Mike McBride had just asked her out.
And she’d said no.
When Mike looked away and headed out the rear exit, Anna covertly watched his retreating form. His shoulders were broad, his ass and athletic thighs so very fine. His Stetson only added to his sexiness.
She swallowed, disappointment making her stomach feel heavy. She’d wanted to say yes so badly. The fact that he was her best friend’s brother’s enemy had kept her from accepting his invitation to dinner—she couldn’t get into a relationship with the sheriff and not upset her friend. Chandra was so close to her twin brother.
Of course Mike had only asked Anna out to eat, so what was she worried about? That didn’t mean he was interested in dating her.
But she’d seen it in his eyes. He’d pretty much made it clear he was interested. Why else would he ask her? It certainly couldn’t be for her vote—a politician didn’t take an average citizen out just to get her vote.
A thought came to her. Why shouldn’t she go out with Mike? Maybe she could meet him for drinks. Yes, she’d call him and tell him she’d have a drink or two with him.
Mind made up, she straightened her bearing and looked once again for Chandra.
“Anna.” A man’s voice had her whirling around. Chad.
“Hi, Chad.” She gave him a smile but had a hard time putting warmth behind it. “Good debate.” Feeling nervous, she looked over her shoulder. “Where’s Chandra?”
“She’s talking with one of my aides.” Chad gave Anna a practiced smile. “I saw you with my opponent. McBride gave you his card.”
Something in his eyes told her that what he was going to say next wasn’t good. “Yes.” She gave him a bright smile. “You politicians like to score points with your voters.”
He didn’t blink. “McBride wrote his number on the back of his card.”
“How do you know that?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“Speculation.” Chad studied her. “You just confirmed it.”
Her cheeks felt warm. “Like I said, politicians—”
He cut her off. “Don’t play it down, Anna. I could see he’s interested in you.”
Her skin tingled, but this time it was from irritation. “What do you want, Chad?”
He gave her a politician’s smile. “Just making sure I haven’t lost you to the other side.”
“Of course not.” She looked past Chad and spotted Chandra. “I’ve got to meet up with your sister. See you.”
Chad gave a smile and a nod. But somehow she felt like clammy fingers crawled along her spine. He had to know her secret and he was just playing with her, waiting for the right time to talk with her about it.
She waved at Chandra, catching her friend’s attention. Without a backward glance at Chad, Anna worked her way toward Chandra who had just finished talking with a young man, who must have been one of the aides that Chad had mentioned. Chandra started toward Anna and they met up halfway.
“Where have you been?” Chandra asked. “You disappeared.”
“Lost you in the crowd.” Anna shrugged. “Got waylaid and then escaped and made it here.”
With a laugh, Chandra said, “By who?”
Anna felt a moment’s discomfort. “Your brother for one. He made it clear he wants my vote.”
Chandra laughed. “That’s my brother.”
“Chandra,” A female voice interrupted and Anna turned and saw that it was Leigh Monroe. Leigh caught sight of Anna and said as she reached them, “Hi, Anna.”
“Haven’t seen you around for a while,” Anna said. “What’s up?”
Leigh hesitated.
“Leigh broke up with her boyfriend again not long after I broke up with Neal,” Chandra said. “They split before last Christmas, got together again, then just broke up a few days ago.”
Anna reached out and touched Leigh’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all good.” Leigh’s throat worked and it looked as if she wanted nothing better than to change the subject. “We—we’re just friends now.”
“Leigh and I are going to Jo-Jo’s to check out the guys,” Chandra said. “Want to join us?”
Anna had the feeling that Leigh and Chandra were going to be talking more about the men who had broken their hearts recently than checking out the men, and she didn’t want to interrupt. She also thought about her decision to call Mike. He was the only man she wanted to check out right now.
“I’ll take a rain check,” Anna said. “Where are you parked?” she asked Chandra.
“Out back.” Chandra pointed toward the rear exit.
“I’m in front of the auditorium.” Anna jerked her thumb in that direction and took a couple of steps back as she spoke. “I’ll call you.” To Leigh she added, “See you later, Leigh.”
The two women waved and Anna waved back before heading out into the auditorium. As she walked, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse along with Mike’s business card, and then punched his number into her phone. After another deep breath, she raised the phone to her ear.
A beat later, Mike’s deep voice came on the line. “Sheriff McBride.”
“Hi, Sheriff.” Anna swallowed as butterflies batted around in her belly. “This is Anna Batista. We just met.”
“Hi, Anna.” He had a smile in his voice. “Taking me up on dinner?”
“Why don’t we have a drink?” She would play it cool. “I can meet you at Nectars.”
“That would be fine,” he said. “What time?”
She gripped her phone tightly. “How about eight?”
“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll see you then, Anna.”
“See you,” she said before she disconnected the call.
Her hand gripped the strap of her purse until it ached. When she walked down the steps from the stage to the auditorium, she saw that the auditorium was mostly deserted now. She hurried up an aisle and out the front entrance.
Now she had two hours to kill and she had no idea what to do with the time. She settled on going shopping. It was a Wednesday and still early enough that plenty of stores would still be open.
The air was cool when she stepped out through the double doors. Fortunately she’d had a good parking place, so she reached her Honda in no time. She unlocked the car and grabbed a sweater from the backseat and slipped it on.
After she got into her car, she called her aunt to tell her she wouldn’t be home for dinner then started the vehicle. Which store should she start off with? She decided to check out the sales at her favorite dress boutique. She put her car into gear and headed to the store.
Right now she was feeling unsettled. The feeling likely had something to do with Chad looking right at her when he was talking about illegal immigration.
Shopping was a comfort and would get her mind off of the subject. Like some people ate or smoked for comfort, she shopped. She had a closet full of shoes and stylish clothing. She usually bought things on sale—she was a smart shopper—but she probably spent more than she should.
Okay, truth was that she did buy more than she should, but she only bought what she could afford.
She had a great reputation as an event planner and was paid well. She worked not only in Prescott and Flagstaff, but traveled to parts of the Phoenix metro area. Her work frequently took her out of town, but she didn’t mind the travel and she loved planning and executing the events. Weddings were her bread and butter, but birthdays, parties, conventions, and trade shows also brought in a good income.
Her favorite boutique was open like she’d thought and she found a parking spot directly in front of it. Devora Snow was dressing a mannequin as Anna walked into the store. Bells jangled as she entered.
“Anna.” Devora smiled. Blue and purple streaks of color in her dark blonde hair glimmered in the shop’s lighting. “What are you up to?”
“Hi, Dev.” Anna returned the smile. “I’m here to check your sale rack, of course.”
“Of course.” Devora flashed a grin as she moved a
way from the mannequin to the sale rack. “And I have just the dress for you. It’s your size and a petite.”
In moments Anna was trying on a stunning black dress that hugged her curves and rose high on her thighs. She came out of the changing room to model the dress for Devora.
“Beautiful.” Devora clapped her hands and held them to her breastbone. “It was made for you, Anna.”
Anna turned around in front of the full-length mirror and looked over her shoulder to see how the dress looked from the back. It did fit her well. She imagined wearing the dress while out on a date with Mike and had to hold back a frown. She liked the thought of dating Mike, but what about Chandra? She loved her friend to death, but Chandra was staunchly loyal to Chad.
Devora cocked her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Anna gave a bright smile. “I’ll take the dress. Got any new shoes that would go with this dress?”
“Right this way.” Devora gestured for Anna to follow her.
Anna padded across the carpeted floor as she followed Devora to the boutique’s shoe section. “Those are adorable.” Anna went straight to a pair of black heels with a single strap in front that went up the top of the foot to an ankle strap. The straps sparkled with crystals. “Freaking awesome.”
Devora laughed. “I thought of you when they came in.”
“You know me so well it’s scary.” Anna picked up one of the heels. “I’m guessing you have them in my size?”
“One pair, just for you.” Devora gave a nod toward the back room. “I’ll get them now and you can try them on.”
If they fit, Anna knew she’d be going home with at least a stunning new dress and killer pair of heels. Of course she’d have to check out jewelry, too.
I’m a junkie, she thought as she held up the shoe. Gotta have my fix.
Devora returned, carrying a bright pink box, and Anna sat on the nearby padded bench and slipped on the heels. She walked around in them, trying them out, and looking at them in the full-length mirror. The shoes fit perfectly and looked just as good with the dress as Anna had thought they would.
She still had time to kill so she tried on more dresses and more shoes. She ended up with the first dress and shoes, a pair of black slacks, and a black sweater with a silky black camisole. She tended to where a lot of black. She also found jewelry to go along with each outfit she’d purchased.
Over an hour after entering the store, Anna carried her purchases to the door. With a look over her shoulder, Anna said, “See you, Devora.”
Devora gave a wave. “Oh, I’d say within a week.”
“Yes, you know me far too well.” Anna looked at her packages and gave a rueful shake of her head. “See you then.”
Devora grinned and the bells at the top of the door jangled as Anna let herself out into the night.
Chapter 3
Shopping had been fun. Anna found shopping to be a nice escape from reality, like a good book was. Almost. She rationalized her purchases as important for her career, but truth was that she was a shopping addict, no two ways about it.
After stowing her packages in the back of her Honda, she climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car, and headed to Nectars to meet Mike.
She parked a little way down the street, behind a black SUV. Her heart raced a little faster as she stepped out of her car and pulled on a light wrap. She hitched her purse up on her shoulder and locked the vehicle before dropping her keys into an inner pocket of the purse. She took a deep breath, shored up her courage and her resolve, and headed toward the entrance of the upscale bar.
Nectars was next to the Hummingbird restaurant, where Mike had said he was having dinner. The owners of the Hummingbird also owned Nectars.
Darkness had settled over the town and Anna shivered. It was fall and cool out, especially in the evenings. She couldn’t complain though, the weather was gorgeous here compared to other states where it was already snowing.
Her courage faltered. What was she doing, meeting the sheriff for drinks? She stopped on the sidewalk for a moment and closed her eyes.
Why not? she asked herself. He’s a great guy. When she opened her eyes again, she raised her chin and walked into the bar.
The interior was dim and she blinked a few times to get used to it. She let her gaze drift over the crowd before she spotted Mike, who was sitting at a high top and talking with a man Anna didn’t recognize. Mike had changed out of his uniform and was wearing a western-style blazer shirt with jeans and black boots. She wondered if he kept a change of clothes in his vehicle or if he’d gone home to change. Did he live in town or out? She mentally shook her head. Why did she care?
Mike glanced her way, smiled, and got to his feet. She straightened her shoulders and started toward Mike and the other man, butterflies tickling her belly. The sheriff was so damned handsome, with a rugged, larger-than-life presence. The man next to him wasn’t half bad at all, but as far as she was concerned, Mike was the best-looking man in the bar.
When she reached the table, Mike greeted her with a smile and took her hand between his. She liked the way it felt when he touched her—it made her feel pleasantly warm all over. He was at least a foot taller than her, but he didn’t make her feel small at all. She felt comfortable with him.
He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing her. He lightly touched her back as he turned to the other man. “Jayson, this is Anna Batista.” He turned to Anna. “Anna, this is one of my cousins, Jayson McBride. You may have seen his twin at the debate.”
“I thought you looked familiar.” Anna held out her hand and smiled at Jayson. “Great to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Jayson took her hand in a firm grip then released her. He turned to Mike. “I best be going.”
“Don’t leave on my account,” Anna said.
“I need to get back to the ranch. Just got a call that one of my fences is down.” Jayson nodded to Mike. “See you Sunday when I bring over that mare.”
“You bet,” Mike said.
Jayson touched the brim of his hat as he met Anna’s gaze. “Hope to see you around.”
She smiled. “Have a good evening.”
He gave another nod then turned and headed out the door.
Anna faced Mike.
“I hope you don’t mind sitting at a high top.” Mike pulled out a chair and took her hand as he helped her into her seat.
“This is perfect.” She settled in and hooked the strap of her purse on one side of her straight-backed chair. She slid out of her wrap and let it drape over the back of the seat beside her.
When Mike was seated in the chair on the opposite side of the table, he rested one forearm on the tabletop. Before either of them could say anything, a pretty server with bouncy blonde curls and a huge bust came up to the table. She was holding a tray with empty beer bottles and glasses in one hand.
The server smiled at Mike as she set a cocktail napkin in front of Anna. “What would you like to drink, sweetie?” she asked Anna.
“The house Chardonnay,” Anna replied.
“Another Blue Moon?” the server asked Mike.
“Yes.” He gave a nod. “Thanks, Rosie.”
“Love your shoes,” Rosie said to Anna with a smile, then glanced at Mike. “One Blue Moon and the house Chardonnay coming up.”
Anna smiled as Rosie headed off to the bar with the tray of empties held high. Anna turned and met Mike’s gaze. He was studying her as if he could see into the depths of her soul. As if he could learn every secret she held tightly to her heart.
Her stomach bottomed out. She shouldn’t be meeting with the sheriff, of all people. What had she been thinking? She hadn’t been thinking, that was the problem. What if he learned her secret?
Mike held her gaze. “You are a beautiful woman, Anna.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you called because I’d like to get to know you.” His eyes were chocolate brown, so very beautiful, as he studied her.
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an event planner.” She could handle this topic. “I plan events locally as well as in Flag and Phoenix.”
He gave a slow nod. “Do you have any kids? Any exes in the wings?”
“Not really.” She shook her head, her long, dark brown hair sliding over her shoulders. “No kids, never married, and no recent breakups or heartbreaks.”
“But there have been heartbreaks,” he said.
“It’s been a couple of years.” She clenched her fingers in her lap. “I don’t believe in regrets over past relationships.” She gave a light shrug. “Things are meant to happen for a reason and everything that happens is a stepping stone to what is meant to be.”
“I like the way you look at things,” he said. “You’re a positive individual.”
Most of the time, she thought. “Tell me about you.”
“My life’s an open book.” He gave a little grin. “Part of being an elected official.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t that hard? People knowing almost everything about you?”
“Almost is a key word.” He leaned back as Rosie arrived and set drinks in front of them.
“Anything off the menu?” Rosie asked as she looked from Mike to Anna and back.
“Did you eat dinner?” Mike asked Anna.
She shook her head. “I’m fine, though.”
“I had a light dinner,” he said. “Why don’t we get the appetizer sampler?”
“Okay,” she said. “I could go for a little something.”
Rosie left and Anna took a sip of wine before she turned her attention back to Mike. “So, do you have any kids or exes?”
“Not a one.” He shook his head. “I’d like a couple, though.” He gave a quick grin. “I’d like a couple of kids, that is.” She thought she saw a flicker of more darkness in his eyes as he added, “Exes I do have, and I don’t need any more of those.”
A shiver ran down her spine. If she and Mike did get together, she might end up being one of those exes and cause darkness where there should only be light. There would be no way they could get into a relationship and him not find out eventually.
Belong to You Page 2
