The closer Max drove up the driveway in the patrol car that led to her cottage, the faster her heart pounded in her chest, and damn it to hell, she was feeling that quivering from her belly to her damn pussy. How easily this guy and his brother set her body on fire was disturbing to her. She cleared her throat and gripped the top of the tailgate. She was like some naive city girl who couldn’t handle the sight of a few sexy real-life cowboys, boots and all. She just kept reminding herself about the men at Mercer and other businessmen she met in the year she worked there. These guys weren’t any different. Oh hell, who am I kidding? She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the deputy as his vehicle turned right instead of going straight to Marie’s place. He parked the vehicle, and she pulled down the tailgate to the pickup truck.
* * * *
“I hope you don’t think y’all are going to pull that piece of machinery down all by yourself,” Max stated with attitude as he approached the truck.
He watched as Stacy crossed her arms in front of her chest in an attempt to appear annoyed at him for showing up at her place. But damn, did she look adorable. He wondered if she knew that she pouted.
“What are you doing here?” she countered.
He raised his eyebrow in question to her tone, and she lowered her eyes a moment but quickly recovered as she exhaled in annoyance and reached for one side of the power washer.
He quickly rushed to her side.
“Let me help you with that.”
They both grabbed a side, and he was surprised at how strong she was. Then he wondered if her anger was feeding that strength. They placed the machine down on the ground, and as Stacy bent, he got a nice view of her cleavage from the V-neck in her T-shirt. She apparently caught his eyes’ direction because she crossed her arms in front of her chest and took a few steps away.
“Thank you for the help, deputy. You can leave now.”
He chuckled at her tough attitude. The woman had a chip on her shoulder.
“Listen, I’m not trying to cause you any trouble. I just stopped by to help you get the power washer out of your truck.”
“Isn’t that above and beyond the call of duty, deputy?” she countered, staring at him as if she could read his mind or were trying to find a hidden meaning about coming to her aid.
“It’s the kind of man I am, ma’am, and I was trying to be neighborly.”
Man, this woman was proving the stereotype that redheads had fierce tempers.
She thought about his statement a moment, and she undid her arms, giving him a better view of her abundant breasts. Even though they were covered, he could tell she was built.
“I appreciate your help. Both in town and here, but I really just want to get things started on the cottage. As you can see, I have a lot of work to do.”
He walked closer to the cottage, following her to the front porch and the door leading to her home.
“Whatcha planning on fixing first?” he asked, leaning his hands on his holster and his belt.
She released another annoyed sigh, and he had to hide his grin. He found her irresistibly charming and unlike any other woman he’d ever met. Women basically threw themselves at Cantrell men, but this one wanted nothing to do with him or his brother. He liked that about her.
“I’m planning on power washing the house, then fixing some of the shingles and gutter before I repaint the whole place.”
He swung his head back at her in shock.
“Reshingling and fixing the gutters? You’re not planning on climbing up there on a ladder and doing this all by yourself?” He allowed his upset to show, which truly wasn’t like him, but damn, if he was going to stand by and let his woman take a chance like that.
“You could break your neck.”
“Only if I fall off the ladder,” she replied sarcastically. Only a second ago, she looked like she had daggers in her eyes when he questioned her capabilities of doing such work herself.
She stomped up the steps and opened the front screen door as she carried some of the bags inside.
He couldn’t believe she walked away from him like that. The woman showed no respect. Not even an ounce for the uniform at least. He blew out a long breath then decided to open himself up for more punishment. The sight of her ass wiggling up the steps as she carried items into the house was all the encouragement he needed.
He grabbed the box and two last bags then entered the house behind her.
“I don’t like the idea of you doing this work by yourself. Never mind climbing up on a ladder and prancing around the roof.”
She swung around, obviously surprised that he followed her into her house but also that he reprimanded her.
“Listen, deputy, I don’t really care what you think. This is above and beyond the ‘call of duty,’ and I’m a big girl and can handle it myself. So if you don’t mind, why don’t you go back out to your patrol truck and head back into town.” She glanced at her watch and added, “It’s probably just about time for a donut or something, isn’t it?”
He nearly lost his control at her statement but reined it in.
He took a slow step toward her, eyeing her from her cute little white sneakers, up her long, sexy thighs to her breasts, then her gorgeous green eyes.
“Do I look like I eat donuts, darlin’?”
She glared at him as her eyes looked him over. His cock grew harder at her stare. He smiled, and she blushed, giving away her mutual attraction to him.
“I’m going to forget that you said that, Stacy. I’m also going to be sure to stop in and check on you.”
Her eyes widened, and then she actually stomped her foot. It was getting difficult to not sweep her into his arms and kiss her breathless. Those red, plump lips glistened with some sort of lip gloss, not lipstick, and they were tempting him.
“That won’t be necessary. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot to do.”
Max winked at her then gave her one of his debonair smiles that always made the ladies melt. To his surprise, Stacy scowled at him then followed him as he exited her home.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Stacy.”
“You all want to stay for lunch, Deputy Cantrell?”
Both Max and Stacy turned around to see Marie and Ron walking toward them.
“No, he has to get going. He has a whole town to patrol,” Stacy stated sarcastically.
“You all trying to impress New York here or somethin’, Max? He has time for lunch. Come on over to the house,” Marie stated firmly.
Max chuckled at the look of pure frustration across Stacy’s face. This was going to be fun. If only Eric were here, then they could double-team her and she wouldn’t know what hit her. The thought aroused him more than he expected.
“It’s good that Max is here. Maybe he can come on over with his brother Eric tomorrow and help you out on the roof work. You’re off tomorrow, right, Max?” she asked as they all walked in unison toward the main house.
One look over his shoulder at Stacy’s shocked expression and he realized he may not need Eric to double-team Stacy with teasing when he had Marie Lemorte.
* * * *
Stacy listened to the conversation between Ron and Max. It appeared that someone had stolen some tools out of Ron’s shed. Max wasn’t certain who the culprit could be but promised to patrol nearby in the evenings. Knowing that the deputy would be prowling around at night in the near vicinity of her cottage made her nervous. She thought about that while she made the grilled-cheese-and-bacon sandwiches Marie insisted she cook for Max and Ron.
“This is great that you know how to cook, Stacy. Marie’s not that great in the kitchen,” Ron remarked then ducked as Marie threw a dish towel at his head. Max and Stacy chuckled.
“Not one word out of you, New York, ya hear.” Marie pointed at Stacy, and Stacy pretended there was an invisible zipper in front of her mouth and closed it. Max and Ron laughed.
“You hear we all are losing our cook at the Triple C?” Max stated.
“Y’all mean Tex
is finally heading up to Wyoming?” Marie replied.
“Afraid so. I mean I’m happy for him, and I know he really misses his daughter and wants to see the grandchildren. But now we have no cook.”
“There’s got to be someone looking for work. What type of hours y’all need?” Ron asked.
“Ah, we were just looking for lunch and dinner to start, but if it works out then breakfast, too.”
Stacy cringed, hoping that this conversation would not go in the direction it appeared it was going in.
“I hear you’re a great cook, Stacy. Maybe you would be interested in working at the Triple C?” Max asked.
“Oh, that would be great,” Marie replied.
Stacy turned around just as she placed the last pieces of bacon on the sandwiches. She calmly turned off the stove and begged her mind to find an excuse. There was no way she could be around those men.
“I can’t. I’m sorry, but I’ll be working with Marie and the campers.”
“Oh, nonsense. You just about got all the paperwork done this morning. It’s just the first day that I’ll need her, and then she’s all yours. The camp doesn’t start for another two weeks, so she can help you out when Tex leaves. When is he leaving?” Marie asked, and Stacy stood there with her mouth open in shock. Marie was basically dictating her life. This had to stop.
“Don’t I have a say in this?” Stacy asked.
“It will be good for you. Millie and Anna said to make sure you engaged in activities that you truly loved so that your mind would be taken off of—”
“That’s enough! That is my business, and they don’t need to know about it.” She waved her hand toward Ron and Max. Max’s eyebrows crinkled, and he looked at her.
“Get over what about, New York?” Max asked.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Listen, I will think about the cooking job. I don’t need you or your brother’s help tomorrow, so don’t show up. Let’s just eat lunch because I am hours behind now.”
“Hey, Max, do you think that Gutry had something to do with my missing tools?” Ron asked, and Stacy nearly dropped her glass at the mere mention of Gutry’s name.
She swallowed hard and stared at her plate until she felt the warm, masculine fingers touch her hand and hold it.
She looked up into Max’s concerned eyes, and she nibbled her bottom lip. Damn, he looked so possessive and in control.
“I’m not sure, Ron, but my cousin and I will be keeping an eye on Gutry and especially after today and the situation with Stacy at the hardware store.
She tried to pull her hand away from Max’s, but he held it firm. “Please don’t—”
“What happened? Did he try something with Stacy?” Marie asked, looking angry.
Max began to explain what happened. The whole time he held her hand and squeezed it as she tensed with every detail. It brought back memories of the assault in her office and the circumstances that led her here to Texas. Truth of the matter was that she found herself leaning closer to Max and absorbing his strength. She’d never had a man to lean on or count on, and she’d never wanted one either. But somehow, with Max sitting beside her and being insistent on spending time with her, she thought about what it would be like.
“Do you think he’ll bother her again?” Marie asked then covered Stacy’s free hand with her own. She held her gaze, and Stacy knew that Millie had given Marie every detail about her boss stalking her and assaulting her. She silently begged Marie to not speak a word of it to Max or Ron.
“I’m fine, Max. You and Eric were there, and it was fine really. There’s no need to get Marie all worked up. You do know she’s really ill, don’t you?” Stacy teased, trying to lighten up the lunch atmosphere.
“Sick?” both Ron and Max asked, but Stacy thought that Ron seemed way more concerned than Max. Interesting.
Max finally released Stacy’s hand and listened to Marie explain Stacy’s statement.
Ron looked relieved, and Stacy finally had some space between her and the deputy.
Before long, they were eating lunch and discussing the details about the camp.
* * * *
Stacy was relieved that the deputy finally left and she could power wash the house.
As she worked to lift the chipped paint and old worn-out color from the cottage walls, she thought about the farm and how life in Texas would be. This was great for now and offered her time to recover emotionally from losing her job, but she couldn’t live in this cottage forever. Stacy wasn’t positive, but it seemed that Marie and Ron were more than just neighbors. He gave Marie his every bit of attention when she spoke. He touched her on the shoulder or against her waist whenever he thought no one was looking, and when Marie got upset, it seemed he got upset. She witnessed it again during lunch when that guy Gutry’s name came up. That had been another thing that unsettled Stacy. Why did she seem to attract men like Gutry? Then again, it seemed she was attracted to men like Max and Eric. Perhaps it was Max’s position of authority. Many women lost their sanity and good judgment in the presence of a hot-looking man in uniform. She could see herself throwing inhibition to the wind. Boy, did Max have a great body and hands. His hands felt so good on her. How the hell did he affect her so much? Just by holding her hand while he spoke about Gutry, he made her feel cared for and as if she weren’t alone in this. She thought about that as she worked on the last section of the house, the loud sound of the engine roaring on the diesel power-washer motor and the hard spray of the water shooting back, getting her shirt wet. She wondered instantly if anything would happen between her and Max. As soon as she thought it, she also thought about Eric. Son of a bitch! She was attracted to both of them. She wasn’t a slut. She was far from it. There had to be a logical explanation for this. She finished up the last part as she let the sprayer hit the corner of the house.
Distracted with her own thoughts, she lost focus with what she was doing and wondered if subconsciously the idea of having both of them was placed in her head from the phone conversation with Millie. Never mind meeting Melissa and her husbands. Stacy swallowed hard. She couldn’t even imagine one woman having to satisfy and handle multiple husbands. There had to be problems with a relationship like that. There had to be times of jealousy, inadequacy, and plain exhaustion. But what did she know? She’d never even had a relationship with a man. In her eyes and in her life thus far, men could not be trusted. But still, the fact that the town of Pearl had so many of these types of relationships intrigued her. Then she remembered the paperwork for the campers. Some had multiple parent representatives on them. Stacy had wondered what that was all about but didn’t put it together until now. There were more people out there in Pearl living this kind of lifestyle. She shook her head. It just wasn’t something she was used to. Again she thought about Max and Eric. One of them would be too much to handle, but two? Yikes.
Instantly Barry Weiner popped into her head. She remembered the threatening calls where he insisted that she see no other men than him. A worrisome feeling upset her stomach instantly. Then she tried to ignore it and minimize the fear she felt. He wasn’t in Texas, and she wasn’t going back to New York. Barry wasn’t specific enough in his threats, but she got the message even if the cops didn’t want to. Sure, he muffled his voice with some sort of device that the police couldn’t identify through. And there were no fingerprints left on the packages he sent her. Not on the lingerie, the sex toys, or pictures he sent her. He had followed her everywhere or had someone following her. There were pictures of her in the supermarket, at the gym working out, then ones of her at a party where she was talking to a nice guy she met and thought about going on a date with. Immediately the next morning, those pictures were delivered to her apartment with a warning. The thought caused that feeling of anxiety to creep into her belly again. But the worst were the pictures of her with Millie and Anna and of course the items that were left inside of her apartment. Barry was letting her know that he could get to her wherever she went. There was no place to hide.
/> “You hit that spot any more, and you’ll be replacing siding.”
Stacy whipped around at the sound of the male voice and struck Eric with a spray of water. It hit him hard in the chest for a few seconds, sending him ducking for cover before she realized what she was doing. “Oh my God!” she yelled as she switched off the sprayer and dropped the hose. When she looked at Eric, he was soaked from head to waist.
She ran to him and froze directly in front of him. His facial expression looked serious and as if he were about to reprimand her as her mind spun out of control. She thought about what she was thinking of and how badly her heart hammered in her chest. She was breathing rapidly as she tried to console him. “I’m so sorry. I totally spaced out and I was lost in thought when I heard a strange voice. It was instinctive and I didn’t think.” She carried on as she looked at his face and the water dripped from his head, over his nose then mouth, and off his chin. She had soaked him thoroughly She locked gazes with his big brown eyes and waited for him to say something. When his face broke into a smile and two adorable dimples winked at her, she began to laugh. So did Eric as he shook his head, causing shots of water to hit her. She covered herself and crouched down just as he wrung his wet shirt over her neck and shoulders.
“Eric!” she yelled as she stood up and attempted to step away from him. He caught her hand, and they locked gazes for a moment before they both laughed.
* * * *
Eric couldn’t believe it when he walked up to Stacy’s cottage and saw that she had power washed the entire thing. Then he watched her as she sprayed one side of the house, not moving but obviously lost in thought. Her facial expression changed from pleasant to that of fear. Whatever she was thinking about had upset her, and he couldn’t help but feel concerned. He also felt protective, and that was an instinct he wouldn’t ignore. If she was in some kind of trouble, then he would protect her and so would Max.
Dwyer, Dixie Lynn - Stacy's Destiny [The Town of Pearl 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6
