter. I’d never seen Missy date a boy in town. In fact, they’d stayed away from her, and if I remembered the rumors no one could avoid, I’d say she was an outcast. Suddenly, I felt sorry for her.

“Looks like your girl’s getting ready for you,” Derek said, pointing to Emma, who was dangling a pair of panties on her finger.

“Trust me, when Emma’s ready, she won’t need those.” I grinned just at the same time Emma turned toward the window and waved to me. Missy blushed in our direction, and I could only imagine what kind of discussion Emma had been having with her.

I wondered whether she knew I’d tear those sexy panties off as soon as she put them on. Or perhaps that was why she was buying them.