by Mia Carson
“I’m not your girl,” Iris snapped from behind Alec.
“Just having a friendly night out,” he corrected, smiling. He had a good four inches on Jenson and a hell of a lot more muscle. “Why don’t I buy you your first round?”
“I think I’ll pass, thanks,” he muttered as the sheriff waltzed back over.
“Jenson, your public awaits,” Pueller said happily. “Let’s go meet them and you can enjoy a few drinks before you start in the morning.” He pulled Jenson away, and Alec heard Iris breathe a sigh of relief behind him. When he turned, she poured another shot of whiskey and drank it down.
“Mind telling me who that guy was?” he asked.
She poured a fourth, slamming the shot glass down on the bar. “Nah, it’s a small damn town. I’m sure someone will fill you in soon enough.” She stood up from her stool, wobbling on her feet, and spun around. “I really need to pee.”
Alec laughed quietly. “Want me to walk you there?”
“Nope, I’m a big girl. I can make it,” she said with a giggle. “Be right back.”
He wanted to ask her more about Jenson and the Sam the sheriff mentioned. He sat back down and poured himself a shot as his brother sauntered over and took the empty stool beside him.
“Well, you went from flirting to nearly starting a fight,” August said. “Good job.”
“I was not about to start a fight,” he grumbled and drank the whiskey, “but I’m going to have to cut our night short.”
“She coming home with you or vice versa?” he asked and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Neither. I’ve been appointed her guardian for the night.”
“By who?” August asked as the bartender reached them.
“By me. Who are you?”
“This is my brother, August, and that is Danny, the man who made me responsible for the woman who has quickly gotten herself drunk,” Alec announced. “Can you tell me what she told you? And who’s the jackass?”
Danny leered. “Our new deputy? Yeah, he’s a right piece of work, but I’m not saying anything about it. That’s up to Iris.”
Alec figured as much. “Fine, what about Sam? Who’s he?”
“Sam is her younger brother,” Danny said quietly. “He’s got cancer, but from what I hear, he’s finally in remission. He’s her sole responsibility.”
“Where are their parents?”
Danny’s lips pursed, and he shook his head. “You ask a hell of a lot of questions, man.”
“They’re dead, aren’t they?” he said, and Danny nodded once. “Damn.”
“Just don’t mention anything to her unless she brings it up first, alright? That woman’s been through hell more than once, and I’m pretty sure she’s still trapped there,” Danny said, his eyes darting towards the bathrooms. “And so help me God, if you hurt that woman, I’ll break every single finger you have. Got it?” He stormed away before Alec could reply, and August slapped him hard on the back.
“You do know how to pick ’em,” he said. “I guess I’ll see you at home.”
Alec dug his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to his brother. “Here, get your ass home. I think I’m going to be a while, and don’t dent up my truck.”
“You’re kidding, right? That piece of shit is ancient. When are you going to upgrade?”
“Get out of here,” Alec said and gave August a shove. His brother left, but not before he stopped at a table with a few pretty blondes, and from their high-pitched laughter, flirted until one of them walked out with her arm around his waist. “Typical.”
A few more minutes passed before he spotted Iris making her way back to the bar, her steps slow and measured until she reached her stool, climbed up onto it, and held her head in her hands. Alec slid the whiskey bottle towards her, and she cringed, holding up her hand.
“Think I hit my limit for the night,” she mumbled.
“Did you walk or drive?” Alec asked.
She nodded, and he sighed, watching her fumble in her purse for her wallet. He stopped her with a touch to her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Paying for our impromptu date,” he said and laid a hundred on the counter. “Danny?”
The bartender hustled over. “That’s too much, man,” he said, picking up the bill.
“Keep the change. Where does Iris live? I think she’s had enough for one night.”
Danny tucked the bill away with a firm nod and rattled off Iris’s address. Alec thanked him and picked up Iris’s purse in one hand, helping her stand with the other wrapped around her waist.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’m going to escort you home before you have to deal with that guy again,” he growled. They stepped out of the bar, and Iris leaned against his side, all heat and soft curves. If only she were sober. He could really have made both their nights, but her random outburst of laughter as they meandered down the sidewalk told him all he needed to know.
Whoever that guy was to her, he messed her up pretty bad, just as Nikki had Alec, but there was more to it than that. He sensed it in the charged emotions still coming off the woman beside him. With her head resting against his shoulder, Alec couldn’t see her face but had a feeling the burning hatred still flared in her eyes.
“I hate him,” she whispered when they’d crossed one of the major intersections and turned down a street lined with old houses.
“Who are we hating now?” Alec asked, readjusting his grip on her body when she stumbled.
Iris giggled and staggered into him. “I’m sorry, I keep running into you. You don’t have to do this, you know. I can make it from here.”
“I highly doubt that,” he replied with a grin.
“No, really, I can. You shouldn’t have to do this. You almost took a hit for me tonight, so just leave me here. I can make it,” she insisted and stopped walking.
Alec let her go slowly and handed over her purse. He glanced down the street, shaking his head. “Iris, just let me walk you.”
“Nope, I got this.” She took one step, then another, but then her legs wobbled and she threw out both arms to the side to steady herself. Alec cursed and rushed to hold her up, then decided it’d be easier just to carry her. He scooped her up in his arms and continued down the sidewalk. “Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, nestled in his arms. “You just met me, and I’m clearly not worth the trouble.”
“Says who?” he asked, having a feeling he already knew.
“Lots of people, lots and lots of people… and that bastard,” she spat.
He chewed on the inside of his cheek to stop the questions from tumbling out. She was drunk, and it wasn’t fair to pry for answers.
“I thought I loved him,” she mumbled, and he looked down at her. She did not have sadness in her eyes, but a fire growing within her as every muscle in her body tensed. “Now, I want to smash a bottle over his head.”
“I don’t think your sheriff would appreciate that,” Alec warned.
“He would if he knew what happened,” she mumbled, and Alec’s feet stopped immediately.
“What do you mean?” he asked sternly, heart thundering in his chest.
Her eyes glazed over and her face paled. “Nothing… never mind. That’s my house,” she said and pointed to a small green house with a broken picket fence and a gutter barely hanging on by a screw. “You can set me down here.”
“Danny made me promise to get you home safely, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he stated as he walked up the path. “Got your keys?”
Gently, he set her on her feet, her body sliding perfectly against his as he did so. Her breathing caught, and when she sucked in a breath, her breasts pushed against his chest and her head tilted back until their eyes met again. “You’re new in town, and on your first night, you get wrangled into taking the town drunk home. You either have really shitty luck or you’re just like me.”
Alec smiled and reached up to brush her hair from her face. His fingers lingered on her che
ek, and she melted into his hand. When she licked her lips, Alec’s gut twisted. He bent to meet her lips, a soft caress of skin on skin, but he didn’t let it go further. As he straightened, clearing his throat, Iris smiled for a brief moment before she dug in her purse and pulled her keys out. She squinted in the darkness, trying to find the right one, and let out a cry of triumph when she did. The door unlocked and swung inside.
“You can come in for a few if you like,” she said. “Ignore the mess.”
Alec knew he shouldn’t, but he wanted to make sure she made it into bed without any problems. The house was tiny but felt homier than any house he had ever lived in before. Photographs lined the walls from the living room to the kitchen and down a hall to the left. “This your family?” he asked, looking at a photo of Iris standing with who he assumed were her parents and a young boy.
Iris stepped up beside him. “Yeah, that’s them, or was them… They, uh… they died four years ago… my parents. Car accident.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said, but she waved his words away.
“No, really, it’s fine, you know. I was left with taking care of my sick brother—no job, no money, no prospects for getting out of this damn town. Lost my friends because my boyfriend was a jackass, then lost him, and now I’m swimming in debt I’ll never get out of and… and…” She grimaced for a second and darted down the hall. A second later, Alec heard heaving and rushed after her. A light pouring onto the floor pointed him in the right direction, and he found her hugging the toilet.
He knelt beside her and pulled her hair from her face.
“What… what are you doing?” she asked. “This is horrible. Go away.”
“I’m not leaving you hugging a toilet,” he said firmly. “I’ve seen far worse from my brother.”
She shot him a look before she cursed and heaved again. Alec searched for a washcloth and handed it to her when she flushed the toilet and rested her head on the seat. “This is mortifying. Really, please, just go away.”
“No,” he repeated and settled down on the floor beside her.
She stared at him long and hard, wiping her face with the cloth. Her gray eyes swirled with emotions and he wondered how much of her rant she remembered. “You must be just like me,” she decided.
“And why is that?”
“Any other man who just met me would’ve turned tail and run by now,” she said. “Who the hell are you, Alec Wolf?”
He shrugged, picking at a broken nail. “Just the new guy in town.”
“Sure you are,” she whispered. “But we all know that’s a lie. You’re running from something.”
“Is that right?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t push for answers. Funny, since that’s all you want to do, a voice echoed in his thoughts.
“Yeah, and you know what sucks about running? You’ll never get far enough away. I know, I’ve tried,” she said and with a groan, pushed to her feet. “I’m going to go pass out now and pray I forget all this when I wake up.”
She staggered down the hall to a bedroom and fell onto the bed. Alec watched her struggle with the blanket until he sighed and helped her cover up. “Good night, Iris. Maybe our next date will go a little better.”
“Date?” she asked through a yawn. “Whoever said this was a date?”
He opened his mouth to reply but her breathing steadied and she did, indeed, pass out. He considered staying with her for a little while longer to make sure she was fine, but freaking her out was the last thing on his mind. This woman did something to him, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. She was slightly unhinged and had a temper that rivaled a tornado, but she drew him in and until he knew why, he wasn’t going to let this be their last encounter. After he left a note for her on the counter with his name and number, he locked the bottom lock on her front door and pulled the door shut behind him.
“Are you seeing Iris?” a man called out from the sidewalk.
Alec lifted his face to find Jenson leaning against the picket fence, a beer in hand, and glaring. “Who’s asking? Jenson or the new deputy?” he replied stiffly, not moving away from the door.
“Both,” the man leered. “You’re new in town. How do you know her?”
“Old friends,” Alec lied. His hands fisted at his sides, and every vibe coming off Jenson told him he was trouble. “From college.”
“Is that right?” he said and wiped his nose on his arm. “I know all her friends, and they ain’t her friends no more.”
“I am. I've just been gone for a while,” he said and walked down the path.
“Yeah? What school did you attend?”
Alec pictured the living room and tried to remember the name on the diploma he spotted beside a few photographs. “Northwestern,” he said the second the image appeared in his mind.
Jenson’s body stiffened. “Never heard of you.”
“We haven’t talked in years,” he said, hoping he sounded convincing. “I just moved here recently. Thought I’d look up an old friend, take her out for drinks.”
“So you are dating?” he snarled.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Alec said and reached the sidewalk. He smirked when Jenson took a step back before he frowned and planted his feet. “She’s asleep, so why don’t you head home, deputy, and you can talk to her about her dating life tomorrow—or never. Never sounds good.”
Jenson reached out and shoved Alec hard in the chest, but the man was drunk and Alec barely moved. “She’s my girl, and you won’t go anywhere near her again. Got it?”
“And what if she doesn’t want you?” he challenged.
“You got a lot of talk for a new guy in town,” Jenson snapped. “You know what? We’ll settle this like men. There’s a new gun range in town. Meet me there Sunday, and we’ll see who the better shot is.”
“Shooting for women?” Alec asked, attempting a worried tone.
“Yeah, that’s how we do it up north. Have a problem with that?”
Alec shook his head, knowing the only gun range in this town was his, and he was the best shot in both Dakotas. “No, not at all. See you Sunday, then.”
Jenson nodded, turned around, and staggered off, tossing his beer bottle in someone’s front yard on the way. If August was with him, they’d follow that man for a few blocks and see how hard they could mess with his head, but he was alone and the old days were gone. He was a different man, and there was a dangerous vibe coming off Jenson that Alec did not like. Something bad had happened between him and Iris. If he found out the man had hurt her in anyway, he didn’t give a shit if Jenson was the governor. Alec would make sure he couldn’t walk straight for a year.
Chapter 4
She had to be dead. That was the only explanation for why her head throbbed like someone bashed it in with a sledgehammer. Iris groaned as she rolled over, and the room spun around her. She hadn’t had that much to drink last night, had she?
“Damn whiskey,” she grunted, and when her feet hit the floor, it was like a cannon blast. “Gah! Damn Danny for letting me have it!”
She rubbed furiously at her eyes, trying to clear the blurriness, and squinted against the light flooding her bedroom like she was trapped in a lantern. She glanced down at herself, patting her still fully dressed body and knew she was forgetting something, something important about last night… nope, nothing. She wobbled out of her bedroom, passing photographs of her parents on the way and ignoring them all. She freshened up in the bathroom and exchanged her wrinkled clothes for yoga pants and a black hoodie before stumbling into the kitchen.
“Coffee… Must have it,” she grumbled to the room. Her voice echoed off the tile, and she frowned at the sound. Last night, there’d been more voices in her house… She dumped grounds in the coffee pot, filled it with water, and hit the brew button, wracking her brain to try and remember last night.
Most of it was fuzzy, but she knew she’d been at Danny’s bar and there’d been a guy? Two guys… She tapped her fingernails on the counter, s
haking her head when a piece of paper with writing not hers caught her eye. She snatched it up, her eyes scanning the words quickly, and her body stiffened, mortified as the worst bits of last night flew back at her. Jenson at the bar… the man walking her inside… seeing her puke!
“Oh, this isn’t happening,” she mumbled. “He was the first hot guy I meet in years who isn’t a jackass, and I throw up in front of him! Way to go, Iris. Big two thumbs up, you idiot!”
With the coffeepot gurgling happily behind her, Iris dug around in her purse for her cell and checked the number Alec had left her. Alec Wolf. His rum-colored eyes appeared in her mind, the hardness in them trying to cover up the sadness and something else she couldn’t put her finger on. She closed her eyes, trying to remember if she did anything else last night, and the sensation of warm lips caressing hers drew another curse from her. They had kissed! Just a sweet kiss on the porch, but butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she remembered the feeling of his body so close to hers.
“Nope, he’s not going to want anything to do with you,” she told herself firmly. “He saw you puking your guts out. No sane man in his right mind will want to deal with your baggage.”
But when she looked over the note again, she frowned. Date. He had enjoyed their impromptu date, and if she wanted to go on a second, he said to give him a call. She was going to call and tell him she was so sorry, but if she called him now, would he expect her to want that second date? Leaning against the counter, she stared intently at his number on the paper, debating what to do. If she still had friends, she’d call them, but Jenson had ruined every friendship she’d had. The phone slipped in her hand, and she was about to put it down when it rang, scaring her. She yelped and dropped it on the floor.
“Damn it. I really need to get a dog or something,” she muttered as she knelt down to pick it up. Living alone was making her paranoid. She didn’t even check the number before she swiped her finger across the screen. “Hello?”
“Iris, I hope I didn’t wake you up,” Joe said on the other end, and she sagged in relief.
