At the house, Nolan offered to supervise JJ as he changed into his pajamas while she made the hot chocolate. Raina gratefully accepted. As she heated milk on her stove she could hear JJ’s excited tones tempered by Nolan’s calmer deeper voice down the hall and closed her eyes for just a moment, wondering what it might be like if this were to become a regular, even daily event. How did that make her feel?
A commotion at the kitchen door made her turn as she started to fill the mugs. Nolan had given JJ a piggyback ride from his bedroom and the two of them were laughing. Raina couldn’t help but join in.
“Who wants marshmallows?” she asked as she finished pouring the hot drinks.
“Me!” JJ crowed from his perch. “And No’an, too.”
Raina looked to Nolan for confirmation. “Are you a marshmallow man?”
“Through and through,” he said.
His word were simple at face value but she found herself left wondering if he’d meant more by that. She had to stop overthinking everything. It was time to just let some things find their natural course. She dropped marshmallows in each of the mugs and put them on a tray to carry through to the sitting room.
“Let me take that for you,” Nolan offered, swinging JJ down to the floor.
“Thanks.”
Raina followed Nolan and JJ and relished just how good it felt to share something as simple as carrying a tray, rather than being responsible for everything herself. But even so, she couldn’t allow herself to simply give in to the comfort of this moment. Nolan still had secrets and until he was prepared to share them with her, she had to guard her heart.
Even as she thought it, she knew it was too late. Her heart was already a lost cause when it came to this man. Had been from the moment he’d kissed her. It was why discovering his subterfuge had been so painful.
She watched from the door as Nolan encouraged JJ to kneel on the floor by the coffee table to sip his drink. Obviously sensing her scrutiny, he looked up.
“You okay?” he asked.
She smiled and nodded. “I think so,” she answered, and stepped forward to accept the mug he held out for her.
It wasn’t long before JJ was drooping with exhaustion. To Raina’s surprise he made no argument when she said it was bedtime. He asked to be carried to bed and she lifted him comfortably into her arms and held him close as she went down the hallway to his room. It was a constant marvel to her that this growing child had come from her body. A marvel and a precious gift.
So much responsibility came with parenthood. She had to be certain she was making the right decisions for herself, sure, but for JJ most of all. He deserved only the very best in life. Did that include a second chance with Nolan? she wondered as she supervised JJ brushing his teeth and then carried him to his bed.
JJ was out like a light before she’d even made it to his bedroom. She left the door ajar for him so the nightlight in the hallway could provide enough light should he stir, and she walked slowly back toward the living room. Nolan was sitting on the couch, his mug on the table in front of him.
“Your hot chocolate is cold,” he commented. “Can I reheat it for you?”
She shook her head. “It’s okay, I’m used to that.”
A distant look passed through his eyes as he nodded and gave a short laugh. “Yeah, I bet. Seems that when you have kids nothing is ever eaten or drunk hot or chilled, right? Room temperature is your best friend.”
Was he talking about his own child, his own life? He seemed to understand what it was like. Raina couldn’t speak for fear that she’d just come straight out and ask him about the little she’d overheard about his wife and kid, but a sense of self-preservation made her hold her tongue. She wasn’t even sure that she wanted to know. She knew that made her sound selfish, at least in her own mind.
She drank her lukewarm chocolate and let Nolan steer the conversation to a review of the evening’s performance. And while she laughed and talked and agreed with him, she found herself thinking how very much she wished this kind of evening could become a regular event for them. She looked at the clock, startled to see that another full hour had passed since she’d put JJ to bed.
Nolan followed her gaze and made an exclamation. “I’m sorry, I’m keeping you up.”
Raina felt a flush of heat and awareness suffuse her body, along with a longing that when she went to bed, they could go together. She shoved the thought to the back of her mind. It was ridiculous. She needed to get her crazy hormones under control. Desire was clouding rationality, and it was that very rationality that got her through every day without falling apart. If she lost that, where would she be?
“Thanks for coming tonight,” she said, standing up and putting the mugs on the tray to return them to the kitchen.
Nolan stood also and reached once more for the tray. His fingers brushed hers and her already jangling nerves surged to awareness, making her jerk the tray away.
“It’s okay, I can manage,” she insisted before turning away from him before he could see the rush of color that stained her cheeks.
Raina set the tray down on the kitchen counter and looked at her reflection in the dark window above. This was ridiculous. She’d barely seen him in the past week and a half and now she was a jittering mass of contradictions in his company. She’d told herself she was better off without him, that she didn’t need a man like him in her life, but no matter what her head said, her body told a different story. Even now her breathing was slightly ragged and she felt aware of every brush of her clothing over her sensitized skin. If this was how she reacted when he did nothing more than touch her with a fingertip, she’d be a complete and utter mess if they went any further.
“Raina? You okay? I’m heading off now. Thanks for the drink.”
She took a steadying breath and went back to the sitting room.
“You’re welcome and thanks again for defusing that situation with JJ before the pageant. I couldn’t have done that without you.”
“Only too happy to help out.”
He walked toward the door and Raina followed. In the entranceway he paused a moment and then turned to face her.
“Raina, I meant what I said to you earlier tonight. Can I hope that you’ll give me another chance to prove to you that I’m not all bad?”
Raina gave him a twisted smile. “I don’t have a particularly good track record with bad men.”
He smiled back in return but she could see the hurt in his eyes. The knowledge that she was categorizing him with the other deadbeats she’d fallen for in the past.
“Then let’s set the record straight, together,” he murmured and leaned forward.
She hadn’t known he was going to kiss her, at least not consciously. But while her mind may have been slow on the uptake, her body certainly wasn’t. She leaned into him, meeting him more than halfway and closing the gap between them. His arms wrapped around her, one hand lifting to spread through her hair.
The second his lips touched hers, she knew she was lost. What was life for if you couldn’t take second chances? His lips upon hers were electric, sending a pulse of longing through her body that made her tremble in response. He tasted of hot chocolate and more. Of something darker, spicier, deeper and more forbidden. Logic told her she should pull back, end this. End all of it. But logic took a backseat to the sensation and the promise that poured through her body at this gentlest of caresses.
Raina raised her hands to Nolan’s chest. Was it a subconscious attempt to keep some barrier between them, or was it so she could feel the hard strength of his lean muscles beneath the finely woven cotton of his shirt? Her hands tingled as she touched him, as her fingers spread out and her palms soaked up his heat. She ached to feel his skin, to touch him all over, but she daren’t ask him to stay. It was too soon. Too much. And she still had far too many questions.
When Nolan pulled back and let his hands drop away from her, Raina felt physically bereft.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” he said, stepping away and opening the front door.
Words failing her, Raina could only nod. After he’d closed the door behind him she stood there for several minutes, the fingertips of one hand pressed to her lips as if she could hold on to the moment—the sweetness, the promise—they’d just shared. But, like everything good in her life, the sensation was a fleeting one, gone before she heard his car start up outside and pull away from the curb.
She wanted him. She knew that. Acknowledged it with an honesty that brought tears to her eyes. But could she have him? Dare she?
Only time would tell.
Thirteen
If the staff at the sheriff’s office thought that Nolan looked like someone who’d pulled an all-nighter then that’s probably because he had. When he caught sight of his reflection in the outer doors, the red eyes and scruffy jaw, he grimaced. Certainly not his usual GQ-style appearance but then it wouldn’t be the first time Nolan had looked a bit frayed around the edges.
He’d never felt quite as invested in the result of his work as he had with what he’d done last night. The work itself, and his reasons for doing it, had made one thing abundantly clear to him. He wasn’t falling in love with Raina Patterson. He was already there. He loved her. There was no question about it. Yes, it was fast; yes, it had surprised him; and, yes, he’d fought it. But it’s what had kept him going at about two this morning when he was questioning his sanity in finding out all there was to know about Jeb Pickering.
Raina was his reason for being here—both at the sheriff’s office and in Royal altogether. While his work had sent him here, she was what would keep him. He only needed to convince her of that fact. A cakewalk, right? He snorted under his breath and earned a stern glance from a passing deputy.
“Can I help you, sir?” a woman behind the front counter asked.
“Yes, I know I don’t have an appointment but I need to see the sheriff, if he’s in. It’s urgent.”
“Just about every man coming in to see the sheriff says the same thing,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “Your name?”
Nolan gave it and thought he saw a glimpse of recognition in the woman’s eyes.
“Howard Dane’s boy?”
He nodded. He might be a grown man but he’d always be his father’s son in this town—and proud of it, he realized. “Yes, he’s my dad.”
The receptionist nodded. “Take a seat over there. I’ll see if Sheriff Battle’s available.”
Nolan sat down on a hard vinyl-covered seat against the wall and drummed his fingers on his leg. He was lucky he didn’t have to wait long.
“Nolan Dane?” The sheriff had come out to the reception area himself. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” Nolan answered, rising to his feet and offering his hand.
“What brings you to my office?”
“Can we talk in private?”
“Sure, c’mon back.”
Once they were seated in a private room, Nolan didn’t waste any time.
“I have information on a man named Jeb Pickering. He’s got a long list of convictions for petty crime but right now he’s wanted in New Mexico on third-degree felony charges.”
“Tell me more,” Sheriff Battle said, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk between them.
“He’s the ex-partner of Raina Patterson, who runs Priceless out at the Courtyard.”
The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, I know her. Lost her store in town in the tornado. Brave woman. Has a little boy. He’d be about three now, I guess.”
Nolan was impressed that the man could recall one of the people of Royal so easily, but then again that’s probably why Nate Battle was reelected each term. He cared. Nolan was counting on that to help him rid Raina of Jeb’s shadow forever.
“That’s the one. Pickering skipped out on her but keeps coming back for handouts. Seems he has a bit of trouble with gambling and drinking.”
“Not the best of combinations but not necessarily a crime, unfortunately.”
“No,” Nolan agreed. “However, we can now add manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol and skipping bail to his list of charms.”
The sheriff let out a low whistle. “I see. And you know this how?”
Nolan quickly explained, showing the sheriff the information he’d gathered. After reading it carefully, the sheriff looked up.
“D’you know where he is now?”
“Not exactly, but I know where he’ll be tonight.”
The anger he was feeling at Jeb Pickering’s callous disregard of life added cold hard inflection to his words as Nolan outlined his confrontation with Pickering last night.
“So he thinks you’ll be there to give him money so he can head on his way out of state again.” The sheriff nodded. “I think we can work with you.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Nolan smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“Give me the details and I’ll get a couple of my men together, and I’ll alert the New Mexico authorities that their chicken will be coming home to roost.”
* * *
Nolan stamped his feet against the cold as he waited in the parking area for Jeb to show. So far Nolan hadn’t seen a sign of anyone, although he had every confidence that Nate Battle and his men were nearby.
The skitter of a stone on the pavement made Nolan turn around.
“Pickering,” he acknowledged as the man slipped out from the shadows.
“You got my money?”
Nolan ignored his request. “I’ve been doing a bit of research on you, man. It seems you’re a wanted criminal.”
Jeb’s face turned nasty. “What the hell do you know? I’ve been doing a bit of research of my own. You’re just some fancy-pants lawyer who couldn’t even keep his wife and son alive. Now give me my money,” he demanded as he yanked one hand from his pocket and shoved it in Nolan’s direction.
Nolan fought to ignore the man’s gibe but even so, it cut deep. The truth always did. He forced himself to focus—to do what was right for Raina. Yes, he might not have been able to save Bennett and Carole, but he’d be damned if he ever saw another person he loved hurt when he could do something about it.
He took a step closer to Jeb. “Turn yourself in, man. You know the authorities are going to catch up with you sooner or later.”
“Not if I get to Mexico they won’t. With that money I reckon I can disappear for a while.”
“Oh, you’ll disappear for a while, all right,” Nolan agreed as he spied Nate Battle and a couple of his deputies move silently up behind Jeb.
Jeb grinned, but then he realized that Nolan’s words had held a double entendre. “Whaddya mean?”
“I mean there is no money. Not from me and not from Raina either.”
Jeb started to swear and launched himself forward at Nolan, both fists now swinging in fury. Nate and his deputies closed the distance between them and wrestled him to the ground, but not before a punch caught the edge of Nolan’s jaw making his head snap back. But one shot was all the other man got and it was with a great deal of satisfaction that Nolan watched the deputies cuff Jeb and haul him to his feet to read him his rights then lead him to their car—as he loudly and energetically protested the whole way.
“I think we can add resisting arrest to his list of charges, don’t you?” Nate Battle commented as he straightened his jacket.
“Yeah,” Nolan said, rubbing his fingers along his jaw where Jeb’s fist had connected.
“You want to press charges for that?”
“No.” Nolan shook his head. “I’m pretty sure he has enough charges against him now to ensure that he won’t bother Raina again.”
>
The sheriff gave him a piercing look. “Like that is it? You’re soft on Raina Patterson?”
Nolan nodded.
Nate reached out a hand to Nolan. “As I said this morning, good to have you back in Royal.”
Nolan shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thanks. It really is good to be back.”
“I guess we’ll be seeing more of you.”
“If you mean, am I staying in town, the answer is yes. And I’m rejoining dad’s practice, too.”
“That’s good. We need men like you and your dad fighting for the vulnerable people in this town.”
With that, Nate tipped his hat and turned and walked toward his car.
Nolan stood there in the darkness, oblivious now to the cold that whipped around him. Home. He really was home again and he had the approval of the sheriff. It probably didn’t get much better than that in terms of acceptance. There was just one more obstacle to overcome. Raina. He’d taken care of her past, now he needed to share his own. And for the life of him, he didn’t know how he was supposed to do this right.
* * *
Raina checked the floor safe in the shop for the umpteenth time to reassure herself the money she was holding for Jeb was still there. Well, where else would it be? She closed the door and spun the dial before pulling the trap door down over it again. It had been a couple of days since she’d promised him she’d have the money ready. It wasn’t like him not to show and the waiting was making her jumpy.
Even his phone calls and texts had stopped. So what on earth had happened to him? She didn’t dare hope that he’d left and forgotten all about it. That wasn’t his style at all.
Lone Star Holiday Proposal Page 12
