The Deputy Gets Her Man

by Stella Bagwell

  Chapter Eight

  To say that Tyler’s greeting had caught Rosalinda off guard would be a huge understatement, but she tried her best to appear composed as he helped her into a dining chair.

  “I see Gib has fixed pot roast. I hope you like it.” After taking his seat, he handed her a bowl of tossed salad. “He’s turned into a pretty good cook. Much better than I ever could become.”

  Once she’d helped herself to the salad, she reached for her water glass in hopes that the icy liquid would cool her throbbing lips. She wasn’t a teenager by any means and she’d certainly been kissed before. But Tyler’s were oh, so different. He tossed her upside down and made something inside her burn.

  Trying to ignore the upheaval inside her, she said, “Gib told me about his injury and how he finally had to give up being in the saddle all day.”

  He shook a mixture of oil and vinegar over his salad. “Oh? Sounds like you two did have quite a chat.”

  “We talked a bit about the fire. And other things. He’s a likable man and clearly devoted to you.”

  “I grew up tagging behind the man. We’ve always been like this.” He held up two crossed fingers.

  “I can tell he’s proud that he once was a cowboy.”

  “Not was, Rosalinda. Gib still is a cowboy. He can still out-rope and out-ride the rest of the men on this ranch. Including me. The only difference is he’d be hurting like hell the day after. And I don’t want that. Gib doesn’t deserve to hurt.” He cast her a sidelong glance. “Did he tell you how his accident happened?”

  “Just that it involved a bucking horse during branding.”

  From her angle, she could see his right jaw tighten. “My father goaded Gib into riding Santana that day. Said if Gib was such a hand, he could handle the outlaw horse.”

  Questions were suddenly whirling through her mind. “I don’t understand. Are you saying your father deliberately wanted Gib to be hurt?”

  “I’ll always believe it. See, Warren—that’s my father—he was jealous of Gib in many ways. Because I’d always been so close to him. And he was dear to my mother, too.”

  She paused in ladling a portion of roast onto her plate and looked over at him. “Your mother? You mean—”

  He grimaced. “No. They never had an affair if that’s what you’re thinking. Gib was just a good and kind friend to her. He understood how demanding Warren could be and he knew that Edie—my mom—often carried a heavy load. Gib would lend her an ear and empathize. That’s all.”

  That would certainly go along with the demotion Warren Pickens had given Gib after the accident, she thought. “This is none of my business, but is your mother still there in your family home?”

  “As far as I know. I only hear from her on occasions. Mostly by letter. Sometimes she calls from a pay phone. She doesn’t want to leave traces that Dad might discover.”

  His remark was so stunning, she forgot about the food and leaned back in her chair to stare at him. “Are you serious?”

  “Very.” He passed her a bowl of baby carrots as though they were discussing the weather. “Don’t get me wrong, Rosa. Dad would never harm Mom physically. But the verbal hell isn’t good.”

  The day they’d ridden to the burn site, he’d talked about missing his mother. There had been a wistful note in his voice then and tonight it was back again. “So why does she stay? Why doesn’t she come out here with you?”

  His features were suddenly stoic. “I’m not sure. God knows there’s no love between my parents anymore. But my brother and sister are still there.”

  His revelation caused her to stare at him. “You have siblings?”

  “Trent. He’s my twin. Connie is my sister.”

  Clearly something had happened to cause an iron wall to come between him and his family. But what? And why did it matter so much to her?

  “That surprises me,” she admitted. “Especially that you have a twin.”

  “Why? You can’t imagine there being two like me in the world?”

  There was a faint smile on his face, but she got the impression there was nothing amusing about his relationship with his brother.

  “Are you two identical?”

  His gaze dropped to his plate. “Not at all. But that’s enough about the folks back in Texas. I’d like to hear what you’ve been doing. Are you making any progress on the case?”

  He was changing the subject, but that was okay with her. She wanted this night with him to be nice and easy, not fraught with emotion. And she understood, far more than he could possibly guess, that some things were just too hard to discuss with anyone.

  “Well, two nights ago Hank and I had to work a shooting. We didn’t wind that up until about two the next morning. The shooter is in jail, but expected to make bond. That fight was over a set of truck tires. People do idiotic things, but shooting at each other over truck tires is a new one for me. Yesterday we made a couple of domestic calls, but the remainder of the day we devoted to the fire case. Both the sheriff and undersheriff concurred with my idea about the suspect coming from the south. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he works for the Chaparral. He or she could have been an outsider.”

  “Sheriff Hamilton phoned me yesterday,” he said. “And he more or less implied the same thing to me. He didn’t go into specific reasons, but he’s crossed my men off the suspect list. That was a relief. But it still leaves me as leery as hell thinking that someone nearby might be out to ruin my land or livestock. I’ve decided to keep a guard on duty at the stables all night. That won’t keep the cattle protected in the pasture, but it will make sure my best horses are safe.”

  She nodded. “That’s a good idea. And I do hope you’ll always keep your eyes open when you’re out and about. Until we get to the bottom of this thing, we can’t predict what might happen next. And I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  Her remark brought a soft light to his green eyes and he reached over and covered her hand with his. The gentle touch didn’t match his rough and rugged appearance. But Rosalinda was learning there was much more to this man than what could merely be seen on the outside.

  “It’s nice to hear you’re concerned for my safety,” he murmured.

  Her heart leaped into a hard, fast rhythm. “I’m a deputy. I’m concerned about everyone’s safety.”

  “Hmm. I hope you don’t go around kissing everyone like you kissed me a few minutes ago.”

  The teasing glint in his eye made it easy to give him a smile. “That was a sneaky thing to do. You caught me off guard.”

  “That was my plan.”

  She desperately wanted to turn her hand over and wrap her fingers around his. She wanted to behave as though she had every right to touch him in intimate and personal ways. And that scared her. Hank might be a pain in the neck at times, but he was right about one thing. She’d only known Tyler for a few short days. She shouldn’t be feeling this close to the man. But she was. And she didn’t know how to stop the strong, magnetic pull he seemed to have over her.

  Clearing her throat, she awkwardly pulled her hand from his and reached for her water glass. After a long sip, she said, “You have a beautiful home, Tyler. Did you have the house built or was it here already?”

  “Nothing was here except wild, beautiful mountains. I hired a contractor to do all the ground excavation and carpentry work. Before I got the house built I lived in an old rental in Alto and made the drive every day. Two years of that commute got old.”

  She glanced around her. “Well, the house certainly has plenty of space for one person.”

  The downward slant of his face made it impossible to read his thoughts. “Is that your way of asking if I built the house with plans to fill it with a family?”

  A blush stung her cheeks. “Not exactly. But you must admit it looks that way. Otherwise, a s
mall, one-bedroom cabin would have been enough living space for a bachelor.”

  He said, “Gib stays here in the house with me.”

  “Okay, make that a two-bedroom cabin.”

  He swallowed several bites of food before he finally spoke. “Look, Rosa, at the time I built the house I didn’t know if I’d ever want a family. I only wanted a house that was nice and comfortable. That’s all. There were no underlying plans or dreams. No romantic wishes.”

  If his words weren’t enough to shower her with cold water, then the clipped sound to his voice should have turned her blood to ice and frozen any attraction she felt for the man. But oddly enough it worked exactly the opposite. Because something told her that beneath all those words he was hiding a heart full of loss and pain. And she knew exactly how that felt.

  “I see. Well, I rent. So all I considered was the cost and whether the plumbing worked well,” she said in an attempt to lighten the moment.

  That brought his head up and he turned a wan smile on her. “Plumbing is an important consideration. You’re a smart girl.”

  His comment should have made her feel good. Most women liked having a man appreciate her brain. But to be called smart only made Rosalinda feel like a fraud. Oh, most of the time she could convince herself that she had a head full of sense. But in reality, the past still often kicked sand in her face and called her stupid.

  “Not really, Tyler. I mean, I try. But I—I’ve made my mistakes.”

  “Haven’t we all?”

  She let out a long breath. “Yes. I guess everyone makes them. Only some of us more than others.”

  * * *

  Through the remainder of the meal, Tyler had trouble keeping his mind on his food. How could he think about anything with Rosalinda sitting only an arm’s length away? Now and again he caught a whiff of her perfume and the evocative scent only added to the picture she made in that pink dress. Or was it coral? Either way, the color made her tan skin glow and tonight there was a lot of it for him to see. Her arms were bare and so was most of her chest. A tiny silver cross rested in the valley just where her breasts started a downward slope. In her ears silver hoops occasionally peeped through the dark hair lying upon her shoulders.

  He’d been around nice-looking women before. He’d even been married to a sparkler. Rosalinda wasn’t a glamour girl or drop-dead gorgeous. He couldn’t quite label what made her so special. But he did know she was the essence of sexiness. And he was definitely feeling the effects. He wanted to have her in his arms, bury his face in her hair and let his hands explore her warm curves.

  “I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t eat another bite.”

  Her voice interrupted his drifting thoughts and he looked over to see her resting her fork across her empty plate.

  “I’ve had enough, too,” he admitted.

  She rose to her feet and began to gather the dirty dishes. Apparently, she’d meant it when she’d promised Gib to clean up for him. And though he liked the fact that she was willing to pitch right in and take care of the dishes, he’d much rather have her undivided attention.

  “It isn’t necessary for you to do this,” he said. “I’ll see to the mess later. Before I go to bed.”

  She shook her head. “I’m a woman who keeps her promises. And Gib has already shown me where most everything belongs. I’ll have it done in no time.”

  Seeing he couldn’t put her off, he rose to his feet and reached for a bowl of potatoes. “Okay. Let’s get this over with so we can have coffee and dessert.”

  With both arms loaded with dishes, she started out of the room. Carrying the one bowl, Tyler followed a step behind her.

  “You don’t have to help,” she tossed over her shoulder.

  “I don’t have to,” he replied. “But I want to.”

  A few minutes later, Tyler realized she was right. With both of them working together it hadn’t taken long to store away the leftovers and load the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.

  While she’d finished the wiping up, Tyler put two cups of coffee and dessert plates holding slabs of white cake, topped with fluffy icing and fresh sliced peaches, onto a small tray.

  When Rosalinda hung up her dish towel, she turned away from the sink and immediately spotted the tray he’d put together. “Tyler! I just told you I couldn’t eat another bite,” she gently scolded.

  “Another bite or two won’t hurt you. Let’s go out to the back patio,” he suggested. “I’ll light the torches to keep the mosquitoes away.”

  “Outside sounds nice. I’ll get the wrap I brought with me.”

  After retrieving a white lace shawl from the back of a kitchen chair, she wrapped it around her shoulders and followed him out the door.

  One step down from a long back porch, a patio made of slab rock extended for twenty feet onto the green lawn. In one corner sat a small, glass-topped table and wrought-iron chairs. Nearby, a wicker chaise lounge and two matching rockers were shaded by the overhanging limbs of a huge pine.

  Tyler carried the tray of food to the table, then went to work lighting two torches. A few feet away, Rosalinda stood at the edge of the patio and gazed out at the foothills.

  “I wish I’d come out here earlier, before dark,” she said wistfully. “The view is stunning. I don’t know how you get any work done. If I lived here I’d just want to sit and stare and dream.”

  He carried one of the cakes and a coffee over to her. “After a while you’d get bored with that. You’d start wanting to see what was going on in those mountains.”

  “What is going on?”

  He chuckled as he went to retrieve his own dessert from the tray. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been a deputy for years.”

  Her soft laugh was as warm as the summer sun and as rich as the cake he was about to eat, Tyler couldn’t help thinking. And the sound reminded him of just how long it had been since he’d heard laughter in his home, especially from a woman. The only females who’d ever been in his house had been wives or friends of cattle or horse buyers, and those occasions were few and far between.

  “Sorry. Sometimes I start interrogating without even realizing it.”

  He came up to stand just behind her left shoulder. “Well, to answer your question, a lot is going on up there right now. The mountain slopes have grass on them now, so the cattle move higher and higher to find it. And along with the mama cows, the deer and other wildlife have new babies to feed and care for. Wildflowers are blooming and the streams are running fast from the snow melt.”

  “It sounds lovely,” she replied.

  Placing his free hand on her shoulder, he urged her slightly toward the northwest. “Remember the cabin I mentioned? If you can spot that patch of pines in the darkness, the cabin is there, nestled in a steep draw. You have to hike or ride a horse to get up there. When would you like to see it?”

  “Mmm. Let me think about that,” she said.

  He took a bite of cake, then moved a fraction closer. “Not afraid to go up there with me, are you?”

  Her head turned just enough to allow her to see his face. The sight of her lips made him forget the sugary frosting on his tongue.

  “Afraid? Not at all. We’ve already made one trip into the woods together. I’m not worried about making a second one. I’m just not sure how my schedule will be for the next few days. It was difficult enough to get out here for supper.”

  “Then you’re saying you will go?”

  She glanced back toward the mountains. “Why are you trying to pin me down?” she murmured the question.

  Why was he? Tyler asked himself. Heaven knows, he’d certainly not had any interest in taking a woman anywhere for any reason in a long, long time. Even when he’d been married to DeeDee he’d not spent a lot of time with her. She’d had her interests and he’d had his. But Rosal
inda was very different from DeeDee. With her it wasn’t constant chatter about me, me, me. With Rosalinda it was all about the people around her, including him. And that made him feel important and special. Something he’d never experienced with DeeDee or even his family.

  He said, “It’s nice to enjoy spending time with a woman again.”

  “Again?”

  He sighed. “Damn it, Rosa, you got into the wrong branch of the law. You should have been a D.A.”

  Walking over to the table, she returned her cup and plate to the tray. “I can’t help it,” she said. “I’m a woman, too, you know. And women are curious creatures.”

  Downing the last bite of cake, he joined her at the table and deposited his plate next to hers. “What the hell, I would have told you sooner or later,” he said with a grimace. “I guess tonight is just as good a time as any. I was referring to my ex-wife.”

  She turned to face him, and in the flickering torchlight, he could see her gaze delving into his. “You were married before you moved here?”

  He nodded. “DeeDee was a tiny blonde with blue eyes and a bubbly personality. We were married for nearly five years.”

  “She doesn’t sound like your type.”

  He threw back his head and let out a mocking laugh. “Oh God, you sound just like my Dad now.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve not known you long enough to make that sort of assumption. I just meant that you seem like a no-nonsense sort of guy to me. I would have pictured your ex-wife being the practical sort.”

  He moved a step away from her and stared out at the mountains. But the darkened landscape wasn’t what he was seeing in his mind. Instead, he was seeing DeeDee criticizing and taunting him. His father cursing and calling him a fool. And his brother standing back and just waiting for Tyler’s marriage to fall apart. For years now he’d tried to crush those memories and tell himself that none of that mattered anymore. But they always seemed to hang around and haunt him at the very worst of times.

  He pushed out a heavy breath. “It was one of those opposites-attract things with us, I suppose. We met in college and I guess at that time her fun-loving personality was something I needed to help me get through the days of being away from the ranch. And, in a way, it was flattering to have her chasing me.”