It Had to Be Love (An It Had to Be Novel)

by Tamra Baumann

  She huffed out a breath. “How about I run over to the diner and pick up some biscuits from Gloria? It’d be so much easier.”

  “That’d be cheating.” He laid his hands over hers on the rolling pin and quickly rolled out the dough. “See? It’s all in the wrist.”

  Man, her hair smelled nice. And she’d pulled it back into a ponytail, exposing her long, kissable neck.

  Tempting.

  He quickly released her hands and took a step back. She hadn’t given him the green light yet. He wished she’d say something about their relationship. That is, if they were even going to have a relationship. He didn’t know how to bring something like that up again.

  She swiveled her chin over her shoulder and beamed a pretty smile at him. “Okay. What next?”

  He slid his hands into his jeans pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. “Use the cutter, then put them on the pan.”

  “That seems easy enough.” Tara cut out the biscuits. They mostly stayed together as she laid them on the sheet. After she’d closed the oven door, he set the timer.

  “When these are done, you can pull everything else out of the oven. About ten min—” A loud squawk sounded. “Sheriff? You copy?”

  It was Mike.

  Ryan crossed the kitchen and picked up the radio. “Go.”

  “Got a call from Mrs. Elliott. Ed’s on a tear. She’s worried for Sarah. Need some backup, pronto.”

  “Be right there.” He ran upstairs to grab his gun. He didn’t want to take the time to change, so he slipped his leather belt on over his jeans and headed toward the door. He called out to Tara, “Don’t know how long I’ll be. Can you turn off the oven before you leave?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer. When Ed drank he got mean. He hadn’t hit Sarah yet, as far as Ryan knew, but he’d always feared for her safety. Ed was a loose cannon. Unpredictable.

  Ryan jumped into his truck and tore up his driveway. Would Sarah ever wise up and leave the man?

  He soon hit the short dirt drive that led up to Sarah and Ed’s log cabin. Mike was just ahead of him. At least Mike had followed the rules for a change. Domestics always required at least two officers.

  They pulled up side by side and hopped out. As they approached the front door together, Ed was screaming something about “damn kids.” Ryan pounded a fist on the door. “Police. Open up!”

  The screaming stopped, only to be replaced by a blue streak of cursing before the door swung open. Ed leaned against the doorjamb in his grimy work clothes with a beer in his hand. “What?”

  Ryan glanced past Ed to see if Sarah was there. The living room was empty. “Got a complaint about excessive noise. I need to see Sarah too. Now.”

  Ed called out, “Sarah? Your ex-boyfriend is here to see you!” He stared into Ryan’s eyes as he took a long drink from his beer bottle. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was just watching a movie. Enjoying a brew after a long day’s work. No harm in that, is there, Sheriff?”

  Ryan wished he could smack the self-satisfied grin right off the lying bastard’s face.

  Mike said, “That wasn’t a movie we heard, Ed. It was you, screaming your ass off.”

  Mike had about as much tolerance for Ed as Ryan did.

  Sarah finally appeared. Her eyes were red as if she’d been crying. “Hi, guys. What’s the problem?” She sent Ryan a half smile before quickly looking away. If Ed had hurt her, Ryan wouldn’t stop until he found a way to lock the man up forever. “Mike’s going to talk to Ed. Sarah, can you please come outside and talk to me?”

  Ed scowled. “Sarah don’t want to talk to you, Ryan. She chose me, not you, loser.”

  “Ed, please.” Sarah slanted a look at her husband before she quickly slipped past him.

  “Don’t make this worse.”

  Ryan walked beside her down the drive a bit, slowing next to his truck. Why did Sarah put up with Ed’s verbal abuse? Why couldn’t she be more like Tara? She’d never allow a man to treat her that way.

  Ed called out, “That’s far enough. I’d better not see you touching my wife, Sheriff.”

  He ignored the ass and turned to Sarah. She stood with her arms crossed, staring at her tennis shoes. “We were just having a disagreement.”

  “A loud one, apparently. Look at me, Sarah.” She slowly tilted up her chin. When he noticed a dark spot on her cheekbone, partially hidden by makeup, anger speared through him. But by the coloring, the bruise didn’t look fresh. “What happened to your face?”

  “Oh, this?” Her hand reached up and quickly covered her cheek. “That happened at work. I was trying to get a game off the top shelf. The perils of being so short. I ended up pulling three boxes down along with it. Didn’t get out of the way fast enough.”

  That was possible. She worked at the toy store in town. He’d be sure to check her story out with the owner.

  “Ed doesn’t hit me, if that’s what you were thinking, Ry. He yells, especially after a bad day like today, but he doesn’t physically harm me. I’m fine.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you for still worrying about me.” She sent him a shy smile.

  In the past, when she used to look at him like that with those big brown eyes, he would have done anything for her. Now he wanted to shake some sense into her. Why would she stay with a guy like Ed? “You’re sure?”

  She nodded. “I’ve been wanting a baby. He doesn’t think we can afford one. It’s an old argument. I should’ve realized it was a bad time to bring it up again.”

  “You want me to drive you over to Meg’s for the night? Give Ed some time to cool off?” His sister would get the truth out of Sarah, if there was any more to tell.

  She shook her head. “That would just make Ed angrier. Sorry to disturb you. Night, Ry.” She turned and walked back to the porch.

  He couldn’t help someone if they wouldn’t take it. Anyone as mean and spiteful as Ed was bound to break one day. Moving away might be for the best. He’d have a hard time not beating the living crap out of Ed if he ever laid a hand on Sarah.

  Mike walked down the steps and joined Ryan. “I gave him a warning, but I wish he would’ve taken a swing at me so I could arrest him.”

  “Yep. Now all you get is the satisfaction of filling out the call report. See you later.”

  Ryan climbed into his truck, backed down the drive, and headed toward home. Would Tara still be there? A smile formed at the thought. She was the one person he actually enjoyed talking to. Even though most of the time she corrected his bad habits and teased him.

  He pulled his truck into the garage and then headed inside. The aroma of freshly baked biscuits filled the air. Hopefully they’d taste as good as they smelled. He hung up his gun belt on the coatrack by the door.

  Sherlock came bounding over to greet him.

  Nice not to come home to a quiet, empty house for a change.

  Tara laid down the book she’d been reading. “That was quick. So Sarah’s okay?”

  “She’s fine. Ed was just being an ass, as usual. Did you eat?”

  “No . . . well, yes. Sort of. You have to try one of my awesome biscuits!”

  “Can’t wait.” It was cute how excited Tara was about something so simple.

  Tara had cleaned up the kitchen and put all the food away. She’d placed the biscuits in a covered bowl on top of the cooling stove to keep them warm. After she buttered one up and handed it over, she said, “So? What do you think?”

  He took a bite of the light, flaky, buttery bread. It was awesome. “I think I’m a damned good teacher.”

  “That you are. This was the most productive date I’ve ever been on. And the most fattening—I ate five of those darn biscuits.” Tara grabbed a dish from the fridge and popped it in the microwave. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d be, so I made you a plate. I think I may get hooked on this cooking thing now
. Who knew I could make a whole meal like this? Thank you!”

  “Welcome.” As he enjoyed his ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans from his grandmother’s garden, he thought about Sarah again. And how he’d let her slip away because he hadn’t acted quickly enough.

  He needed to suck it up and talk to Tara about their relationship. “So, have you thought any more about what I said earlier? About us moving to the next level?”

  “Yes, and I’m confused.” Tara wiped down the counter before she slid onto the stool next to his. “Why the change of heart?”

  “I still want to find the right woman and have kids one day. That’s not changed. But I’m attracted to you, and moving away soon, so if you want to sleep with me as much as I’d like to sleep with you, it makes sense to keep our hearts out of it. So what do you say? Want to sleep with me, Tara?”

  That hadn’t come out right at all, dammit!

  “Geez, you must be taking blunt lessons from your grandmother.” She laughed as she crossed to the front door and picked up Sherlock’s leash. “I need to think this through some more.” She clipped Sherlock in.

  He stood and joined her. “It’s what you wanted, right? No-strings-attached sex?”

  “Yeah.” Her forehead crinkled. “But I didn’t picture having it with someone I actually liked so much, Ryan. It could get confusing.”

  Picture it? “So you haven’t slept with anyone since your divorce?”

  Tara’s cheeks pinked up. “Well . . . no.”

  “So all that talk about sleeping around was just that, huh?” He moved so his mouth was a fraction of an inch next to hers, then stopped. “Talk?”

  She nodded as they stood toe-to-toe, staring into each other’s eyes. He wanted to kiss her, but she might not be ready for him to make the first move yet. He didn’t want to mess up his chances with her, so he whispered, “I think you should kiss me again, Tara. Let me convince you.”

  Eyes still locked with his, she slipped a hand around the back of his neck and laid her perfect, sweet lips against his.

  Thank God.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Her tall, curvy body drove him nuts. His hands ached to explore. To caress every inch of her.

  When she deepened their kiss as if starving for more, it took all his control to hold back. He didn’t want to scare her off by going too fast, yet she was all he could think about at night. What it’d be like to have her sexy body wrapped around him as he made love to her.

  Giving in to his cravings, he let his hands wander to her perfect rear end, gently kneading. When she let out a low, quiet moan, it tempted him to throw her over his shoulder and take her upstairs. Instead he slowly backed her up against the door and took her soft face in his hands. Staring into her pretty blue eyes, he whispered, “Convinced yet?”

  She smiled. “Nope.”

  He ignored Sherlock jumping on his leg to get into the action, and gently kissed her jawline. Savoring the sweet, flowery scent of her skin, he took his time as he made his way to her ear. When he playfully nibbled on her lobe, she shivered.

  Caressing her pretty skin with his lips, he kissed his way down her neck, to her collarbone. Tara let her head fall back against the door to allow him greater access and whispered, “Ryan?”

  “Ummm?” He released the top two buttons on her blouse and laid soft kisses in the valley between her breasts as his fingers danced lightly over the silky lace of her bra. Then he filled his palm and gently squeezed.

  Her back arched as she gasped, “I’m . . .”

  He moved his mouth to hers and was just about to kiss her again when he saw the answer in her eyes. “Not ready yet?”

  “No.” She slowly shook her head. “Sorry. I just wanted to see if that ‘thing’ that happened last time we kissed was still there.”

  What happened both times they’d kissed was a whole lot more than a “thing,” if anyone asked him. He reined in his disappointment as he buttoned up her shirt. “And?”

  “Yeah, it’s still there. And still confusing. What time shall I pick you up for the wedding on Friday?”

  Changing the subject—again.

  He blew out a long breath. Her ex had really played a number on her, so he’d be patient. “How about I drive?”

  “Is this another of your fifties throwback rules? The man always drives?”

  “I didn’t realize you had your helicopter pilot’s license too. Because that’s how I planned to get to Denver on Friday. My family keeps a car at the airport.”

  “Oh. That’ll be fun. And so much faster. What time?”

  “One o’clock work?”

  “Yep. See you then. Goodnight fake wedding date.”

  “Bye.” He walked them out to the porch and then watched her and Sherlock until they disappeared around the corner.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t be a fake anything much longer. And maybe he’d just cancel that job interview in Denver. It wasn’t the one he really wanted anyway.

  Tara, deep into the story she was reading while curled up on the couch, glanced at her vibrating phone as it shimmied its way toward the edge of the coffee table.

  Who was calling her at nine o’clock on a Wednesday night? Please don’t let it be another scary hang-up. She wouldn’t sleep all night if that started up again.

  She laid her e-reader down and then grabbed her phone before it fell to the floor. Detective Bailey had called earlier assuring her that Spencer was still where he was supposed to be. That didn’t stop her recurring thoughts of him getting hold of a computer and doing God knows what at the wedding. It made her paranoid.

  When she read the caller ID, her gut relaxed. “Hello, Sheriff Anderson.”

  “Hello, Doctor Carter. Why are we using titles?”

  She smiled. “Just messing with you. What’s up?”

  “You told me I was supposed to call in the middle of the week to check in. So, how are you?”

  “Oh. Gold star for that.” He’d been listening during their dating lessons, apparently. “I’m fine. And you?”

  “Good. What are you doing?”

  “Reading. How about you?”

  “Same.” A long pause stretched out.

  She should jump in and save him, but she wanted him to get better at talking on the phone. After a few more seconds passed she couldn’t stand it any longer. “So this is the part where you say, ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday.’”

  “I was actually trying to figure out how to ask if you’ve been avoiding me again. I wanted to be sure everything is okay with us.”

  She had been avoiding him because she was struggling with what she thought she should do and what her hormones wanted her to do. What his grandmother said about protecting his heart weighed on her too. “We’re fine. I’ve just needed a little space to figure this out. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Okay.” A few more seconds passed before he said, “I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday.”

  She chuckled. “Me too. Now ask a question to get me talking.”

  “Before I do that, just how long do these check-in calls have to be?”

  “No one is going to time them. You’ll know when to hang up.”

  “No I won’t, because I’d be happy to hang up right now. You’re fine, we’re fine, so everything is fine.”

  She held back a sigh. “Ask me the perfect question and I’ll let you go. Dig deep.”

  Silence filled the air, until finally he said, “Want to have phone sex?”

  She laughed. “I should say yes, just to make you do it.” That’s the last thing Ryan wanted. It’d require way too much talking. “Points for trying. You can hang up now.”

  His low chuckle in her ear sent a warm wave of lust to her belly. “Maybe if I ever get better at this we could do that someday?”

&nbs
p; “It’d be something to strive for . . . grasshopper.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Tara.”

  “Night, Ryan.” She still had a smile on her face as she hung up. He even remembered to say goodbye. He’d made some serious improvement. And she honestly looked forward to seeing him on Friday. She’d missed him a little the last few days. But she needed to get through the wedding, keeping her secret intact, before she dealt with sleeping with him.

  Friday afternoon, Tara handed over her bags for Ryan to stow into the helicopter. He looked nice, all dressed up in a pair of dress slacks and a crisp shirt for the rehearsal dinner later. He’d be the most handsome man there.

  “So, I should probably ask how long you’ve been a pilot before I let you take my life in your hands?”

  “Three or four months now.”

  “What? Wait, I—”

  He smiled. “Kidding. As soon as the kids in my family turned sixteen, we all got lessons from Zeke. We take turns picking up celebrities in Denver to stay current on our hours.”

  She crossed her arms. “That wasn’t funny, Ryan.”

  “The look on your face was.” He chuckled as he circled around the helicopter, looking for who knew what. “Hop in and put the headphones on. Almost ready.”

  Soon after she’d settled in, Ryan got in beside her and started the engine. As they rose straight up, her stomach took a quick dip. Nerves about the wedding, and being home where Spencer knew she’d be, mixed with her excitement at flying over the beautiful terrain below.

  Looking down at the lake as they crossed it, and then at all the beautiful green trees and majestic mountains below, stole her breath. “Wow. This is awesome!”

  His voice, slightly tinny through the headphones replied, “Not scared?”

  “No. I love how much lower you can fly. You can see everything!” She turned and smiled at him. “Thanks for this.”

  He nodded as a cute grin stretched his lips.

  Ryan flying a helicopter was too damn alluring. She should probably focus on the beautiful scenery below and not her sexy pilot. They needed to stay friends for the weekend. Then after they were back, and not surrounded by her relatives on the cusp of revealing her secret at any given moment . . . maybe she’d reevaluate.