Page 21 of Claimed by the Lawman

“How did that go?” He took a long drink of his water while looking straight into her eyes, feeling his heart beating so fast that it knocked against his ribcage. Although he needed to stay focused, he was bewildered by how the light flickered in her pupils.

“Have you heard the expression…never wrestle with a pig in mud because he likes the dirt? Well, I felt like I needed a shower after I left his house, but at least nothing’s changed.”

He braced his elbows on the table. “I thought we agreed you were going to let me handle this?”

“Sorry, I’m a bit impatient if you don’t remember. Anyway, what does it matter? He’s no longer handling the case, but I bet he knows what happened to the note my sister left.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She paused while Bonnie placed the loaded plates on the table along with a basket of fried pickles and dipping sauce. Tyler popped a pickle into the sauce and into her mouth and instantly she started fanning her mouth. “Hot. Hot” She grabbed her beer and slurped up the goodness.

He smiled and gave his head a little shake. Looking down at the burger he realized just how hungry he was. “You were saying?”

“I bet he threw it away.” She wrapped her hands around the burger that was almost as big as her head and she took a tiny bite. A drop of ketchup fell to her chin and she dabbed it away with a napkin. He liked a woman who liked eating. Not once over the last year had he witnessed Sadie Mae chowing down. Then again, they never went anywhere. Guilt plagued him. Although he wanted to move on from the past, he never really gave moving on a chance.

“Come on, Sassy. You know you can’t throw around accusations like that.”

Her eyes widened. Was it because he used her nickname? “Are you telling me you like him?”

Working his jaw, Kace smiled. “I didn’t say that. The guy still rubs me the wrong way. So, what did he say?”

“Basically, the same thing he said three years ago. That I’m wasting my time.” A pickle fell off her burger and she picked it up, popping it into her mouth. “And just like I told him back then, a waste would be if he was elected Sheriff again.”

Kace didn’t know whether to smile or flinch. Leave it to Tyler to stir up trouble. “Remember, we might need his input on the case at some point. No reason to burn bridges.”

“Don’t tell me wearing that badge has made you soft?”

He set his burger down and wiped his hands. “It means pissing people off won’t help us any. I learned that while I was working with the government. If you decide to play amateur sleuth, could you at least let me know first?”

“Fine. I guess that’s reasonable. So anyway, tell me why you took this job, Kace. Your resume is golden. You could have any job in law that you want, but you decided to be Sheriff in Bohannan.”

He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I like being Sheriff. It’s not as bad as you think.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter what I think. I was just saying—”

“Not everyone wants to play hero or heroine, Tyler. Not everyone is searching for answers in the spotlight. I’m happy here.”

“Ouch. I guess I stepped on your toes.”

“It’s not that, sweetheart. Why don’t you tell me why you felt the need to leave Bohannan to find something?”

She swallowed a bite of burger with a drink of beer. “I’ve thought about this. When mom left, I swore I’d never forgive her, swore I’d stay rooted on the ranch. Then I found myself getting worried. What if I was like her?” She wiped her hands on a paper napkin.

“What do you mean?”

“What if I stayed here and then felt trapped? I guess in my own way I believed if I branched out and explored the world some, I’d get it out of my system. Something she didn’t do, apparently. She didn’t belong here in Bohannan though.”

“So, did you? Get it all out of your system?”

“Yes, I believe I did. I don’t feel trapped. I feel like I’m home. How about you, lawman? You explored the world too. Any regrets?”

“Plenty.” He chomped on his burger. Gratefully, she didn’t pressure him into explaining.

“I thought about you often. Praying for your safety while you were in the military. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d been here waiting for you to return.”

“Yeah, that would have been hell I’m sure,” he said a little too roughly. He didn’t want to be hurt by her words, but he was, and he didn’t like it. Not one damn bit.

“I’ve been asked out on a date. Oh wait, you know Jake Payne. What do you know about him?”

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