by Lacey Wolfe
“I guess so, but you have nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself.”
Silence fell over them. She couldn’t tell if he just had nothing to say or if he was trying to figure out a way to get her to leave. There was no way in hell he would get her to. She was a free woman, and if she wanted to work nights, she would. Turning her back to him, she continued getting the primer all ready.
“Can I help?” he asked.
“No.” She carried the tray and brush over to the wall she was going to start with. If she just ignored him, maybe he would leave. She started dipping the brush into the paint, but Seth stayed present behind her. The thought of him watching as she squatted down and rose up again excited her. It shouldn’t have, but it did. Was he watching her paint or were his eyes on her ass?
With a glance over her shoulder, she saw his eyes were on her, and he looked away quickly again. Hating herself for it but not being able to resist, she asked, “Like what you see, officer?”
He cleared his throat, and as she turned back to the wall, she couldn’t help but smile. Seeing him unnerved thrilled her.
“Be sure to lock up as I leave.” And he was out the door without a look back.
Chapter Three
Seth wasn’t sure what came over him, but he had never before felt so many emotions at one time. He was turned on by the Italian beauty, angered by her lack of concern for safety, and worried that something could happen to her.
For some reason, people just didn’t get things could happen. The world wasn’t this safe place everyone imagined it to be. There were bad people out there, and he just wished everyone knew this without having to have a wake-up call. He had gotten that call. It was a memory he tried his best to push behind him and not think about, but seeing Ava tonight, half naked and all alone, brought up memories.
Once he parked his car in the driveway, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his sister, wanting to know she was home safely. After he let himself into his house and switched on the lights, his phone dinged. Glancing at the screen, he smiled. She was okay.
Next he called down to the station and asked that a patrol car check on Ava every hour as long as she was crazy enough to be down there painting.
He tried his best to drift off to sleep that night, but his thoughts kept going back to Ava in her tight-fitting black pants and that thing he supposed she called a shirt. She had big breasts, a tiny waist, and wide hips to accommodate her lush ass. She was sexy and beautiful. On top of that, she was smart and funny. Every time they were together, she always brought a smile to his face and he forgot the world still moved around him. She could be his perfect woman.
Too bad he had close down her business before it even started, but there was no way she could open up her adult shop. Maybe he could convince her to move the shop twenty minutes away to Jackson Hole.
His eyelids just wouldn’t shut. It was going to be a long night. Somehow, he had to trust that his department could keep an eye on Ava. Seth sighed. He had a long night ahead of him.
* * *
Ava’s eyes opened as a banging sound echoed through her cabin. Rolling over, she saw it was nine in the morning. Shit, she’d only been asleep a few hours. She’d painted most of the night. Then she had come home, popped some Tylenol for a headache, and gone to bed—three hours ago.
The knocking continued. Groaning loudly, she climbed out of bed and went to see who the hell was there. She debated grabbing her robe since all she wore was a white T-shirt but decided against it. She planned on giving this person a piece of her mind and then climbing back into bed.
Swinging the door open, she sighed. Of course. It was Sheriff Seth Hampton. “You. I was sleeping. Can this wait?”
Seth pushed his way through her door. He closed it behind him and walked around the living room in a pacing fashion. What the hell did he want now? Crossing her arms, she plopped down in a chair and waited. Perhaps, if she bit her tongue for once, this would get over with quickly and soon she would be resting on that down pillow.
“It’s a good thing I got you up. I’ve been thinking, and you really need to work during the day like normal people.”
“I was pretty safe last night. Don’t think I didn’t notice the patrol car that kept driving by. You know, I was told this was a safe town. A place where parents could let their kids roam the streets during the day. But now the town sheriff is giving me my own watch, so tell me, is Brookfield not the safe place you all claim it to be?”
“It’s safe, but you never know. And creeps come out at night.”
She let her eyes drift over him. He looked tired, as though he hadn’t slept, but he still looked incredibly hot in uniform. Licking her lips, she wondered if he worked out and how his chest might feel against the tips of her fingers—warm and hard, she imagined.
He cleared his throat, and she felt her face grow warm, knowing he knew she was checking him out. She then let her gaze drop a little lower, and a slight smile curved her lips at the growing bulge in his pants.
Glancing back at his face now, she caught him focusing on her thighs. Her legs were crossed, but the T-shirt was short and she was pretty sure he was getting a peek-a-boo shot at her pink lace hipster panties.
“I like working at night and sleeping during the day, which I’m pretty sure I told you last night. Once the store opens, I’ll be working different hours and you won’t have to worry. For now, I’m going to do this on my time. Unless there is a law against me working at night, then really there isn’t anything you can do.”
“About the shop. I’ve been thinking that it might do a lot better in Jackson Hole and not Brookfield. No one around here is going to be happy about your shop opening, especially where it is. In fact, there’s already a petition going around to stop you from opening.”
Ava’s mouth dropped open, and she jumped up. Throwing her arms up in the air, she paced, letting him have a full view of her ass. Let him look all he wanted, she didn’t care. Maybe he needed to see the type of stuff she had to offer the women around here.
“Listen here, you’re not going to stop me from opening my shop. It isn’t against the law. There will always be prude people, but I never expected you to be one of them. My store isn’t just dildos and vibrators. It’s mainly going to be sleepwear for women and, yes, lingerie. Do you have a problem with pretty panties?” He was still taking quick glimpses at the pair she wore. “It looks like you like the ones I’m wearing. You keep looking at them. Should I take them off?” Her finger lingered at the top.
Seth’s Adam’s apple bounced. She could see she might have taken it a bit too far, but she enjoyed pushing this man’s buttons.
“No, leave them on.” He managed to spit out.
She stepped closer and let her fingers dance along the edges of the lace. “What’s the matter, officer? Do I make you nervous?” she whispered.
His gaze drifted to her lips before he took a step back from her. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her, and that excited her—when it shouldn’t.
“I need to get going. I came by to ask you nicely to work during the day, so the city doesn’t have to have extra manpower watching over you.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” He went toward the door. “Have a great day, Ava.”
“You, too.”
Just for the hell of it, she locked her door then went back to her room and climbed into bed. Doing her best to get comfortable, she sighed. She was now wide awake, feeling an ache between her legs she wanted Seth to help with. Groaning loudly, she decided to shower and perhaps do a little work during the day as the fine officer had suggested.
Chapter Four
Ava had intended to go into the shop early to paint, but she got lost in the day. Brookfield was a town that captivated her. Everyone was so nice, and each shop had its own special touch. Her stomach rumbled, and she decided to stop at Luigi’s Pizza to eat before testing out the paint samples she had chosen. She didn’t plan on
working late tonight; she was exhausted. She might actually go to bed before midnight. Damn Seth for messing up her schedule.
Taking a seat at a booth, she grabbed the menu that lay on the table and looked over all the options. She wondered if Tony could make her the food she’d loved growing up. Her mom had been one of the best cooks. Looking up toward heaven, she wished her mom was here now and would tell her she was proud of her. Ava was finally doing what she wanted and no longer following in a guy’s footsteps, letting them dictate her life.
A waitress came over, and Ava ordered a calzone fully loaded with all the best Italian meats and cheeses. Her mouth watered thinking about the spicy sausage mixed with ricotta cheese.
“Excuse me,” a girl with shoulder-length brown hair said as she approached the table.
“Hi,” Ava said.
“I hope this isn’t forward. I’m Kimberly, Seth’s younger sister.”
Ava studied her and could see the resemblance. “Oh, hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“I had to come over and meet you. I hear you’re the woman who has my brother’s underwear in a wad. You’re the first.”
“Your brother doesn’t like me. He is doing his best to get me to leave.”
Kimberly point at the other seat and asked, “Mind if I sit?”
“Go ahead.”
“I, for one, am excited about the shop you’re opening.”
“At least someone is.”
Kimberly leaned forward and softly said, “I’m looking for part-time work. Would it be weird to ask for an application?”
Ava grinned. She couldn’t help it. Seth was trying to run her out of town, and his sister wanted to work for her. How much more cliché could that get? “Sure, come by tomorrow, and I’ll have something put together for you.”
“Great.”
The waitress came back to the table with Ava’s calzone.
“Well, I’ll let you eat. I’ll stop by tomorrow.” Kimberly hopped up and returned to the group of girls she must have come with.
The girls giggled, and Ava longed to have friends like that. Ones who were always around when you needed them and even when you didn’t. She’d never stayed in one place long enough to make that type of friend. Would those girls be willing to let someone else in?
* * *
Seth sat at his desk and yawned. He was ready to leave. The lack of sleep had caught up to him. He prayed like hell that damn girl had some sense tonight and was home where she needed to be. There was no way he could handle worrying about her again all night. The guys were already giving him a hard time about her. He didn’t want to draw any more attention to the situation.
A glance at the clock showed it was after eight. He was here later than usual, and he was no good if he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Let’s face it. He was staying late for one reason—the excuse to drive by Ava’s store.
He debated getting some stale coffee from the employee room but then decided against it. Most likely it was strong and would keep him up, and he wanted to sleep. He gathered his stuff then told everyone goodbye and headed for his car.
Ava’s shop was the opposite way of his house, but he had to drive by. He turned down Maple Street then slowed down when he saw the lights were on. After pulling to the side, he turned the car off and went over to the shop. He looked through the windows, searching, but she was nowhere to be seen. He knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before knocking again.
Her car was parked on the curb, so she had to be in there. Was she okay? Had something happened to her? Panic set in, and he pounded on the door and called her name loudly. He was just about to call for back-up when she appeared looking half asleep. She unlocked and then opened the door to him.
“We’ve really got to stop meeting like this,” she said.
“Did you not hear me knocking?” he snapped.
“Whoa, calm down. No, I didn’t. I was asleep.”
“You were asleep … here? Why aren’t you home?”
Letting out an irritated sigh, she said, “Look, I don’t have to answer to you. I’ve answered to men enough in my life. If I want to take a nap in my back room, then I have every right to. I didn’t get much sleep because of you.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t get much sleep because of you either. I was all set to go home and go to bed, but then you scared the shit out of me.”
“Seth, I don’t know why you think you need to look after me, but you don’t. You’re free of your duties. Now get the hell out of here. I’m going to check my paint samples, and then I’m doing the same thing as you. Going home. Have a nice night.” She didn’t close the door though.
“Then I can trust you’re not going to be here all night?” he asked.
“No, I’m not. I just told you I’m going home. And don’t think it has anything to do with you not wanting me here all night. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like to finish up.”
This time she did shut the door, and the only view he had was of her ass strutting toward the back of her store. As he went back to his car, he chuckled at the situation. Here he was feeling sleep deprived and so was Ava. She was so tired that she had fallen asleep in her storage room. Why he was laughing so uncontrollably right now, he didn’t know. He blamed it on being tired. Hopefully tomorrow he would have a clear mind and know just how to handle Ava.
* * *
The nerve of that man. Who the hell did he think he was? Did being sheriff mean he got to dictate what people in this town did? Maybe coming here was a mistake. It had felt so right at the time, but now she had serious second thoughts.
Looking around her shop, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. A lingerie shop? What the hell had she been thinking? And in this small town. No one here was going to accept her or her store if the town sheriff was boycotting it already.
Feeling all sorts of emotions, she pushed them deep inside her. She wasn’t going to cry, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him get her panties in a wad. She was going back to her cabin at Honeycreek, climbing into her bed, and forgetting about the day she met Seth. Life had been nothing but trouble since him.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Ava was shocked to see she had slept until eleven AM. Hell, she’d been in bed before midnight, but she felt great and ready to take on anything, including Seth if today was like any of the others.
This afternoon she was expecting a shipment of some shelving racks for clothes. She needed to get up and get ready but not before checking her e-mail like she did each morning. Her laptop was on her nightstand. She opened it and waited for it to boot up. Once it was finally ready, she logged into her e-mail account. As she scrolled through the junk mail, an e-mail from her ex caught her eye. What the hell did John want?
Ava,
I don’t know how to get in contact with you. You up and left with no forwarding address or number, but then again that is what you’ve always done. I’m writing because I want to let you know how sorry I am. I never should have hit you and said those horrible things to you. It wasn’t just the alcohol, I know this now. I’m getting help and going to meetings every week. But none of this seems worth it without you. I need to see you. Please let me know where you are, or at least give me a number so I can hear your voice.
Love,
John
Ava couldn’t help but roll her eyes. He made it sound like he’d only hit her once—like it had been one little mistake. More like she had been his punching bag after every bad day. He didn’t abuse her all the time, but when he drank too much, sometimes things had gotten out of control. She wasn’t the type to stick around, and it’d shocked many that she had. She’d been caught up in the fact that John was a model and all the doors he had opened up to her. The friends, the parties, the glamorous life. She had stuck around for that, and every now and then, he’d beaten the crap out of her.
The last time, though, he’d hit her in the face. She couldn’t hide it the way she could her arms or legs. It was then she had rea
lized it wasn’t something she could do any longer. The incidences had gotten more and more frequent as John got older and got called a lot less for jobs. He had drunk more and more, and she knew, if she didn’t leave, his rage would eventually end her life. She didn’t want that for herself or John. The relationship had been toxic, and they deserved better.
She was happy to learn he was getting help, but there was no way she was telling him where she was. When she shut a door, it never reopened, and she certainly wasn’t reopening that part of her life. The past was just that, the past. John was behind a locked door.
Making her way through the rest of her e-mails, she pushed the memories back where they needed to be and then remembered Kimberly. She was going to come by for an application. Ava opened a word document and quickly made up something that would work for now. She hit the print button and then closed down the computer. She had a full day ahead of her. It was time to get started.
* * *
“Sheriff, there is a problem that needs your attention,” Randy, one of the deputies, said.
Seth sighed. If something could go wrong today, it was. “What’s going on now?”
“There’s a large truck blocking Maple Street and the Watson funeral needs to get on the road.”
Who would be blocking the road? Scratching his head, Seth leaned back in his chair. Why did he have a feeling that somehow Ava was involved in this?
“Tell the driver to move.”
“He won’t. The shop owner isn’t there, and he needs to drop the stuff off.”
It had to be her. “Can’t he leave the stuff on the curb?”
“Says it has to be signed for.”
“Then someone sign for the goddamned shit, and get that truck out of there.” Yes, he knew his anger was directed toward the wrong person, but damn, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
“Okay, I think Cody is in the area. I will have dispatch tell him.”
Seth let out a sigh. Did this woman have any idea that, if she could get herself on a decent schedule, then the world would just make more sense? At least for him. She had only been in Brookfield a few days, and she had already turned his life upside down. Typically summers went smoothly and winters were when he got his worst headaches, but he had a big one right now.
