“I’m fine, thanks.” She hesitated. Glancing over his shoulder, she saw that his partner was directing the reporters away from her. A few had spotted another school employee and were in hot pursuit. Bryah returned her attention to the ranger. “Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but do you know another ranger named Gavin Crain? You look just like him.”
He grunted. “He looks like me. That’s my baby brother. You know him?”
“Not really,” she hedged, for some reason not wanting to admit she’d gotten a date out of a bad situation. In retrospect, it seemed tacky and insensitive. “I met him yesterday at the school…”
He nodded. “The kid with the gun.” His blue eyes, which matched Gavin’s, darkened in anger. “My son happened to be in there at the time. I hope they throw the book at him.”
Bryah said nothing. What could she say? Anyone would be out of their minds with worry if their child had been thrown into a situation like that. Hell, Bryah was pretty sure if she had one, she would yank her son or daughter out of here permanently. She looked up at the school and shivered, remembering. How she would return like nothing had ever happened and feel safe, she didn’t know.
Thoughts of parental protection made her shift her gaze to Gavin’s older brother. Gavin had mentioned his ex-sister-in-law making him come to her son’s play, but he hadn’t said anything about his brother.
The elder Crain reached to open her door. “We’d like to keep the grounds clear while we conduct our investigation. Are you a parent, or do you work here?”
“I’m a teacher. I was in the classroom where—”
“You’re Bryah Douglass.”
She blinked in surprise.
He shrugged. “Like I said, we’re investigating. One of my fellow officers took your statement down at the hospital yesterday.”
“Of course.” She touched her forehead. “After everything, I’m a little out of it.”
“I don’t blame you.” He waited until she slipped into the car, turned over the engine, and rolled down the window. “You have a nice day, Ms. Douglass.”
“Thank you.”
Bryah pulled out of the school parking lot and headed toward home. She sighed. Two seriously hot rangers in two days. Was she being forced to face her past or what? Sure, she was bound to deal with the police after what had happened, but it seemed a bit much. While she thought of the past, she began to rethink her decision to go out with Gavin. As she took the ramp onto the northeastern loop of interstate 820, she dug into her purse. Gavin’s card lay in the inner pocket.
He answered his cell on the second ring. “Crain.”
“Um, hi,” she said, sounding like an idiot. “This is Bryah.”
His tone dropped to a pitch that made her want to find him and jump him right now. “Hey, I hadn’t yet programmed your number into my phone. How are you, Bryah? Did you get some sleep last night?”
She shivered at his use of her name. “Yes, thanks. I took one of my pills, and it must have been different from what they gave me at the hospital, because it knocked me on my back. I didn’t wake up until morning.”
Wracking her brain, she tried to come up with a viable excuse to break off their date. Nothing he wouldn’t question came to mind.
“So I was thinking we’d go to Chipotle Mexican Grill day after tomorrow. What do you think? Been there?”
She chewed her lip. “Um.”
“You’re not backing out, are you?” He tsked. “See? Breaking my heart already.”
She smirked. “Yeah, right. Anyway, I met your brother just a few minutes ago.” Silence on his end. Bryah pulled the phone from her ear to see if she’d lost the connection, but it was still open. “Are you there?”
“I’m here.” His tone was flat. “Did my brother hit on you?”
She frowned. “No, why would he?” Okay, she didn’t need psychic ability to figure out there was friction between the two, or at least from Gavin’s side. His brother had seemed easy-going and friendly.
“No reason.” Gavin let the matter drop. “You’re not going to disappoint me, are you, Bryah? Not when I had my heart set on us getting to know each other?”
“Fine.” How could she get out of it now? Besides, one date wouldn’t hurt anything. She’d just tell him her schedule was full from now on or just admit there was no way in hell she’d date anyone in law enforcement after her fiancé had been killed in the line of duty. Since she’d never let herself care about Gavin, she wouldn’t get hurt. No muss, no fuss. “Chipotle Mexican Grill sounds great. I have been there a couple times, but it’s been awhile. Who doesn’t love Mexican, right?”
“Right!” he said with enthusiasm. “Like I said, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Only after she’d disconnected did she think about how lame her last line was. Sheesh, four years out of the dating scene wasn’t so long she’d forgotten how to talk to a man. Sure, Gavin was fine, and before she’d lost her fiancé, she’d thought, like every other woman, that men in uniform were the sexiest on the planet, but while Bryah’s experience with men wasn’t vast, it wasn’t limited either.
She’d had her share of boyfriends, dating ever since she was fourteen. And when she had made the decision to give up her virginity to her first love at eighteen, well, she hadn’t looked back. At the time, the biggest dream Bryah had was for a husband and children. Being a teacher came second to that. Now, all she had was her career.
“Okay, get a grip, Bryah. It’s not like you’re old at twenty-nine.” Her heart still ached, but much less so. Before Gavin, she’d written off men because of her loss. Yet, now, oddly enough, she thought dating wasn’t such a taboo. Not Gavin, but someone. This was the start, she decided, for a new outlook. “One date. That’s all the ranger’s getting, but then I’m getting back out there to see what fate brings my way.”
* * * *
Friday night rolled around, and Bryah stood before her full length mirror, surveying her outfit. Since it was another scorching day and the sun hadn’t gone down yet, she’d opted to dress in a mini jean skirt and a cotton matching top styled loosely enough that she could pull the sleeves off her shoulders for a sexier look. She tried it out and decided it was too much with the skirt, and slipped them back in place. After buckling on silver Kamelot sandals, she was ready to go. Right on time. When she moved from the back of her rancher toward the front, Gavin rang the doorbell.
Bryah stopped in front of it, paused to take in a few deep breaths, and then opened the door. He wore faded jeans that hugged his hips, cowboy boots, and a T-shirt that showed he was an obvious fan of the Texas Longhorns. Bryah wouldn’t have been surprised to learn his favorite color was burnt orange. Texas men were like that, she knew. So unlike the guys she’d dated in Baltimore.
“Ready to go?” he asked, and pushed the unruly lock of hair that fell onto his forehead. She noted he’d left the Stetson at home, or maybe in the truck.
“I’m ready.”
Bryah locked her front door and walked alongside Gavin to his pickup. She felt his eyes on her and looked over at him. The man had no shame about staring. He reached across and tugged at one of her sleeves until it loped off her shoulder. “You look great in that top. Have you considered wearing it like this?”
She grinned. “So you can ogle me all night? Besides, it’s not respectable. What if one of my students, or worse, their parents saw me like that?”
He helped her into the truck, his hand lingering longer than necessary at her lower back. “Darlin’, teachers can be sexy too.” He winked after she was settled, directing his gaze to her half bare thighs. “Boy oh boy, can they ever.”
When he was seated behind the wheel, she continued the conversation. “I can’t believe you’re hitting on me like this. I mean, where’s that southern man charm?” She shook her head with a mock surprised expression on her face.
Gavin reached across and threaded his fingers between hers before raising her hand to his lips. He kissed the back of her ha
nd, and a delicious shiver raced over Bryah’s skin. When she came to her senses, she pulled away and tucked both hands out of his reach.
Gavin chuckled. He wasn’t the least put off. “Oh, I have charm to spare. Trust me. But I also believe in going after what I want and being honest about my intentions. You’re beautiful and desirable. I’m not expecting you to give yourself to me on the first night, but I do want it known I’m interested. Very interested.”
His actions and words didn’t put Bryah off either. She’d dated a few men who thought pretending they were only interested in her mind was the way to get into her panties. She supposed every man had his methods—women too, for that matter.
“So ,you’re not the flowers and gifts type of man. You’re a player.”
Bryah expected Gavin to deny it, but she should have known better. “I’m both. Relationships are about give and take. If flowers and gifts are what you want, you get them. Same difference if I want to go to a football game…”
She grunted. “I’ll have to knuckle down and take it like a woman.”
He burst out laughing. “Yeah, something like that. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s enjoy dinner first.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
Chapter Four
Bryah considered being good and choosing Chipotle Mexican Grill’s salad. Their idea of salad was a bit weightier than the normal garden variety, including beef or chicken, beans, and a few other delicious ingredients. But what Bryah really wanted was their famous chips and guac. Maybe Gavin wouldn’t think she was a complete pig if she refused to share. And hell, if she was going with the chips, damn it, she should just get what she really wanted—the fajita burrito.
While she stared at the menu, coming to a decision, he whispered in her ear and laid a hand half on the curve of her butt. “It looks like you just had an argument with yourself and won. Dare I ask?”
She raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down before removing his hand. “You’re not getting any of my chips.”
He grinned. “Oh, it’s like that?”
Bryah smirked. A country boy trying to speak slang was funny. “Yes, it is.” She turned to the cashier and placed her order. Before she could pull out money to pay, Gavin covered her hand.
“I have it.” He placed his order and paid. Gavin scooped up Bryah’s food when it came, along with his own, and led the way to a table outside. Just to be smart as they sat down, he swiped one of her chips and crunched loudly on it. “Mm, that’s fresh.”
“You are so going to pay for that,” she warned.
His blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “Promise?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter. Not like that.” She shook her head. “Why exactly did I decide to go out with you?”
“Because my charm has no bounds.”
She pretended to consider what he said. “No, that’s not it.”
“You wound me, teach.” His gaze shifted to her arm. “How is your arm? Are you feeling any better?”
The light mood he’d teased her into dampened right away. She put a hand over her bandage. While she’d dressed, she considered not wearing anything that would show it, but her sleeves covered most of it, so she’d gone with this top. After what had happened a few days ago, she hadn’t yet returned to work. “It’s better. Thanks. Doesn’t hurt much anymore. Like you said, it was a flesh wound.”
“And what about your head?”
She frowned. “My head?”
He tore open the foil wrapped around his burrito. “Yeah, the mental aspect of it. I can’t believe it’s easy to bounce back from something like that. Have you returned to work or talked to anyone about what happened?”
Bryah was surprised at his sensitivity, that he realized the psychological impact her ordeal had had. She knew from speaking to the principal at her school that several kids had needed to talk to a therapist, and some refused to return to school. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and focused on her food. “I don’t want to talk about that tonight. Can we change the subject?”
“Of course. What would you like to talk about?”
She opened her mouth to ask him more about himself when a beautiful woman with long, blonde hair stopped at the table. “Gavin, what are you doing here?” The woman leaned over and pressed full red lips to his cheek, way too close to his mouth in Bryah’s opinion.
Gavin glanced up. “Oh, hey, Kate. Good to see you.”
Kate? So this was the ex-sister-in-law, Bryah remembered. By the way she rested a slender hand on Gavin’s shoulder and stood close to him while chatting, Bryah didn’t doubt the woman had designs on him. Except for the fact that he didn’t want to settle down, Bryah couldn’t imagine why he’d resisted her until now.
Kate was tall and slender, a size zero if Bryah had to guess, and she was beautiful. Her southern drawl and cute laugh should have had men falling at her feet, not to mention Gavin. Bryah studied Gavin’s face to see if he was into Kate like she was into him, but couldn’t tell. Gavin’s expression was just as friendly as it had been with her, maybe warmer. But she wasn’t sure if the warmth was attraction or him thinking of the woman as family.
He seemed to feel her watching him and looked at her. “Oh, I’m sorry. Bryah, this is my brother’s ex-wife, Kate. Kate, this is Bryah.”
She didn’t rate a title just yet, and she was glad he’d left it that way. Bryah offered a polite hello, meeting the woman’s gaze. Kate’s eyebrows rose when she focused on Bryah, and her mouth formed a small o. Bryah could speculate on what that meant, but didn’t go there.
“Hello, good to meet you,” Kate responded. She pouted at Gavin and swatted his shoulder. “Do you have to keep introducing me with a connection to Kyle? How about this is my close friend, Kate, or something?”
“Next time,” Gavin promised.
Kate snapped her fingers. “Wait, I know that name, Bryah. I remember thinking it was odd, so it stuck in my mind. Where did I hear it?” She tapped her lips in thought. Bryah shifted in her chair and played with a chip.
Gavin rushed to distract Kate. “So Remy…”
“Oh, yes, Remy,” Kate said. “I have to make it up to him somehow for his play. I’m thinking about taking him to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Say you’ll come. He’s been begging me to go, and he wants his Uncle Gavin to be there.”
“Why don’t you take Kyle? He needs to spend more time with him. I think that’s who Remy wants most of all, not me.”
Now, things were getting personal. Bryah had breathed a sigh of relief when Gavin directed Kate’s thoughts away from her, but now they were getting into what looked like an old debate on how uninvolved Kyle was in his son’s life. Bryah considered excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Then again, she was getting pissed that this whole thing was going on during her date. If Gavin wanted to be with Kate, why didn’t he just go after her? A blind man could see she was all for it.
She picked up her purse and twisted slightly in her chair. Gavin touched her hand, and for the second time that evening, threaded his fingers with hers. “We’ll talk about it later, Kate. Right now, I’m on a date. Would you excuse us?”
Kate blinked. “A date?” She looked at Bryah. “Really?”
What, like Bryah wasn’t his type? Or was it that competition for her was a joke? Bryah did everything she could not to say anything. She knew seeing Gavin wasn’t a good idea. Now it looked like he had a little baggage, and she had more than enough of her own. She was about to suggest she leave, but Gavin squeezed her fingers. She stayed quiet.
“I apologize,” Kate said. She looked sincere. Bryah couldn’t be sure. “I’ll call you later, Gavin. You two have a great night, and it was nice meeting you, Bryah.”
“You too,” she responded.
Kate walked away, but Bryah wondered if she was still between her and Gavin. It didn’t matter, though. She wasn’t planning on repeating tonight. When she redirected her gaze from watching Kate leave, it was to find Gavin studying her. She r
aised her eyebrows. “What?”
He twisted her hand over so that her palm faced upward. When he began drawing small circles in the center, she shivered and tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t allow it. “I’m pretty good at reading women.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.” Gavin offered her one of his chips. She hesitated and then took a small bite. “I can see the wheels churning in your head. You’re ready to bolt like a frightened filly.”
“I am not!” She was such a liar.
“I don’t believe you.” He grinned and dipped another chip in guacamole to offer that to her as well. Bryah took some, but it was doing nothing to distract her from the touch of his other hand. Gavin went on with his evaluation of her. “You’re scared to date me. The question is why. I mean, interracial couples are common place nowadays, if that’s your concern.”
“No, of course not.” She didn’t have to consider it. “I was once engaged to an Asian man.”
He nodded knowingly. “Ah, now we come to the meat of the problem.”
Bryah laughed. “And that is?”
“Never mind. Tell me about him.”
She finally got her hand free, and folded her arms over her chest, leaning back. “Why don’t you tell me about you and Kate? It’s obvious she wants you. And no, before you ask, I’m not jealous.”
“I wasn’t going to be so insensitive.” In two bites, he finished off his food, and then dragged a napkin over his mouth. After he’d finished chewing, he continued the conversation. “Kate and I go way back to high school. She and I were in the same year. While Kyle was two ahead. We dated a while, but when she realized I had different goals in life, she moved on. Simple.”
“No, not so simple. She didn’t just find another man. She found your brother.” Bryah didn’t want to push the point, or then he would think she was jealous. Their relationship had nothing to do with her. But she knew women, too, and she knew Kate had gone after Kyle only to stay close to Gavin and, hopefully, to make him want her more. What she’d planned hadn’t come through. If she was the good woman Gavin claimed she was, that was the case or close to it. If she was a skank, then that was a whole other ballgame, and she was open to sleeping with any man, her first love’s brother or not.
Teach Me to Love Page 2
