Lingerie and Lariats (Rough & Ready#7) (3 page)

When he was ready to leave, he helped her into the passenger seat then closed the door and went to his side. He started the vehicle, pulled onto the highway, and headed to Patagonia.

He glanced at her as he drove. “Sure you don’t need to go to the hospital to get a thorough examination? I’ll drive you.”

“No, thank you.” She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

He frowned but didn’t try to argue with her.

She sank against the seat, feeling weary to the bone. “I didn’t realize how tired I was until now.”

“You’ve been through a lot tonight.”

She nodded but wanted to change the subject. “How long have you been sheriff?”

“Five years,” he said then answered questions she asked of him about what it was like being a sheriff and what kinds of things he did in a normal workday.

“You mentioned that you’re currently unemployed.” He glanced at her. “What did you do before?”

“I was an office manager for an advertising agency.” She ran her fingers over the purse she held in her lap as she spoke. “When my stepfather passed on I was the sole heir of his business. I sold the watch shop and wanted to come back here for a visit. Jerry’s business trip was the perfect opportunity.”

Dan looked at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. “It’s good to have you back, Renee.”

She thought about the day and seeing and talking to old friends. She looked at Dan’s profile. “It’s good to be back.”

When they arrived at the B & B, Dan walked her up to her room and she unlocked the door. They paused outside and she looked into his eyes. She felt a stirring inside her that she knew she shouldn’t be feeling. Not while she was attached to Jerry and he was sitting in the county jail.

Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He drew a business card from it. “Do you have a pen?”

“Yes.” She dug in her purse and pulled out a pen and handed it to him.

He scribbled a number on the back of the card and handed it to her along with her pen. “That’s my personal cell phone. You call me if you need me for anything.”

She looked down at the card. On one side it had a star with the sheriff’s department logo along with his name and a couple of phone numbers. On the back was the number he’d written. She slipped both the card and the pen into her purse.

“Thank you for everything.” Impulsively she rose up on her toes and kissed Dan on the cheek. His stubble was rough against her lips and his scent surrounded her.

Her breathing quickened and she stepped back. “Goodnight, Dan.”

He studied her a long moment, as if trying to decide something. “Goodnight,” he finally said, but didn’t move.

She slipped in through the door and closed it behind her. The latch clicked and she put her forehead against the door and closed her eyes while she listened to his boot steps as he walked away.

“What did you do after the deputy took me in?” Jerry spoke in a cold voice as he walked into the room at the B & B while Renee held the door open for him. The hiking boots he always wore thumped on the floor as they walked in. He slammed the door behind him and stared at Renee.

She swallowed. “I came straight here and went to bed.”

He narrowed his gaze. “How did you get here?”

She tried to give a casual shrug. “The sheriff gave me a ride.”

Jerry grabbed her by her upper arms. “Did you fuck him while I was locked up?” He shook her hard enough to jar her teeth. “Did you?”

“No.” She tried to pull away from Jerry but he wouldn’t let go. Her heart started beating faster. “Dan just gave me a ride. That’s it.”

“Dan.” Jerry snarled the word as his fingers dug into her arms. “Not sheriff, but Dan.”

“We’re old friends.” She looked at Jerry, pleading with him. “You’re hurting me.”

He released her and pushed her back. She stumbled and almost fell.

“I want you to stay away from that bastard.” Jerry shook his finger in her face. “You’d better not go near him again.”

“Or what?” She raised her chin.

“You don’t want to know,” he said in an icy tone.

A cold stab of fear went through her and she couldn’t say anything.

“I’ve got to go to Tucson to rent a car and take care of a few things.” He took his wallet off of the dresser and tucked it into his back pocket. “I’d take you with me but there’s no room for you in the tow truck.”

She nodded, a sense of relief going through her at not having to spend more time with him right now.

He stepped closer and she had to force herself to stand still and not retreat. “Stay away from that sheriff. Understand?”

She wanted to lash out at him and tell him he had no right ordering her around, but she couldn’t get the words out.

“I’ll be back tomorrow and then we’ll head on to Phoenix.” He gave her a hard look. “I’ve already had enough of this place.” He turned and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

For a long moment she stared at the door, her stomach aching. She was sick with anger from the way he’d manhandled her, sick with fear from his threats, and hurt from how he’d treated her. She felt pain…pain from the fact he wasn’t the man she’d thought he was.

The room felt stifling, as if it was closing in on her. She needed to get out, get some fresh air. Needed to think things through.

After dressing in jean shorts and a T-shirt, she slipped on a pair of athletic shoes then stuffed cash and her ID in her pocket along with her cell phone. Jerry had forgotten his room key—both were sitting on a lamp table. She picked up one of the two keys, closed the door behind her, locked it, then headed down the stairs.

Bright sunshine greeted her as she stepped out of the B & B, the sunlight causing her to squint. She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked down the street. A general store was on the corner up ahead and she decided to walk to it. As she walked, she passed a few businesses along with a café and a diner. It was a small town with limited attractions, but it was quaint and she liked it.

She thought about Dan’s business card that was tucked inside her purse. Maybe she should try his number and thank him for last night. She gripped the strap of her purse as she considered taking her cell phone out and calling him.

The Arizona heat warmed her long hair and sweat was already dampening her nape as she walked to the store. She wished she’d put her hair up in a ponytail. She was bound to get a good tan while she was here as hot as it was.

Although according to Jerry, they weren’t going to be here much longer. She clenched her hands. When she’d asked him if she could make the trip with him and see her old friends, he’d smiled and said “Sure. Why don’t we spend a few days there?” Now he was telling her that they were leaving tomorrow.

Maybe she should just stay. She had enough money—

She paused mid-step just as she reached the store. Jerry was an authorized signer on her investment account where most of her money was. He wouldn’t mess with her money, would he? She had trusted him completely, but now, given the way he was acting and how he was treating her, she wasn’t sure she should have been so trusting.

A heavy weight added to the already sick feeling in her belly.

Bells jangled at the top of the door of the general store, but she barely heard them as she walked inside. She absently returned the store clerk’s “hello” and continued on to the cold case. Cool air washed over her as she opened the door, drying some of the perspiration on her skin. She selected a large bottle of water and closed the door.

She hadn’t had anything to eat yet today, but she really wasn’t hungry. Still she grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and headed for the counter. The door to the store opened as she reached the counter but she didn’t pay any attention to it.

“Good morning, Sheriff Cooper,” the store clerk said.

Renee cut her gaze toward the door and saw Dan closing the door behind him.

Warmth traveled through her body, a tingling sensation flowing over her skin as he smiled at her. He filled out his western shirt so well, the badge glinting at his belt. He had shaved the stubble from his jaws.

Dan glanced at the clerk and returned his good morning before moving his gaze back to Renee.

“Hi, Dan.” It wasn’t hard to smile at him and push aside the things Jerry had said.

“Good morning.” He smiled back at her. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

“Tucson.” She tried not to let thoughts of Jerry get her down or show in her voice that they did. “He won’t be back until tomorrow.”

Dan gave a thoughtful nod as she reached into her front pocket for cash and paid for the chips and water before stuffing the change back in her pocket. Dan bought a pack of gum and walked outside with her. He had his sheriff’s department SUV parked in front of the store.

“What are you doing now?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Just walking around and seeing the sights.”

He laughed. “That took you about ten minutes. What are you going to do with the rest of your time?”

“Since I don’t have a vehicle right now,” she said, “there’s not a whole lot I can do, so I think I’ll just walk.”

“I have to work, but I’m free later this afternoon.” Dan studied her. “How about an early dinner at the steakhouse?”

She thought about what Jerry had said and his threats. “I can’t, Dan.” She bit the inside of her lip for a moment. “I promised Jerry I wouldn’t see anyone while I was here unless he could be there with me. It is embarrassing to have to say it, but that’s just the way it is. He’s a little on the jealous side. So I’m planning on going out to dinner alone.”

Dan studied her, his expression unreadable. “Not even with the Camerons?”

Renee looked away and shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t want me there. He’s afraid he might lose me to this area. I’ve always said I wanted to move back here and that’s not in his plans. I’m surprised he said I could come with him on his trip here.”

Dan’s gut tightened as he thought about the control Nelson had on this sweet, beautiful lady. As much as he wanted to though, talking her into going to dinner was not his place.

“Need a recommendation for tonight?” he asked.

She smiled. “Sure.”

“What kind of food are you interested in for dinner?”

She shrugged. “Italian or Mexican sounds good.”

He gave her the names of an Italian place and a Mexican restaurant. “Either place is a good choice.” He gave her directions to both of them. Neither was far from the B & B.

“Thank you.” She gave him a smile.

“Would you like a ride back to the B & B?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m heading in the opposite direction.”

“All right.” He dug his keys out of his pocket. “See you at the Cameron barbeque.”

She didn’t want to tell him she wouldn’t be going. She’d call Zane first. “See you.”

Dan gave her a nod and touched the brim of his hat like the cowboy gentleman he was before climbing into his SUV.

She watched as he drove off and wished she could have dinner with him. But not after Jerry’s threats. More than just that, she wished she were with a man like Dan. He was the man’s man she thought he would grow up to be. Amazing looking, tough, but thoughtful and caring. How did she end up in the situation with Jerry where she felt so trapped? Thinking about Dan more would just make it worse.

She pushed her hair behind her ear then started to walk.

The day seemed to drag by as Renee strolled around the small town and some of its neighborhoods, exploring what she could on foot. She was sore from the accident and had a variety of bruises, including one from the seatbelt, along with burns on her face and arms from the airbag deployment. Overall she was amazed that she had come out of the accident intact and with only a few scratches on her arms and legs that were hardly noticeable.

Jerry called several times to check on her and she felt more and more trapped each time she talked with him. He warned her again about seeing the sheriff, or any other man for that matter, and she had to reassure him that she wasn’t going to meet with anyone.

When it was close to five, she returned to the B & B so that she had time to take a shower and do her makeup and hair before treating herself to an early dinner. The day had been so hot that she’d managed to get a light sunburn despite the fact that she had used a liberal amount of sunblock. Her skin was fairer from living in the east than it would have been if she’d lived in Arizona all of her life.

Butterflies flittered around in her belly as she got ready and she thought about running into Dan today. She really wanted to see him and spend time with him, but she couldn’t do that without causing problems with Jerry and doing what he’d told her not to do.

She pulled a brush through her long hair, which fell over her shoulders to her waist in soft curls, then paused as she held the brush and thought about the cowboy sheriff. His sea green eyes had been warm when he’d looked at her while they were at the Cameron’s home, as opposed to the hard look that had been in his gaze when he’d been on the job at the accident scene. His tough, angular features somehow made him even more appealing—he was clearly a man’s man and she liked that. Liked it a lot.

After she finished brushing her hair and putting on her makeup, she dressed in one of her prettiest sun dresses with thin shoulder straps that was nice enough for a night out. Fortunately, her shoulders didn’t look too red from her sunburn and the bruise from the seatbelt didn’t show, although just barely. She slipped on a pair of gold sandals along with her watch and a simple bracelet, a necklace, and a pair of earrings.

A couple of minutes before six, she left the room and locked the door behind her. Then she headed down the stairs.

Renee reached the bottom stair then walked up to the woman behind the reception desk. Her name was Angie and she owned the B & B.

“Heading down to the steakhouse?” Angie asked.

Renee tilted her head to the side. “I’d been thinking about going out for Mexican food, but a steak sounds good.”

“There’s not a better place in town for a good dinner than the steakhouse up the street,” Angie said.

“All right.” Renee smiled. “I think you’ve won me over. Where is it?”

Angie gave Renee directions and she was pleased that it was within walking distance. Not that it was a terribly big surprise since it was a small town.

“You have a great night, Miss Winfield.” Angie gave a little wave as Renee left the desk.

Renee waved back at the woman then walked out the door.

Just as Angie had said, the walk to the restaurant wasn’t far at all. Renee walked toward the entrance and she felt the warmth of the desert air over her bare shoulders. The sun was still shining but soon enough it would settle in the west and the desert heat would lessen.

Inside, the restaurant was cool and dim. The hostess greeted her before picking up a menu and leading her to a small table in one corner. The hostess laid a menu on the table in front of Renee and she added that her waitress would be Wendy. Renee put her purse on one of the extra chairs.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” came the low timbre of Dan’s voice.

She glanced up and warmth heated her through as she met his gaze. “At the last minute I decided that I wasn’t up for Mexican or Italian food.”

“It’s a shame for you to be here alone,” Dan said. “May I take a seat?”

Renee’s stomach flipped. What could a little conversation hurt?

She nodded and he sat in the chair across from her then set his Stetson on the seat beside her purse.

“I shouldn’t stay long,” Renee said when the hostess left. “I think I’ll just go for a drink and an appetizer.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Dan gave a nod. “Would it be all right to have a drink with me?”

She pushed hair behind her ear. “That should be okay.”

A waitress stopped at their table and Renee saw that her nametag said
Wendy
. She was probably in her late fifties or early sixties with silver hair and smile lines at the corners of her eyes.

“Hi, Sheriff,” Wendy said before turning to Renee. “I’m Wendy, your waitress tonight.”

Dan smiled at the waitress. “I’m not sure you met Renee when she was just a young girl. She lived with the Camerons for a while.”

Wendy tilted her head to the side. “I think I might have babysat you.”

Renee thought about it then nodded as she remembered a young blonde woman who had watched her and the Cameron boys a few times. Her name had been Wendy. “I think you did.”

“Welcome back, honey,” Wendy said. “What would you like to drink?”

Renee glanced at the drink menu that was splayed open on the table. “A margarita would be wonderful.”

“The usual?” Wendy asked Dan.

“Yep,” Dan rested his menu on the table.

Wendy winked at Dan. “Dos Equis it is.”

The waitress left to get their drinks and Renee put her hands on top of her menu and looked at Dan. She had a hard time thinking of something to say, unlike last night when they’d all talked up a storm.

She met his gaze and she wanted to melt. He looked so damned good in a blue western dress shirt and dark blue wranglers. He was a big man and she was almost petite in comparison. The way he looked at her had her imagining what it would feel like being in his arms. She knew she would feel cherished and protected.

Mentally, she shook her head. She couldn’t let herself be thinking this way. As a matter of fact, she shouldn’t even be sitting with the man.

She held back a sigh. It really shouldn’t matter if she spent a little time with a friend. But she would only stay long enough to eat her appetizer and then she’d bid him good night.

“Did you enjoy yourself today?” he asked, breaking the spell he held over her.

She swallowed then found her words. “It was quiet and uneventful.” She touched her shoulder. “I may have been out in the sun too long. I managed to get a sunburn.”

“Yeah, you’re looking on the toasted side,” he said with a teasing grin.

Wendy returned with their drinks and took their order. Renee went with loaded baked potato skins and Dan picked out the chili cheese fries.

When their waitress left, Dan said, “I never knew the story of how you ended up with the Camerons.”

“When I was five my mother abandoned me.” A shard of pain dug at her belly. “She left me with the Camerons’ Aunt Grace and never came back. I had no idea where she went or if she’d ever return.”

Dan studied her. “That would have been a hell of a thing to go through.”

She sighed. “It was. After a while I started to enjoy living with the Cameron boys. My mother had mostly ignored me when I was little so the attention all of the Camerons gave me made me feel special.”

Dan swallowed a drink of beer. “How long did you live with them? Seems to me the last time I saw you was when you were nine or ten.”

“You’ve got a good memory.” Renee gave a little smile, forcing back feelings of sadness that always overcame her when thinking about those times. “It wasn’t long after you saved my life.” She continued, “I was just over nine when my mother showed up out of nowhere. She had a new husband in tow and she’d decided, some four years after dumping me on the Camerons, that she wanted me.”

“Must’ve been hard for you to leave after living with them for so long,” Dan said. “From what I understand, you were like a sister to the boys.”

“And they were like brothers to me. Aunt Grace, Timothy, Maria, and the boys were the only family I’d known during that time.” A lump rose in Renee’s throat. “I cried for weeks after my mother and stepfather picked me up and I begged to come back. Of course that didn’t happen.”

“You said something about living in Philadelphia.” Dan took another swig of his beer.

“That’s where they took me.” Renee shook her head. “Couldn’t have been much farther away.”

“No doubt it wasn’t easy being a country girl forced to live smack dab in the middle of one hell of a big city,” he said.

Renee didn’t answer for a moment. Instead she drank from her margarita glass and felt the tequila warming her as the drink rolled down her throat.

She set her glass down. “It was awful. But I managed to survive city life and here I am today.”

He held her gaze. “Are you planning on staying long?”

“Now that I’ve been back, I want to,” she said quietly.

“What about your boyfriend?” Dan asked.

She looked away from him. When she met his gaze again, she said, “No, he doesn’t want to stay. As a matter of fact, he wants to leave tomorrow for Phoenix when he gets back from Tucson with the rental car.”

Dan’s expression didn’t tell her anything about what he might be thinking at that moment. “What are you going to do?”

She clenched her hands beneath the table as she thought about the way Jerry had talked to her this morning. She wanted to stay in the San Rafael Valley and now she didn’t want to go anywhere with Jerry. “I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do,” she finally said.

Dan rested his forearm on the table, and he was running his fingers through the condensation on his beer bottle. She had the feeling he wanted to say something but he kept to himself whatever it was that he might want to express.

“You mentioned you were an office manager,” Dan said. “Did you like working for the advertising agency?”

 “It was all right.” She shrugged. “I didn’t have the money to go to the university so finding something that paid well without a college education wasn’t an easy thing to do. I worked my way up through the ranks until I was running an office. It paid well, but not well enough that I could afford to travel here and visit like I wanted to.” She thought about how much she’d wanted to come back. “Even though I spent the majority of my life in the city, a part of me always wanted to return to country life.”

“It would be nice to have you here.” A wealth of meaning was in his gaze. Then he seemed to realize that he was making this too personal and he leaned back in his chair as if distancing himself. “Maybe your boyfriend will change his mind.”

“I doubt it.” She made herself smile, suddenly becoming uncomfortable at the turn in conversation. “Your turn. Tell me what’s been happening with you all these years.”

He pushed his hand through his hair. “I grew up helping my mama and daddy on the ranch. When I graduated from high school I attended the University of Arizona and got my bachelor’s degree then went into the police academy. I served on the Tucson force for twenty years before moving back and taking on a position as sheriff’s deputy. I decided to run for sheriff, got elected, and here I am.”

“And here you are.” She smiled.

Their appetizers arrived and Renee and Dan shared what they’d picked out. It was tasty and she found she was exceptionally hungry. She’d only eaten the tortilla chips while she’d been out and had purchased a second large bottle of water on the way back past the general store.

While they ate they continued talking, catching up on some of what had happened in their lives over the past three decades. She shared with him how she’d ended up taking ballet lessons instead of riding horses and had been on the debate team as opposed to belonging to a 4-H club. Her family had traded dirt roads and grasslands for asphalt and concrete.

Dan, on the other hand, had been in 4-H from the time she’d known him until he was eighteen, had competed in junior rodeo competitions, and had played football in high school.

“Hell,” he said, downplaying that fact. “Our high school was so small that every kid big enough to fit into a uniform could be on the team.”

Renee laughed and touched a napkin to the corners of her mouth. “That was great.” She sobered. “I really should be going.”

“I interrupted your dinner and you didn’t even order a meal. I don’t think you came here for just appetizers.” He held her gaze. “I don’t want to be the one to run you off. I shouldn’t have kept you talking so long.”

She smiled. “I’ve enjoyed it and I’m happy I ran into you.”

“Why don’t I leave you here and you can order?” Dan said. “I know this is awkward for you because of your situation.”

She shook her head. “I had planned on a steak but I think I ate too much of the appetizers. I’m fine.”

He studied her. “I’ll give you a ride back to the bed and breakfast.”

With another shake of her head, she said, “I’d better walk.” She grasped her purse then felt the faint vibrations of her phone. It had to be Jerry. She felt a twist of guilt in her belly. She had lost track of everything and she shouldn’t have spent so much time with Dan. It had just gone by so quickly.

She reached inside her purse, drew out the cell phone, and looked at the caller ID screen. Her stomach swooped as she saw that it was indeed Jerry.

After taking a deep breath, she pressed the ON button then put the phone to her ear. “Hi, Jerry.”

“What are you doing? I’ve tried calling you six times.” She heard an edge to his tone. “Are you with someone?”

Dan studied her and she bit the inside of her lip. “I came to the steakhouse alone, but—”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Renee?” Jerry’s voice was deadly quiet.

“Of course not.” She started to tell him that she’d run into Dan at the restaurant but the call disconnected.

A shadow fell across the table. Her heart lunged into her throat as she looked up and into Jerry’s furious gaze.

Her voice came out small as heat flushed over her. “What are you doing here?”

“Messed up your plans, didn’t I?” Jerry’s blue eyes were like ice. He ignored Dan and spoke in a low, angry voice. “You were all set to fuck the sheriff tonight.”

The heat of embarrassment flooded through her. She felt so mortified that she wanted to shrink and slide under the table. “Jerry, stop.”

Dan stood and Renee felt anger rolling off of him as he spoke. “Why don’t we take this outside.” It was clearly a statement, not a question.

Jerry grasped Renee by the wrist and jerked her to her feet. His grip was so tight that pain shot through her arm. He bared his teeth as he glared at Dan. “Mind your own fucking business.”

“Renee is a friend which makes her my business.” Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He slipped out enough cash to pay for the drinks and appetizers then tossed the money on the table.

“Friend. Right.” Jerry kept his grip tight on Renee’s wrist as he turned and led her out of the restaurant. “Get lost, you country hick.”

Jerry had kept his voice down, but Renee was certain other restaurant patrons were watching them and her embarrassment magnified.

Dan followed them outside. Jerry didn’t release her arm as he went to the passenger side of a sedan, jerked the door open, and pushed her into the bucket seat. Her feet slid out from under her as she lost her balance and she landed hard.

Jerry turned and faced Dan. “You have no right to interfere.” With his fists clenched, Jerry took a step closer to Dan. “If you don’t stay out of our business, you will be sorry.”

“Are you threatening me?” Dan narrowed his gaze. “Maybe I should remind you who you are speaking with.”

“I could give a shit who you are. Fuck off.” Jerry backed up and headed for the car door.

A moment of crystal clarity brought all of Renee’s thoughts together. She could never be with someone who had so little regard for other people’s feelings, including her own. She could never be with someone who treated her the way he had been.

She was done with Jerry. It was over.

But another thought went through her mind. Her money. She couldn’t let Jerry leave and clean out her bank accounts. She had to figure out a way to get to her money first, before she left him.

Dan’s gaze rested on her. “Renee, come with me.”

She looked at Jerry and suppressed a shudder before she brought her gaze back to Dan. “I need to go with him.”

Dan had a hard look on his face. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”