The Deputies: 3 Novella Box Set (26 page)

Tori owed Kasi big for this. She had been keeping an eye on Drake for the last two years, reporting on his romantic life. The public parts of Drake’s life anyway. If he had been close to becoming serious about anyone, Tori would have hightailed it back home. Extreme measures hadn’t been needed, however. In fact, it hadn’t been Drake who had fallen in love and gotten married but the womanizing Logan Wright. Everyone in town was talking about how the former man-whore was completely and totally in love with his wife, Ava. He followed her around as if she hung the moon.

“I’m terrified,” Tori confessed. She took a drink of her iced tea and tried to relax. “I’ve been in love with him for years. According to you he’s not seeing anyone these days. This is my chance.”

The naive, plump girl who had left Corville for the big city was all grown up. Now she was the older, wiser, still slightly plump woman who intended to show Drake what he’d been missing out on.

“Just play it cool. And for God’s sake don’t act like you know anything about his life. I’m not proud of the fact that I’ve helped you stalk him for the past few years.”

“It wasn’t stalking. You just kept me informed, that’s all.” Tori rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’ve been following him around and taking his picture. That would be creepy.”

“Making me tell you about his girlfriends was kind of creepy,” Kasi retorted.

Tori slumped in the booth. “He’s my dream man. I just want a chance with him. He’s so perfect.”

“I doubt that,” Kasi said dryly. “Few men are. I’ve dated some real frogs and they sure as hell didn’t turn into princes when I kissed them. If anything they became more toady than ever.”

Kasi was coming off a break up with a local attorney and was pretty bitter about the relationship. He’d been cheating on her the entire time. With a wife Kasi hadn’t known anything about.

Tori sat up straight and sucked in her breath as Drake appeared at the door of the diner looking like sin personified in well-fitting jeans and the beige uniform shirt that stretched across his massive chest and arms. He had always been a large man but Tori must have forgotten just how big he really was. At six-foot-three and over two hundred pounds of pure muscle he made an impression when he walked into a room.

Drake didn’t even spare a glance their way and made a beeline for Logan. Sliding into the booth, he said something they couldn’t hear and then perused the card with the daily specials. Tori blew out her breath slowly, feeling distinctly let down. When she’d pictured this it had gone much differently.

“That was a bust,” she muttered, already trying to think of a new way to talk to him without it feeling forced. “All dressed up and nowhere to go, so to speak.”

“He is on duty,” Kasi reminded her. “Maybe we should try another time.”

“No.” Tori shook her head. “I’ve been imagining this moment for two years. I can’t chicken out now.”

“Sure you can,” cajoled Kasi. “Maybe it’s time you put this schoolgirl crush aside and look at Drake James for who he really is.”

“Who is that, all knowing wise one?”

“A small town guy in a dangerous job who spends his days writing speeding tickets and breaking up fights and his nights with women of questionable morals and even more questionable brains. On his nights off from dating bimbos? He hangs out with his buddies drinking beer, watching sports, and smoking stinky cigars.” The sarcasm in Kasi’s tone was crystal clear and it made Tori wince.

“When you put it like that…” Tori shook her head but wouldn’t be deterred from her goal. “You’ve just described practically every man I’ve ever known. If what you say is true, there would never be any marriages or children. Look at Logan Wright, Kasi. He’s a prime example of a reformed rake.”

“He’s the
only
example,” Kasi sighed. “Honestly, every woman in this town is all excited because one man—let me repeat—
one man
, straightened up. That doesn’t mean they all will. Miracles do happen. Even in Corville.”

“You should get a cat,” Tori replied. “Get started on being a lonely, bitter old woman who only talks to her furry feline friends.”

Kasi burst into laughter at Tori’s caustic tone. “I already have a cat, as you well know, and one is plenty, thank you very much.”

The women ate their lunch and caught up on all the news that a small town in southern Montana might have. They were already on to making plans for Tori’s bakery when a shadow fell across their table. Tori looked up and her heart almost stopped in her chest. It was Drake and Logan, and they were standing right there not six inches from her.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Logan tipped his hat. “I wanted to stop by and say welcome back to Victoria. It’s been a long time since you were in Corville. I heard you’re here to stay now.”

Tori dragged her gaze from Drake’s handsome face. She could get lost in those blue eyes. Lord help her she still remembered how silky his dark golden brown hair had felt between her fingers all these years later.

“I am.” Tori managed to get the words out. “I’m opening a bakery on the corner of Maple and Main.”

Drake’s brows drew down and he finally spoke. “That’s the old video store location. It’s been empty for a long time.”

“That’s why I got a good deal on it. I’m excited to have so much room for the price. I’d never get anything near this in New York.”

“That place is pretty run down.” Drake shook his head and stroked his chin. “It will need to be completely gutted before you can do anything to it.”

He had a talent for understatement. It was going to take an act of Congress to get the place cleaned up and ready. Tori’s brother had promised to help along with a few of his buddies. Plus she was planning to bring in professionals to do the big stuff.

But pulling out the old nasty carpet and scrubbing and painting the walls? That was her job.

“And it starts tomorrow morning, bright and early.” Tori smiled and tried to make light of the mountain of work on her plate.

Logan nodded. “We’ll spread the word.”

“That’s very sweet of you. I’m hoping to get the bakery open by the first of the month. It would be wonderful if you could help get the word out that I’m planning a big party for the grand opening. Everyone will be invited,” she enthused, already picturing the store full of mouthwatering treats and a booming clientele. Owning her own business had always been her dream, right along with Drake.

Logan and Drake bid them goodbye and headed out into the warm day. Tori felt strangely deflated at their first meeting after so long.

“Well, that didn’t go as planned.”

“What were you expecting? Drake James to take one look at you and vow eternal love and fidelity?” Kasi blew a raspberry that made several other patrons turn and look.

“I wouldn’t complain, but I can see this is going to be harder than I thought. Next time he sees me I just have to look more like his type, that’s all. I’ll wear something low cut and tight. I’ve always suspected he was a boob man.”

“The whole town suspects that,” Kasi said flatly. “Are you planning to change your hair too?”

Tori’s hand automatically went to her cap of dark brown curls, cut just above her chin so that her hair stayed out of her face when she was working.

“No, I’d look silly with bleached hair. I’m going to have to hope that my rack is enough to get his attention. Then I’ll keep it by being smart and entertaining.”

Kasi’s gaze fell to Tori’s generous curves then back up to her face. “You’ve got the body but I’m not sure Drake is looking for smart. Or entertaining. From what I’ve seen, he’s looking for easy. Are you planning to be that as well?”

That was an excellent question. Tori was sure when it came right down to it she wouldn’t be able to say no to an amorous Drake. Whatever he wanted, he was likely to get.

Chapter Two

D
rake shrugged his shoulders and tried to work the kinks out of his neck. It was a hot day in the middle of summer and sweat was trickling down his back. He, Logan, and several other people from Corville had shown up early at the site of Tori Saunders’ new bakery to help her clean out the store. How she ever would have done this by herself he had no idea. They’d been pulling up ratty old carpet and scrubbing every surface with bleach since sun up.

Tori had been flabbergasted when they’d all showed up this morning ready to work. Apparently she’d misunderstood Logan’s promise to “pass the word”, thinking he would mention it to townsfolk who might want to stop by once she’d opened.

Logan had meant something quite different. He’d let everyone know that one of their own needed a few strong backs. When it came time for her to open her bakery, Corville would be there for her again. That’s what it was like in their small town.

“Thirsty?” Tori was pulling a cooler full of water bottles behind her, stopping to offer some to each person as they toiled in the heat. Stanley, the heating and air guy, was outside replacing the ancient unit but until it was done they were all being slowly boiled alive in the building. She would have to open her store in the middle of a rare heat wave.

“That sounds good. Thank you.” Tori handed him the dripping bottle and their fingers brushed sending a shot of electricity straight through him. He’d been uncomfortably aware of her all morning and it made talking difficult.

His blood pressure had shot up when he’d seen her in a pair of skimpy cutoff shorts and a figure hugging bright red tank top. The color brought out the natural golden color of her skin and made her dark hair seem even more glossy. That hair was currently screwed into a mass of tight curls all around her face and it was all he could do not to reach for one, wrapping it around his finger.

Tori bent over again, pulling another bottle from the cooler. His mouth went dry as he caught more than a glimpse of her generous cleavage before she straightened. She held out the dripping bottle to him.

“Can you open this for me? I can never get these darn things to turn.”

He set his own water down on a folding chair and reached for hers. He quickly twisted the top off and handed it back to her, getting a big smile in return.

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” She took a small drink then pressed the icy bottle to the bare flesh of her arms and chest. Her eyes closed for a moment and then fluttered open. “That feels so good.”

Watching her rub that bottle on her skin was doing serious damage to Drake’s concentration. He had to force himself to focus on what she was saying instead of letting his gaze follow the drips of water that were leaving a trail down into her tank top.

“I can’t thank you enough for everything you all are doing.” Her voice was soft and a little breathless. “This would have taken me days to do with just me and my brother.”

Drake knew John Saunders from school and had a healthy respect for the man. He owned the local hardware store and was known as an honest, dependable guy.

“Where is John anyway?” Drake tipped up the bottle and downed half of it in a few gulps.

“He’s at the store but he said he would help me in the evenings.” Tori looked at everything that was going on around them, a big smile on her face. She was actually very pretty even without any makeup and her hair all messy. Not many women could pull off that look. “There won’t be much for him to do when he gets here. I’ve already called the contractor and they’re planning to start the build out much earlier than we’d planned.”

Trying not to think about the hourglass shaped curves in front of him, he concentrated instead on casual small talk. “What do you have planned for the space?”

He must have asked the right question because her entire face lit up and her golden brown eyes sparkled. She pointed to the rear of the large room. “We’ll wall off the back and that’s where the kitchen will be. The front will feature a large glass case and several small tables so that people can sit down, relax, have a coffee and a treat. I want this to be more than a bakery. I want this to be a place where people meet and enjoy themselves.”

If enthusiasm was the key to success, Tori was well on her way. “That sounds great. What are you going to call the place?”

Her smile grew even wider. “Sweet Revenge. Just a sort of salute to all the misogynistic pastry chefs I’ve worked for over the years.”