Almost A Bride (Montana Born Brides) (3 page)

“
Don’t want to hear it,” he said as Reid approached.

“
How do you know you don’t want to hear it when you don’t know what I’m going to say?”

“
Did she tell you about the ladder?”

“
Yep.”

“
Then I don’t want to hear it.”

“
You could have waited for me to get home,” Reid said mildly.

“
I’m fine. You saw my last X-rays. Everything’s solid.”

“
Your reflexes are shot. You know that.” Not to mention his father was still trying to rebuild his strength after months of reduced activities. “If you slipped or the ladder fell, there’s no way you’re fast enough to do anything about it. But I’m not going to lecture you.”

“
What do you call this, then?” his father asked sourly.

“
A conversation.”

His father grunted in response, but his mouth curled up at the corners. They
’d always got along well, which was a good thing, since Reid was an only child.

“
How’d your game go?” his father asked.

“
All right.”

His father shot him a searching glance, obviously picking up on the heaviness in Reid
’s tone.

“
Something happened on the way home,” Reid said. He needed to decompress after breaking the news to Tara, and he knew his words wouldn’t go any further. “The guys and I spotted Tara’s fiancé leaving the motel up on the freeway.”

“
I take it he wasn’t with Tara?” his father asked.

Reid shook his head.

There was a short silence as his father processed the news. “You told her yet?”

“
Yeah.”

“
How’d she take it?”

Reid remembered the way she
’d fumbled for the seat when he’d broken the news about Paige. She hadn’t cried, though. Hadn’t shed a single tear.

“
She’s pretty tough,” he said.

“
Still. She must be upset.”

Reid glanced out the door of the barn, remembering the tense set of her shoulders as she left the salon.
“Yeah.”

“
You tell her if she needs any legal advice, it’s on the house, okay?”

His father had been forced to wind up his practice after the accident, but he still took on odd jobs for neighbors and friends.

“Thanks, I will.”

Reid knew that Tara and Simon had been together for three years, but he had no idea how complicated their financial arrangements were. He frowned as he thought about all the crap she was going to have to wade through. Moving Simon out of the house, canceling wedding plans, dealing with the inevitable gossip around town and at the station
... all of that on top of the hours she already put in helping out her mother.

If he could make it all go away for her, he would. But he couldn
’t.

“
I need a shower,” he said, turning away.

He left his father to his tinkering, crossing to the wooden staircase that led to the self-contained apartment over the garage that had been his home for the past year.

Originally built to accommodate visitors from out of state—his mother came from a large family—the space was divided into sleeping, living and cooking zones, with a small bathroom. More than enough to accommodate his needs, and private enough that he didn’t feel as though he was living in his parents’ pockets.

That didn
’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to having his own place again when he left Marietta. Which reminded him...

Crossing to the laptop he
’d left on the coffee table, he called up his email program. There was nothing new, and he pushed the computer away. He’d interviewed for a job with a Chicago-based security company over a month ago now, but they still hadn’t gotten back to him.

The Klieg Security Group had offices in most states as well as an international arm, which meant there was plenty of scope for advancement and adventure for a guy who was looking for both. With his overseas security experience and police background, Reid was more than qualified to take on the role, and he was confident he had a good chance of landing it
—if they ever got around to shortlisting candidates.

His thoughts shifted back to Tara. When he
’d applied for the job, she’d been happily engaged, and the bright lights and challenges of a new role in a new city had held a lot of appeal. With his father coping well, there had been no reason for him to hang around in Marietta...

Don
’t even think it.

He was only human, however. And he
’d been attracted to Tara from the moment he’d walked into the patrol bay at Bozeman PD and been introduced to his new colleagues.

She
’d been filling out paperwork at a desk, dressed in her navy blues, her blonde hair neatly braided and pinned at the back of her head. She’d glanced up as he’d walked in with Sergeant Crawford, and he’d looked straight into her clear green eyes and felt the hot pull of instant attraction.

She
’d stared back at him, an arrested, uncertain look on her face. Then she’d returned to her paperwork, a small frown creasing her forehead, and he’d known she felt it too.

He was so stupid
, he’d been pissed when the Sergeant had put them in the same car. Hadn’t wanted to be distracted by his own instincts. But working with Tara—getting to know her—had been the best thing about the past year, hands down.

She was a great cop, conscientious and fair-minded. She was an even better person. Funny and tough, sweet and smart-mouthed. He
’d laughed more with her than with any other woman.

And then Simon had proposed, and Reid had reali
zed that it would probably be a good idea to think about moving on. He was overdue anyway, and his dad was getting stronger every day. Hence the job application, and the fact that pretty soon he might be packing his bags and moving on again.

He yanked his T-shirt over his head and tossed it at the laundry hamper. Only an asshole would see any advantage for himself in Tara
’s situation. She was heartbroken. The future she’d had planned for herself had just come crashing down around her. She wasn’t suddenly going to turn to Reid, even if there had been that moment on that first day, and even if there had been other moments over the past year when he’d caught her looking at him or their hands had brushed or one of them had said something and that feeling—that connection—had shimmered in the air between them.

Men and women were attracted to each other all the time and didn
’t act on it. It didn’t mean anything. And even if it did mean something, there were lots of reasons why he and Tara Buck were never going to be an item, not the least of which was the fact that he hadn’t had a serious relationship with a woman since he’d broken up with Mary Kent before leaving Marietta six years ago. He moved around too much to do anything other than casual with women. And Tara was not casual. Not by a long shot.

The bottom line was that he was her friend, and that was all she needed him to be right now.

And so that was what he would be.

Tara knew that Grant had spilled the beans the moment she entered the patrol bay the next morning. One second her fellow
patrol officers were lounging around the open-plan workspace, leaning against desks, sucking in coffee and shooting the breeze before the morning briefing, the next they were stiff and self-conscious, their conversations stilted.

Half of them couldn
’t look her in the eye. The other half watched her with what she could only describe as fascinated pity.

Freaking awesome.

Reid pushed himself to his feet when he saw her, a frown on his face.

“
Morning,” she said tightly.

A few of the guys returned her greeting. Reid followed her into the briefing room as she made a beeline for the coffee machine.

“I didn’t think you’d be in today,” he said.

She could feel him watching her as she poured coffee into a mug. She was ridiculously proud of the fact that her hands remained steady.

“Life goes on, right?” she said, shrugging.

“
Yeah, but it’s not going to grind to a halt if you take a couple of days to get on top of things.”

“
What’s to get on top of? He’s gone, I had the locks changed. A few phone calls this afternoon and the wedding will be history.”

She shrugged again, even though her shoulders felt stiff and unnatural.

“Tara. Come on. This is me,” he said quietly.

She risked eye contact for the briefest of seconds.
“Don’t be nice to me, today, okay? Don’t pussyfoot around or speak in hushed tones or worry I’m going to lose it. I’m fine. Today is just a day, like any other day.”

She almost believed her own words. Almost.

She’d had to put eyedrops in this morning to take the redness from her eyes, and her back was sore from sleeping on the couch because even after changing the sheets she hadn’t been able to lie down on the bed that had once been theirs.

But she was here, and she was going to do her job, and somehow she was going to get through this.

“Okay. If that’s what you want,” Reid said.

“
It is.”

“
All right, people, let’s get this show started.” Sergeant Crawford’s voice boomed around the room as he entered, the rest of the crew trailing in after him. The Sergeant’s pale blue eyes lingered on Tara for a few seconds longer than strictly necessary and he gave her the smallest of nods.

Great, he knew as well. Was there a single person in the whole of the Bozeman PD who didn
’t know her private business?

Wrapping her hands around her coffee, she moved to the nearest chair and sat. Reid didn
’t follow her, but she was aware of him in her peripheral vision anyway, a tall, dark shape that she took great pains not to look at directly. She wouldn’t be able to avoid him once they were on patrol, however. Hard to pretend someone wasn’t there when they were just a few feet away.

Not for the first time she wished it had been someone else
—anyone else, really—who had seen Simon and Paige leaving the motel yesterday. For some reason she couldn’t explain, the fact that it was Reid, that he was the one who’d had to break the news to her, added an extra layer of humiliation to the whole situation.

She didn
’t want to appear pathetic in his eyes.

She forced herself to listen to the Sergeant
’s rundown of overnight incidents, but there was nothing ongoing for them to worry about and it wasn’t long before the briefing was over.

Sergeant Crawford lingered, reading over some paperwork as everyone filed out.
Reid waited for her near the door while she dumped her coffee down the sink. Her stomach wasn’t particularly food-friendly at the moment; she’d poured the coffee more to have something warm to hang onto than anything else.

“
Officer Buck, can I have a word before you head out, please?” Sergeant Crawford said.

Tara
’s gaze went to Reid, but he was already disappearing through the door with the last of the other guys, giving them privacy.

Bracing herself, she turned to her boss.

“Yes, sir?”

Sergeant Crawford hitched a thumb behind his belt buckle, a sure sign he was uncomfortable. In his late forties, he had thinning grey hair, narrow shoulders and a pronounced paunch.

“You know what this place is like—worse than a high school.” He sounded almost apologetic. “We all know too much about each other’s private lives.”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
If you need some space to sort yourself out, a week, two weeks, you’ve got time owing, and we can swing it for you. You only need to ask.”

Tara shook her head immediately.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine. I want to work.”

“
It’s your call.”

She summoned up a tight smile.
“Like I said, I appreciate the offer.”

Reid was waiting for her in the patrol bay when she exited the briefing room, his gaze raking her face.

“All good?” he asked.

“
Yep.”

They walked out to the yard in silence. It was Reid
’s turn to drive, so she slid into the passenger seat. Reid started the engine before glancing at her.

“
I know you don’t want to talk about it, but my dad wants you to know that any legal advice you need is on the house.”

She
’d been sure she had no more tears left, but she felt the now-familiar hot sting at the back of her eyes at his words. She’d known the Daltons to nod at all her life, harvesting apples at the orchard every October being something of a tradition in her family, but since she’d been partnered with Reid she’d come to know them properly and she liked them a great deal. Every time she trekked out to the orchard to hook up with Reid for one of their cross-country runs, his mother insisted on stuffing her silly with home-baked muffins and breads, while his father was always ready to discuss current events or town politics.

“
Thank him for me, but I don’t think there will be anything to worry about.”

She and Simon rented the townhouse, and while both their names were on the lease, she doubted Simon would be pushing to stay there. They hadn
’t quite reached the joint back account stage, either, something Tara could only be profoundly grateful for.

Reid looked as though he wanted to say more, but he simply nodded before signaling and pulling out of the yard.

Her phone shrilled to life as he headed south. She pulled it from the slot on her utility belt and checked the screen. Her family and friends knew better than to call her when she was working and Tara’s heart gave a panicky squeeze when she saw her sister’s name on the screen. Ever since her mother’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, unexpected phone calls freaked her out. She wasn’t sure what she was worried about—Parkinson’s was a slow-moving disease, after all—but it didn’t stop her heart from speeding up as she took the call.

“
What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is Mom all right?”

“
Mom is fine, mostly because you haven’t spoken to her yet, I gather.” Scarlett’s tone was bone dry.

“
I figured there was no rush.” Also, Tara hadn’t been up to handling her mother’s histrionics last night.

And there would be histrionics when she told her mother her news. Tammy Buck did not do calm, never had.

“Why are you at work?” Scarlett asked.

“
Because I’m on the duty roster.”

“
Tara... for God’s sake. You’re allowed to have a few seconds of weakness, okay? The universe gives you permission to get a little sloppy when the man you were going to marry turns out to be a jerk.”

Her sister
’s voice was loud enough that Reid must also be able to hear what she was saying.

“
I’m not made of sugar. Why does everyone think I’m going to fall apart?”

First Reid, then the Sergeant, now her sister.

“Because your heart’s just been broken, you idiot.”

“
We’re on patrol, I can’t talk now. I’ll call you later.”

She ended the call. Reid flicked a look at her. She waited for him to say something
—anything—but the radio crackled to life, breaking the silence.

“
118, 404... “

Tara grabbed her radio. Never had she been so happy to hear her badge number.
“118, go ahead.”

“
118, respond to corner Durston and 19th for a two vehicle non-injury MVA.”

“
118 copy,” Tara said.

Reid was already stepping on the gas and weaving more aggressively through the traffic.

Two hours flew by as they controlled the scene, took witness statements and directed traffic around the cleanup operation. They had a shoplifter to deal with next, then a traffic stop for a car with broken rear tail lights.

Throughout, Tara was aware of Reid
’s quiet concern. He didn’t say anything—he’d said he wouldn’t, after all, and Reid always kept his word—but she could feel how careful he was being around her. How sorry he felt for her.

Poor Tara, betrayed by her
fiancé. Heartbroken and abandoned and humiliated.

The rational part of her brain reminded her that he was her partner and friend
—of course he was concerned for her. He was a nice guy. He was simply looking out for her.

It didn
’t stop her from grinding her teeth in frustration, and it didn’t relieve the burning self-consciousness she felt every time she turned her head and caught him watching her.

She didn
’t want his sympathy, and she definitely didn’t want his pity. What she wanted was to forget. She wanted to give herself over to the job and to simply push all the ugliness that had been bouncing around inside her for the past twenty-four hours into a dark corner and work.

Standing in the open patrol car door, she eyed her partner darkly, watching as he talked to the car owner about the damage to his tail lights. Some of the guys looked goofy in their navy blues, especially the ones who had let themselves get thick around the middle with age, but Reid wasn
’t carrying an ounce of extra fat anywhere on his tall, broad-shouldered body. He made the uniform look good, and more than one woman gave him a lingering glance as they passed by.

The driver said something, and Reid smiled, his eyes lighting up, making his handsome face even more attractive. Tara looked away, aware of a sudden, terrible urge to march up to him and shove him hard in the chest like a child in the school ground.

No point being angry with Reid. You picked Simon. You agreed to marry the guy.

She did, and she had. Focusing her anger on Reid, resenting his concern for her, was immature and a little crazy. She needed to get a grip.

She turned away so she didn’t have to look at him, but the lump of hot anger sitting in her belly didn’t go anywhere. Suddenly the need to cry was on her again. Her life was a mess—and the worst thing was, she’d played a part in making it that way.

The radio
crackled, saving her from herself, and she leaned in to the car so she could hear it more clearly.

“
404 to all units, we have a report of a theft of a motor vehicle in progress with a baby inside near the Post Office on Main.”

Tara ducked her head out of the car.
“Reid, we’re up.”

He glanced her way, giving her a sharp nod, and she slid into the passenger seat and reached for her radio.

“404, 118. We are in the area and we are responding.”

Dispatch acknowledged her call, relaying the license plate details of
a blue Ford sedan and letting her know that the car was last seen traveling west on Main. Reid slid into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut and starting the engine in one smooth move.

“
What have we got?”