Page 20 of The Undercover Cowboy

“I’m fine. I just got a scare,” she said. She refused to let him go. It felt nice to be held in his strong, protective arms.

“Do I have to beat the shit out of someone?”

She hiccupped a laugh that horrifyingly sounded close to a sob. “Get in line.”

“Seriously, I’m in the mood to kick someone’s ass.”

Rubbing her cheek against the soft flannel of his shirt, Dolly sighed. She had to tell him something. He was an investigator after all. He was going to keep probing and questioning until she gave him something. “It’s all right. I probably overreacted. Someone left a gift on my doorstep and I got offended.” That wasn’t even remotely close to the truth, but it should buy her some time.

He tensed up. “What kind of gift?”

Dolly should have known he wouldn’t let it drop. Taking in a shaky breath, she forced herself to leave the safety of his arms. It was tough. But she needed to put on her big-girl panties and woman up. She was all right. It was probably just a shitty practical joke. Although, when her brain tried to convince herself of that, she immediately saw the holes in that logic. “I don’t want to go into it right now.”

“Do you want me to take a look at it?”

“No.” Dolly shook her head and bent down to pick up her bat. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, if it upset you.”

She was having a hard time not spilling her guts to him. It was especially rough when he looked so concerned and handsome at the same time.

“I’m fine.” Dolly decided she needed a little misdirection to take his mind off her problems. “What are you doing back here at this hour?”

“I wanted to take a second look around the rodeo after dark.”

“Why?” she asked suspiciously. Could Nash have dropped off the “gift”? Nah, she was just being paranoid.

“I figured now would be a good chance to look around without prying eyes.”

“Good point,” she said. “We might find something Blevins or his cronies left behind when he wasn’t expecting company.”

“Me. Not we.”

“I should come along. I could be a good lookout or hold the flashlight or something.”

“Absolutely not,” he shot back, his jaw clenched. “It’s too risky. If we get caught, you could get in trouble, and I can’t let that happen.”

“Excuse me?” Dolly bristled, indignant at the implication that she couldn’t handle herself. “If we get caught, I’m pretty sure I can talk us out of it.”

“Can you really?” Nash challenged.

“Have you met me?” Dolly folded her arms across her chest. “I could charm the spots off a leopard.”

He grunted in agreement. “It’s not exactly legal, poking around like we’re going to do.”

“Neither is whatever Blevins’s doing,” Dolly countered.

“I’ve got Shelby’s permission to do what it takes. That permission doesn’t apply to you.”

“So what?”

Dolly watched as Nash’s jaw worked.

“You might need the backup,” she cajoled.

“Fine,” he finally conceded. “But we’re doing this my way. Being careful.”

“I always am,” Dolly assured him, though her history suggested otherwise.

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