Page 148 of Sin With Me

She chuckled, shaking her head. Her laugh vibrated through my body. “You’re definitely one of a kind. But Jack hasn’t been stabbed by life’s sharp thorns of reality.”

I knew she was lying about Jack. A shadow passed over Emma’s face when she tried to hide the truth. The little boy was right – unconditional love was something Emma had oncelost.

“Have you been stabbed, Emma?” I pulled up beside the general goods store. If we were going to stay at the ranch, I had to pick up a few groceries for the house. After our brunch, the fridge had been emptied.

Emma shook her head sideways, and I knew she’d just put a wall up between us. “I’m pretty much built like a machine when it comes to getting hurt, and refuse to let anyone to do so. There aren’t many things anyone can say to hurtme.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Emma.”

She rolled her eyes, and I sighed.

“Is this it?” She motioned with her head at the town coming up, changing the topic.

“Yup, that’s Ogden.”

“Looks like a Western movieset.”

“You’ll find people here a bit nosy, which may be good for your job. I need to get some groceries. If you’d like to look around, I can meet you back here in an hour or so? Sheriff’s office is that way, local post office and I guess what you can call a motel.” I pointed them out. “Just tell them you’re with Eric, if anyoneasks.”

Emma’s cheeks flushed, but she recovered in two beats of my heart. I was beginning to love that pinkish shade on her face. It was so rare and unique, I doubted she even knew she was doing it. The few freckles that decorated her skin darkened, and her eyes brightened.

“So, I’ll meet you back here in an hour?” she asked.

“Sounds good.” I rushed around the front of the car to open the door, reaching just before she pulled on the handle.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” I stepped closer, leaning in. “And one more thing, Emma. I’m really glad you’re staying with me, and I hope you can find some time to relax while working, too.”

“If anyone can relax, it’s me, Cowboy.” She was lying again. “But not while I’m on the clock.”

“Then I will make it my mission to make sure the clock stops for you once in a while.”

“You’re the one that’s paying the bill. If you want me to take it easy, it’ll cost you moretime.”

“Money’s not an object.”

“Really?” Her brows rose. “You don’t look like someone with loads ofcash.”

“Just because I don’t flaunt it doesn’t mean I don’t haveit.”

Her mouth formed a perfect O, and I said, “See you soon, Emma Cross.”

She didn’t say anything as I left her by my truck, speechless. There weren’t too many people in town who knew about our family fortune: flowing crude under the fields of my ranch. At the time my grandfather had left the property to me, his first grandson, not even my parents knew about it. The horses now camouflaged a secret that had been passed on to the first born in each family, and I’d always had trouble figuring out why the secrecy.

“Hello, Mr. Front,” I greeted the butcher. While he’d kept the meat store clean, his apron held the permanent stain of blood, which always sent shivers down my spine.

“Good to see you Eric. Where’d you pick up that beauty?” He nodded to Emma, who was making notes on her tablet and taking pictures.

“On my way back from Rutherford.”

“How was the horse sale? Did you get any new breeds?”

“None interestedme.”

“Could it be because she interestedyou?”

“Could be. Once I saw her, I knew I wasdone.”

---