AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He used their joined hands to tug her closer. “Sure. Where do you want to go, darling?”
A breathy chuckle skidded out of her. “You’re going to make this as difficult as possible, aren’t you?”
“Nah, I just want you to be sure this is what you really want.” He laced his fingers more firmly through hers. “Ineedyou to be sure.”
A surge of emotion caught her off guard, clogging her throat. “I want you in my life, Shep. I’m sure about that, okay?” She could only hope and pray it didn’t change them and what they had together too terribly much.
“Okay.” His voice grew husky again.
A blip-blip of sirens sounded as Sheriff Adriel Montana pulled his police cruiser into the parking lot.
Shep’s mouth twisted wryly. “Gotta go.” He started to take a step back.
She jutted her chin at him, refusing to let go of his hands. “Not before you answer that question you worked so hard to wrangle out of me, mister.”
“You already know the answer.”
“Say it, Shep!” She spoke through gritted teeth.
“Yes, I’ll date you.” He winked at her.
The simple gesture flooded her with warmth, reminding her of one of the many reasons she adored him. He made her feel things. Cherished. Safe. And now wanted. It might be awhile before she got used to that last item.
Adriel blipped his siren again as he pulled abreast of them and rolled down his window. Eyeing the one hand they still had joined, he raised his eyebrows at them. “Is there something you guys wanna tell me?”
He was a wiry Native American with a mane of long, inky black hair. As he waited for an answer, he shook back a strand that the wind had blown across his eyes.
“Yep.” Shep cast a look at the dusty field beside the restaurant. The guy on the tractor had finally turned off the motor. He was standing beside it, shouting into his cell phone. “Tractor Man is pretty angry with whoever he’s talking to.”
“I had no idea. Thanks for the intelligence.” Adriel’s voice was sarcastic. “I was referring to you two.” He angled his head at Prim. “The canoodling, to be more specific.”
“Oh, that,” Shep drawled, giving her a lazy once-over, as if holding hands was something they did all the time. “Prim asked me to date her, and I didn’t have the heart to turn her down.”
With a huff of disbelief, she tried to snatch her hand back, but he wrestled it to his mouth and planted a noisy kiss on her knuckles.
“That’s so not how it went down,” she hissed.
“Burden of proof,” he taunted with a wink.
“You’re an awful human being, Shep Whitaker.” Since he still had possession of her hand, she shoved him with her shoulder.
“Is that why you asked me out, darling?” The way he waggled his dark eyebrows at her made her want to laugh. By some miracle, she resisted the urge.
“Maybe I was just getting close to you, so I could get the inside scoop on that tombstone story.” She gave him a wicked look that, for some reason, made his gaze dip to her mouth again.
“Get your woman in line, Whitaker. Duty calls.” The twinkle in Adriel’s eyes told her he was teasing.
“And I’m here to help.” She bent her knees to peer more easily through the window of the cruiser. “In case he hasn’t told you yet,” she shot a baleful look at her new boyfriend, “I’m the first official volunteer for the rez’s new search and rescue team.”
Shep glanced at his watch. “Don’t you need to get back to the clinic?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Probably.”Bummer!She was dying to know what was going on with that tombstone.
He reached for his wallet, but she pushed it away. “I already paid for lunch.”
He gave her a dirty look. “Then I’ll pay you back. You’re not picking up the tab for our very first date.”
“Not happening. You can pay for the next one.” There was no way she was letting him repay her for a meal he never even got to eat.
