CHAPTER 7

The horse's smooth pace and the moonlight were captivating. She yearned to go home so desperately since she was so exhausted. But home was different now. He would be there---her mother's new husband.

Even though Lily was worn out, she was conscious of the sheriff's back's powerful muscles. He still had steel-like abs in his midsection. The man must work out. She assumed that was necessary for his line of work. Her nose was an inch from his neck, and a male aroma of sweat and leather irritated her nose—not in a funny way, but in a sensual, evocative way that awakened the senses.

Not her senses though. He wasn't her type and she wasn't drawn to him in any way. She avoided the he-men. She had to admit, though, that he was a very handsome and virulent man. He would be a ten pin in bowling, which is a strike.

She felt a wave of nostalgia. The only physical activity she had ever saw her father perform was bowling. He would enquire, "Is this gentleman a seven or eight pin?" when she had started dating. She'd make a face and reply, "A three or four." She vowed that the day she found a ten, she'd marry him.

She had never rated a man that high. Until today. She wondered whether falling out of the tree had caused any damage to her head.

They rode right into a barn. She blinked in opposition to the brightness as a light came on. Once her vision was clear, she could make out a hayloft, a wall covered in bridles, stalls for horses, bales of hay, and a dirt floor with hanging ropes. Wooden horses had blankets and saddles on them. Her nostrils were overwhelmed with the smell of leather and hay.

"You can get off," the sheriff said and she realized she still didn't know his name.

She slipped to the ground after swinging her leg over the horse's back. She staggered for a moment, but quickly recovered her footing.

With one easy movement the sheriff dismounted and she became aware of his height and the breadth of his shoulders. He was slim and muscled in all the right places. He had a pistol belt fastened around his hips and was dressed in jeans and a shirt. Once more, Clint Eastwood popped into her mind. She was lightheaded.

She suddenly found herself asking, "What's your name?"

He glanced over his shoulder as he removed a rifle from the saddle and placed it against a large round post holding up the loft. "Why?"

"So I'll know who I'm suing."

He hastily released the saddle's straps. He draped the saddle over a wooden horse like it was a toy before turning to face her. "John Stark."

She arched one brow. "Are you referring to John Harden?"

"Yes." After a brief moment of lip tension, he shrugged. "How shall I begin? My father loved the Old West." He approached the horse, picked up a brush, and started to groom her coat. "You did good, girl, really good," he said to the horse.

"You're speaking to the horse?"

"Yep. Blaze did an excellent job of transporting me quickly and securely to Tosin's." He started to lead the horse to the corral from the stable.

"Oh, no?"

He returned to her. "What?"

She held up her filthy hands. "I broke four nails and I just had them done."

He replied stoically, leading the horse out of the barn. "Now that should be a crime."

She didn't find that funny. Her skin and clothes were dirty. She raked leaves and dirt out of her hair. Mud was smeared all over her Prada sandals. Damn! She needed a bath. And her freedom.

From this crazy town and John stark.

He entered again, picked up the rifle, and made his way towards the large doors. "Let's leave."

She followed, and when he stopped unexpectedly, she ran into his rock-hard back. "Watch where you're going," he said as he turned on the light.

They were now surrounded by darkness, and she couldn't help but poke fun at his retreating back with her tongue. Was this the man's usual seriousness? And so annoying? She moved quickly to match his long strides.

His car was waiting outside. He climbed into the driver's side and set the weapon on the back seat. She opened the door on the passenger side and hopped in. A half-empty cup of coffee and a small bag of M&Ms were visible in the console and she smelled coffee. Her stomach grumbled and she realized she was hungry--- very hungry. She could have requested the candy, but her pride would not let her.

The sheriff poked out a phone number on his cellphone. "Arthur, I found her. We're coming in." He clicked off, then turned on the engine and drove towards a dirt road.

"Where are we?"

"Lady Luck Ranch?"

"Where are we going?"

"Jail."

Her hunger was beaten by fear. She couldn't go back to that place. She licked her drier-than-usual lips. "Will Tosin be there?"

"Yes."

She decided to be a little honest because she had tried every trick she knew on the sheriff and none of them had worked. Maybe that would make him happy. "Don't make me go back there, please. I'm scared of Tosin"

The headlights revealed a paved road ahead as he came to a stop at a cow guard. "Where is your mother, Ms. Lily?"

She trembled. "Does that matter?"

"Yes." He glanced at her. "You can go home tonight, or I should say this morning, if she will pay your bail." He paused for a second as if to let that sink into her head. "Where is this mother you've been throwing in my face?"

"I still--- "

"Where is your mother?"

She jumped at the sharpness of his voice, and she realized she would have to tell him. She clenched her hands into fists. "She is on her honeymoon."

"Excuse me?" He turned slightly in his seat to face her. "So you were going to the wedding, then? Is it the reason you were rushing?"

She began to fib, something she had no trouble doing in the past, but something about this lawman made her think twice. "Not really, but it's irrelevant. I contacted my lawyer brother, and I know he'll show up in the morning."

"Why isn't he here now?"

Why was he unable to stop questioning? She fought the urge to squirm once more. He seemed to have a built-in liar detector, to be honest. Nothing but the truth would do.

"He is angry with me since I missed my mother's wedding. He's trying to teach me a lesson, but he'll show up. He always does."

"So he gets you out of a lot of trouble?"

"Not serious stuff. Sometimes my sorority sisters and I party too heartily. Things like trashed hotel rooms, noise complaints and one time in Bloomingdale's my friend mentioned that a clerk had a big ass and then the woman wouldn't wait on us, so we just walked out with the merchandise."

"And everything is swept under the rug by the lawyer brother?"

She went on the defensive right away. "Is that that relevant to my situation now?"

"Yeah. You believe that you can get away with anything. Someday you'll have to take responsibility for your acts, without big brother," he replied, swerving left on the blacktop road.

Lily remained silent. She had effectively had her confidence deflated by the sheriff. She felt shame for the first time in her conscience.

John knew he had a problem. He couldn't take her back to the jail with Tosin in the next cell. He didn't know what to do with her.

"Would you please not take me to jail?"

He was struck in the chest by the sweet, appealing voice. He knew the woman didn't beg from the brief time he had known her. She was scared. And it's understandable given what she had to go through. He had to make things right because his department was at fault. He could only take her to one place—his home.

His entire being screamed "NO!"

"Is your brother really coming in the morning, are you sure?" As he asked the question, he realized again that it was already morning. He could put up with her for a few hours before she left his sight and Horseshoe.

Until the hearing.

But he had no control over that. Charlotte Lily would become just an unpleasant memory and her family would be hit with a hefty fee.