Chapter Seven
Cole winced as the second stair from the bottom squeaked under his foot. It was five in the morning, and he was working on three hours of sleep—albeit the best sleep he’d had in years. He’d drifted off almost as soon as he closed his eyes, then woken a few minutes ago with Sienna snuggled tight against his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist.
He’d wanted to run his hands along her curves, to kiss the sweet spot at the base of her neck, to press himself into her—all those things and more. But she’d said no “hanky-panky” and he was going to honor that request, even if it killed him. So he’d gingerly climbed out of bed, grabbed his boots and let himself out of her bedroom without waking her.
He sure as hell didn’t need any early morning runners to notice his patrol Jeep in front of The Bumblebee and start asking questions. Crimson was a small town and a close-knit community and gossip traveled faster than a prairie fire across the drought-plagued plains.
“Coffee, Sheriff?”
He cursed under his breath, then pasted on a smile as he turned to meet Paige’s questioning gaze. “I’ll get some at the station later.”
“You must have arrived late last night,” she said conversationally, sipping from a mug that saidI drink coffee for your protection. “Now you’re heading out before sunrise.”
“This is not what it looks like,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Is that so?” She scrunched up her nose. “Because despite the fact that you seem a little worse for wear with those bandages, it looks like a booty call.”
“Nothing happened between Sienna and me.” He ran a hand through his hair, unable to figure out how to explain why he’d parked in front of the inn last night in the first place. Not when he barely understood the reasons himself. “I was here but we slept. Not together. Next to each other. That’s all.”
She studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay? Just like that?”
“I don’t know you well, Sheriff, but you don’t strike me as a liar. Plus, I think you like Sienna.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You really like her.”
He didn’t bother to deny it. “It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. She’s here temporarily. She could leave town at any time.”
“Even she isn’t sure how long she’ll stay,” Paige agreed. “I guess it depends on how things go with Jase and her dad, whenever she actually has a real conversation with either of them.” She shook her head. “Family stuff is always more complicated than you want it to be.”
Cole thought of his parents and his brother, of the lies and drama that tore apart his family. His biggest regret in life was being unable to fix what his father broke.
“Yeah. Would you mind not mentioning me being here to anyone? I don’t want...”
“You like her,” Paige told him. “That matters. She needs someone in her corner.”
Cole blew out a breath. How could he be in Sienna’s corner and still remain loyal to his friendship with Jase? But he couldn’t deny the connection he felt to her.
“I’ve got to go. Thanks for understanding.”
She smiled. “I don’t understand it, but I don’t need to. Just don’t hurt her and we’ll have no problems.”
“I’ll do my best,” he promised with a low chuckle, then let himself out the front door. It was funny to think of the petite inn owner, with her bohemian dresses and crazy curly hair, giving him an implied threat. He couldn’t imagine what kind of problem Paige could possibly create for someone like him, but he still appreciated her loyalty.
He glanced at Sienna’s bedroom window as he climbed into the Jeep and turned the key in the ignition, his shoulder still aching. Where did last night leave the two of them? As he drove through town toward his house on the other side of Crimson Creek, those late-night hours spent in Sienna’s bed felt more and more like a dream.
He showered, grabbed a stale bagel from the cabinet, then headed to the station. He checked in with a couple of his deputies, then called the county jail to get an update on the men they’d arrested. There was a mountain of paperwork to process, and he was on his fourth cup of coffee when a knock sounded on the door to his office.
“You got a minute?” Jase asked, peering in. “I brought muffins from Life is Sweet if that makes a difference.”
“Katie’s muffins make all the difference.” Cole sat back, stretched his arms over his head and then winced at the pain in his arm. “Come on in and have a seat.”
“I heard last night was intense.”
“Yeah.”
“But you took down Elton’s operation.” Jase set the brown bag from the bakery on Cole’s desk, then folded his tall body into a chair.
Cole inclined his head. “For now. The guys running the bigger operation in Denver will have another lackey in place within months. We need to make sure we don’t let down our guard.”
