by Laura Marie
Her day started by traveling to the next county thirty miles in the opposite direction to mail her letters to Catherine. She also gathered up some homemade jam and biscuit mix from one of the local specialty stores. The Fennigan family had been making jams and jellies for more than thirty years. It appeared they were profiting from the increase in tourists to the area, judging by the long lines and lack of parking spots.
Julianna had found a spot around the corner from the post office with a sign that gave her an hour to do her business in the clothing post.
She picked out everything she needed, including thermal underwear and an electric blanket. Buying the electric blanket was a city-girl thing to do, but the post had them on sale and she needed to get used to the Texas winters.
Julianna took her time browsing into the windows of the numerous stores, and she got an uneasy feeling, like someone was watching her.
When she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed a couple of men standing near the hardware and feed store across the way.
They tipped their hats and smiled. Julianna smiled back then continued to look around.
Struck by items in the window, she paused in front of a small gift shop. She glanced into the window, noting the numerous antique items on display.
An exquisite tea set sat partially hidden in the corner of the display.
Surprised by the sudden burst of emotion within her, Julianna thought of her mother.
Tears threatened to escape from her eyes, but she fought to keep the emotion intact. She was in public, and she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention towards her presence.
Her curiosity had the best of her as she wondered how much the store owner was selling the set for.
The deep burgundy and white floral design reminded her so much of the tea pot her mother used over the years.
The bad memory instantly came back to mind. She had been forced to sell just about everything she could to survive. She knew the tea set her mom used was long gone. She recalled crying hysterically as she carefully packed each piece of the set into a box then begged Aunt Ellie to sell it for her. She just couldn’t get herself to do it. A sad feeling consumed her. One of regret and heartache.
“Good afternoon, miss.”
Julianna turned towards the voice, surprised by the two men who stood behind her.
They both tipped their hats towards her, and she couldn’t help but to blush at the sight of them. More cowboys…It seemed she had forgotten just how appealing cowboys could be. Growing up around them, she also knew how tempting and how unreliable. An old saying came to mind. It was something she heard her aunt and mother speaking of. Something about a rooster and the hen house. Thinking of her past proved that men shouldn’t be trusted with anything more valuable than a beer can or, in Lawrence’s case, a Mercedes Benz E-Class.
“Afternoon,” she replied with a smile.
“You’re new around here, ain’t ya?” The older blond man asked with a smile and dimples that were so adorable she couldn’t help but to stare.
“I suppose you can say that,” she replied.
“You’re Roy Palmer’s niece, ain’t ya?” the younger cowboy with brown hair and hazel eyes asked as he rested his hands on his belt buckle.
She felt bad about lying, but she had no choice. It seemed that news traveled fast around small towns despite the changes.
“Yes I am, and you are?”
“I’m Zack and this is my buddy Colter,” the older cowboy replied, reaching out his hand.
Julianna hesitated at first then shook both men’s hands. Colter didn’t release her hand right away.
“I’m Julianna, it’s nice to meet you.”
Colter patted the top of her hand.
“I’d love to show you around town, Julianna, and perhaps get to know ya a little better,” he stated with a wink. “I’m Rooster’s cousin,” he added as if it should give her peace of mind. Maybe she lived in the city too long, but she didn’t know Rooster from Adam.
Julianna felt the heat reach her cheeks. He was a smooth talker. Then she noticed his friend Zack nudge his buddy’s shoulder.
Colter cleared his throat.
“Excuse me, ma’am…I mean…we…would like to show you around town.”
Julianna laughed as Colter simultaneously released her hand.
“Well, that’s mighty nice of you…both of you, but I’m still settling in and it hasn’t been that long since my last visit.”
While she pulled her bags up off the ground, she smiled at the two men then glanced in the direction of the corner side street where her car was parked. She felt the knot instantly form in her stomach.
“Can we help you with those?” Zack asked
“That’s quite all right, I can manage. I better get moving, it looks like the sheriff is about to give me a ticket.”
Zack and Colter glanced towards the same direction.
“Yeah, you’d better get a move on it. Our sheriff enforces the law to the second,” Zack stated, and Colter added similar unfriendly comments. Julianna didn’t know if the two men weren’t law-abiding citizens or knew the sheriff personally. As far as she was concerned, the sheriff made her nervous.
She said goodbye and hurried to her truck.
* * * *
Just as Julianna rounded the corner of the post office to where her car was parked, she saw the sheriff’s pickup truck parked alongside it.
He was checking his watch, and Julianna did the same.
Two minutes to spare. She rounded the front end of the truck and stood between her driver side door and Sheriff Black.
The gold nametag stood out to her, and when she read the name she got the chills.
Black, mysterious, intimidating. Here she goes again. The words entered her mind as she eyed him over subconsciously. The bulky, waist-length sheriff’s jacket, the holster on his hip, and the parted-legs stance that stated, “I dare ya to go ahead and try it.”
He cleared his throat, and Julianna cringed that he succeeded in intimidating her.
“Is there a problem, Sheriff?” she asked in her most friendly tone, although something told her that the term “kill them with kindness” would never work on the six-foot-four lawman in front of her.
He stepped forward in response, closed the gap between them, as she locked gazes with the black eyes and the most handsome face she had ever laid eyes on. Her heart felt like it slammed against her chest in an attempt to escape. She cleared her throat, and the panic set in.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. And what a chest he had. It was the kind of chest a woman wanted to be held against. It was solid, masculine, and strong.
Too strong to defend herself against if he attacked her.
Where did the thought come from? She shuddered at the thought just as the sheriff brushed against her elbow with his arm, and she clenched the packages of items in her hands.
He didn’t bother to move out of her way or even offer to assist.
“Something I can do for you, Sheriff?” she asked this time with anger in her tone because of her body’s reaction to the man.
He glanced at his watch. She swallowed hard enough for the man to hear.
“In Claire County, the law is the law. You’ve been parked here more than an hour.”
Oh god, he was too much. His tone was mean yet sexy. What the hell?
Still holding the bags tightly to her chest, she stared up into his face in disbelief. This guy was a bully. She got over her attraction quickly the more he spoke.
Julianna glanced at her watch. One minute to spare.
“If you’ll excuse me, Sheriff, and get out of my way, I’ll be able to get these things in my truck and leave. I have a minute left.”
With shaky hands, she pressed the key itself to hit the unlock button on the key chain that wasn’t there. The Mercedes had one but not the pickup truck. This man made her jittery and nervous. Damn him!
The panic took over her whole body, and the bag she held began
slipping from her sweaty palms. It was about to fall along with the others.
An instant later, his hands were grabbing for the falling package.
Julianna unlocked the door to get the rest of the packages inside, and she unintentionally pulled the door open too quickly, hitting the sheriff in the process.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” He appeared angry. She covered her mouth with her hand and prayed the man didn’t arrest her for assaulting a police officer on the spot. He abruptly handed her the bags, which she quickly tossed into the front passenger seat. As she turned towards the sheriff, he was handing her the other one that had fallen.
“Thank you,” she replied cautiously, anticipating the words “you’re under arrest” to leave his beautiful lips. But as their hands touched, she nearly lost her mind completely.
The singe of electricity ten times stronger than static, electric shock sprang through her fingertips. What the hell has gotten into me? I’ve been around plenty of good-looking men in my life. Some of Lawrence’s close friends could be male strippers for crying out loud.
Quickly, she pulled away.
She couldn’t help the chills that ran through her body. She knew she shook and that he noticed, but hopefully he would think it was from the cold breeze and not from his presence. Then again, the man was probably narcissistic and lived for the ability to make people fear him. Jerk!
“I hope you picked up a warm winter coat from the post. Winters around here are cold but this winter is expected to be brutal. Although I’m certain not as cold as the winter city streets of New York.”
That deep voice of his slammed against her body. His tone didn’t sound caring, it sounded condescending.
“I think I can handle it. Thanks for your concern. I did pick up a coat. A nice warm one.”
She wondered why he made her so nervous. She should be annoyed at his persistence and the fact that he was watching her.
“Well, my time is up. I don’t want to get a ticket so…” She let the word linger in the air as she waited for him to hand her the keys he had picked up along with the package that fell.
Their gazes locked a moment as she grabbed the dangling keys from his other hand, being sure not to make any physical contact whatsoever.
As if he had some sort of lethal sickness, she reached out for the keys with her pointer and thumb in an attempt to avoid the skin-to-skin contact.
He held them tight a moment as he smirked just barely. Not a smile, not a grin, not a blush of the cheeks. It was just a smirk that sent waves of heat through her body. It was as if he could see right through to her soul.
It annoyed her that such a controlling, authoritative man could make her feel so self-conscious. She quickly looked down to the ground and took a step back. Her rear hit the door, and she let out a long, frustrated sigh as she grabbed the keys.
Hadn’t her relationship with Lawrence taught her to be more cautious? To take men for what they were?
Lying, cheating, and manipulating scoundrels.
Good looks, wide, sexy shoulders, tight pants, and power-hungry men were trouble with a capital T. So why was she so mesmerized by this cowboy’s blatant, disrespectful attitude?
Holding his gaze, she wondered if the sheriff was a mind reader. She kept her eyes locked on his every move as strong fingers reached the front of his Stetson before nodding towards her.
“Welcome to Claire County, Miss Palmer. You have a nice day now.”
She quickly started the ignition then waited for the sheriff to pull down the side street.
A moment later she headed straight out of town towards home, surprised at the fact that the sheriff remained in her thoughts.
During her journey in the car, she had sworn off men of all kinds. Not forever, but at least until she wasn’t so fragile and sensitive. She needed more confidence, better judgment, and a bit of attitude. That just wasn’t possible yet. Her attraction, although she didn’t want to admit that’s what she felt towards the sheriff, made it clear that her judgment skills were still way off.
She maintained her country-girl manners and etiquette even in the big city. People liked that about her once they got to know her.
She wasn’t a Southern belle or a size two. She was a size 7/8 in jeans, with hips and ass to accompany her ample bust size. She worked out because she wanted to, not because Lawrence made her promise to not get fat. It was the one thing she could do and could give her all to and still keep Lawrence happy.
Sometimes she just wanted to quit working out and not look so trim and fit for him. But exercise and caring about her health and body was part of her personality and her life. She thought of Lawrence and his ability to make her do things she never thought she would do.
Lawrence made her wear provocative clothing whenever he threw a large dinner party or if they had to meet clients for business dinners. He also made sure she was part of the conversation and not just his pretty girlfriend. He knew Julianna had a good head on her shoulders, a great business sense, and knowledge of current events. He showed her off as his prize possession. She had been foolish enough to think that made him respect her and love her.
Ha! Not Lawrence. He only befriended those he needed for selfish reasons.
She sighed, just thinking about the decisions she made. Being as smart as she was, it appeared her common sense was blinded by her need to feel loved, appreciated, and important to someone.
Lawrence had ulterior motives, and she was the last one to figure that out. That lack of suspicion and questioning nearly cost her her own life. Hadn’t it been enough that she lost the baby?
The tears emerged with thoughts of her loss. The weeks passed with few reminders of what happened, and she felt guilty for allowing it. It was her fault that a life was taken.
The thought scared her, weakened any ability to be strong, but also reminded her that men could not be trusted. Her heart needed to be locked and secured inside an invisible, impenetrable force field.
Forget about any tall, dark strangers.
Sheriff Black entered her mind again. It was obvious she was attracted to the jerk. Another hit to her lack of better judgment. Why was she interested in the mean bad guys instead of the nice, pleasant, and personable guys? Nerdy computer analysts, librarians, teachers. Any man who wasn’t a threat?
Just because he was a lawman, it didn’t make him less harmful. As she thought about it, the more she wondered why he was so interested in confronting her, asking questions, and giving her a hard time.
Did he enjoy intimidating women? The thought angered her, made her want to turn around and tell him a thing or two. Yeah, right.
She was still lacking in self-confidence, licking her wounds, and hating anyone or anything that tried to dominate or control her.
The sheriff was no different. Then she wondered about the New York comment.
Would he run her name through the police computer system? Find out about the case, about Lawrence and the—
She couldn’t complete the sentence even in her mind.
At this point, she began to jump to conclusions.
Lawrence had connections all over the United States, or at least it appeared that way to Julianna.
Could the sheriff be on the payroll?
The thought made her cringe and brought tears to her eyes.
Would she ever be free?
Would she ever be loved, or was she better living life solo?
Aunt Ellie and Uncle Roy came to mind. She needed to protect them. Would moving here place them in danger from Lawrence as well?
As she peeked in the rearview mirror, she prayed that the sheriff wasn’t following her back to Palmer Place.
In a state of panic, she decided that she would write a letter to Catherine and Jeremy asking them to check out Sheriff Black.
Chapter 6
The renovated cottage house sat a good fifty yards away from the main house and the workers’ quarters. It was a quaint, two-bedroom cottage
with a winding back and front porch. She could sit out and look at the horse pasture or the wide acreage of land in front.
Numerous old trees blocked the view of the main house, horse stables, and workers’ quarters, so it was like having a private home. The inside was decorated in a country style with cedar paneling, a stone fireplace, and light maple cabinetry. There was an island with two stools as well as a dining area for when she had guests. The only ones she anticipated on having for dinner were Aunt Ellie and Uncle Roy. She smiled at the thought of entertaining because she wanted to. After spending so much time being told where to go, when to go, how to go, and what was expected of her when she finally got there, Julianna embraced making the simplest of decisions on her own.
No longer did she have to confer with Lawrence and get his approval.
The living room was inviting with the large fireplace and red plaid, upholstered fabric, and she was touched that her aunt had thought of everything. Aunt Ellie had left some decorating for Julianna to do, and she was looking forward to shopping.
Even with taking over the accounting books for Palmer Place and assisting in cooking breakfast and the main meals, Julianna had a bit of down time throughout the day.
Today, she finally decided to take Snickers, the chocolate-colored mare, out for a nice long run.
The horse belonged to her aunt and uncle.
Sitting atop of the saddle, Julianna was amazed at how quickly she remembered what to do. How to lead the horse with such simple commands like leaning her thigh and calf into the mare’s side or tapping the reigns twice on either side to abruptly change directions.
She nearly forgot just how fun horseback riding had been. It was a pleasure she was denied not because she lived in the city but because Lawrence wouldn’t allow it. “You’re such a hick. No woman of mine is going to sit on some stinking horse and get covered with dirt and grime.” His words were so demeaning. In an attempt to trick him, she tried another tactic, stating that she could race horses, be more like a jockey, and compete for money.
