Page 36 of Ridin' Solo
Wyatt.
His gaze bounced between me and Sheriff Locke. Then his expression cleared, and he shot us both a lazy smile.
“Did she pull the prank on you, sir? I told her it wouldn’t work. You’d see right through it.” Wyatt sauntered into the room.
“What are you—?” I tried to get the conversation back on track, but Wyatt wasn’t having it.
“April fool!” he shouted, cracking up. The life of the party.
Sheriff Locke finally unfroze and guffawed, standing and coming around his desk. He slapped Wyatt on the back and held his fist out to me.
I blinked, not quite sure what the hell was happening, other than realizing that maybe the joke was on me. What was today’s date? Oh fuck, it actually was April first. Weakly, I tapped my knuckles to Sheriff Locke’s and stood.
“I mean, that just went too far. Oakley would never fraternize with a deputy.” Wyatt smirked, the acting job going a little too far if you asked me.
I couldn’t salvage my original conversation with the sheriff, that was for sure. Instead, I smiled at my supposed April Fool’s joke and backed out of the room, pushing Wyatt out with me. When we got to the doorway, Sheriff Locke sat back down and glared at his computer screen.
“That was funny, but don’t pull that shit again. Get back to work, deputies.”
“Yes, sir!” I hurried to answer, shutting his door again and rounding on Wyatt.
“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” I whispered in his face, feeling like the heat in my cheeks was about to explode outward in the form of flames, consuming that smug smile on Wyatt’s face first, then his sexy forearms that distracted me to no end, and lastly, his stupidly talented cock that had gotten me into this mess in the first place.
He grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. As soon as we got to our cruiser, I pulled his middle finger backward and he let go of my arm with a yelp. My hands went to my hips, and I was ready to battle it out.
“Are you crazy?” I shouted.
I should have kept my voice down, considering where we were, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. This was why I kept myself on lockdown most of the time. Giving way to emotions and whims got people in trouble. It was how crimes were committed. I knew better than to take the lid off a boiling pot.
Wyatt put a hand out, probably ready to placate me like he always did. Smooth talkers always gonna talk. I wanted to hit that hand. Maybe even shoot his hand, I was so mad.
“Just get in the fucking car,” I growled, moving away from him to wrench the door open.
I got in and slammed the door shut. After a moment, he did the same, locking us into a small enclosed space where we’d have to work together all day. I couldn’t work with a partner while I was this upset with him. We needed to talk it out and settle things.
I spun in my bucket seat. “I wanted to come clean. I told you that was important to me and I gave you almost a week to sort out whateverbusinessyou had to attend to.” I used air quotes when I said business. The way his eyes heated and his jaw clenched told me he didn’t appreciate it.
“Maybe aspartners, you should have consulted with me first before blowing up both our jobs. Isn’t that what true partners—at work or in a relationship—do?” The fucker gave me air quotes right back.
Well, shit. He had me there. Somehow that didn’t seem to cool the embers of my anger. I had a flash of Amelia and Titus, staring into each other’s eyes as they tried to feel the baby kick for the first time after we ate dinner last night. My heart clenched, and the anger died away, leaving an ache that was ten times worse.
I’d said honesty was important to me. It was time to walk the talk.
“Look, Wyatt. I want a partner in life. I want a house with a white picket fence and three-point-five children as crazy as my sisters. And I want the career. I want it all. But being honest is the only way to get any of that in a way that works for me. So, tell me what’s stopping you from telling the sheriff about us.” I grabbed his hand, rubbing my thumb across his solid knuckles. “Just tell me, Wyatt.”
The muscle in Wyatt’s jaw clenched over and over again, the silence drawing out. He finally squeezed my hand and let go, his gaze moving out the windshield.
“It’s just not that easy for me, Oakley. If I tell you everything now—well, let’s just say that will lead to bigger problems for us.”
I shook my head, thoroughly confused. “So…what? That’s it? We’re just done because you can’t be honest with me? You don’t even want to try?”
The dispatcher’s voice came through the radio. “We’ve got a situation out by the highway. Apparently Janey’s goats broke through the fence and are roaming around on the road. Already had one accident reported.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled deep. We had work to do. Our argument would simply have to wait.
“We’re on it,” Wyatt radioed back.
I flipped on the lights and headed out to Janey’s goat yoga property.
