Dynasties: The Elliotts, Books 1-6

by Various Authors

  He stood tall, wearing his tan uniform proudly, watching her, and Jane nibbled on her lower lip, staring at her reflection in his silver badge. “I’ll make dinner when we get…home.” Using the word in that context set her mind spinning again. She was beginning to feel that 2785 Crescent Drive was her home. And she had handsome Mac Riggs waiting on dinner for her.

  “No need. We’re going out. Best place in town.”

  Jane glanced down at her clothes. She’d known she would work in the bookstore today, shelving, opening cartons and getting down on the floor with little ones to help them pick out books, so she’d worn her old jeans and a nothing-special blouse. “Should I go home to change?”

  Mac grinned and placed a hand on her waist, urging her to his car. “Not a chance, Jane. You’re dressed exactly right.”

  “I still say you’re chicken, Jane.”

  She sat at the back end of Mac’s Trailblazer in Colorado Chuck’s parking lot, dangling her feet and eating an Aspen burger with pickles and tomato out of a cardboard box. Mac opted for a Pike’s Peak, a mountainous burger filled with chili and cheese and onions and heaven knows what else, definitely the more dangerous choice. Jane’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the monstrous meal.

  “Not chicken, just smart.” She pointed at his burger. “I hope you have a jar of antacids at home.”

  “I have a stomach of steel.” He took a giant bite of his burger.

  Jane couldn’t disagree. She’d seen his bare chest, the rippling muscles and hard-packed abs. The image stayed in her head until she shook it free. “You’ll need it. If the burger doesn’t kill you, the fries surely will.”

  “Ah, but what a way to go.” He popped a fry into his mouth.

  Jane smiled, nibbling on her meal while she watched Mac indulge in his. “You sure know how to treat a lady,” she teased.

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he bantered back, and it was clear he took no offense in her statement. “You haven’t experienced Winchester until you’ve had one of Colorado Chuck’s Pike’s Peaks.” He shook his head. “Too bad, Jane. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “Maybe next time. I mean…if I come back here…sometime…ever again.”

  With his burger halfway to his mouth, Mac stopped to look at her squarely. Their eyes met for a long moment and he let out a long sigh. The fact that Jane would leave Winchester someday, maybe sooner than later, lay like a deep sea of doubt between them.

  Jane swallowed the lump in her throat and took a small bite of her burger.

  “Do you know how many little towns and villages there are in Italy?” Mac said, finishing his meal and crumpling his napkin. “Hundreds.”

  “Wow,” Jane said, glad Mac changed the subject. She didn’t want to think about leaving Winchester, or Mac, anytime soon. But she couldn’t wait to regain her memory and find out about herself. She felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, the catch-22 of her situation not lost on her. “I guess I might have known that at one time. So, no luck finding our friendly little Italian shoemaker?”

  Mac answered with a shake of his head. “We’re not giving up. Would help if we had the cobbler’s name, though. Anything else come to mind?”

  Jane finished her burger, leaving the fries untouched and finally washing it all down with a strawberry shake. “No, sorry. I’ve thought about those boots over and over. You’ve got me dreaming of stiletto heels and black leather, but nothing comes to mind.”

  Mac nearly choked on his chocolate shake. He sputtered, spraying chocolate onto the asphalt parking lot. “Man, Jane. I think I’ll be the one dreaming of stiletto heels and black leather tonight.”

  Jane punched him playfully on the arm, but the heat of his gaze froze her in action. He wasn’t kidding. Desire burned in his dark eyes and her body heated quickly.

  One passionate look from the sheriff was all it took to turn Jane’s subdued demeanor into a sizzling wreck of nerves.

  The remembered feel of his lips on hers, his hands caressing her body, his long lean form atop her on that workout bench yesterday, filled her mind and put an ache in her heart. She grabbed both cardboard boxes, jumped down from the back of the SUV and walked over to the trash, dumping everything inside.

  When she turned back around, she found Mac speaking with a woman, a young, pretty brunette with a curvy body and a proprietary hand on his arm. The woman hadn’t wasted any time in approaching Mac as soon as the coast was clear.

  Jane hesitated a few seconds, then, with decided assertion, walked right back over to them. “Hi, I’m Jane.” She put out her hand.

  The taller woman shook it, a quizzical look on her face. “Lola. I’m a…friend of Mac’s.”

  Jane nodded and smiled. “That makes two of us.”

  Mac sat silently by, watching the exchange, offering nothing.

  “Mac and I go back a long way,” Lola said, smiling at him. “Don’t we, Sheriff?”

  He shrugged, sipping his shake. “Guess we do. We were both born and bred in Winchester.”

  “School chums, then?” Jane asked, though she really didn’t enjoy being a part of this conversation. Her heart raced, but a deep sense of dread overshadowed any other sensation she felt at the moment. While half of her cried out with jealous regret, the other half felt heavy, like a lead weight around Mac’s neck, pulling him down. Since being found up at Deerlick Canyon, Jane had tied up all Mac’s time, taking him away from any personal life he might want to have. She’d been his responsibility, and hadn’t thought about how her being here had affected his life.

  The woman chuckled. “Schoolmates and then some, right, Mac?” She tilted her head so that her long, shiny brown locks rested on his shoulder.

  “Ancient history, Lola.” Mac stepped back and raised the hatch of his car.

  “Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the woman said, staring at him with bright, interested eyes. Jane knew that look, the way one female knows when another is flirting, even if the man is too dim to figure it out.

  “Good seeing you again, Mac. Don’t be a stranger.”

  Mac nodded and headed for the driver’s door. “Take care, Lola.”

  Jane took her seat quietly and closed her eyes, stunned by her own rude behavior. “I’m really putting a damper on your social life.”

  Mac gunned his car out of Colorado Chuck’s parking lot. Both were silent on the short drive home until he parked the car in his driveway.

  Jane made a move to exit the car.

  “Jane, listen.”

  She turned to him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. She couldn’t name all the emotions churning around inside her gut, but she did know one thing. She didn’t want Lola, or any other woman, hovering around Mac. And that made no sense at all. Jane had no right to him. He was free to see any woman he wanted, except her. He’d made that clear, yet when he’d showed up at the bookstore tonight, Jane’s rational mind had shut down and she’d lost herself in foolhardy notions.

  “Mac, don’t try to convince me that my being here hasn’t changed your life.”

  “Damn it, Jane. You’re not stopping me from anything.”

  “You’re just being sweet,” she said softly.

  Mac stormed out of the car, slamming the door. “I’m not sweet,” he said, grinding out the words.

  Jane stepped out of the car as well and together they walked up the steps to the front door. “Okay, so you’re not that sweet. I never really thought so. Feel better now?” she said, smiling.

  Mac paused, pursing his lips and blinking. “You never really thought so?”

  She shook her head, so hard her hair whipped against her cheeks.

  Mac ran a hand down his face in what she feared was utter frustration, but when she could finally see his mouth, the corners had lifted up and he laughed. “What am I going to do with you?”

  She joined in the laughter, happy to have gotten him out of his bad mood. Then on impulse, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Talk to me?”

 
Mac’s eyebrows rose. “About?”

  “About Lola, and how I’m not interfering in your life.”

  She sauntered past him when he unlocked the door, and stood waiting for his answer, arms folded.

  Mac stared at her a moment, then his gaze dropped down to her chest, where she’d crossed her arms. Jane didn’t flinch, though the heat of his perusal was enough to knock her off her feet.

  Mac broke eye contact and moved to the window, his arms braced on the windowsill as he focused his gaze into the darkness of the night. “Lola and I are friends, Jane. Nothing more. We dated a while, after my divorce, but that’s the end of it. We both moved on.”

  “She’s not married.”

  Mac turned to her. “No. She’d drive any man insane, and you didn’t hear that from me.”

  Jane chuckled, garnering satisfaction that Mac hadn’t found the brunette irresistible. “Why?”

  “Never mind. I’ve said enough.”

  “And what about other women, Mac? You’re not dating anyone. You don’t have a girlfriend. I find that hard to believe, since you’re so…”

  “So hard to deal with?” he finished for her. “Or maybe, stubborn? Too dedicated to my work? Name any of the above.”

  Jane softened her expression and took a seat on the sofa, looking up at him. “I was going to say so easy on the eye.”

  Mac sat down on the opposite end of the couch. He looked at her with a gleam in his eyes. “Now you’re being sweet. But the truth is, sure, there are women who occasionally look me up. Sometimes I date, but it’ll never amount to anything. I’m not looking for anything permanent. I’ve done the marriage thing. It isn’t for me.”

  What a waste, Jane thought. Mac had too many great qualities to give up on sharing a life with someone.

  “Too bad,” she said aloud.

  “I’m happy with my existence, Jane. Why do all the women in my life feel the need to push me into something I don’t want? And,” he said, leaning forward, pointing his index finger her way, “that goes for you, too. You’re so sure you’re wrecking my social life, but the truth is I don’t have one. So no more talk about that. Don’t worry, Jane.”

  “So, you really didn’t want to spend time with Lola tonight?”

  “I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

  Jane nearly snorted. “I guess I have my answer. Tell me, just where, exactly, did you go to charm school?”

  “What?”

  She cast him a slow smile and stood. “It’s nothing, Mac. I think it’s time for bed.”

  She walked over to him to say good-night, endeared to him more than she should be. Mac had been earnest with her. He’d shared part of his life. He’d tried to explain himself to her, the best he knew how. And now he stood before her, blocking her way to the hall leading to her room.

  “Don’t worry about anything but regaining your memory,” he said, touching the tip of her nose.

  The touch carried her over the edge. This time she kissed him fully on the mouth, surprising them both. Mac groaned, but he didn’t back off. Instead, he wrapped both arms around her and held her loosely, allowing her to lead the way.

  Jane knew she was in deep trouble the minute their lips met again. She’d longed for this, for his lips to warm hers and for the heat of their bodies to carry them away. “Definitely not sweet, Mac. But so much more.” She parted her lips and their tongues met, the mating a sacred kind of homecoming.

  Mac tightened his hold on her, drawing her up against him so that she felt his heart beating, each pulse in sync with her own. “Sometimes you amaze me, Jane,” he whispered into her mouth.

  “I amaze myself, too,” she whispered back.

  Just as their lips met again, Lizzie barged into the room, stopping short the minute she spotted them. “Oh, sorry!”

  Jane immediately backed away from Mac and stared at his sister, the red heat of embarrassment climbing up her throat.

  Lizzie, on the other hand, was beamimg. “On second thought, I’m not sorry. It’s about time!”

  “Lizzie.” Mac offered up a stern warning. “You and I need to have a little talk.”

  “Can’t, big brother. I’m all packed. I’m leaving first thing in the morning for Raleigh.”

  “Okay, then, we’ll talk on the way to the airport. What time?”

  Lizzie smiled at Jane, her eyes bright with appreciation. “Oh, I already have a ride to the airport. Jane made the arrangements for me.”

  Mac looked at Jane with a quizzical expression. “You made arrangements for her? How?”

  She smiled tentatively at Lizzie, ignoring his intense stare.

  “Jane?” Mac moved to face her. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing much, really,” she said, trying to shrug it off.

  Impatient with her evasion, he turned to his sister. “So, who’s taking you to the airport?”

  Chin up, Lizzie tossed out the one name that could make Mac crazy. “Deputy Lyle Brody.”

  Two nights later, Jane shelved the last of the children’s books, tidied up the reading cove and met Jimmy at the cash register.

  “All done,” he said, his blond hair flipping onto his forehead when he glanced up. Jane liked Jimmy a lot and she was sure with his clean-shaven, earnest good looks, he would melt more than one young girl’s heart. Yet he was always polite, a hard worker, and she knew that his grandfather adored him.

  “So am I.”

  Both headed for the front door, Jane watching Jimmy lock it up good and tight before turning to her. “Are you sure you don’t need a ride home?”

  “I’m sure. Sheriff Riggs will be here shortly,” Jane said, glancing up and down the darkened street, looking for Mac’s black Trailblazer. Sometimes he picked her up in his patrol car, so she kept an eye out for that, too. She found it odd that he wasn’t parked outside waiting for her. Mac never arrived late to pick her up. “You go on home, Jimmy. I’ll be fine.”

  Jimmy frowned, shaking his head, but with a little more urging, Jane finally convinced him to leave. She stood outside Touched with Love, waiting. When Mac didn’t appear for five full minutes, she began walking. She didn’t mind. She had a lot to go over in her head, and the hot summer day had finally cooled to a warm breezy evening.

  Mac had been furious with her the other night, and she’d walked in the chilling shadow of his cold shoulder for the past two days. He hadn’t been happy with her interference in Lizzie’s life. He’d been blunt, almost cruel. She’d never forget the look of contempt on his face once Lizzie had left the room that night.

  “It’s none of your concern, Jane,” he’d said sternly. “You don’t know all of it,” he’d added. “You have no right butting into my business.”

  That last statement stung, and she’d tried defending herself valiantly, but Mac wouldn’t hear anything she had to say. He’d simply shut down, refusing to discuss Lyle or Lizzie or why he felt so strongly about Lizzie getting involved with his deputy.

  Jane had no choice but to back off, but the damage had been done. Mac barely tolerated her now, keeping a safe distance away even though she’d catch him at times peering at her from across the room. Still, the budding friendship they’d slowly developed had vanished.

  Mac had never once made her feel like an intruder, but she had to believe that now he wanted her gone. Perhaps she should consider Dr. Quarles’s invitation. Maybe it was time to leave Mac’s home. There was no telling how long it would take to regain her memory.

  She hadn’t had any new revelations lately. She hadn’t recalled anything else other than that she owned custom-made leather boots crafted in some small village in Italy. Nothing much had happened with the media blitz the sheriff’s department had put out, either. Oh, there’d been one guy claiming her as his fiancée, but it turned out the man had been investigated as a single white male who had failed relationships with three online dating services. Jane couldn’t help feeling sorry for him, but at the same time she’d been greatly relieved to find that she wasn’t in any w
ay tied to him.

  There was only one man Jane wanted in her life and he was late picking her up. And just as she turned the corner on Elkwood Street, she heard the familiar rumble of a motor from behind.

  Mac pulled up close to her, slowing the patrol car. He rolled down the window and Jane’s ready smile disappeared. “Get in, Jane” was all he said, a deep frown marring his handsome face.

  She raced around to the passenger side and slipped in. Realizing that something was wrong, she turned to him immediately. His face was bloodied and bruised, and he held one hand to his chest. Jane quaked with fear. “Mac, you’re hurt.”

  The car moved forward and Mac nodded ever so slowly, the action causing him to wince even more. “Bad asses thought they could wreck Sully’s place. Had to go in there and straighten them out.”

  Her mind jumbled, all she could think about was the extent of Mac’s injuries. He still held that hand to his chest and hadn’t let go. Blood oozed down his face where he’d been cut. “Where are you hurt?”

  “Probably bruised a few ribs. Got a few cuts and scrapes. That’s all.”

  “All?” Jane couldn’t stand to see him in any pain. “You need to go to the hospital, Mac.”

  “No way, Jane. I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine,” she said, her voice rising. “You look like you’ve been run over by a truck.”

  “Gee, thanks. Appreciate the thought.”

  “I’m not kidding, Mac. Just how many were there, and what kind of place is Sully’s, anyway?”

  “About half a dozen. Bar and grill,” he answered, his tone clipped. Jane feared he had broken, not bruised, ribs.

  “Six of them and how many of you?”

  “Two of us, until we got backup.”

  Jane’s heart pounded. Up until tonight she hadn’t thought much about Mac’s profession, the dangers and pitfalls. Winchester was a small, quiet town. But seeing him in pain, barely able to drive, she felt the reality of Mac’s job hit her with stark and unnerving force. Just like any other professional lawman, Mac put his life on the line each and every day. Jane couldn’t shake that notion loose. It stayed with her, swamping her with fear. Then she noticed that his shirtsleeve was rolled up. “Looks like your arm is bandaged. What happened?” she asked.