The Legend of Jane

by Jessica Clare

  With that in mind, she headed to the bathroom to put the finishing touches on her makeup.

  When the doorbell rang, she nearly stabbed herself with the mascara wand she was wielding. Instead, she smeared black under one carefully lined eye. Drat.

  “I’ll get it,” Emily called from downstairs, and Luanne hastily fixed her eye makeup. He’d seen her fully kitted out as Jane, and she wanted to avoid that tonight. Just a bit of eyeliner, some mascara, and some nude lipstick. Nothing fancy. Nothing that screamed Jane. Her hair was down and hung in soft, natural waves around her face—another change from Jane.

  She hoped he liked it and wasn’t disappointed. It seemed like every guy she’d gone out with in the past year wanted to see Jane instead of Luanne.

  But when she came down the stairs in her tight jeans and red heels, she knew she’d chosen wisely. Officer Sharp—Hank, she reminded herself—was chatting with Emily and doing his best not to loom over her. Lucky Emily was on the shorter side of five foot and hadn’t inherited their father’s height like Luanne had. He glanced up when Luanne landed on a creaky step, and a slow smile spread across his face as he looked at her, clearly approving.

  Of her. Not Jane.

  This evening was already off to a great start. Luanne smiled back down at him.

  * * *

  They walked to the restaurant, since it was only a few blocks away and the temperature was surprisingly pleasant and cool for June. They’d made small talk about the weather, the conversation stilted and awkward. Silence eventually fell and they walked quietly toward the restaurant.

  She looked pretty tonight, Hank thought. No, more than pretty. Downright gorgeous. Her hair fell around her shoulders in light brown waves, and she wasn’t wearing that ridiculous glittery makeup. Her face was appealing, and her legs seemed like they went on forever in those jeans.

  She was way out of his league. He was just a too-tall unexciting country boy with an average face. He knew what ladies looked for in a man, and Hank Sharp wasn’t it. His dating record in Bluebonnet consisted of more strikeouts than home runs, and everyone in town seemed to think he was a devoted bachelor. And he was, except it wasn’t by choice. Most women didn’t show a lot of interest in a man almost a foot and a half taller than them.

  But Luanne? She was tall. Gorgeously tall.

  After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, she glanced over at him. Hank cleared his throat. “You been here before? To eat?”

  She shook her head, smiling at him. “I just moved in with Em two weeks ago. I haven’t really had a chance to do much around town.”

  Nothing much, except a cow tipping, a trip to the police station, and planning crop circles. He didn’t bring that up, though. “It doesn’t look like much, I know. It’s an old house that was converted into a restaurant.”

  “Really?” She wrinkled her nose like she didn’t approve. “That’s strange. I’m not sure if I’m keen on sitting in a stranger’s living room and eating.”

  “It’s a family-owned business,” he explained, as if he needed to somehow defend the town to her. “Food’s excellent.”

  Luanne glanced over at him and smiled. “Then you’re going to have to tell me what’s the best thing to order.”

  “I can do that,” he agreed, opening the door for her and waiting for her to step past. He ducked inside and noticed they were getting a few looks. Not surprising, because he was tall and she was, well, gorgeous. She seemed a little uncomfortable at the attention, though.

  “Officer Sharp,” one of the waitresses said with a smile, passing by the host booth and grabbing a pair of menus. “Want your regular table?”

  “That’d be great,” he said, putting a hand on the small of Luanne’s back to steer her forward.

  Luckily for him, his regular table was at the back of the restaurant. Usually it was so he could scarf his lunch while keeping an eye on everyone else in the restaurant out of habit. Tonight, though, it meant privacy for him and his date, which was nice. He pulled the chair out for Luanne and she sat down gracefully.

  “You have a regular table here?” she asked him, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap as he sat down.

  “Only restaurant in town.” He didn’t add that the owner was friends with his father the police chief, so any man in uniform got a free meal. Then that seemed like an insult to the restaurant, so he added, “Food’s good.”

  Luanne gave him a curious look, and then examined her menu. “So what’s your favorite?”

  He told her, and they ordered the same thing, along with a pair of Coronas. Silence fell over the table again, and Hank inwardly winced. He sure was botching this. He should talk about something. Anything. Nothing was coming to mind, though. He was one big blank. Damn it. If she didn’t speak up and break the awkward silence in the next minute, he was going to start sweating.

  “So,” she began, and he almost sighed with relief. “Have you always wanted to be a police officer?”

  “Yup.” Hank picked the lime out of the top of his Corona and set it on his napkin, then took a swig. “Runs in the family.”

  “Really? Who else in the family is a cop?”

  “My father’s the police chief. His father before him. There have been Sharps in Bluebonnet ever since Bluebonnet was founded.”

  Her smile widened. “The family business. I could see that. You seem like the type.”

  “And what type is that?” He wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a compliment.

  “You know, the good son. The loyal man. All that.” She waved a hand in the air and then stuck a finger on her lime, shoving it into the neck of her Corona before she took a drink. “You look as if it’s written in your DNA.”

  Hank frowned. She made him sound like a giant Boy Scout. Not exactly date material. And yet…she pretty much had him pegged. He was the good son. He did join the force because it was what Sharp men did. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”

  She shook her head and grinned at him, her beer still tilted close to her lips. “Women say they want a wild man they can tame, but most would probably prefer to have a nice guy…as long as he’s sexy.”

  Well, considering that women weren’t beating down his door to date him, he was guessing that she was wrong on that account. Still, it was nice of her to try to make him feel better about it. He knew most women wanted a bad boy, and that wasn’t Hank Sharp.

  And yet, Luanne was here, and she was smiling at him, so that was something. “What about you?”

  Her smile faded just a little and she set her beer down on the napkin. “What about me?”

  “Your sister lives here in town, right?”

  She brightened, as if the subject had skirted something she was afraid to talk about. Interesting. “Yes! Em has always wanted to run a bed-and-breakfast. I thought she was crazy when she told me she bought a fixer-upper out here, but the place is interesting, even if it’s a little garish with the red and white paint and all.”

  “She thinks it’s haunted. Calls the police station about once a week for us to come and check on something.”

  Luanne rolled her eyes. “I’ve been there a few weeks and haven’t seen or heard a thing, and I’ve been in a few haunted houses.”

  “As Jane?”

  “Yup. I’m pretty sure it’s not haunted. And if it was, she could make a killing by letting me do a little filming, but she refuses.”

  “Not everyone wants to be on camera,” Hank told her, keeping his tone as mild as he could.

  She frowned at his reproach and they lapsed into silence again.

  Damn. He really wasn’t good at this dating thing.

  After chips and salsa were dropped at their table, Luanne plucked one and sighed at him. “This is really awkward, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” Disappointing, too.

  That impish smile crossed her face again. “You probably would have been more comfortable if I showed up as Jane, huh?”

  “No,” he said, almost too quickly. He lik
ed Luanne. He didn’t much cotton to her Jane persona. “She kinda stands out in a crowd.”

  She looked surprised, then laughed. “The clothes and makeup? I guess so. It’s just armor, anyhow.”

  “Armor?”

  “I got the idea from roller derby girls,” she said. “I watched them in Austin once. Saw a few girls head through the back entrance, looking sweet and mild as could be. When they came out on the rink, though, they were totally different. Like banshees. It was crazy. Wild hair, wild makeup, wild uniforms. I realized that it was like putting armor on for them. You put on the costume and you get your game face on. So that’s what I do, too. It’s all about putting on a good show and getting into the zone.” And she winked at him. “Like you and your hot cop uniform.”

  Great, now he’d gone from being awkward to blushing. “You flatter a man.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows at him and ate another chip. “You show a lot of ladies your nightstick?”

  Her playful attitude was catching. It was hard not to play back, so he didn’t resist. Instead, Hank leaned forward. “Most of them run away as soon as I break it out. I think they’re scared of the size.”

  She clapped a hand over her mouth, laughing. Her eyes sparkled in the low light of the restaurant. “I thought they were collapsible?”

  “Not mine.”

  “So it’s hard all the time?”

  He ate a chip slowly so he wouldn’t have to answer her.

  “You realize that your ears turn the cutest bright red when you get shy?”

  Hank cleared his throat, pretty sure that his ears were probably turning redder. “You’re really forward, aren’t you?”

  “Being a shy, retiring flower gets me nowhere. Being forward got me a date with a hot cop, so I can’t complain.”

  Neither could he.

  * * *

  After the initial awkwardness, they had a great time at dinner, or so Luanne thought. Hank was just like he seemed—easygoing and laid-back, with a country boy charm to him. She suspected he really was as nice as he appeared to be. Sort of like the Southern version of Dudley Do-Right. And she loved that little blush of his. She was crazy attracted to him.

  He was funny, too. Rather quiet, she noticed, but it seemed to be because of a habit of people-watching rather than any shyness. He was extremely observant, remembering small details about their run-ins that she thought he would have missed. And he told her all about the town, the history, the gossip, the scandals (such as they were). Each story was told with that same dry humor and clever observation that made him so attractive. And when he told her a story about the first “cat” he’d been called out to rescue out of a tree, only to find out it was a possum? She thought she’d never stop laughing.

  A laid-back, incredibly tall, sexy cop who had a good heart. Good lord, they grew them well here in Bluebonnet, didn’t they.

  The date went by almost too fast. She’d drank only two Coronas and switched to water, not wanting to miss a moment of conversation because of a beer buzz. She’d noticed that he’d only drank one beer and done the same. Not much of a drinker, then, her officer. And that was okay, too. He didn’t seem like the party boy type. More like the responsible one who swooped in and rescued the party boy from himself.

  When the check arrived, he swiped it without even asking and paid. And then he’d walked her back to the Peppermint House, keeping carefully at her side but not reaching for her arm or draping one over her shoulders. Instead, his hands were stuffed in his jean pockets. Did that mean he didn’t even want to try to get a little more cozy with her?

  It had been a nice date. But was it just that? Nice? Or was he interested in more? She wasn’t sure she could tell. Most guys sent signals that were easily read, but not Hank. He was a closed book, and it was driving her crazy.

  As they walked up the steps of the oversized front porch of the Peppermint House, Luanne stole another peek at him. He looked different out of his cop uniform. Not in a bad way, either. Despite the warm summer weather, the shirt he’d chosen to wear was a clean-pressed black shirt with long sleeves. One or two buttons were open at the neck, revealing a dark undershirt. He didn’t seem to mind the heat, either. He wore long jeans that were tight across the ass (in a fabulous way) and boots. She was pleased there was no chewing tobacco circle imprinted on the back pocket of his jeans, either. His close-cropped hair looked just as appealing now as it did with his cop uniform on.

  In sum, he was Officer Hotness even out of the uniform. She totally wanted him. Her fingers were practically curling to dig into the front of his shirt and pull his face down to her, but she didn’t want this to be one-sided. She didn’t want to be that crazy out of town woman who threw herself at the local cops.

  They paused in front of the door and she gave him an expectant look.

  His hands remained stuffed inside his front pockets, and he gave her a faint smile. “Had a nice time tonight, Luanne.”

  This was good. This was leading up to something, hopefully. “I had a great time, too.”

  Hank smiled. “Well, all right, then.” And he turned to leave.

  What the hell?

  He was just going to turn around and leave? What was this, grade school? Would they have to pass notes for a year before she got a kiss or something? Ridiculous. Luanne frowned at his retreating shoulders as he hopped down a step. “Can I ask you something?”

  Hank turned to look at her. Moved back up a step. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Yes, ma’am? That sounded overly formal and polite. Like they hadn’t had a cozy dinner together. “Is there something wrong?”

  “Wrong?”

  “Yeah. I’m standing here on the porch staring at you and you didn’t even try to kiss me or get grabby. Do you not find me sexy?”

  His mouth thinned and he took another step toward her, looking almost irritated at her confrontational tone. “Why would you think that?”

  She put her hands under her breasts and bounced them. “Because I’ve been jiggling in this top all night and you haven’t looked at the girls once. And I’m wearing jeans that make my ass look fabulous. And fuck-me pumps. And you’re treating me like a nun. So I’m just curious. Is it me? Is it my height? Is it Jane? Because if so—”

  He crossed the last foot or two of the porch, silencing her rambling. His hot, hard mouth pressed over her own, and she felt the prickle of a five-o’clock shadow rasp against her chin. He moved his lips until they parted slightly, and he began to ever so lightly suck on her upper lip.

  Luanne’s knees went weak. Such a simple caress and she was melting like an ice cream sundae. His arms went to hers and he was bracing her while still continuing that soft, slow sucking on her upper lip. It was the most sensual kiss she’d ever received, and her lips parted from the pleasure of it. He must have taken that as a sign to continue, because his lips parted over hers even more and she felt his tongue skate between her lips and into her mouth. A soft moan escaped her throat, and when his hands slid to her ass and tugged her against him, she went easily, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  His height was…perfect. For the first time, she was kissing a man who was built just for her. There was no awkward leaning or hunching to kiss him. No jokes about how she towered over him in her heels. Instead, they fit as if they were made for each other, and her breasts pressed against his chest even as his big hands kneaded her backside and his tongue continued to sweep against hers in a deliciously intoxicating kiss.

  When he finally broke away, she stared up at him, dazed. His mouth was gleaming from kissing her, and that made her want to lick him and start the kiss all over again.

  “If I didn’t look at your jiggling, Luanne, it’s because I didn’t want to rush things on a first date,” he said in a low voice. “But I noticed your ass. And your fuck-me pumps. And your breasts. I noticed all of you. I stared so hard at you at dinner that I thought I might scare you away. But I’m not the kind of guy to maul a woman, no matter how incredibly sexy she looks. I have self-con
trol. I was raised that you don’t do that to a woman you want to date. You move slow.”

  “Well, Officer Self-Control,” she said in a breathy voice, smoothing his collar. She might have rumpled it a little. “There’s a difference between moving slow and moving glacially. We’re adults. And from now on, if you want to kiss me, you just up and kiss me—”

  His mouth swooped over hers again, the kiss harder and more demanding now. No more politeness this time, she guessed with an inward sigh of delight. This kiss lasted so long that her toes were curling, and when he broke free from the kiss, she wobbled in place.

  “That was better,” she gasped.

  A smile curved his mouth. “Yes, it was. When can I see you again?”

  Her fingers toyed with the nape of his neck. “I’m free tomorrow.”

  “I’m working overnight.” He leaned in and pressed another light kiss to her mouth. “Early dinner?”

  * * *

  It turned out that she saw him again the next morning on the way to the post office. She was walking down to the town square to buy a book of stamps when a patrol car pulled up alongside her.

  “Morning, ma’am,” a familiar voice drawled.

  She looked over and grinned at the sight of Hank in his patrol car, mirrored sunglasses on over his eyes. With a little hop in her step, she moved to stand next to the car and glanced down at him admiringly. “Nice outfit. Those glasses part of the uniform or do all cops shop at the same place?”

  “We all shop at the same place,” he said easily.

  She grinned. “I knew it.”

  “What are you up to this morning?”

  She waved a hand at the central building that was Bluebonnet’s post office slash police station slash city hall. “Heading to get some stamps. You off to arrest some perps somewhere? Living a life of danger?”

  “Not at nine in the morning. I was going to go set up behind a sign and see if I can catch some people speeding through a school zone.”

  “How naughty of you.”

  “How naughty of them.”

  Ooh, he was flirting back with her. Her stuffy cop had a sense of fun after all. She liked that. “So from what I’m hearing, you’re going to stop people from being wicked? That’s no fun.”