“Nothing!” Shelby protested. “Good grief, we’re having a lovely lunch here. Of course we mean we love each other. But this is still new to both of us—I told you that. Can’t we just relax and eat without the third degree?”
“Well, certainly,” Dolly huffed, touching her hair. “You know me, I don’t like to interfere. But two strong-minded young people going from disliking one another to loving one another is unusual. Naturally, I have questions. When did you realize your feelings had changed?”
Sawyer stared at Shelby. Her eyes met his, wide but blank, obviously without a clue. She closed her mouth forcing him to go it alone. “Well,” Sawyer began. “It happened recently. All at once you could say. A sudden thing. Shelby came to me with a story she was working on, and we got to know each other better. As professionals.” Jump in anytime, Porter. He met her eyes with a flat stare and said evenly: “And then we saw each other half-naked and that’s when our feelings changed.”
Shelby choked on her milk.
“Oh my!” Dolly crowed gleefully and clapped her hands over her ears. “I don’t dare hear another word! What are you always calling that, Shelby?”
“Too much information.” Shelby wiped the milk from her chin and fixed Sawyer with a look. He shrugged. He didn’t care. They weren’t winning this one and he was out of ideas.
“Yes, that’s the one! Too much information!” Dolly chortled. “I’m scandalized. And what about you, Shelby? What changed your mind about Sawyer?”
Sawyer sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Shelby cleared her throat and pale pink colored her cheeks. “I discovered he can take a little criticism without holding a grudge. And when a person is in trouble he is willing to help them out.”
“A little criticism?”
“Shelby has issues with uniforms, Sawyer. You mustn’t take it personally; you should have seen how she treated the mailman. And now here she is in love with a law enforcement officer.” Dolly chirruped happily. “There’s a word for that. What’s the word, Shelby?”
“Ironic.”
“No, that’s not it.” Dolly wrinkled her nose. “Romantic. That’s what this is. Very romantic.” They watched as their adopted aunt sighed damply and rose from the table. “I’ll give the two of you have some privacy so you can neck.”
“Dolly!”
“Out on the porch swing! Good heavens, I didn’t mean go at it on the Porter family dining room table. This isn’t a brothel.”
Sawyer rose to help Dolly but Shelby stopped him. “Don’t bother. She has a system. We’ll only get in her way. Trust me—it’s a world of hurt. Let’s get out of here while we still can.”
She grabbed his hand and dragged him out on front porch.
Chapter Eight: The Plot Thickens
SHELBY WAITED until they were out of Dolly’s earshot before sinking to the porch swing with a loud groan. “Thank you, Dolly, for the second most embarrassing moment of my life.”
Sawyer leaned against the railing. “What was the first?”
“Shopping for my first bra.” Shelby shuddered. “I thought nothing she could do would ever top that experience until today. I don’t know how we got through that. I’m still shaking. I thought I was going to pass out in there but you handled her beautifully.”
“I just told her the truth, Shelby. I meant every word I said.”
Shelby’s stomach fluttered. “Well, thank you. For showing up and going along with everything. I’m sorry I got you caught up in this.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think you’re entirely to blame. I can see what you’re up against. Dolly knows how to get what she wants.” He broke off, his gaze flipping away from her as if distracted by the line of color on the horizon. Shelby watched him, curious; she’d never seen him self-conscious before. It was a fascinating sight.
“Shelby, this morning when I found you in my bedroom—”
So that’s what was worrying him. “No one will ever find out about that, I promise,” she said quickly. “I acted before I thought it through. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. That was all on me.”
He met her eyes for a long moment until Shelby was forced to look away.
“Sure.” He nodded, but she had a feeling that’s not what he wanted to say.
“Well.” Shelby stood up and offered her hand. “It was good getting to know you, McIntyre.” Too many men shook a woman’s hand like it was a damp piece of Kleenex, but not Sawyer, his was grip firm. “You’d better get going before she finishes up in there. I can take it from here.”
“You can take what from here?” Dolly stepped out onto the front porch letting the screen door bang behind her. “What’s happening? Sawyer, you’re not leaving already, are you?”
Shelby whirled around. She forgot the front door was open. Dolly could have heard every word. “Sawyer has to get back to work, honey. We both do.”
“My deputy will be wondering what happened to me,” said Sawyer, bending to kiss his godmother’s cheek. “Thank you for a great lunch. The company was surprisingly entertaining.” He moved toward the porch steps.
“Wait right there, young man.” Dolly lowered herself to a wicker chair, her sharp eyes moving from Sawyer to Shelby. “I was washing the dishes just now, trying to recall a single evening Shelby spent out of this house that was not work related and I couldn’t. And now suddenly you two are in love and thinking of a future together. Forgive me, but have you even gone out on a date? Be honest.” She fixed her black gaze on Sawyer. “I’ll know if you lie.”
He coughed and looked away.
“We haven’t actually gone out,” Shelby answered. “Not on what you’d call a real date. We grab time together when we can but we’re both very busy and this thing between us happened so fast. It took us by surprise.” She glanced at Sawyer, trying to smile.
“I thought as much,” Dolly grunted. “The two of you are going out on a proper date tonight and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I don’t like to leave you alone, Dolly, in case you have another spell.”
Her aunt snorted. “Like that’s ever stopped you before. When it’s work we’re talking about, you’re out of this house like a shot. Go out with Sawyer. Have a good time. I know how to take care of myself. I did it for fifty years before you came along; I think I remember how.”
“It sounds great and I’d love to, but I think Sawyer might be on duty tonight.” The look she gave him was infused with instruction. “Aren’t you?”
Sawyer shrugged.”No, not especially. My deputy can handle the evening shift.”
Shelby groaned.
“It’s settled then.” Dolly hopped to her feet and opened the screen door. “I’ll go get that certain little something we were talking about earlier, Sawyer. It’s in my desk drawer. I don’t want you to leave without it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Dolly sailed into the house, humming softly in a high wavering soprano.
“Now look what you’ve done!” Shelby whispered fiercely. “She’s gone to get your mother’s engagement ring!”
Sawyer laughed. “I expected you to put up more of a fight.”
“You thought I would put up a fight? I’m supposed to be in love with you! Look, whether we’re faking this thing or not, Dolly believes it. She believes us.” Shelby dropped to the porch swing and buried her head in her hands. “Now what are we going to do? She’s going to tell everyone in town that her niece is engaged. Don’t laugh. She will.”
“I’m not laughing. I promised her I’d stay close to you. This is me staying close to you. Maybe now I’ll find out who your informant is.”
She looked up slowly and met his gaze. “When you said you wanted to bury the hatchet, I didn’t think you meant in my back. Are you spying on me for your brother?”
Sawyer’s blue eyes hardened. “You don’t trust me.”
“Is there a reason I should?” Shelby rose to her feet and stood in front of him. “I had to twist your arm to g
et you here this morning and now, suddenly, you’re willing to fake an engagement.” Shelby peered at him through narrowed eyes. “Did Ryan instruct you to find out who my informant is? You realize he’ll have the person fired, don’t you. Someone could lose their job over small town politics. Never mind all that crap about libel suits, this is a witch hunt! Spinning that story about going on a date, getting Dolly’s hopes up that you’re going to propose—oh my god, it was bad enough when your brother threatened me—!”
“What?” Sawyer straightened. “Don’t stop there, Porter. Get it all out, every lousy thing you think I’m capable of. Just remember we had a deal—lunch in exchange for telling me when something was wrong. What did Ryan threaten you with?”
“Like you don’t know! This trap was cooked up by the both of you. One brother protecting the other from the big bad press. I left myself wide open asking you to lie for me. You used my worry about Dolly to control what I say about McIntyre Construction in the Gazette and now you’re blackmailing me to get at my informant!”
“Holy shit, that’s one hell of a chip on your shoulder.”
“Do you deny it?” Shelby flushed, feeling she was losing ground.
“I do. Every word.” Sawyer’s gaze didn’t waver. “Shelby, talk to me. What happened with Ryan?”
She dropped her eyes to the black uniform shirt he had on with its crests, badge, and identification. The heavy belt that hugged his waist was slung with mysterious leather pouches and, of course, his gun. Uniforms had bothered her since she was a kid. The appearance of a uniform always meant trouble. Shelby learned quickly to mistrust them. Was it possible the only thing she had against Sawyer were the clothes on his back?
“He found out about this fake romance of ours. Don’t ask me how. He warned me to keep away from the council meeting this afternoon or he’d tell Dolly. I had no choice; I told my staff we were swerving the meeting and you should have seen how they looked at me. Between Dolly and Ryan and the Gazette, this lie just gets me in deeper and deeper—I can’t keep it together.”
“You don’t have to.” Sawyer set his hands on her shoulders. “Drop your defenses for once and let me help you. Someone at McIntyre Construction knows enough to point you in the right direction but lead you to the wrong result. You’re being set up. That’s the only reason I want to find out who your informant is, I swear. I’m not trying to hurt you or the paper.”
She swallowed hard. Crazy feelings of relief rushed in, confusing her. She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder. She’d had her fists up for so long this feeling of disarmament was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. Shelby raised her eyes to his. “Why would Ryan threaten me to keep out of the council meeting?”
“I don’t know.” Sawyer’s face was troubled. “But something’s going on with him. I found him in the mayor’s office this morning, going over a proposal. He seemed on edge. I told him I’d caught you at the construction site and warned you off and he almost bit my head off.”
“If you’re trying to fake me out, you’re doing a good job.” Shelby felt slightly queasy.”I was all set to run that story in this week’s paper. If you hadn’t stopped me, I could be in a lot of trouble right now. What’s on the agenda for that meeting?”
“Nothing related to McIntyre Construction or the Country Barn site, unless Ryan is introducing something into new business. Without the Gazette there, no one will know about it until the minutes are read at the next meeting. I’ll look into it and we’ll talk about it tonight.”
“Tonight it could be too late!”
“He’s my brother, Shelby. He’s all I’ve got. Give me a chance to talk to him first. If he’s behind the anonymous tips, I need to find out why. He wouldn’t do a thing like that unless his back was against a wall. Trust me a while longer. I haven’t let you down so far, have I?”
“No,” she admitted grudgingly.
He hesitated on the stair. “Look, I can get us out of this date tonight if you want. I can think of an excuse for Dolly that’ll satisfy her. You don’t have to do this.”
Shelby felt a moment of destiny passing through her. One of those instinctual shivers the wise pay attention to. She had the uneasy feeling that if she was alone with Sawyer McIntyre for a few hours, nothing would ever be the same for her again. Shelby opened her mouth to take him up on his offer.
“We might as well get it over with,” she said. Oh brother.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” He nodded and turned to go.
Dolly banged open the screen door. “Don’t forget the ring!”
“Damn it, Dolly, I wish you’d stop sneaking up on us!” Shelby snapped. The woman was a closet eavesdropper.
“I’m sorry, dear,” Dolly said mildly. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot more of you after tonight, Sawyer.” His godmother slipped him the blue velvet ring box with a conspiratorial smile.
“For crying out loud, Dolly, I’m standing right here,” Shelby protested. “It’s not like I don’t know there’s a ring in that box.”
“Don’t be such a killjoy. Sawyer is waiting to say good-bye.”
There was a long awkward silence while Dolly stood back, expectant. Sawyer cleared his throat. He moved in close to Shelby and folded her in his arms. The hug was a bit stiff, done solely for Dolly’s benefit. Once she was in his arms, though, Shelby found it difficult to break the contact without kissing him. It was the natural thing to do. Dolly would think it odd if she didn’t kiss Sawyer good-bye.
She offered him a brief peck, dry and tasteless but reasonably safe. Sawyer frowned. Her heart pounded in her throat. He bent over her, parting her lips in a slow, deliberate kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed as though the light pained them and a thin dewy film cooled her upper lip. He dragged his mouth slowly from her lips to her ear, leaving rivulets of longing in its wake. Then he whispered so softly it was impossible for Dolly to catch his words:
“Wear a bra this time.”
Yup, Shelby thought, pushing her fogged glasses back up on her nose as she watched Sawyer drive away, she should have backed out of the whole thing. Tonight was going to bring nothing but trouble.
Dolly entered the house singing sweetly to herself. Shelby eyed her aunt suspiciously. Sawyer said Dolly knew how to get what she wanted. The small smile she gifted Shelby with was innocent, and yet there was something in her eyes that made Shelby wondered who had manipulated whom this afternoon.
*
THE COUNTY offices were housed in an ornate red brick building on a busy corner on Main Street. The building was old, about sixty years, but not old enough to lose its moniker as the New County Offices. The gold lettering flashed in the sun as Sawyer pushed open the front door. Leonard Birch, the security guard waved at him from his post in front of the heavy walnut doors of council chambers. “You’re too late, Sheriff. The meeting is in session and you know as well as I do they don’t permit latecomers.”
“I got held up with police work. I just need five minutes.”
“Police work, you say? Well, that’s a fish of a different color. Because I was under the impression you were off on a lunch date. The mayor said you wouldn’t be in the meeting today and nobody from the Gazette showed up. I called to find out if they were coming and that fella Trevor said nope. Makes a person wonder if anyone cares that what we have here is a democracy, the greatest gift on earth. So I called the Sheriff’s Office to find out if anyone was coming in your place because Mayor Cooper didn’t know, and Deputy Garvey said he couldn’t leave the station because you were out on a lunch date. A lunch date with a woman, says I. Garvey couldn’t say but a lunch date usually involves a woman. So I’m guessing this means you’re getting on with your life after that sad business with your fiancée. I’m glad to hear it, Sheriff. God didn’t make man to be alone. Mrs. Birch thinks it’s too soon after Janice but I say why wait. If you’ve met a nice girl, then carpe diem. Seize the day.”
“Mrs. Birch knows I had a lunch date?”
“Well, sure. How else was
I going to find out who the new girl was? Garvey didn’t know anything. Mrs. Birch said she didn’t even know you were looking, though you’re back on the market according to the Beauty Box. She was going to call me as soon as she found out any details. It’s rare day I beat her to the punch.”
Leonard Birch eyed him expectantly. Sawyer had been trying to get a word in and now that he had his chance, there wasn’t response he could think of to make that wouldn’t provoke a fresh batch of questions.
“Birch, can I trust you to keep what I’m about to tell you in the strictest confidence? That lunch meeting wasn’t a date—I was on top secret police business. I’ve even had to keep Deputy Garvey in the dark on this one. You know how it is being a lawman yourself.”
Leonard nodded his head vigorously. “Undercover work is it? A dangerous prisoner transfer?” He dropped his voice. “Is it connected to that mob business Scout Rutherford got mixed up in last summer?” Leonard whistled through his teeth. “You can’t have a thing like that getting around. I see your point, Sheriff. Garvey’s a good man but he doesn’t see the value in keeping news to himself. You can trust me. I’m an old pro like yourself.”
“I knew I could count on you, Officer Birch.”
Leonard wasn’t a vain man but he reddened and beamed. “Under the circumstances as it’s a question of the security of Mandrake Falls being at stake—”
“Oh, it is,” said Sawyer solemnly.
“Then you’d better hustle in there before they wrap up.” The guard slid to one side and swiftly pulled open the door.
Sawyer stepped into the room. No one at the council table even looked up. Very few members of the public were attendance, a mere three citizens with grievances.
And Ryan.
His brother met his eyes with a question. Sawyer frowned.
The meeting room was on the ground floor. The day was warm even for October, the windows were open. Birdsong floated in on the still afternoon air over the drone of Mayor Cooper reading new business into the agenda for next week’s meeting. He’d made it before close of business, but obviously he’d missed something. There was a revised plan for the Country Barn on the table that would allow a cinema complex and a casino to be built on the site. Ryan knew what he was doing presenting this amended plan at a Friday afternoon meeting. Attendance was poorest at these meetings than any other. People relied on the Gazette to fill them in on the proceedings, which was obviously Ryan’s motive for blackmailing Shelby to stay away. Without a public outcry, his project would rubber stamped at the next meeting. A multiplex cinema would kill the old movie theater on Main Street. Possibly Main Street itself.
Lie For Me: Autumn (Mandrake Falls Series Romance Book 2) Page 9
