Page 40 of Her Wild Coast Promise

“I think the right people will.”

“Okay.” His tone is laced with disbelief, but he’s not refusing. I’ll take it as a win.

I smile. “You’re a good man, Seth, and you deserve this.”

“What about Peyton?” he asks. “She’s better at campaigning.”

This is the second time he’s brought this up. I need to find out what’s behind it so I can squash it to bits—the last thing we need is a candidate who’s afraid of his opponent.

“That doesn’t mean she’s a better sheriff,” I say.

He gives me a curious look, as if I’ve said something profound. “Truth.”

I give his hand a soft squeeze. “Stick with me, deputy. I won’t let you down.”

He treats me to a wink. “Do you always have this much energy?”

“Unfortunately,” I say with a sigh.

“Maybe I should have pushed a harder pace this morning.”

“Why didn’t you? Afraid I’d keep up?” I laser him with a look.

He presses his lips together, suppressing a laugh. Then he leans in, so our faces are inches apart. “Since it’s your first time, I thought I’d go easy on you.”

The air between us churns with a heated, delicious turbulence. He smells so good. Like forest and leather and cool, refreshing mint. It’s like catnip, drawing me deeper into the danger zone.

I lean closer and whisper into his ear, “What makes you think I like it easy?”

He releases a low, barely audible groan.

A hard knock on the door makes me jerk backwards. Seth jumps to his feet, and though he manages to untangle our scissored legs, in my haste to recover my composure, I swivel into the table leg, cracking my kneecap.

“Sorry to interrupt,” a deputy says, locking eyes with Seth while I bite back my cry of pain.

With Seth’s back to me in the doorway, he and his coworker discuss something in cop speak, then Seth turns to me, the playful expression in his eyes replaced by a stoic professionalism. “I need to go.”

I manage a wave before he disappears through the door. Rubbing my knee, I coax in a series of calming breaths. I’m his campaign manager, for crying out loud. What the hell just happened between us?

I blame that dark edge in his expression and the challenge he laid out—talk about irresistible.

But damn it, I need to rise above my craving to climb him like a tree. And fast. We have seven weeks of meetings and strategizing together, and living under the same roof.

Outside the conference room, the bustle of bodies moving about and conversations reminds me of my very long to-do list, so I pack up my things and limp for the door.

Next stop: coffee, then home for an afternoon of digging. Time to find out how deep Daddy Reece’s pockets are, and who else is supporting Ms. Reece’s run for sheriff.

ChapterEleven

SETH

When I arrive homeafter a fruitless evening chasing a false lead regarding our Jane Doe, the woodstove is crackling and the kitchen smells like heaven. Rosie lopes over, sneezing in her excitement.

The minute I spend greeting her while she dances around my ankles allows me to get a handle on my reaction. It’s not that I forgot Cora would likely be here, but I didn’t expect her to be the image of domestic bliss.

Or to like it so much.

“You weren’t kidding about the produce aisle being bare,” Cora says from the counter next to the sink. “A head of iceberg lettuce cost seven bucks! I had to fight off a little old lady for the last stalk of broccoli.”

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