AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sure, that’s fine with me.” He smiled, brushing away my uncertainty, and finished his bite.
“Great, I can make you something if you’ll be hungry?”Where were these words coming from?It’s like my brain was split in half, one halfknewI needed to put the brakes on this and keep it strictly professional. But it was the other half that seemed to be driving.
“That sounds good. If you’ll join me?” Oh, God, and just like that, I’d basically given him his date. Was I actually that mad, though? Staring the Sheriff down, I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and bit it to hide a smile before nodding.No, I really wasn’t.
“Sounds good. Silas likes mac n’ cheese anyway. I can make us something more … adult.” I stood, pushed my chair back, and grabbed my purse off the ground. “I’ll see you tonight then.”
He rose quickly, dropping the half-eaten bun into the box as he sucked his fingers and came around the desk. “Thank you for the buns. They’re amazing. You were right.”
I reached the doorway and turned to look at him with a grin. “Well, they’re a bit of a one-hit-wonder. I don’t make much else quite that good. I suspect it has something to do with being Grandma’s recipe.”
“You’ll have to see if you can get a cookbook from your family for more, then.”
A dark look crossed my face. I hadn’t seen my family in … a long time. And even if I went back to them, there was nothing for me there. I’d made my bed, and now I had to lie in it. Besides, Silas was my family now. I might not have any more of Grandma’s recipes, but I’d make my own, so Silas always had a bit of home to hold onto … unlike me.
“Hey,” his hand touched my cheek, and I looked at him. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“I’m not,” I said in surprise. His eyebrow lifted, suggesting that the expression on my face said differently. Sighing, my face fell slightly into his palm. “It’s complicated.”
“Maybe, when you’re ready, you’ll feel comfortable sharing those complicated bits of yourself with me.”
I cast my gaze up at him once more, and my insides tightened as a longing to kiss him filled me. I wanted to share myself now if it didn’t mean ruining everything I’d worked so hard to save us from.
“Rose, I don’t know …” He began, his mouth moving closer to me. If I didn’t do anything right now, he would kiss me, and if he did that, I wasn’t sure I could make him stop. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to. “Rose …”
Taking a courageous step back, I steeled myself to remember that giving into whatever I was feeling toward him would certainly make things far more complicated for me than I needed.
“I’ll see you tonight, Sheriff.” I smiled, and before I could let myself feel guilty for my decision, I turned and hightailed it out of there.
7
Beau
Alright,she said she didn’t want to go on a date but then proceeded to invite me over to her house to talk shop. Probably not a date, but I didn’t want to ruin my chances further by not appearing to be serious about her--in case she was wondering. So, after work, I went home for a shower, shave, and found the sharpest shirt I had. Then, I swung by my sister-in-law’s mobile floral business and grabbed a bouquet for her.
Clearing my throat, I lifted a hand and knocked on the door twice before stepping back to give her space. When she opened the door, I was pleased to find I wasn’t the only one who had taken the time to look nice. She’d clearly done her hair, taming the typical wild curls I was used to seeing by pulling them back in a nice, low bun.
Then, there was the dress she was wearing. Tight, black, and with a slit up her thigh, I was confident it wasn’t the kind of dress you wore to a casual brainstorming session.
“You look lovely.” I smiled, holding the flowers out. “These are for you.” Asters, purple roses, lavender, and a generous collection of greenery, including eucalyptus, filled it. I guess, to a woman, the bouquet was lovely, but for me to give it to Rose, it had a deeper meaning. Asters were a symbol of love and trust. Lavender meant devotion, and purple roses represented love at first sight—which was true, for me.
“Oh, wow, this is gorgeous.” She brought the bouquet to her nose, enjoying the soft scent wafting in the air. “Is this from your family farm?”
I nodded as she stepped back to let me into her apartment, my eyes scanning the tiny offering before landing on the portable cot in the corner. Silas was sound asleep inside of it, and she smiled when she caught my gaze.
“He’ll sleep through anything.” There was that haunted look in her eyes again. “Don’t worry.” She stepped further into the room and set the bouquet on the small card table functioning as their kitchen table. It was a bachelor apartment meant for a summer student and not the home of a single mother with her son. My heart clenched at the idea that this was all she had, and even that wasn’t a lot.
The room had no toys beyond the wooden train, there was no bed which left me guessing the couch pulled out into one, and they seemed to be living out of a bag full of clothes. She came here with nothing, which meant she left everything behind.
Why?
“So, why is it you’re a sheriff instead of working on your family farm—which I’ve since learned is a pretty big deal around here?”
She’d made her way over to the small microwave oven and pulled the door open, tugging the aluminum pan out, and the smell of lasagna filled the room.
“I’m still a partial owner, but farming wasn’t my thing. I’d rather be involved in the business side of it than the day-to-day. Three of my brothers still work there, though. And one is a first responder like me.”
“Wow, one of five… That’s a huge family.” She smiled before setting lasagna-filled plates on the table. “Hope this is okay.”
