Page 6 of Sheriff's City Girl

“That’s good to know,” Lily called out as he walked up to my window. I caught a whiff of his cologne, an intoxicating mix of bourbon and sandalwood.

“Thanks for being good citizens and taking a look,” he said, his gaze bouncing between us. “But it’s not always safe to go playing vigilante. It can lead to getting yourself into trouble in one way or another.”

“Got it.” Lily gave him a thumbs up. “I’ll try to remind Emma of that the next time something like this happens.”

“Oh hush,” I said to her, laughing. “It’s not like I was going to go creeping around inside or something.”

Sheriff Hewitt’s gaze stopped on me, his piercing blue eyes boring into mine for a long moment. “Probably best not to tamper with a crime scene.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Have a nice evening, ladies.” He ripped his eyes from mine, tipped his hat and then headed back to his Bronco.

“Whoa, that was intense,” Lily grinned at me. “Like wow, that was chemistry between the two of you.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I do, and now I know for sure you’re coming with me Thursday to the dance. Mason always works security—it’s the one time I know we’ll see him.”

My stomach tightened with nerves. “I…” I glanced back over to the sheriff, who was talking on the phone. “I guess I could go.”

But I’m not getting my hopes up.

Chapter Three

Mason

“I’m glad you showed up tonight.” Lucas squeezed my shoulder, his dark hazel eyes appearing gold under the string lights above us.

“I always show up to this thing… every single year,” I grunted, shifting onto the heels of my boots. “I don’t know how you’d handle the drunks without me.”

“Oh, I think we’d handle them, send ‘em out to break colts with some of the guys,” Lucas chuckled. His blonde hair peeked out from under his cowboy hat, and the red undertone on his face was a little more prevalent from the heat of the evening. My best friend was about two inches shorter than me, making him right around six feet tall. He was a looker, that was for sure, but he still hadn’t landed a lady…

And I wasn’t sure if he ever would.

“You still talking to that vet—what’s her name?” I asked him as I checked my watch.

“Macie Jo?” Lucas raised his brows at me as the live cover band started to play on the makeshift stage in the barn.

“Yeah, I don’t know what her name was. You know I’m not any good with names.” The smell of smoked meat filled the air, and I was dying to try some of Ted’s, but I never ate until I was off my shift. Besides, I needed to find Jess…

“Well, if it was Macie Jo, then no, I’m still not talking to her. She moved off to the north, took a job at one of them big cattle ranches up in Wyoming.”

“As a vet?” I scanned the crowd, looking for Jackson. I had seen him walking around with some blonde—whatever her name was—but I hadn’t seen him in a solid half hour...

“Yeah, as a vet.” Lucas grabbed my attention. “I don’t know why else she’d spend all that time going to vet school and then not use her degree.”

I shrugged, noting that he was a little defensive about it—must still be bothering him. “Touché, but sometimes people just get burned out on their jobs.”

Or this loud ass music.

I felt my thirty-eight years of age at the moment, watching the teenagers dance around the floor, two-stepping and laughing as they went. “Man, to be young again.”

“No kidding. I’m a year younger than you, and I still feel like I might throw out my back if I dance for more than just a few songs.”

I laughed, shaking my head at him. “That’s because you’ve been thrown off so many damn broncs. That’s not age, that’s just foolishness.”

Lucas punched me in the arm. “Yeah, ‘cause you never did anything stupid.”

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