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And she’d found out he hadn’t been joking.
She studied the hard planes of his face beneath the brim of his Stetson. The sadness in his eyes brought on a rush of guilt. Way down deep, she knew she was responsible for putting it there. She hadn’t meant to. The last thing on earth she’d wanted to do was play with his feelings.
His feelings mattered to her.
He mattered to her.
“Probably oughta package it up.” His dark gaze raked her face as he strode in her direction. “Adriel is on his way, and he needs my help with something.”
“Why?” She frowned up at him. “What’s going on?”
“Not sure yet.” He stuffed his phone back into his pocket. “Someone called the police station a few minutes ago. Didn’t give a name. Claimed that fella on the tractor over there just dug up a tombstone.”
“Wow! Really?” She craned her neck to peer around his broad shoulders, but he moved at the same time to block her view.
“Probably best if I handle this, Prim, since it involves the Paddocks.” Concern wrinkled his forehead. “I don’t want you anywhere on their radar.”
Now was a fine time to start worrying about that! “Whatever,” she exploded. “Did you or did you not just finish arm-twisting me into volunteering for your team?” She splayed her hands against his chest and playfully attempted to shove him aside.
He didn’t budge. “Nice try, Doc, but you’re not big enough to move a guy my size.” His large hands came down on her waist to steady her.
“I’m not that tiny, Shep.” She suddenly wished she had a smaller waistline. Her confidence ebbed as she shifted from one foot to the other.
“Is that so, darling? Because I’m pretty sure I can bench press three or four of you.”
She flushed, hoping like crazy he didn’t try to pick her up and find out just how solid she was. “Let’s circle back to the part about how we’re supposed to be a team now!” She didn’t like being shut out of whatever was happening on the dusty lot next door to the grill — not after signing up to become his only volunteer search and rescue partner.
His shoulders rose and fell. “So, you’re not quitting on me, after all?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She made a face at him. “I’m not a quitter, Deputy Whitaker, and you know it.” She stabbed a finger against his chest for emphasis. It felt like she was poking a piece of steel. Her best-friend-turned-boyfriend was seriously built.
“That’s good to know, Miss Midraven, because you were wigging out pretty bad a few minutes ago over a measly kiss.”
“In my defense, it wasn’t measly.” She glared at him. “I had no idea you were about to turn my entire world upside down.”
His dark gaze heated at her words. “If you’re looking for an apology, you’re going to be waiting a very, very long time.”
“Okay, maybe I wigged out a little.” She was grateful to see the sadness ebbing from his expression.
“It was more than a little.” His voice was dry.
She lifted her chin. “Clearly, you’re dating a woman with issues.” He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into with her, because there were things she’d never shared with him about her past, including one very bad breakup that she was still getting over.
“So, now we’re dating?” His eyebrows rose. “Funny.” He cocked his head at her. “Because I don’t recall you asking me out.”
“Seriously?” She gasped out a laugh.
“Yep. We agreed you would do the asking when the time came, and I’m a guy who respects a woman’s boundaries. Not gonna apologize for that, either.”
“Shep,” she pleaded. When they were joking about that stuff earlier, she hadn’t realized they were genuinely this close to crossing the line between their friendship and…more. She was still absorbing his confession that he’d been crushing on her for a while.
“Just get it over with, darling. We both know you find me irresistible,” he teased.
“You’re something else,” she muttered. Though they were standing in broad daylight beneath the covered entrance of The Longhorn Grill, she reached for his hands, tangling her fingers with his.
His eyes grew heavy-lidded as he gazed down at her, telling her that what she said next was very important to him.
“Shep, will you go out with me?”
