Page 27 of River Wild

“Clearly, I don’t,” she groaned.

“I’ll give you a list,” Tilly said, quickly taking over, as expected. “It will be like a scavenger hunt. You can bring everything to my house. Then we can pick a date, put it in theTattler, and decide who to invite personally, what to make for refreshments, and finally decorate together. How does that sound?”

“Just wonderful,” Oakley said facetiously. Why had she suggested this? Because Tilly was pregnant and her sister, and because her brother Brand’s fiancée, Birdie Malone, had asked if she was throwing a shower, like she should have already thought of that herself.

Things seemed to be happening too fast in some ways and too slow in others, Oakley thought. Brand had certainly fallen in love fast. Oakley was getting a sister-in-law she barely knew. Birdie would probably become pregnant right away—if she wasn’t already.

In a lousy mood, Oakley tried to cut Birdie some slack. She seemed nice enough, but clearly she had no idea what she was in for, marrying into the Stafford family.

“When do I get to meet your mother?” Birdie had asked as she admired the diamond engagement ring on her own left hand. It had been their grandmother’s. How Brand had gotten it, Oakley had no idea. Had she given the ring any thought at all, she would have assumed that their brother CJ had probably already pawned it. The ring was beautiful, and so was Birdie, Oakley had to admit. It was the long black hair, those big green eyes darker than Oakley’s, and that innocent face.

“With luck, you’ll never have to meet Mother,” she’d told Birdie, who had looked like she might cry.

“Do you think she’ll like me?” she’d asked.

“Birdie—”

“She’ll love you,” Oakley had said, even though she doubted her mother loved anyone. Except Holden McKenna, who she equally hated.

Climbing into the ranch truck she’d driven to town, she redialed her sister. “Let’s not forget to invite Birdie to your shower. I feel sorry for her. She’s afraid Mother won’t like her.”

Tilly laughed. “Birdie sure has you buffaloed. Trust me, Birdie can hold her own with our mother. She’s going to be a great addition to the family. So, have you started on the list I gave you?”

“You mean what you were telling me on the phone just minutes ago?”

“You didn’t write it down?” Tilly asked as if horrified.

“No, I’m on my way to your house. I thought we were doing all of this together. See you in a second.” She hung up before her sister could comment.

BAILEYWASN’TSUREthat telling Stuart how she felt had been a good idea. She felt safest when Stuart was in his sheriff mode. She could almost ignore the low-voltage sexual tension that vibrated between them. Actually, she liked the faint heated buzzing just under her skin when she got near him. It reminded her that she was still alive. That maybe one day...

Lately the tension had been stronger. She wondered how much longer she could fight it as she rubbed her arms and saw that he was still waiting for an answer to his question. It took her a moment to remember the question.

“The barbecue guest list,” she said. “I have it.” They both glanced at the large bag she always carried now lying on the floor next to the couch where she’d been sitting, but neither moved toward it.

“You say you’ve been looking for him all these years,” Stuart said, his gaze intent on her. She felt the burn of it on her skin, the heat of it stirring a need she had thought she would never feel again. She hadn’t dated in college, and what she’d done since she wouldn’t call dating, because she hadn’t been able to stand getting that close to any man.

“Is that what you’ve been doing when you come and go at all hours of the night?”

“I’ve been looking through the list.”

“I don’t know what that means,” he said. “Earlier you said you’ve been searching for him.”

Bailey sipped her coffee. She could feel his intent gaze on her. “I’ve narrowed it down to four ranchers,” she said, not ready to tell him more.

He nodded. “But that’s not everything, is it?” He stared hard at her. “Talk to me, Bailey. Don’t shut me out like you always do when you’re scared. What is it you aren’t telling me?”

“I just bared my soul to you,” Bailey snapped, pushing back on her chair and standing up. “That wasn’t enough?”

The sheriff said nothing, clearly waiting as he got to his feet.

She let her gaze rise to meet his. She liked this man as much as she loved him. Wasn’t that why she’d come close to confiding in him so many times over the past few years? He seemed to see her as no other man had. Like now. He knew there was more.

His eyes had sharpened. That glint in them told her he knew more than she thought he did. That was what scared her. That and whatever sizzled between them. She wanted this man, body and soul. He was handsome in a rangy way that made her pulse pound. She loved how he looked at her as if he wanted more than sex. He wanted her. All of her, and had for a long time.

Whenever she’d stopped by his house at all hours, she’d wanted him as badly as she knew he wanted her. But she’d been afraid to get too close. She didn’t want him to see the ugly part of her. Not just on her body, but in her heart, the part that demanded vengeance. But her true fear was that she wouldn’t be able to make love even with this man she desired almost more than her next breath.

“You don’t have any idea how sexy you are when you’re in sheriff mode,” she said now.

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