This Just In... (Harlequin Superromance) (11 page)

She waded through the crowd toward a long table covered with a checked blue-and-white tablecloth and practically groaning under the weight of pies. The smell was heavenly. Peach and blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, traditional apple, ginger and cloves, lemon and lime. All covered in homemade pastry because no baker would dare to use store-bought. Not when there was a blue ribbon on the line.

“Well, Mayor Barnes?” A tiny white-haired woman was staring up at him, a zealous look in her eye. “Who wins?”

Clearly naming anyone other than her would be tantamount to a declaration of war. Sabrina recognized her. Miss Phillips. Her high school French teacher. She used to enforce the “only French in my classroom” rule even outside of class hours. On the plus side, Sabrina doubted there was a single person in town who didn’t still remember how to ask to go to the washroom
en français.
Anything to get out of Miss Phillips’s class.

Sabrina slipped through the throng until she stood as close to Noah as possible without actually bumping into him. The entire crowd quieted as he opened the envelope. And read out a name that wasn’t Miss Phillips’s. “Congratulations, Marie Pepper.”

“Excusez-moi?”

Sabrina internally rolled her eyes as Miss Phillips turned to glare at Noah. As if he were responsible for selecting the winner rather than just announcing the names.

“So sorry to interrupt.” She touched Noah’s arm and felt a rush of pleasure when he turned to look at her. “Can I get a photo of the winner and the mayor? For the paper.”

Miss Phillips sniffed, but didn’t argue. Sabrina noted the grateful look in Noah’s eye. She took her time setting up the photo, too, ensuring that everyone else began to wander away in search of something more exciting than the photo they’d see in the next edition of the paper anyway.

“Thank you,” Noah said when Sabrina finally decreed they were done and Miss Phillips was no longer in the vicinity.

“Don’t you mean
merci?
” She snickered and put her digital camera away.

“That, too.” He rested a warm hand on her back.

She shivered and sank into it. “Got a minute?”

He sighed. “Not really.” But his hand didn’t move.

She nodded. She’d expected the answer. In the time she’d been tailing him he hadn’t had a second to rest. The poor man hadn’t even had a chance to eat because every time he might have, someone else was dragging him away or wanting to talk. And he graciously acceded without complaint. Sabrina didn’t know how he managed. She was tired just watching and this was only one day for her. She suspected this was pretty much his normal routine. “Let’s make one then. Come on. We’ll hide.”

She knew she was right about his exhaustion when he didn’t disagree and allowed her to lead him off the main paths. She spotted a roped-off area and ducked under the barrier.

“There now.” She tugged until they were tucked out of sight, behind one of the tents, away from the pressing needs of everyone in town. “Better?”

“Definitely.” Noah lifted a hand to brush her hair off her shoulder.

“You know, you can tell them no.” A spark of pleasure arced through her when his hand came to rest on the side of her neck.

“It isn’t that easy.” Actually, it was. But clearly he got something out of the behavior, too. “How did your photo taking go?”

“Good. I snapped some pics of your niece for the paper.”

Noah smiled and some of the tiredness disappeared from his face. “She must have loved that.”

“She didn’t know. Marissa asked that I not use them.”

“Ah.” Noah nodded. “So you talked.”

“A little.” Sabrina thought of Daisy, of all the years of Marissa’s life that she’d missed. The tingling pressure behind her eyes started up again. “Do you think I’m a bad person?”

“What?” She felt the jolt go through him, but she didn’t check his face. She’d prefer to keep her eyes focused on the center of his pristine white shirt, thank you very much.

“I think I might be.” Why hadn’t she called Marissa the minute she arrived in town? So what if it would have been hard? Marissa deserved an apology in person. Not some stuffed toy and a letter. Her heart throbbed. But maybe it was too late for any of that.

Sure, they could become polite acquaintances, exchanging friendly hellos as they passed through each other’s lives, but no more than that. If you’d asked her a few months ago, Sabrina would have said that was enough. But being back, being here with Noah, it didn’t seem like enough.

“Sabrina.” Noah’s voice was soft. Gentle and kind. Like the type of man he was. “You’re a good person. You’re thoughtful and smart and beautiful. Do you think I’d be with you if you weren’t?”

Her chest cracked. Just cracked wide open. She looked up. “Are we together, Noah?”

The brim of his hat protected both of them from the sun and anyone who might be watching. Of course, the tall, sexy man in the white, good-guy cowboy hat, wearing jeans and a blazer was pretty recognizable even from behind.

But he didn’t lean forward or bend down to kiss her. He stared at her. The breeze blew her skirt around her thighs and she shivered. But she’d be lying if she said it was solely due to the wind.

Noah kept staring. As if he was looking deep into her soul, into those dark places she had done her best to ignore for the past nine years, and seeing everything. Her throat tightened. She didn’t want him to see. Didn’t want anyone to see the ugliness inside her. Those bits she’d buried and tried not to think about. The bits that stayed buried when she was in the city where her friends didn’t care about much beyond the next round of parties and whether or not they could get reservations at the hottest restaurants.

Not like Wheaton.

“Do you know how long it’s been since I kissed a woman?” Noah asked. As though this were casual conversation, something brought up at a dinner party for everyone to join in.

Sabrina blinked. Not what she’d been expecting. She raised her chin. “In fact, I do.” She recalled the feel of his mouth against hers very well. “Just this morning at my front door.”

The edge of his mouth curved. “Before you.”

Heat tickled up the curve of her spine. The memory of their kiss. The way his voice whispered across her skin. The way he looked at her now. Actually, the way he looked at her all the time. “No.”

“Six months.” He lifted his hand, ran a knuckle down the side of her cheek. It was all she could do not to turn into it and purr like a kitten.

“That doesn’t sound so long. For me, it was...” She paused to think. She’d kissed some random guy at a club the night she’d lost her job. Hard to forget that night, though she’d done her best to drown it under a flood of vodka. Six months ago. And then the cute assistant from her yoga class before she’d had to drop that small luxury in order to make her rent payment. Four months ago. The barista who gave her free lattes on Tuesday mornings. Three months ago. And the trustafarian her friend had set her up with just before she’d left Vancouver. Two months ago. And now she had Noah to meet all her kissing needs. She smiled. Marissa used to call her The Kissing Bandit in high school. Seemed like little had changed. The smile fell away.

Except for everything else.

Sabrina sighed. “I’ve made a mess of my life.”

“It can’t be all bad.” He lifted her hand and kissed it.

Delicate tingles raced down her arm. It would be so easy to let him tease her into a better mood. To pretend that nothing serious was going on in her life. That it was okay. That she was okay. But she couldn’t do that. It was time to face certain things head-on. “I haven’t been entirely honest with you. I didn’t really come back to write a book about my experiences interviewing celebrities. I was fired.”

Instead of the shocked outrage, the pulling back and overreaction that she’d expected, Noah simply nodded. “I figured.”

A ball of panic formed in Sabrina’s stomach, attempted to draw her down to her knees. She held strong and clutched Noah’s hand more tightly. “Oh?” She wasn’t sure she managed the light tone she was going for, but at least she hadn’t collapsed into a mewling puddle. So, yay. “Does everyone know?”

If he said yes, she might collapse into that mewling puddle yet.

“No.” He captured her chin when she would have turned her head. “No, they don’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” He slid his hand around to cup the back of her head. “I’d have heard.”

His eyes were clear, like the lake her parents used to take her to when she’d been a kid and too young to complain that she didn’t like camping or dirt. She knew he was telling the truth. And he was right. Her firing was the kind of secret that would have spread like wildfire.

Sabrina exhaled. “I wish I’d never written that stupid article.” And she wasn’t thinking of the one that got her fired. Instead, she was thinking back to the one that started it all. For all these years, she’d told herself that the end justified the means. That the loss had been worth the reward, but she should have found another way to make it. And she wouldn’t have had to write snarky articles for the last nine years of her life. Articles that made readers feel superior to her subjects. Articles that pointed out a person’s shortcomings and laughed at them. Articles that had slowly eaten away at her soul.

Noah’s thumb massaged her neck. “I’m glad you did.”

She gaped at him. “Pardon?”

“I’m glad.” His gaze was clear, sure. “Because it brought you here. To me.”

She looked up at him, really looked at him. He looked back. And Sabrina had the sudden sensation that he was looking at those dark little places but wasn’t finding her lacking.

“Thank you for telling me why you came back.”

Heat flushed her cheeks, but this time she didn’t try look away. “You’re welcome.”

“That means something.” He slid a hand down her bare arm, turning her into a pile of melty delightfulness. “That you trust me.”

Sabrina could only nod. It was true. She did trust him. Good ol’ stand-up, dependable Noah. How entirely different from the men she’d dated in the past.

Her body migrated toward his as he brushed a kiss across her lips, as light and feathery as a butterfly’s wing. Her battered heart rose up, tried to beat its way out of her chest as she leaned closer, needing more of him. But she breathed it back into place. She looped her hands behind his neck.

Oh, she could stay here all afternoon. All night. Forever, as long as Noah was with her. She gripped his shoulders. She wouldn’t let go. She didn’t care what anyone else said, what they thought. This was between them.

Noah slipped his hands behind her head, anchored her and deepened the kiss. His tongue flicked out to tease the inside of her mouth. She felt the answering shudders roll through her body. Her grasp on him tightened. He was going to be an amazing lover. The care he took with her, following the silent signals of her body to intensify every feeling, every emotion.

She could fall for him. So, so easily.

Sabrina’s legs grew weak and she pressed herself against him, ignoring the flutter of panic in her stomach. She couldn’t stay in Wheaton. She was simply enjoying Noah’s company while she was here. That was all.

But in one of those dark little places inside her, a tiny voice asked who she was trying to convince. Good thing she wasn’t listening.

CHAPTER TEN

N
OAH
GROANED
. H
E
FELT
like a randy teenager. Was acting like one, too. But he didn’t break the kiss or ease back. He couldn’t. Not if there was an earthquake. Not if a fire broke out under his pristine cowboy boots. Not even if someone whipped around the corner and asked what they were doing. What they were doing was obvious; Sabrina was plastered against him, her body pliant, mouth warm and wet, the way Noah knew she would be everywhere.

His entire body stiffened at the thought, demanded attention and satisfaction.

The fact that they were making out in the backstage area of the festival wasn’t lost on him. Although it was private, far more so than the main area where resident voters milled around nibbling on corn dogs and sipping soda, there were still plenty of people around. Plus, it wasn’t as though security guards were stationed at the ropes to prevent unauthorized people from ducking under. No one had looked twice at him and Sabrina.

She sighed into his mouth and Noah felt a little piece of his armor snap off and fall away. When he was with her, all his duties and responsibilities took a backseat and he could be himself. It was freeing, not thinking of himself as a brother or a son or the mayor.

He pulled Sabrina more tightly against him until their bodies were mashed together and he could feel every curve through that thin white dress she wore. A dress like that could cause a man to act out his most secret fantasies. All prim and pristine with those little decorative holes all over, teasing, making him think that if he looked close enough he might spot paradise.

Coupled with her red boots, Noah thought he should be honored for lasting as long as he had.

“Um...excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. Mayor Barnes?”

Noah could have cheerfully body checked the speaker. Driven him hard into the boards with a strong right shoulder, leaving him dazed and wondering who his own mother was. But he didn’t. He kissed Sabrina once more—how could he resist when her pretty red lips were right there?—then turned his attention to the intruder behind him.

A young man—one of the volunteers, Noah knew, from the green vest he was wearing—smiled, but there was a twitch around the edges. Noah schooled his features into a more serene expression even though the primitive part of him was screaming to chase the kid off and return all his attentions to Sabrina.

The volunteer swallowed. “The singer is here. I was told you wanted to greet her personally?” He looked to his left as though praying for salvation or for someone else to come along and handle the situation.

Noah exhaled. One more responsibility to check off his list. “Be right with you.”

The kid took the hint and beat it out of sight. Noah turned to face Sabrina again. She smiled up at him, and he was glad to see the pain in her eyes was gone. He reached out to touch her again, sliding his hand up her bare arm and along her exposed collarbone.

“Duty calls, Mr. Mayor.”

It did. But for the first time in his life, Noah wanted to tell duty to take a hike. Just tell it to piss off, that he was his own man and he had his own life. That he didn’t have to bend to everyone else’s wishes for a change. That maybe he wanted a little time for himself to kiss a beautiful woman.

He didn’t.

“Right.” He forced his hands to his sides. If they’d had a voice they would have yowled in disappointment. Probably told him he was ruining their life and they hated him, too. “Meet you later?”

Sabrina nodded then lifted her hands to cup his face, pulling him down until her mouth touched his. “Something to think about while you’re fulfilling your mayoral responsibilities.” She turned with a swish of her skirt. “Come find me when you’re done.”

Noah could only watch as she sauntered away, her white skirt swirling around those shapely legs, red boots taunting him. He swallowed, uncurled his fingers and reminded himself that there were duties he needed to fulfill. The unwritten contract he’d signed with the town so many years ago.

He turned to go do what was required.

After greeting the singer and her mother/manager, he had to announce the winner of the jam-and-jelly competition and stand for photos that were taken by the paper’s actual photographer and not Sabrina. Then one of the lambs got loose from the petting zoo and Noah was co-opted into helping capture it. The fact that he’d never been a rancher nor lassoed an animal in his life seemed moot.

By the time the lamb was back in its pen and Noah had calmed the disturbance, the temperature was beginning to drop. The sun wouldn’t set for a few hours, but it was a long, slow descent to the horizon and full darkness. Residents continued to make a point of saying hello, talk about something they’d read in the paper or ask his opinion on any number of things.

The festival lights, strings of bulbs laced through the posts set up along the paths, were on before he managed to extricate himself long enough to grab an ear of corn. Fresh, locally grown ears that came with little cups of butter. He was practically wobbling on his feet from lack of fuel.

He hadn’t even managed his first bite, one eye out for those bright red boots, when he heard someone else call his name. Or more accurately, his title. “Mayor.”

He glanced to his left and spotted George Cuthbert waving at him, an imperious gesture that demanded Noah come to him now. Hell.

George was settled at the edge of the dance floor in his wheelchair with a lap blanket tucked around his legs. Noah hoped he was wearing pants. Wouldn’t be the first time George had found them “too constricting.”

Noah swallowed a sigh and navigated his way over. But if George announced that he was going commando, Noah was leaving and insisting his mother cut the Cedar Oaks cable package to basic.

The other residents of Cedar Oaks sat with George and were thrilled to receive personal attention from the mayor in front of the town. He resigned himself to spending a few minutes with them.

“Boy.” George waved imperiously once Noah had shaken the last hand and bussed the last powdered cheek. “Come here.”

Noah sighed out loud this time. His corn was definitely cold now and the butter was beginning to solidify. “What can I help you with, George?”

George crooked his finger, requesting Noah to come closer. Noah did, knowing it would be easier than refusing. “Can you sneak me a beer? Your mother says I’m not allowed.”

Noah shook his head. “I am not taking the heat for that. She’d kill me.”

“You afraid of your mother, boy?”

“Yes.” Noah bit into the corn. It was sweet and juicy. And cold.

George snorted a laugh and fixed his blanket which had fallen slightly forward. Noah was grateful to see he was wearing a pair of khakis. “Then maybe you could pick me up one of them adult movies?”

“George, I’m not picking you up an adult movie.”

“And why not?” George managed to look offended even through his leer. “A man my age has got to get his kicks where he can. This is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“I won’t be responsible for giving you a heart attack,” Noah said. “I’d have to deal with my mother.”

George grinned. “Your mother’s quite a woman. She like older men? I know one who’s available.” He waggled his crazy eyebrows.

Noah shook his head. “You go ahead, George. But don’t come crying to me when she shuts you down.”

“I don’t cry. Never have. Not even when I was a baby.” He shrugged. “Where’s that pretty little girlie you brought around? Maybe she likes mature men.”

“She doesn’t.” And Noah would flatten George with a single hip check if he tried anything. Wheelchair or not.

“Have you asked her?” George wanted to know. “Maybe she just didn’t want to tell you, afraid it might hurt your feelings.”

Noah bit back a laugh. It was best not to encourage George. “We about done here?”

“Yeah, yeah. You go on.” George shooed him away. “You’re cramping my style anyway.” He attempted to sling his arm around Mrs. Mann who frowned and removed his arm. “You give that girlie a big kiss and tell her it’s from me.”

Noah would do nothing of the sort. Well, he’d give her a big kiss but he wasn’t bringing George’s name into the mix. Not unless he wanted to kill the mood.

Unfortunately, his stop with George and the other Cedar Oaks crew indicated to everyone else that now was a good time to chat with him. Since he still hadn’t spotted Sabrina’s red boots and he’d managed to finish his corn, he accommodated them.

It wasn’t until the lights surrounding the stage finally went down and the young singer was introduced that Noah was finally able to escape. He headed down to the hay bales that surrounded the dance floor. Normally, he would have looked for Kyle and Marissa and shared their blanket with the kids, but not tonight.

The hay bales were packed, people teetering on the edges. Noah knew that people would have squished together, found a spot for him, but he didn’t want to intrude. So he stood in the corner, sticking to the shadows and searching for Sabrina.

The honesty she’d shown him, the trust, made him wonder about her real reasons for coming back. She wasn’t as distanced from the town and its residents as she liked to say. She could have worked at a coffee shop in the city, tried to get her job back at the newspaper there, but she hadn’t. She’d come home to the place where she knew she’d be accepted. Maybe she knew she belonged here.

Though there were lights strung up on poles all over the festival grounds, a person had to be right under one to be recognizable. He didn’t see Sabrina until she slipped her hand around his waist.

“Hello, Mr. Mayor. It’s about time you showed up.”

Noah smiled even though no one could see him in the dark. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“You found me.”

He hauled her up against him, lifting her onto her tiptoes and kissed her until they were both breathing hard. He didn’t stop to think that although it was dark, there was a string of light above them and anyone looking would know it was him. The bright white cowboy hat gave him away.

“Well,” she said when he stopped, “remind me to let you look for me more often.”

He held her face in his hands. “No. I like you right here. Beside me.” She smiled and it was the sweetest smile Noah thought he’d ever seen. “You know, we could sneak out of here.”

“What? And keep the constituents from seeing your dance moves? I don’t think so.”

He laughed and caught her hands, putting them behind his back so she would mold her body to his. “I told you before, I don’t dance.”

“And yet, I’ve see you with my own two eyes. As has everyone at Cedar Oaks.”

“They’ll never tell.”

“You’re right. You’ve got them wrapped around your finger.”

Was that what she thought? The notion surprised him, but he didn’t delve further into it. “Where have you been?”

“I was around. Getting hit on by George. He wanted to know if I’d bring him a porno.” Sabrina laughed. “He never stops, does he? I chatted to your mom for a while. Ran into some old high school friends. Just around.”

Just around.
Despite being gone for almost a decade, she’d found a way to fit right in, to slide into the fabric of the community like she’d always been there. While he ran around trying to do things for everyone else, trying to fulfill his duties as mayor so perfectly that no one would ever think he didn’t belong. “I’m glad.”

“Glad enough to dance?”

“Don’t push your luck.” But when the band played the opening notes to a popular radio hit, one Noah had heard Sabrina singing in her apartment, she started tugging him forward. Really, he had no choice but to follow. It was walk with her or be left alone in the corner. Walk or no longer feel her sweet body pressed tightly to his.

“I’m not dancing,” he said as they moved closer to the stage. There were more lights over there. Extra strings hung so dancers wouldn’t trip and break an ankle or worse. They illuminated her face and he recognized the sparkle of challenge in her eye.

“Okay,” was all she said.

“I mean it.” He tried to look firm, but didn’t think he pulled it off. Hard to look serious when he felt like laughing.

“Got it.” She continued walking backward.

The dance floor, which had been packed pretty much since the set started, was getting closer. Noah could make out some familiar faces, their Stetsons and boots and Wranglers. Everyone was kicking up their heels, enjoying the music, not caring if their moves weren’t perfect. If only it could be so easy.

“Mayor Barnes.”

Noah turned at the call, for the first time all day grateful for his demanding constituents. Sabrina couldn’t expect him to ignore a voter now, could she? Not when the election was only a couple of months away.

Sabrina slowed her steps, but didn’t stop. “Noah’s off duty, Mrs. Thompson,” she called over Noah’s shoulder.

“I can talk to her,” he said.

“No.” Sabrina shook her head. “You can’t. You’re already busy.” She dragged him the last few feet so they were at the edge of the dance area and stopped. “You don’t have to be on call 24/7, you know.”

“I’m not.” He wasn’t. But he believed in making himself available for the town. Why else did one go into public office in a small town? It wasn’t for the money.

Sabrina cocked her head and looked at him. Her long, dark hair spilled over her shoulder and along his arm, tickling the exposed skin at his wrist. All he wanted was to kiss her. To take her home, away from all this and just be together.

And then reality made itself known.

“Mayor Barnes. Might I have a word?”

Noah swore internally, but made sure his features were schooled into a friendly expression when he turned to see who needed him now.

“Seriously?” Sabrina asked. “Can they not see we were sharing a moment? Ridiculous.”

But Mrs. Long didn’t care. And she wasn’t alone. There was a group barreling toward him. He recognized the intent looks on their faces. They had something to say and wouldn’t leave him alone until he’d heard.

Sometimes he really wished his mother hadn’t instilled such good manners into him. That he could turn away, pretend he hadn’t heard or seen them and just leave. Take Sabrina’s hand and escape for the rest of the night.