The Deputy Gets Her Man

by Stella Bagwell

  Even though his stomach was gnawing with hunger, he was starving even more for the sight of her. During the climb some of her hair had caught in the brush and loosened from her ponytail. Now the escaped strands curled around her face and rested against her neck. Her rosy, tanned skin was damp with sweat, and drips of water clung to her lower lip. The urge to have those lips pressed against his gripped him like a vise.

  You’ve been without a woman’s company for too long, Tyler. You get close to this one and you start feeling like a stallion wanting to break out of his stall.

  He cleared his throat. “Does he have the right to know about the kiss?

  She rolled her eyes. “Just because I acted like a fool with you doesn’t mean I’m completely crazy.”

  “Would you get fired?”

  A frown pulled her brows into a straight line. “I’m not sure. Besides, he’s not going to hear it from me.”

  She promptly bit into her sandwich and Tyler decided it was time to focus on his lunch and forget about getting his lips or hands or anything else on this woman.

  “What made you choose this place to build a ranch?” She reached for the bag of chips lying between them and poured a small amount into her palm. “Most of it appears to be mountain range. I’m not a cattleman, but seems to me like that wouldn’t offer nearly as much grazing.”

  “You’re only seeing the area where the ranch house and work yard is located. There’s plenty of lower meadowland to go with it.”

  “So it wasn’t just a piece of land you settled for. It was something you fell in love with?”

  Funny that no one had ever asked him that before. Not even Gib. Not even himself. But now that she had, it made him realize exactly what his ranch had come to mean to him.

  “When I first saw this land, the only thing I remember thinking was that it had potential. But now—looking back—I think I’ve always been in love with it. And that—well, surprises me. You see, when I left Texas I didn’t expect to like any place as much or more than the one I left behind. But this land and I have grown together. It’s a bond that will never break. I’ll be here until I die.”

  “So that place in Texas—you don’t ever plan to go back?”

  He looked across the small plateau toward the horses. Bees buzzed around the prickly pear blooms while on a nearby spruce, a pair of bright-colored birds flitted from limb to limb. But at the moment he was only seeing part of the beauty before him. Instead, he was seeing the rolling plains of the Rocking P, the herd of cattle that he and his twin brother had shared. At one time the two of them had planned so much for the family ranch. With their father getting older, the brothers understood that someday they would own the ranch together and they would continue to build it for all the Pickens children to come. But the children hadn’t come. Not for Tyler. And he would never own a part of the Rocking P again.

  “No. If I did it would only be for a short visit. And I don’t plan to even do that.”

  She ate the last chip she’d been holding, and brushed the crumbs from her hands. “So there’s not anyone back there that you miss?”

  The image of his mother’s face swam before his eyes. She’d been a beautiful woman, but the years had marched on since he’d last seen her. He supposed her black hair was becoming threaded with gray now and her green eyes would be faintly lined with wrinkles. When things had begun to fall apart in the Pickens family, she’d been the only person, other than Gib, who’d believed in him and tried to show him support.

  And Edie Pickens had suffered some hell from Warren for giving her son that much. He’d wanted his wife and the whole family to stand against Tyler. Just because he’d refused to let the old man dominate and rule his life.

  Suddenly, the sound of Rosalinda’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Tyler. Is something wrong? If you’d rather not answer, that’s okay with me.”

  “I’m fine. I was just thinking about my mother.” He smiled to hide the crack in the middle of his heart. “Even though we boys grow into men, we still think of our moms. I do miss her. A lot.”

  “Were you close to her?”

  He nodded. “I was always closer to her than my dad. Sometimes I think that’s why he was always so hard on me. I didn’t share things with him like I did with her. But that’s a long, complicated story, Rosa. One you probably wouldn’t want to hear. Even if I could tell it.”

  She reached over and laid her hand on his forearm and in that moment Tyler desperately wanted to draw her into his arms and simply hold her close to let her compassion and warmth restore that break in his heart.

  “I’d like to hear it sometime,” she said gently. “Whenever you feel like you could tell it.”

  He nodded, then promptly stood before the need to touch her became too strong to overpower. “If you’re finished eating, we’d better be getting back. I’ve got an appointment with a horse buyer in Ruidoso this afternoon.”

  She rose to her feet and began to gather the leftovers of their simple meal. “Yes. I need to get back, too,” she agreed.

  Once they reached the horses and he’d fastened the saddlebags behind the cantle of his saddle, he walked around to help Rosalinda mount up.

  “There’s no need for you to give me a hand. I can manage.”

  In spite of her insistence, he locked his hands on the sides of her waist. “I’m sure you can. But it’s easier with a little help, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It’s easier.” She glanced at him only for a second before turning her gaze back to the horse’s side. Tyler expected her to immediately place her foot in the stirrup, but instead, she turned to face him and from her torn expression he could plainly see she wanted to get something off her mind.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Nothing. I— Well, when I said I acted like a fool for kissing you. That wasn’t exactly what I meant. I mean, that was a cruel thing for me to say. Especially when I was enjoying it as much or more than you were.”

  It was damned crazy, Tyler thought, but suddenly the sun seemed brighter, the sky much bluer.

  “More?” he asked with an impish grin. “Somehow I doubt that, Rosa.”

  She glanced away from him and swallowed and as he watched the movement of her throat, he could easily imagine himself trailing a path of kisses down her neck and between her breasts. Slipping off her clothes and laying her back on his bed.

  “Well. I’m not a mean person, Tyler. And I’m not a tease.”

  “I didn’t think you were either. I think you’re more worried than anything.”

  He could see by the faint widening of her eyes that he’d hit close to the mark.

  “Worried about what?” she murmured the question.

  “The way you’re beginning to feel about me. The way I’m beginning to feel about you. You’re realizing it’s something neither of us can ignore.”

  “That’s crazy,” she argued. “We’ve only known each other for two days.”

  “And one night,” he couldn’t help adding. “Sometimes a look is all it takes. And we’ve done more than look.”

  She whirled back to the horse and jammed her boot in the stirrup. “I don’t want to talk about this now.”

  “You’re right. We’ll talk about it when you’re off duty. I want to have your full attention.”

  Chapter Seven

  Even though they traveled the same trail on the ride back to the ranch yard, the trip seemed to pass more quickly to Rosalinda. Maybe that was because she had so much to occupy her mind. The more time she spent with Tyler, the stronger the pull she felt toward the man. He’d said they couldn’t ignore what was happening between them. But she needed to do more than ignore it. She needed to stop it.

  It was becoming clear to her that the man had secrets. He was still carrying the past around on
his shoulders and she wasn’t about to fall in love with a man who couldn’t start fresh with her.

  At the stables, Tyler turned Inky and Moonpie over to one of the wranglers to see to the horses’ care. Rosalinda made use of the restroom located inside the horse barn, and then informed Tyler she needed to be leaving.

  As the two walked to their trucks, which were parked next to each other at the side of the barn, she said, “I’ll have to come back another day to interview Gib. The trip to the burn site took up so much time I need to get back to headquarters and let him and Sheriff Hamilton look over these photos.”

  “Unless he’s gone to town for something, Gib is always here on the ranch,” he told her. “Why don’t you come tomorrow evening for supper? You can talk to him all you want.”

  That wouldn’t exactly be doing an official interview, she thought. But the results would be the same.

  She paused at the door to her truck and he stood a step away as he waited for her to reply.

  “I’m not sure about my work schedule,” she told him.

  “We can make it lunch if need be. Or supper. Or breakfast. Just call the ranch house number and let Gib know. Okay?”

  Another reason to see this man again, she thought. It wasn’t what she needed. Or then again, maybe it was. Maybe once she did finally learn everything about Tyler Pickens she’d be able to forget he ever kissed her.

  “Yes. I will. And thanks for taking me to the cliff. You saved me a lot of hiking.”

  His grin was faint but oh, so charming.

  “It was my pleasure, Rosa.”

  Deciding she’d already said more than enough, she climbed into her truck and, after giving him a quick farewell wave, drove away from the ranch yard.

  * * *

  Close to an hour later, Rosalinda hurried into her office back at headquarters. To her surprise, Hank was still there and he stared at her as though she’d just returned from a trip to the moon.

  “Rosa, my God, what happened to you?”

  Never one to fuss with her appearance, she’d not taken the time to redo her ponytail or swipe on more lipstick. It had been more important to her to get back here with the photos she’d taken at the burn site. No doubt she looked a mess to Hank. Her hair was worse than disheveled. Riding through the brush had pulled and torn it in every direction. And the makeup she’d began the day with had either vanished or was smeared from wiping sweat from her face.

  Tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, she said, “Horseback riding. With Tyler Pickens.”

  She sat down at her desk and fished the camera from her backpack. As she connected the device to her computer, Hank crossed the small space to stand next to her chair.

  “Tyler Pickens,” he repeated thoughtfully. “What were you doing with him?”

  “He took me to the ignition site of the fire. I’d planned on walking. But I happened to meet Tyler on the road up to the ranch and he offered to take me there on horseback.”

  Hank was quiet for a long stretch before he asked, “How did he know where the fire was set?”

  Rosalinda looked up at her partner. Clearly, Hank was still suspicious of the rancher and that was completely understandable. They were only just beginning to piece together the information they’d so far gathered about the fire. But she sensed that Hank’s disapproval was more of a jealous thing than a suspicion. As for her, she had to be honest with herself. It was impossible for her to think of Tyler as an arsonist or even a suspect. She could only think of him as a man who made her pulse race and her heart want to dream again.

  “Sheriff Hamilton told him.”

  Hank groaned with disbelief. “You kiddin’? Why give information about a crime to a suspect? Ethan’s been sheriff for so long he’s started to crack under the strain. That or raising two sets of twins is getting him down. He says twin girls are more stressful than boys!”

  All sorts of sarcastic remarks flooded onto Rosalinda’s tongue, but she somehow managed to bite them back. “Sheriff Hamilton’s mind is sharper than all the rest of us greenhorns in this department rolled together,” she said with crisp certainty. “The fire was initially set on Tyler’s land. Albeit just by a few yards. So I’m assuming Sheriff Hamilton felt Tyler had a right to know that the crime had been committed on the Pine Ridge Ranch. Besides, it’s not like it’s a secret. The fire marshal and his crew were all over that place.”

  The photos of the cliff and surrounding area were rapidly appearing on the computer screen and Rosalinda leaned forward to get a better view.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Hank crossing his arms across his chest and tapping his toe in a suggestive way. “Ah. So you’re already calling him by his first name. Sounds like you’re getting to know the man.”

  Rosalinda purposely kept her focus on the computer screen. “So what’s wrong with that?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. But there must be something wrong with it.”

  After leaving Gallop and the shelter of her family, after fighting her way out of the dangerous web that Dale and his ex-lover had caught her up in, Rosalinda had been drained both mentally and physically. But once she’d settled on the reservation, the fact that she was on her own had proved to be a tonic. Slowly but surely, she’d emerged a much more independent woman who could stand on her own. One who wasn’t going to let anyone or anything control her again. And that included a possessive partner.

  Her jaw tight, she said, “I thought I made it clear to you yesterday that my personal business is none of yours.”

  “I remember. But the fact that you’re a rookie and need some guidance hasn’t changed. You need—”

  “My being a rookie doesn’t give you the right to order me around and—”

  “What in hell is going on in here?”

  At the sound of Brady’s voice, Rosalinda’s head jerked around to see the undersheriff entering the small workplace and from the frown on his face, he’d overheard their bickering voices.

  “Nothin’,” Hank quickly answered. “We were just having a discussion. About the fire.”

  Rosalinda turned a desperate look on Brady. “May I speak with you alone? It’s something personal.”

  Brady’s gaze encompassed both of the deputies before he sent a silent message to Hank to leave the room. After the other man had reluctantly moved into the hallway, Brady shut the door and turned to Rosalinda.

  “Okay. Hank’s out of earshot. So what’s the problem? Him?”

  Feeling like a rat fink or worse, Rosalinda shook her head. “Not exactly. Hank is—”

  “You don’t have to explain Hank to me,” he interrupted. “I worked side by side with him for several years. He means well, but he can get under your skin at times. He never stays on course and he has a terrible habit of putting his nose where it doesn’t belong. All I can say is that you have to learn his ways and try to overlook them.”

  “It’s not any of that, Brady. It’s, well—Hank did bring this up and now that he has I thought I’d better talk it over with you. To make sure I’ve not stepped out of bounds.” As she spoke the last words a wave of heat rushed up her throat and over her face. No doubt her cheeks were red and her boss was taking note of the fact.

  “So what have you done that’s got Hank hopping around like a bantam rooster?”

  At any other time Rosalinda would have smiled at Brady’s description of her partner. Now nerves were making it impossible to relax any part of her body.

  “I ate dinner last night with Tyler Pickens.”

  The undersheriff shrugged one shoulder. “The man has a right to eat wherever he wants to. So do you.”

  A long shuddering breath rushed out of her. “Today I didn’t walk to the fire site. I happened to meet Tyler on the road and he took me there on horseback. Was that wrong?”

  This information
put a thoughtful arch to Brady’s brows. “Did he tamper with evidence or try to influence any of the information you relay to the department? Or try to sway your opinion about the crime to his way of thinking?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “Not at all. We mostly talked about other things. Personal things.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  “Well, is it wrong for me to get to know Tyler? As a person?”

  “So this is something you want to do?”

  Feeling like a blushing schoolgirl, she nodded. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to the man. But believe me, Brady. I wouldn’t let that interfere with my work. If it turned out he was guilty of anything, I could cuff him and haul him in just like anyone else. I wouldn’t take pleasure in it, but I could do it.”

  Brady sat down in Hank’s desk chair and swiveled it so that he was facing Rosalinda. “I don’t believe that’s anything you’ll ever have to do.”

  She felt like a rock had suddenly landed in the pit of her stomach. “Why? You’re going to take me off the case?”

  Smiling faintly, the undersheriff shook his head. “No. Not hardly. You’re doing a good job, Rosalinda. Just stay on track and everything will be fine. As for Tyler, Ethan and I have already crossed him off the suspect list, along with Quint and Laramie, of course. The three men are obviously victims in all this.”

  The relief that flooded through her was so great, her shoulders slumped back against her chair. “So it’s not a problem if I get to know Tyler better?”

  Brady gave her a meaningful grin. “Hank is obviously the one who’s having a problem with it. But he’ll get over it.”

  “I like Hank. I really do. But he knows the department rules. And even if we were allowed to fraternize, well—he’s a good guy. But I’m not attracted to him in that way.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Hank just needs someone in his life. He knows it can’t be you. But that doesn’t stop him from acting like a big brother. Once he gets attached to someone, he hangs on like gum to a shoe.”