Belong to You (6 page)

Carmen, the babysitter, showed up at eleven forty-five and immediately engaged the kids, who loved her. Carmen was in her mid-sixties and had retired from cleaning houses to babysit and she had a full schedule.

Two minutes before noon the doorbell rang. Josie shouted, “I’ll get it,” and Anna heard the five-year-old girl’s shoes against the tile floor as she ran to the door.

With a frown, Anna worried her lower her lip. She wasn’t sure if she should have let Josie answer the door, but there was no changing the fact that she was doing just that.

Anna squared her shoulders, straightened her spine, and walked into the living room, a smile coming easily to her lips when she saw Mike crouching in front of Josie, at her eye-level, listening to her. He glanced at Anna and his smile and penetrating gaze warmed her before he turned back to Josie who was chatting animatedly.

Mike’s presence filled the room, making the large space seem small. She watched him talk to Josie and she drank in the sight, the comfort and ease Mike had in speaking with the little girl. He looked so good in his Stetson, a long-sleeved blue western shirt, dark blue Wrangler jeans, and broken-in brown boots.

Anna took in his tanned skin, his carved features, and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. His eyes, the color of polished oak, had an amused glint in them as he spoke with her young cousin.

“Josie.” Anna found herself smiling, too. “I think you might be talking off Sheriff McBride’s ears.”

The girl giggled and Pablo walked up to them. Mike stood and extended his hand to eight-year-old Pablo who accepted it with a solemn look on his features. Mike introduced himself and Pablo told Mike his name. It was hard to believe Pablo was already eight—he’d grown so much in the past year. He was so serious lately, as if he needed to be a man of the house. Anna wondered if it was because his parents worked so much that they were rarely home.

“Pablo, Josie,” Anna said as Mike and Pablo released hands. “Listen to Carmen. Only two hours of TV and one hour playing video games.”

Pablo looked reluctant but said, “Yeah. Sure.”

Josie smiled at Mike again before looking at Anna. “Okay, Anna,” Josie said. She had an innocent expression backed with mischief that told Anna that her instructions were going in one ear and out the other.

Anna hugged Josie and squeezed Pablo’s shoulder before she moved closer to Mike. She caught his scent, so spicy and masculine.

“Grab a jacket,” he said. “It’ll be cool this evening.”

She nodded and took her jacket out of the closet before picking up her small purse from the table beside the front door. “Hold on a sec.” She smiled at him and hurried to his room, returned with his blazer, and handed it to him. “Thank you for loaning it to me.”

He took it from her. “Anytime.”

Anna gave the kids and Carmen a smile. “I’ll have my cell phone on if you need me.” She gave them a wave goodbye before she and Mike stepped out of the doorway and Mike closed the door behind them.

“Your cousins look like great kids,” Mike said as they walked down the front porch steps together.

“They are.” She glanced up at Mike and wondered how he’d react to the truth about the children’s parents.

Her thoughts darkened as she looked away. What had she gotten herself into?

It wasn’t her doing. It was that bastard, Chad.

But for how long could she keep her secret? How long would she live afraid like she did, every single day?

As long as she had to. All she could do was pray.

“Everything okay?” Mike asked and she realized her face probably betrayed her emotions and concerns. She was too damned transparent sometimes.

“Great.” She smiled up at him. “It’s a gorgeous day.” And it was, the fall air crisp and cool, along with a crystal clear, cloudless blue sky and a light breeze.

He returned her smile as they approached a black SUV that was pulled up to her curb. She recognized it as the vehicle she’d parked behind the night she’d met up with Mike at the bar. He opened the passenger door for her and helped her step up onto the running board and then she slid inside before he closed the door behind her. She set her jacket and purse beside her as he strode around to the driver’s side and climbed in.

With a sexy little grin that turned her bones to water, he said, “Are you ready for a whopper of a day?”

His grin was so damned hot. “Most definitely,” she said.

“Good.” He laid the blazer on the back seat then started the SUV and put it into gear. “Ever been to a pumpkin festival before?”

“Is that where we’re going?” She looked at him and felt another stir of excitement. “I’ve wanted to since we moved here. Something always seems to come up that keeps me from going.”

He steered the vehicle down the neighborhood street. “I’ve been more times than I can count from the time I was a kid, but as far as I’m concerned, it never gets old.”

During the eighteen-mile drive to the pumpkin farm in Dewey, Mike and Anna chatted. Mike had an easy way about him, comfortable and down-to-earth. She’d always been adept at talking with people, including strangers, so between the two of them there were no lulls in the conversation.

The drive was pleasant, the scenery beautiful. The local scenery never failed to amaze Anna. It was so pretty here, so filled with life. Her Aunt Maria would say she saw God in every living thing.

Cheerful looking signs and banners were erected at the entrance to the dirt road leading to the farm, a couple of flags fluttering in the breeze. Mike guided the SUV over a cattle guard and down a well-maintained dirt road toward a sprawling farmhouse with extensive barns and other buildings.

Mike drove the SUV into an area that had been reserved for parking. Once he’d shut off the engine and climbed out, he came around the vehicle and opened the door for Anna. He took her hand in his warm one and helped her out of the SUV.

He released her hand once she was out of the vehicle and she missed his touch at once. She looked at him and he smiled. The way his smile did queer things to her belly made her realize she was in trouble.

Big trouble.

Chapter 6

The positive vibes and laughter in the air as Mike and Anna walked up to the festival entrance made her feel almost giddy, as if she was a young girl at a carnival for the first time. On top of a hay bale, a tall sign listed entry fees and prices for trail rides, pony rides, and a haunted house. Mike paid the entry fees and they walked through the gateway lined with hay bales and pumpkins.

After they entered, they stopped and looked at another sign, this one giving times for festival singers and jugglers during the day and fireworks and a barn dance at night. Pumpkins of all sizes were everywhere. Tractors with long beds filled with hay bales for hayrides were parked near the bounce house.

A bounce house for kids was near the huge barn and a sign declaring “Corn Maze” was positioned in an opening that led into a field of tall corn. Another field was filled with pumpkins and there was also an apple orchard. According to a sign, they were each allowed to pick out a pumpkin from the field, and select apples from the orchard.

“My aunt would love to make apple
empanadas
.” Anna looked at Mike. “Do you like to cook?”

He gave her a crooked grin. “I can’t say it’s my favorite thing. I do like to eat, though. How about you?”

“I love to cook.” She tucked long strands of hair behind her ear. “I think I got my love for it from my aunt.”

Vendors selling kettle corn, candied apples, fudge, funnel cake, hotdogs, nachos, and other foods lined the walkway. The smells reminded Anna of going to a carnival, only here the scents were mixed with fresh country air.

Further down were game booths where players could attempt to knock down milk bottles, throw darts at a dartboard, and shoot rubber ducks bobbing in water. Stuffed animals of all sizes hung from hooks at the booths.

More vendors’ stalls were after the game booths, these selling items like sunglasses, tie-dye T-shirts, and handmade jewelry.

Everywhere people greeted Mike with hellos and handshakes. He was friendly and personable, and still managed to guide Anna onward without spending too much time with the people greeting him. It was clear he was here to be with her.

On occasion his cell phone would vibrate and he would check the display to make sure an urgent message hadn’t been sent. As sheriff he was never fully off-duty. He did it as unobtrusively as possible but Anna didn’t mind. She knew it was part of his job, something he’d signed up for when he’d run for the position.

“Are you hungry?” Mike nodded to the hotdog vendor. “Looks like they have some top-notch gourmet food.”

Anna laughed. “I would love something to eat.”

They ordered hotdogs—two for Mike and one for Anna—along with sodas. “Have to save room for one of those candy apples and fudge,” she said when he asked her if she wanted anything else to eat.

“Good thinking,” he said as he paid for their lunch.

They found seats in time for the next performance and laughed as a juggler engaged the audience and started tossing balls and rings into the air that he handled easily. He ended the performance by juggling lit torches.

Anna and Mike finished eating and waited until the performance was over before leaving to explore more of the festival. Mike was still greeted frequently and they ran into several of his cousins. Anna had never seen so many good-looking males in one family as she had with the McBrides. Ryan was one of Mike’s cousins that they stopped to chat with. Ryan was with his wife, Megan, along with their adorable three-year-old identical twin sons and two-year-old daughter.

Anna watched Mike crouch to interact with the three children. He had the kids grinning and chatting with him in no time.

“You’re good with children,” Anna said after they parted ways with the family.

“I like kids,” Mike said. “My stepbrother, Garrett, and his wife, Ricki, just announced they’re expecting a baby in the spring. Our parents are thrilled to have a grandbaby on the way.” Mike smiled. “They want to know why the rest of us haven’t gotten busy having kids.”

“Do you want children?” Anna asked.

Mike gave her a long look. “Yes.”

“Boys or girls?” she asked.

“Both.” He grinned. “I’ve never been too sure about a girl, since I’d have to keep a shotgun around once she’s old enough to date. But seeing Ryan’s daughter…I’d have to say I wouldn’t mind having a girl one bit.”

“Same here.” She thought about her cousins. “I’ve helped raise Josie and Pablo since they were born, and there’s joy in raising both girls and boys.”

They wandered on past the bounce house and stopped by the entrance to the corn maze. They looked toward the horse corral.

“I’ve never been on a horse.” Anna tilted her head to the side as she looked at a small group that was saddled up and heading out for a trail ride. “They’re gorgeous animals, but they’re so big that I have to admit I’m a little afraid of them.”

“I’ll take you on a ride at my place some time if you like.” He rested his hand on her shoulder and she felt the warmth of his hand through her blouse. “I have a mare that’s gentle and perfect to learn on. You’ll fall in love with Maggie.”

Anna smiled. “I’d like that very much.” Horses might make her a little nervous, but she trusted Mike and his assurances made her feel a little more relaxed about the thought of riding one of the huge animals.

“Want to try the corn maze or get your pumpkin and apples?” he asked.

“Pumpkin and apples first,” she said. “I’ve got to get my courage up for the corn maze. I got lost in one once as a kid, so I tend to panic a little when it comes to things like that.”

They went out to the pumpkin patch and selected one each. Anna’s pumpkin was round and fat while Mike’s was tall and not so fat. He carried them out to the SUV and when he came back they each picked a dozen juicy red apples.

After he took the apples to the vehicle and then returned, they went to the candy apple vendor. Mike picked out a traditional caramel-dipped apple while Anna went with one dipped in dark chocolate caramel with a dark chocolate coating.

“Yes,” she said before he asked, “I adore chocolate. One can never have enough, and the darker the better.” She smiled inwardly as she thought about how many times she thought of his eyes as chocolate brown. Yes, she loved chocolate.

He linked his fingers with hers as they started walking down the aisle past the vendors. With a grin, he said, “That’s good to know.”

She liked the feel of his hand around hers and her tummy did all kinds of flips and flops. The caramel apple was delicious—the apple was juicy and the chocolate absolutely yummy. She felt light of heart and found herself enjoying every moment of the day.

“Best date ever,” she said. She finished off her caramel apple and tossed the stick into a garbage can. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“I’m glad you came.” He nodded toward the games. “Up to a little friendly competition?”

She nodded. “You bet.”

They spent the next half hour playing games. She did well with knocking down the milk bottles but couldn’t beat Mike at darts or shooting rubber ducks in the bin of water. By the time they were finished playing, Mike had won a large stuffed animal and he let her pick out one. She chose a stuffed alligator and he carried it while they continued enjoying the pumpkin festival.

As the day grew later, Mike left Anna to take the alligator to the SUV and to grab their jackets. While he was gone, she went to a glass-blowing booth and watched a man make a hand blown ornament.

Mike came up beside her when he returned. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “It’s been fun watching the artist.”

Mike continued to hold their jackets as they continued on.

When they reached a bobbing for apples booth, he gestured to the large tub and the floating apples. “Up for a little wager?”

“And what that might be?” she asked.

“If I get an apple, I get a kiss,” he said with a sexy grin.

A thrill went through her as she took the jackets from him. “You’d better get that apple, Sheriff.”