This Kiss (Made In Montana Book 12)

by Debbi Rawlins

  It gave her a new respect for what Mandy had to do all the time. Face down criminals who might actually want to hurt her. Ethan was angry, and he’d try to get away if he could, but Sophie wasn’t afraid of him. She knew he would never do her harm.

  She walked to the window and parted the drapes, just enough so she could take a peek down the street. The Watering Hole wasn’t visible from here. Neither was her Jeep. Lots of people were still milling around, though. Another reason she wouldn’t try forcing Ethan into her car tonight.

  Damn, she wished she’d grabbed her bag along with the jacket. She needed her toothbrush, face cream, a change of clothes, all that stuff... And she hated leaving Ethan alone while she ran to the Jeep. She turned and caught him staring at her butt.

  He gave her a lazy smile.

  Oh, so he was pulling out the charm again.

  “Aren’t you gonna ask if I did it?”

  “What’s the point?” Sophie said. “Unless you have proof, your answer means nothing. And if you had proof, I wouldn’t be here.”

  His face darkened. “I didn’t steal a goddamn thing. Wendy lied.”

  “Hmm, well, that’s what you get for sleeping with a married woman.”

  “You mean, for not sleeping with her.” Ethan shook his head, briefly closing his eyes. “Wendy lied about that, too. When I found out she was married, I left. She was pissed. I knew that... I just didn’t know how bad.”

  Sophie thought back to earlier when he’d asked if she was married. He’d even inspected her ring finger. Maybe he was telling the truth, or maybe he’d learned an expensive lesson. The thing was, she didn’t believe that he’d stolen anything. It made no sense. Even if he did need money, she’d seen the teenage Ethan’s moral center, and age didn’t change a person that much. But what she believed didn’t matter.

  “If I’m supposed to have a hundred grand in stolen jewelry, why would I need someone to post my bond?”

  “You didn’t have enough time to sell it?”

  “Get real. I earned a lot more than that in endorsements alone this year. Plus my winnings.”

  “Okay, so...” What was she doing? Sophie knew better than to get involved. Her job was to take him back to Wyoming, period. “Why not use your own money to post bond?”

  “I don’t have that kind of cash lying around. My money’s invested. I start withdrawing funds and I get questions. The media are already all over my ass about the finals in a week.”

  “Why?” She hadn’t realized that she’d walked closer to him until she bumped her knee on a corner of the bed.

  “Because of my track record. Every year I—” He plowed his fingers through his hair, the action drawing attention to the muscles in his arms and shoulders. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “What?” She snapped her gaze back to his face. “I’m sorry, I missed that last bit.”

  He was staring at her again, with the same intensity as earlier. Trying to decide if she was the girl from school? Maybe. “My friend Arnie, he was supposed to take care of it. He knows the charge is bogus and said it would never make it to court.”

  “Is he an attorney?”

  Ethan sighed. “He dropped out of law school.”

  She remembered an Arnie, a dopey junior who used to tag along behind Ethan. If this was the same guy, she sure wouldn’t have trusted him with anything important. “Hope he didn’t quit before he learned the part that would keep you from getting locked up.”

  Ethan blew out a breath. It seemed clear he’d had the same thought. “How about we call him? Can I at least do that?”

  Sophie wandered toward the window while she tried to think. Talking to Arnie wouldn’t help. Only Lola could tell her if Ethan was in the clear and the bond reimbursed. And for some reason Sophie wasn’t anxious to admit she’d found him already. Why, she didn’t know. She should be ecstatic and gloating.

  “Tomorrow’s the Safe Haven Benefit Rodeo,” Ethan said. “They could really use the money. Since I’m the main attraction, it would be a shame if I missed—”

  “Shut up.” She glared at him. “I know about the rodeo. And guess what, genius...trying to make me feel bad isn’t helping your cause. It’s just pissing me off. I didn’t create this problem. You did.”

  He glared back. “You’re gonna deny me a goddamn lousy phone call?”

  “Where’s your cell?”

  Frowning, he glanced at the nightstand. “My shirt...where is it?”

  “What am I, your maid?” she grumbled, and spotted it on the floor by the chair. She picked up the shirt and then noticed his phone sitting on the armoire. Tempted to toss the cell to him, she moved close enough to drop it on the mattress barely within his reach.

  With the most irritating grin, he strained toward the cell and grabbed it. “What are you afraid of? Huh? What did you think I was going to do to you? I’ve got one wrist cuffed to this post,” he said in a taunting tone of voice. “What are you doing to my shirt?”

  “What?” She looked down at the garment she was hugging to her chest. “Nothing.”

  “Were you sniffing it?”

  “No. Ew.” She flung the shirt toward the chair. Oh God, oh God, oh God. Heat stung her cheeks. She kept her face averted, knowing it must be red, and pulled out her own phone.

  If he was laughing at her...

  If?

  Did she really have any doubt?

  One word. Just one wrong word out of his mouth, and she’d drag him to her car in front of the whole damn town. Announce to everyone he was a fugitive from justice.

  Her sigh ended in a shudder. She hadn’t even been aware of smelling his shirt.

  He was awfully quiet.

  “Arnie?”

  Sophie let out a breath and slowly turned to see Ethan holding the cell to his ear and glaring at the ceiling.

  “Don’t pull that you’re-breaking-up bullshit on me,” Ethan said, his voice furious. “What the hell, dude? I thought you were taking care of the charges.”

  Sophie perched on the edge of the chair to send a quick text to Lola.

  “That’s good, right?” Ethan stacked two pillows behind his back. “If she insists on lying, her husband will know she’s been cruising bars and picking up men while he’s out of town.” He listened for a few seconds. “And I had to call you to find all this out?”

  Before hitting Send, she glanced up again.

  Ethan looked worried. His chest rose and fell on a sigh. “Jesus, Arnie, you’ve got to find out by tomorrow. The finals are in a week. You know this year could be it for me...”

  The despair in his voice made her stomach clench. Thank God she had her phone to occupy her, because she couldn’t stand to look at him right now. This year could be it for him? Why?

  “Maybe I should call my agent,” he said, his eyes meeting hers when she looked up. “Brian’s going to find out anyway. They think I jumped bail. I’ve got a damn bounty hunter staring at me right now.”

  “Fugitive retrieval agent,” she muttered.

  “She’s got me cuffed to the friggin’ bed. Plans on dragging me back to Wyoming tomorrow.” He paused. “Shut the fu—” He glanced at her. “Just make the damn call and get back to me first thing tomorrow. And, Arnie, this is your last chance.” Ethan disconnected and threw the cell down. Hard.

  No point in pretending she hadn’t been listening. Anyway, the second he’d left her and Lola holding the bond, so to speak, he forfeited his right to privacy. And no, she absolutely would not feel sorry for him. He’d done this to himself.

  She watched him inspect the handcuffs and flex his hand. Then he stared up at the ceiling, thumping his head back against the wooden bed rail, working the muscle at his jaw.

  “I wouldn’t trust Arnie if I were you,” Sophie said. “At this point you really do need an attor
ney.”

  Ethan brought his chin down, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You know Arnie?”

  Oh, crap. This was what she got for being nice. “No, but it sounded like you don’t have confidence in him. So I’m saying, you should go with your instinct.” She shrugged, carefully keeping her gaze level with his. “Didn’t you mention something about calling your agent?”

  His eyes continued to bore into hers. He hadn’t so much as blinked. All she could think to do was stare back. She doubted that little slip about Arnie had been the thing that convinced Ethan of her identity. Just because she looked familiar didn’t mean he remembered they’d gone to the same high school together for seven months, one week and two days.

  Yeah, okay, so she’d counted. Down to the minute, actually, but when she’d been... Fifteen. Jeez.

  “What did he say, anyway?”

  “Arnie?”

  “Yes, Arnie.” Her phone signaled a new text. She glanced at the brief message. No surprise there. “I texted a friend who works in the sheriff’s office to check on whether the charges were dropped. It seems you already know the answer.”

  He tightened his mouth. “Can you recommend an attorney?”

  “Not really. I know a few, but I couldn’t say if they’re any good.” Except for Craig, but she tried to stay clear of him. “What about your agent? Bet he knows one.”

  “Brian lives in Dallas. I can’t call him this late. But yeah, he knows everybody. I trust he’ll steer me right.”

  “You should’ve called him before you jumped bail.”

  Ethan sighed. “I didn’t realize I’d jumped bail,” he said with forced patience. “The charges were supposed to have been dropped.”

  “What about your parents? I would think they either have someone they use or know of someone.”

  “It’s clear you’re not a rodeo fan, yet you know who they are?”

  She shrugged. “I think everyone in Beatrice County knows the name Styles. They own that big ranch and rodeo camp near Otter Lake. And didn’t your dad win something like five championship titles for calf roping, and a few more for something else?”

  Ethan nodded. “All-around cowboy three years in a row.”

  “Even your mom has four gold buckles for barrel racing, right?”

  “You get all that from doing homework on me? Or did you already know this stuff?”

  “Half and half.”

  “So you probably read about my kid sister.” His tone stayed noncommittal and his expression blank.

  Nevertheless, she’d bet there were a lot of emotions bubbling under the surface. She’d definitely seen pride in his eyes, but she wondered if there might be some jealousy in the mix.

  “Last December Cara won her first championship title on her twenty-first birthday,” he said. “She’ll be competing for her second title next week. She’ll be headed to Vegas with me. Assuming I get to go.” He jerked on the cuffs so hard the post shook.

  “Ah.” Sophie nodded.

  “Ah?”

  “Sibling rivalry. I get it.” She didn’t have any siblings, but she could imagine the pressure Ethan was feeling. And a kid sister besting him? Ouch. “Well, I know barrel racing is a woman’s event, so I’m guessing that’s what she won?”

  He nodded.

  “Your dad won first place for tying up poor little calves—”

  Ethan stared as though she’d just grown fangs.

  “And your mom and sister got prizes for riding a horse around a few barrels without knocking them over.”

  Ethan started laughing.

  “I’m not finished,” she said. “And you’re a bull rider. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you compete in the hardest, most dangerous event in rodeo?”

  “Look,” he said, his laughter ending with a sigh, “I don’t know what your point is. I just need to make it to the finals.” His mood had soured again. “So, what’s it gonna take, Sophie? Tell me.”

  “You have to return to Wyoming and face the judge.”

  “I can’t ride the next two days here, then go back to Wyoming and the unknown, and trust that I can still make it to Vegas for the finals.”

  She sucked in a deep breath. He wasn’t thinking it through. “It’s not as if you have a low profile,” she reminded him. “If you fail to appear in court on Monday, the judge will issue a warrant and someone will be waiting in Vegas to arrest you.”

  “No. No, that can’t happen. How can they come after me? I didn’t do it. Dammit.”

  She bit down to keep from stating the obvious. Besides, Ethan had to know the legal system was far from perfect. Or maybe his charmed existence had spared him life’s injustices. “Look, I know you don’t want the publicity, but your folks live in the next county, along with lots of rodeo fans who adore them. You’re probably the most popular bull rider in the country. Who do you think people are going to believe? You or what’s her name?”

  “Wendy.” Ethan’s mouth curved in a derisive smile. “Wendy Fullerton.”

  Fullerton? “Any relation to Broderick Fullerton?”

  “His wife.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Exactly what I said.” Ethan’s sigh sounded a lot like defeat.

  “How could you not know who she was?” Fullerton owned half the county. People generally feared him more than they liked him. But the fact remained, he provided over 60 percent of the jobs and his bank owned a ton of mortgages and notes. Including Sophie and Lola’s business loan.

  “Wendy is wife number four. They’ve been married for eight months.” He shrugged. “How the hell would I know, anyway? I don’t read the society pages and I’m rarely home. Jesus. Here I’ve been keeping my head down. Staying healthy. Staying out of trouble...”

  “You picked up a strange woman in a bar,” she muttered, really hating this whole mess. No room for sympathy now. Everything had to go by the book. “And instead of learning your lesson you came here and did it again.”

  “When?”

  Sophie got to her feet so she could pace, hoping to loosen up. Maybe she should be more concerned with toughening up. She’d started to soften toward Ethan, wondering how she could help him out. But anything she did would reflect on Lola, too. Their business loan wasn’t in jeopardy. They’d been late with their payment only once in four years. It was silly to worry.

  Ethan’s response from a moment ago finally sank in and she faced him. “When? Is that a joke?”

  “Do you see me laughing?” he said, his stare unflinching.

  “Did you forget how I ended up here with you?”

  “Nope. But you obviously did.”

  She pushed her fingers through her tangled hair. This was good, him being an ass. Made it easier to shove sympathy aside, be more objective. “Okay, I’ll bite. Go ahead.”

  “Nothing. It’s just that you hit on me.”

  She gaped at him. “Are you nuts?” It took a few more seconds to find her voice again. “You’re crazy, you know that. You brought me to your room.”

  “Actually I was going to give it to you.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “My friend Matt invited me to stay at his ranch. So when I heard you needed a room, I’d decided to give you this one and I would move over to the Lone Wolf,” he said slowly, and with exaggerated patience. “Then you hit on me, and I...I went with the flow.” He smiled. “I was only trying to be a gentleman.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot. You like to play hero and then move on.” She held her breath. She couldn’t believe she’d actually said play hero.

  With a single lifted eyebrow, he held her gaze until she turned away. He didn’t seem surprised or curious about what she’d meant, just faintly amused. So he’d probably remembered...

 
Swallowing, she stalked to the window, shoved the drapes aside and stared at nothing.

  The stupid bastard had recognized her from school and hadn’t said a word.

  5

  FINE. SO WHAT if he remembered? It didn’t really matter. Sophie stayed at the window, though nothing happening outside was of particular interest. She simply knew better than to look at Ethan while she planned her next move. The inn sat directly on Main Street. And Blackfoot Falls was crawling with out-of-town fans. The only chance for an uneventful exit would be if they left in the middle of the night. Not her first choice, but...

  The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. Once the Watering Hole closed, there wouldn’t be anything for these people to do. They’d return to the trailer parks and dude ranches, or wherever they were staying. She could pull her Jeep up close to the porch and stuff him into the backseat. She’d gag him if she had to. But she doubted that would be necessary. He wouldn’t want to call attention to himself.

  Later, once they were on the open road, he’d try to make a move. Plenty of lonely stretches of highway between here and Wyoming for him to give it his all. But that was okay because she’d be ready for him. Sure, he could easily overpower her if he somehow broke free of his restraints. That was why she’d brought pepper spray.

  Despite wanting to smack him, she hoped he was considering what she’d said about finding an attorney. With his high profile he’d be arrested sooner rather than later, and she really didn’t want that to happen.

  “I have a question,” Ethan said.

  Good for him. She had a million. Like whether he’d honestly intended to give her the room. And when exactly had he recognized her. He might’ve thought she seemed familiar and figured he’d met her in another bar, another town. Until she’d made the hero crack.

  None of those things mattered, really. Her job was to take him back to Wyoming. And that was exactly what she was going to do. As long as she stayed focused, avoided looking at him whenever possible. Because she had enough wits about her to know he was dangerous to her self-control, to her ability to reason. If she wasn’t careful, she’d revert to that same smitten fifteen-year-old girl who’d finished her freshman year with a bunch of newly awakened hormones and a broken heart.