Truth and Dare

by Candace Havens

  What a fool she’d been.

  This is what you get for going off the rails. You should be focused on your work and solving this murder.

  Her friends made fun of her need for perfection. They told her life was about making mistakes if she really wanted to live.

  Fine. But this kind of mistake she would never make again.

  10

  CADE SEARCHED THE FLOOR for Patience. He hadn’t seen her since his dance with Michele. She’d looked upset while talking to Logan and had been a constant distraction for him.

  “If looks could maim,” Kent said beside him. “You’ve got that killer stare again.”

  Cade shrugged. “Have you seen Patience?”

  “Nah. The last time I saw her she was talking to Logan.”

  As his name was mentioned, Logan walked up.

  “Whatever it is I didn’t do it,” he joked but Cade noticed the smile didn’t quite go to his eyes.

  “What did you say to Patience that upset her?” Cade pointed a finger at him.

  Logan’s right eyebrow rose. “If you want to know why she’s upset, maybe you should look in a mirror.”

  “Logan, this isn’t the time for jokes. I saw her face when she spoke with you. Tell me what happened.”

  “She didn’t say much, but it was in confidence. I can tell you it wasn’t anything I said or did.” Logan poked a finger back at Cade. “When I said for you to look in the mirror, I meant it.”

  Cade shook his head. “Fine. Where the hell is she?”

  “Last time I saw her, she was headed for the ladies’ room,” his cousin said gruffly.

  “Thanks,” Cade replied and left to make his way across the busy room. The band was still on a break and the auctioneer for the Friends of the Library was on stage peddling a series of art classes. The crowd was so thick, he found himself having to go completely around the room.

  “Cade, where have you been? Haven’t seen you all night,” Deacon, his foreman at the ranch, said. “I wanted you to meet my date, Lily.”

  Wanting nothing more than to wave them away so he could find Patience, Cade stopped and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand.

  Lily, who was a willowy, fresh-faced redhead, shook his hand with a great deal of strength. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said. “Deacon has told me what you two are doing up at the ranch. I think it’s great. If you find yourself in need of a painter, give me a call.”

  “A painter?”

  “I do it all, exteriors, interiors, murals. And I own the new gallery around from the bakery with all kinds of crafts and artwork.”

  Cade liked the woman. She was direct, but he also sensed an innate kindness. Deacon deserved a good woman like her. “I saw it the other day when I came into town. Good for you on all counts. And when we get to the house, I’ll definitely have Deacon give you a call. Do you have a booth at the fair?”

  She nodded. “We’ve got a big one with pottery and everything else you can imagine.”

  “Great. I’ll see you there.”

  He started to move on, but stopped as an idea formed in his head. “Actually, once we get the new barn situated we could use some help with that. Do you do that sort of thing?”

  She gave him a bright smile. “Yes. I mentioned to Deacon when he took me out there the other day that it would be beautiful if you returned it to its original blue and white, to match the house. It’s going to be such a picturesque place when you’re done with it.”

  A sense of pride filled Cade. “Thanks, and I think that’s a great idea. We’ll talk more later. I’m sorry, but I’m looking for my date.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said and waved good bye.

  Cade tipped his hat before burrowing back through the crowd.

  He had to find her.

  STILL HIDING IN THE STALL, Patience sighed. This is why she never allowed herself to feel much. These emotions were messy and they didn’t make sense. After blowing her nose and making sure that the tears hadn’t messed her makeup, she was determined to walk out there and take Logan up on his offer for another dance.

  After washing her hands, she freshened her lip gloss in front of the mirror, ignoring the sideways glances she received from the other women. Part of her hoped they couldn’t tell she’d been crying. The other part didn’t care. Patience was strong. She didn’t need a man complicating her life.

  Maybe she would skip the dance with Logan and go back to the B and B for a good night’s rest. Maybe sleep deprivation was her problem. The nightmares about her brother had kept her from sleeping the night before and that was what caused her to act so irrationally.

  Patience stepped into the hallway leading to the main room and ran straight into one of the ranchers from the diner. He hadn’t confronted her, but he had been at the table with the others.

  “What are you doing here?” the man spat out. “I thought with the courthouse closed you’d be on your way back to wherever you came from. Seen ya dancing with the Randall men, I guess you do like stirring up trouble. You women are all the same.”

  The last thing she needed right then was a confrontation.

  “I’m not stirring up anything,” Patience spit out through gritted teeth. The man was nothing but a bully and she refused to back down. “And I’m not sure what business it is of yours as to whom my dance partner might be.”

  “My friends warned you to get out of town, and yet here you are. We don’t need snoops like you messing in our business. You keep running around on property that isn’t yours and you might find yourself mistaken for a coyote ’round here.” He leaned for ward and poked her in the shoulder.

  The whiskey on his breath was overwhelming and she realized this could go bad fast if she didn’t do something. When he increased the pressure on her shoulder Patience’s instincts kicked in and she grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it. He yelped in pain.

  “I don’t know why you have a problem with me,” she said tightening her hold. “But if you threaten me again, or touch me, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself for the harm I’ll cause you. I’m trying to solve a man’s murder, and frankly maybe you should move to the top of my suspect list. I’ll make sure the sheriff has your name. I don’t like men who pick on or threaten women, and that’s something you had better remember for your own safety.”

  He raised his hand as if to slap her and she twisted a little harder. “Try it again, and I’ll break it, along with your knees,” she said.

  The man sneered and made like he was about to spit on her.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Patience glanced to the left to see Cade surrounded by his cousins.

  “I don’t need your help,” she said angrily.

  “Did he touch you?”

  “She’s a damn nuisance,” the rancher spat.

  Cade started toward the man, when a hand pulled him back.

  “No need for that, Cade, I’ll take care of this,” said Beau, the sheriff who had originally brought her the case. The man had a hard look in his eyes, but it wasn’t for her. He was focused on the man.

  “Beau, this rancher seems to have a problem with my very existence,” Patience said without taking her eyes from the man. “His friends made vague threats at the diner and he threatened me again just now.”

  Cade growled.

  The sheriff held up a hand. “Let’s keep our heads, fellas. Looks like Patience has everything in hand.”

  “Did he touch you?” Cade angrily repeated.

  She ignored him.

  Beau moved forward. “You let go of him, Patience, and I’ll take it from here. Looks and smells to me like Harold here has had a few too many run-ins with Mr. Wild Turkey tonight.” The sheriff moved between Patience and Harold, and she stepped aside.

  Still she refused to look at Cade.

  She knew it was unreasonable but Patience was more upset about his dancing with an old girlfriend than the argument with Harold, which told her that she definitely was
n’t thinking clearly.

  “Boys, you need to let me do my job. Let’s not ruin the party because of an old drunk. I’ll let him sleep it off in the jail tonight and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

  The cousins parted and let the sheriff guide Harold away.

  “Ya’ll go back to the dance. I need to talk to Patience,” Cade said. “Thanks, boys.”

  This time she met his eyes. She saw nothing but concern there, and it was almost her undoing.

  The cousins didn’t move at first, and then Logan said, “Come on. I’m sure Patience has had enough of the Randalls for one evening.”

  Cade reached for her, but she stepped back.

  “I’m tired. I’ll see you later.” She moved past him.

  He caught her arm. “I’m coming with you.”

  She shook him off. “That isn’t necessary and I want to be alone.”

  Patience moved quickly through the crowd in the dance hall and was grateful for the fresh air when she got outdoors.

  She was finally alone. Better to nip this thing with Cade in the bud. Their afternoon together had been nothing but them comforting one another.

  She had made more of the situation than was there.

  It was just sex.

  Yes. Some day she’d be able to convince herself of that.

  11

  FOR THE LIFE OF HIM, Cade couldn’t figure out what had happened in the last hour that would make Patience look at him as if he was an enemy of the state.

  Maybe she’d been spooked by her encounter with Harold. That man was about to find the wrong end of Cade’s fist if he didn’t leave her alone. Though, he had to admit, he was proud that she had the situation under control.

  Now he had to figure out why she didn’t want anything to do with him. He’d followed her out of the lodge, and was only about three feet behind her.

  “Patience.”

  She stopped but didn’t face him.

  “Go back to the dance,” she said. “I told you I want to be alone.”

  Yes, she was definitely angry about something. He stood beside her, but she still refused to look at him.

  “I’m not letting you walk back to the B and B by yourself. We need to talk about what happened with Harold.”

  She sighed heavily.

  Cade thought back through the night. “I missed something somewhere. Are you upset that I didn’t catch on to what was happening with Harold earlier? I’m sorry. I was trying my best to get to you, but Michele was reminiscing about—”

  She stiffened when he mentioned Michele. Could she possibly be jealous? No, Logan certainly would have explained the situation to her. Unless—

  He had been an idiot.

  Patience walked toward the B and B and he stayed beside her.

  When they reached the porch of the B and B he touched her arm gently and turned her around to face him. She continued to look past his shoulder.

  “Patience, please. If I could have found you beforehand I would have told you about Michele. You need to know that. I only have eyes for one woman, and that’s you.”

  He slowly caressed her jawline.

  She recoiled from his touch. “That’s the point. It shouldn’t matter who you dance with or what you do. We’ve only known each other for a couple of days. You’re free to do whatever you want, Cade.”

  “No, Patience, I’m far from free. I’m so wrapped up in you it’s scaring the hell out of me. But I’m not about to let fear get in the way of how I feel about you. I don’t care how long we’ve known each other. You feel it, too, you told me on the dance floor.”

  “I don’t know what I feel. It’s too much, too fast,” she said with such anguish that he gently pulled her to him.

  “Hey, if it’s going too fast just say the word. We can back off. Whatever you want, Patience, really. I’m willing to do what it takes.”

  “This is why I don’t get involved with people,” she said against his chest. “I don’t understand human emotions. I just don’t. I was actually jealous of that woman tonight. It isn’t logical. And I’m always logical.”

  Cade hid his grin from her. He understood her confusion. Hell, he had no idea what was happening between them, either, but he did know he had to be with her.

  “I don’t know a lot about relationships, either,” he said honestly. “In the past five years I’ve seldom dated. But I do know that what we share, well, it’s different.”

  “That’s crazy,” she whispered.

  “True. Maybe we can’t define what is happening between us, but that doesn’t mean we should run away from it. You don’t strike me as a coward. I personally think we should hang around and see what happens.”

  She gave a very unladylike snort. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  Reaching up, she took his face in her hands and pulled his head down so she could kiss him. Her lips were tentative at first. Testing and teasing him, when her tongue slid between his teeth he was gone. When they finished kissing they were both breathing hard.

  Cade willed his body to behave. It wasn’t easy when the mere scent of her sent him over the edge. When she touched him, his body was immediately at attention. But that isn’t what she said she wanted.

  “If you want to take it slower I’m going to need you to stand on the other side of the porch for a minute, because I don’t think I can keep my hands off of you,” Cade admitted.

  She shoved her pelvis against his hardness.

  “Patience,” he moaned and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

  “I don’t want to play it safe,” she said as she shoved her hands up his shirt.

  Cade’s phone rang, but he ignored it.

  Then it rang again.

  “What?” he answered roughly.

  “Is she okay?” Logan asked.

  “Yes,” he bit out.

  “Don’t snap at me, GG was worried. She just went to the jail to give Harold a piece of her mind.”

  Cade smiled. The wrath of his grandmother knew no bounds and Harold deserved it. “Good,” he said as he hung up the phone.

  Patience watched him with curiosity in her eyes.

  “Logan?”

  He nodded. “Seems to have an unnatural interest in your well-being.”

  She smiled. “Are you jealous?”

  “Yep.”

  He kissed her again.

  “We better move our party upstairs. My grand mother is on her way home and I don’t want her to find us naked on her porch in front of God and everyone.”

  “Are we about to get naked?” she teased.

  “Oh, hell, yeah.”

  CADE WATCHED AS PATIENCE SLEPT. Her blond hair a halo on her pillow and her lips slightly pink from the kisses they shared. He’d been shocked earlier when she admitted to being jealous. Cade appreciated her honesty and the fact that she was confused by what she felt.

  From the little he knew about her past, he could tell that she’d closed herself off from everyone. That she’d given up some of that control to him caused an unnatural need to protect and cherish her.

  More than anything he wanted her to understand how much he cared for her.

  “Are you going to stare all night or sample the goods?” Patience’s eyes fluttered open and she gave him a lazy grin.

  Sliding a hand across her stomach he leaned over and kissed her. “I don’t need to sample, I’m ready to buy the whole package.”

  Patience rolled onto her side threw her leg over his. “I’m not sure how I feel about being a commodity that can be bought and sold.”

  She nuzzled his neck, her hair smelling of honeysuckle. The scent would forever be burned in his brain as hers.

  “You’re the one comparing yourself to wares, I’m just telling you I’m buying up the supply. You’re my new favorite food, and I plan on tasting every inch of you.” He lifted her chin so he could kiss her. He hadn’t lied. Patience had become his newest addiction.

  Her hand wrapped around his erection. He let out a small grunt of approval.
<
br />   “I like that plan,” she said breathlessly.

  Cade gently pulled himself out of her hand and slid down her body. Her perfect breasts were hard peaks and he laved each of them with his tongue until her breath came in short pants. When his hand moved to finger the heat between her legs, her body arched with the contact.

  The way she responded to his touch nearly made him explode right then and there. He couldn’t believe when he first met her he thought her a prim and proper professor type. If anything she was nothing short of wanton when she was in bed with him, and he would do anything to please her, to hear her moan his name and gasp with delight.

  Their bodies truly were made for one another. That was something he couldn’t deny. His mouth followed his fingers, and she whispered his name. That was a sound that would never grow old. She needed him, as much as he did her.

  Cade nibbled the tiny nub within the folds and she squirmed beneath him. The taste of her was intoxicating. Her hands fisted in his hair and she cried out in release.

  He chuckled. “Shh, babe. We don’t want to wake up GG.”

  She didn’t seem to hear him. “Cade,” she groaned again. This time he covered her mouth with his.

  “Inside me,” she said. “Please.”

  She was past that part of reason, consumed by the passion. He wasn’t far behind her.

  Shifting, he moved her on top of him.

  She didn’t waste a second before positioning him inside of her and riding him hard. Her hair flew wildly around her head, her breasts moving with the motion. She leaned back shoving herself full on his erection, her nails digging into his thighs. Her eyes were shut as she bounced up and down on him, and he matched her with every thrust.

  Her entire body shuddered with release, and Cade pulled her toward him so he could cover the moans he knew were coming with his mouth.

  When she collapsed on top of him, he squeezed her tightly. Whatever they had, it was more than he could have ever imagined.