Chapter 6
“Here we are. Home sweet home.” Hugh took a step back and motioned for her to enter. She passed and her shoulder brushed his chest, causing tingles to shoot through him. Her perfume, a mixture of sunshine and heaven, teased his nostrils, only intensifying his need.
He watched her as she examined his place, distracted by her beauty. Her long dark hair hung in soft ringlets down her back with lighter caramel highlights. She had slight, rounded shoulders, slender back, and a damn near perfect bottom. His dick demanded attention, but he forced his body to behave itself. He hadn’t invited Adira to stay to make his every fantasy come true. She had no other choice but to stay here, with him, alone.
His gut tightened. What had he been thinking?
He could have called one of his sisters-in-law and they would have welcomed Adira. Why hadn’t he? Because the only thought that had come to mind was having her here with him.
“Lovely place,” she said as she examined the framed pictures on the fireplace mantel.
“Thank you.”
Turning his back on all her beauty, he took off his hat and hung it on the hook by the door and followed with toeing off his boots, placing them on the mat. His cell buzzed and he checked the screen. Weston. Well, his brother would have to wait.
He strolled across the room to the adjoining kitchen. “Can I get you something to eat? Drink?”
“What are you having?”
“A beer.”
“How about iced water for me.”
He dropped ice cubes into a glass, poured in water and grabbed a long neck from the fridge, then went back to join her. She was still looking at the pictures. “Here you go.” He handed her the glass.
“You and your brothers look so much alike.” She referred to a photo taken of all five of them when they were teenagers.
“I get that a lot.”
“But, you each have different personalities.”
“Do we?”
“Weston is a leader. Roman is logical. Penn is reserved. Urban is laid back. And you, well…I haven’t quite figured you out yet.”
He scrubbed his jaw. “I’m not that hard to figure.”
“You’re not quiet, not really. I think you have a habit of sitting back and watching. That’s how you learn people, observe important things.”
“I’d like to think everything that comes out of my mouth has purpose.”
“When I interviewed Penn, he talked about losing his leg. He told me that you were supportive, the one who stuck by him twenty-four seven.”
“I didn’t give a damn that he lost his leg, I was just glad that he was alive, but I understood how hard it was for him. He hated relying on others to take care of him. Harley reached a part of him that I thought would be lost forever.”
“Seriously, the Jericho kids are going to be amazing.”
He watched her bring the glass to her lips and drink, her delicate, smooth neck moving. He couldn’t believe how much he wanted to touch the length of the silken skin with his fingers, his lips, and continue to follow the feminine lines of her lush curves.
Hugh wasn’t sure where the need stemmed from, but it grew heavier, deeper, the longer he was around her.
As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted her close. Siting in the treetop, he’d had a strong urge to follow through with kissing her, but he wasn’t one to jump into anything, especially when she made it clear that she wasn’t interested in things getting messy.
“I’m going to admit something to you.”
“Ah, secrets revealed. I knew I’d eventually break you down.” She smiled.
Gathering his senses, he drained half his beer and sat the bottle on the table. Did she realize just how true her words were? “When I first laid eyes on you I was attracted to you.”
“Oh, is that why you suddenly stopped coming around?”
“Probably. Yes. How immature is that?” He chuckled.
“Well, if it’s any help, I was attracted to you too. However, after the interview when you barely looked at me and rushed me out of your office after two sentences, I took it as a sign that I either had body odor or you didn’t like me.”
“I can assure you that you’re wrong on both points.” The silence became overwhelming. He was about to lose himself to someone who had made it clear that she wasn’t interested, at least in anything serious. He’d had enough of those heat-you-up-and-leave-you romances. “I’ll show you to the guest room, let you get comfortable, and I’ll fix us some dinner. Pippa made a casserole and brought it over. I can warm it up.”
One corner of her mouth lowered. Did she catch the sudden change in him? “I’d like that.”
He motioned for her to follow him down the hall. At the end, he opened the door and pushed it with his foot. “If you need anything let me know.” Okay, leave now, man!
She stepped in and swiveled. “I’ll be just fine.”
He nodded and started to close the door, but he stopped, remembering what he’d promised. “Toothbrush. Give me just a second.” He grabbed a new brush and a clean towel from the hall closet, then with a side thought, he stopped in his bedroom. He found a shirt that could second as a dress on her small body. At least she’d have something to sleep in because it’d be the death of him if he imagined her sleeping in her birthday suit.
Back in the guest bedroom, he handed over the items and took his leave.
After preheating the oven, he stuck the lasagna inside, set the timer, grabbed another beer, and stepped through the sliding glass doors off the kitchen onto a deck that was in desperate need of varnish. Hell, a lot of things around the house could use some TLC, especially him.
It was dark now and the only light came from the full moon and a security light located twenty feet from the back of the house. He sat down in a wicker chair and stretched his legs, enjoying his beer. Confused in his thoughts.
In the distance, he could hear deer munching on grass. His brother’s dog barking, probably at the deer. And quiet.
He laid his head back and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to slip down a dead-end road. He hadn’t planned to have feelings for Adira, or anyone at this point in his life. However, sometimes the surprising things turned out to be the greatest things. For instance, he’d never planned to join the rodeo, although his grandfather, father, and brothers all joined the circuit. Hugh had been the slowest at finding himself straddling a bull. He’d had a lot of eight second rides before his internal compass directed him in another direction. Becoming Sheriff hadn’t been part of his ten-year plan, but a man doesn’t always know where his path will lead him. Now, another ratchet was thrown into the spokes of this thing called life. Adira Miles.
His stomach churned at the thought. Acid bubbled up into his throat, threatening to strangle him.
Lifting his head and opening his eyes, he swiped a hand down his face and sighed. He was at a crossroads with this situation. Find a way to send her out of Colton or keep her close so he could find out what her pretty pink lips tasted like. Those were his choices. Certainly, he could speak to Judge Marley, ask that her sentence be lifted, and then she’d have no reason to stick around and make his existence happily miserable for the next few weeks. Hugh could go back to his average life breaking up bar fights, handing out warnings and speeding tickets, and coming home to a beer and a cold, lonely bed. Yeah, and lately the king-sized bed had gotten a lot colder and lonelier.
What if, just food for thought, Adira decided to put down some roots and stay in town? That would switch things up a bit. Yet there weren’t many opportunities in Colton for filmmakers. Or for someone who liked traveling the country and exploring the world. His feet were planted here. He didn’t have a hankering to explore the world because everything he needed was right here at his fingertips. That included Adira—for now. Maybe they were books of a different genre. If so, did her novel have a place for a cowboy?
Shaking his head, he tried to toss out more crazy thoughts of what-ifs and maybes. Fact was simple, he and Adira lived in two different worlds with completely different plans for the future.
Knowing this, he still wanted her. So much that he could barely get his brain to function.
He could tempt fate and ease the tension behind his zipper. He’d managed to keep his emotions behind a steel wall and had become a pro at preserving his feelings, but when it came to the beautiful, mystical woman, he’d already witnessed another side to himself that was as new and foreign as a UFO landing in his backyard. Completely aware of how he enjoyed being near her, talking to her, quick touches, soft brushes of skin, he was becoming a basket case.
Taking another sip from his bottle, he thought about Option B. Maggie. She’d made it very clear today that she wanted to take things to the next level. Sure, thinking of her as “Option B” was unfair and nobody deserved to be a second choice. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, and for that reason, he couldn’t let her believe they could be anything more than just friends.
He heard the sliding door open and shut, and then he saw her. Adira stepped out and scanned the deck, but she didn’t see him because he was hidden in the shadows. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was wearing the shirt he’d loaned her and it hung loosely, stopping mid-thigh, showing off slender, toned legs. He’d never, even in his wildest dreams, imagined being this turned on so quickly without a touch to start his engine. Sucking in his breath, the sound made her jump, then spin, searching through the darkness. “Hugh?”
“Adira. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said softly. He stood and crossed the short distance between them, then leaned against the house.
She brought her hand to her chest. “I didn’t see you there.” Her pale face was illuminated in the moonlight. Something tugged inside him at the vulnerability and innocence he saw in her expression, like what he saw in her at the treehouse. He ached to reach out and draw her close, whisper comforting words, ask for her trust.
Did she feel the tension too?
Adira took a small step back and gave her hips a small rotation. “Thanks for the shirt. Thankfully, it covers everything.”
Thankful for who? Clearing his throat, he slipped his gaze down her lush femininity. He wished he could move his fingers along the curve of her legs and slip up underneath the hem of the shirt to find out what she wore underneath. He envisioned her wearing a lacey thong, red for passion, and a matching bra that lifted her perky, firm breasts. He could only imagine how soft her skin would feel underneath his callused palms, how sweet her scent would be to his starving senses. Damn…his zipper stretched and he was afraid he couldn’t hide his need.
“It looks better on you than it does on me.”
And then she did something that reached in and nestled in his gut. She lifted the neckline of the shirt and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply, her chest rising and her breasts pressing against the material. Obviously, he had been wrong about his guess. She wasn’t wearing a bra because he could see the shadows of her hard nipples. “Still smells like you.”
Fuckity fuck fuck! So much for ignoring the need in his body.
A man couldn’t ignore a scorching fire.
“I was thinking about you,” he admitted.
“You were?” One corner of her mouth played with a smile.
“I wonder if you realize how lovely you are? How you deserve more than your ex gave you.”
Did her eyes glaze with tears? He didn’t want to make her cry.
“This is all overwhelming.”
“I don’t want to overwhelm you.” He blew out a long breath. “I want to be honest.”
“You barely know me.” She cocked her head.
“I know enough. No woman deserves to be mistreated.” A sudden jealousy rushed through him and he couldn’t understand where the feeling came from. The idea that she’d been with a man who didn’t cherish her ripped through him. “You have every right not to trust a man again.”
“Trust doesn’t come easy, but when you said earlier that not every man is like my ex, you’re right. I don’t want to allow him to own any more real estate inside my heart or my mind.”
“Do you still love him?” He shouldn’t have asked, but he wanted—needed—to know.
“Love him?” Her voice became slightly higher in pitch, exposing a sadness that he doubted she showed many people and he felt privileged that she opened up to him. “I think I’d call it lust, not love. I was looking for someone to love and to love me and he happened to be at the right place at the right time. Have you ever been in love?”
“No.”
“Not even with Presley?”
“Oh, you’ve heard the story.”
“Not all of it. Just the basics.”
He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t love Presley.”
“Some reaction when you weren’t in love.” She chuckled.
“I guess you’re referring to punching Urban. My brothers and I have a pact. We don’t get involved with a woman who has dated a brother. But, that wasn’t why I reacted the way I did. He should have come and told me he was getting hitched with her. I had to hear it through the grapevine and that’s never cool.”
Her shoulders slumped some. “I’m glad there wasn’t a love triangle.”
“That wouldn’t happen.”
“Is it true that Urban and Presley didn’t even like each other in the beginning?”
He shrugged. “From what we could see they didn’t, but you know how attraction is, it pops up when you least expect it.” She blinked and he swore under his breath. Had he given away too much of his emotions?
“And sometimes we learn to dislike someone at the very end. As I had my parents, and then Preston.” Adira seemed calm as if she’d separated herself from the memories of her past. “It leaves me wondering if love truly exists.”
He clenched his hands into fists, his empathy running wild thinking of her as a young girl, vulnerable and being taken advantage of. If he could hunt down this Preston guy, he would. “Do you always do that?”
“What?”
“Throw out reasons and excuses why love can’t happen.”
“I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. Are you a believer?”
“Very much so.”
“Maybe I will too. I’ve already come so far.”
“Yeah, you have.”
Her blue eyes glistened. “You better believe I have. I’ve learned a lot. I’ll never be in a position to put my entire heart and soul into a man, or give up my self-respect and strength for him.”
“You’re independent and strong, Adira, and that’s what is important.” He touched her hand. “I believe when a person finds the right one, he or she won’t have to give up anything, but instead have more than they’ve ever imagined.”
She smiled. “That almost sounds romantic, Hugh. You? A romantic?”
“I have my moments. I had good role models. My mom and dad loved each other wholly and deeply. My brothers and I were taught to respect women, to put them on pedestals.”
“Where have you been all my life?” Although her chuckle made her statement appear like she was joking, the torment he saw in her eyes told him she’d gone through so much. In many ways, she was much stronger than he was.
Hugh understood the pain she must have suffered and her concern that every man would take advantage of her, or mistreat her after he thought he had her where he wanted her. “This is why you were so good with Sandra. You understood and were exactly what she needed at that very moment. Thank you.”
“I don’t know. I guess she and I do have a connection, but sadly, I’m not sure it’s enough.”
“Why?”
“It isn’t over completely between she and her husband. Sure, she has gone to her sister’s house, but what Sandra wants is for the abuse to stop, not to get rid of Joe from her life. She still has hope that he’ll change.”
“She deserves better and needs to realize that fact,” he groaned. “I’ll take the bastard to jail if I have to for her protection.”
“I think that’s admirable, Hugh, but keep in mind no one can change her mind except herself.”
The ding sounded on the oven. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Starving.”
~~~~~
“Sorry about last night. The boy was vomiting his guts up,” Carol said.
Adira poured a Styrofoam cup full of coffee, then added creamer and sugar. “That couldn’t be helped. The Sheriff let me stay in his guest bedroom.”
“Might have to take him up on his hospitality one more night. I wouldn’t want you to catch anything…” She tried to hide her grin behind her cup.
“Thank you for bringing my suitcase. I was glad I didn’t have to wear the same outfit again.” She’d changed into a pair of comfortable jeans, her favorite blue sweater, and flip flops. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
“No problem. I took a Lysol bath so I wouldn’t spread germs and loaded up on vitamin C. I hope I don’t catch anything myself.”
“Drink lots of fluids.”
“So, what was it like?”
“What was what like?”
Looking over her shoulder at Hugh’s closed office door, Carol leaned in and whispered, “Sleeping at his house?”
Adira grinned. “Innocent. We ate dinner and went to bed…separate beds,” she added for good measure.
The other woman dropped back into her chair. “You’re about the only woman in town that would have made a night with a Jericho innocent.”
Pulling the swivel chair closer to the deputy’s desk, Adira smiled. “He’s handsome, but I’m not looking for a relationship. My life is on the road.” The words felt thick and meaningless and she tried to cure the feeling with a sip of coffee. Remembering how she’d come into the kitchen that morning and found him standing at the coffee maker, damp hair, clean shaven face, wearing a crisp uniform shirt, she’d instantly been reminded of her explicit dreams involving him. What she wouldn’t have given to have strolled over to him and wished him a very intimate, seductive, good morning.
“A woman’s got to put on the brakes eventually. Settle down. Have the American dream of husband, kids, white picket fence.”
“The dream has changed some over the years.”
“Some, but the desire for love never does.”
Adira sighed. “I find I have bad taste in men.”
“Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to judge every fish by the pond water they swim in?”
“I remember my dad’s girlfriend telling me a man only wants one thing so a woman should be highly skilled in that area. My mom, on the other hand, proved those words to be true because what I remember most about her is the revolving door.”
“Ah, then we have something in common. My dad never could keep his zipper closed and having a wife and kid was just too much for him. I know your pain, honey. I wish I was younger though. I’d be chasing after Hugh Jericho. He’s worth the effort.”
Adira frowned. “Carol, is this an amateur version of matchmaking?”
With a shrug and a chuckle, she thrummed her fingers on the desk. “Let me just say, I don’t think I’ve seen my boss this nervous.”
~~~~~
Stepping out of Deandra’s hospital room, he was met by her mother.
“Hi, Nancy. How are you holding up?”
The woman looked at him with stoic eyes. “I’m getting by. Please tell me, Sheriff, that she told you who gave her the drugs.”
“She says she can’t remember.”
Nancy shook her head. “I know she remembers. Why does she want to protect these people? This monster who almost killed her by giving her dirty drugs.”
He patted her shoulder, understanding where her anger came from. “I will keep looking for the bastard, but in the meantime, stay strong for her. She’s agreed to go into a rehabilitation unit.”
Some relief spread over her tired-looking expression. “Thank you for everything, Sheriff.”
He looked beyond Nancy’s shoulder and saw Maggie. She was watching him. He strolled over and greeted her with a tip of his hat. “Morning, Maggie.”
“Hi, Hugh. You here about the Newman girl?”
“I came to check on her, see if I could get any useful information. How are you?”
She shrugged. “Peachy.”
“How about I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“Sure. I have a few minutes.”
At the machine, he dropped in quarters, pushed several selections, and waited for their cups to drop. He handed her one and sipped from his. “And I thought Deputy LaGatta’s was bad.”
Maggie laughed, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time with that filmmaker.”
Had he forgotten how small Colton was? “She’s been shadowing me.”
“And staying at your place?”
Now that one took him for a loop. How did she find out? It really didn’t matter. “Yes.” No reason to make light of the situation. His feelings for Adira were growing stronger and he didn’t want to bother denying things. “I’m sorry.”
“Look, Hugh. I didn’t think you and I were a match made in heaven. Sure, I had hoped…but it’s obvious we’re just not meant for one another. I want you to be happy. Whether you realize it or not, I think you deserve someone special.”
“I feel the same. You deserve happiness.”
She lifted her cup. “Salute to both our happiness then. It’s hard to find, but maybe it’s out there.”
Later, dumping his empty cup into the trashcan, he caught a glance of Nancy standing in the doorway to Deandra’s room. She offered him a weak smile, then turned and went inside.