“You’re a good sheriff, but I can take care of myself.” She gave him a casual, polite smile and took a step away from him. He was lost in her pretty blue eyes, and his eyes wandered down to her pink shiny lips. The temptation to kiss her overwhelmed him, making him feel like he couldn’t breathe. He had to force his body to move toward the front door before he made use of the leather booths. He wanted to strip her naked and worship her sexy body. Jed and his crew would be in for quite the show if they walked in on them. How long could he continue to resist her? One thing he knew for sure was being noble sucked.
* * * *
Mia smiled at Jessy Fallon, one of her regular customers. Jessy hung up her raincoat by the door and wiped her feet on the large black mat. It had not stopped raining and it brought many customers in for a warm cup of coffee or chocolate. They had a busy morning.
Mia liked Jessy a lot. Jessy came in to study and drink her lattes, which she admitted being addicted to.
“Hey, Jessy.” Mia greeted her, dropping the wet towel in the sink. “What’s new?”
Jessy smiled and slipped onto the stool. Her long brown hair was pulled back by a pink ribbon that matched her pink sweater. “Not much. I need coffee with a double shot of espresso.”
“Uh-oh. Sounds bad,” Mia said with sympathy. Jessy was marrying the sheriff’s younger brother Lincoln Ramirez. Jessy loved talking about her handsome soon to be husband, but today she looked frustrated.
Jessy nodded with a loud sigh, looking frustrated. “I had no idea planning a Christmas wedding was so hard. I just want to be done with it.”
Mia laughed. Jessy came in here often to study and get away from the wedding planning. Mia had no idea what went into planning a wedding. She would probably never marry if her present luck with men continued. Frank had a big family and Mia had built silly dreams of one day being part of that family. Frank hated having so many relatives get in his business, but Mia had often been so lonely during her childhood she would have loved to have someone care about her activities. “Doesn’t sound very romantic, Jessy.”
“I know. My only relative is my sister Lily, who is my maid of honor. Lincoln, however, has a million relatives and they all want to be in it. I’m afraid there will be no one left to witness the marriage,” Jessy complained as Mia set the cup down before her. Mia gave Jessy one of her favorite blueberry muffins.
Jessy bit into it and closed her eyes. “Mmm. I swear your Aunt Becky is the best baker ever. How do you stay skinny, Mia? I am so lucky she is making my wedding cake.”
“I jog at the park. Well, I used to before my attempted mugging. I know it is dumb to feel fear when he has stuck to the bar so far.” She had not been brave enough to run lately. She hated the feeling of being so scared and thinking there were shadows at every corner, but she couldn’t help it. She had just started feeling safe with the idea that Frank had given up on her and now she feared the thief would come after her again. The attempted mugging brought all of her old fears back to the front of her mind. Becky knew all the details of her old life in New York and had been so kind to Mia. Even though nothing else had happened, Mia still felt like someone was watching her at times. Then she convinced herself it was just her imagination. Watching Hal
loween movies with Becky probably didn’t help.
Jessy reached out and touched Mia’s hand with sympathy. “I know how you feel, Mia. I had a stalker last year. Made me jumpy as hell. I swear I saw shadows around every corner.”
Mia had heard some of the story from Becky. Apparently, it had been the big story over the summer. “Scary and crazy huh? But yours was caught, right?” Mia asked.
“Yes. It turned out to be my co-worker. He wasn’t trying to hurt me, but he was lonely and thought peeking into my window was a way to connect,” Jessy answered sadly. “He got some help and is okay now.”
“You talk to him?” Mia could not imagine ever being on friendly terms with someone who had scared her like that.
“Oh no. Lincoln won’t have it,” Jessy explained with a roll of her eyes. “I heard from Abel that he got help and is trying to move forward with his life after his mom passed away from cancer. Lincoln would flip out if I tried contacting him.”
“I’m glad he got counseling,” Mia agreed, feeling heat fill her stomach at the thought of the handsome sheriff. He was a few years older than Mia, but she found him rugged and all male. He had wide shoulders and thick arms that would make her feel safe. His black hair was longer than it should be, as if he often forgot to cut it. She just wished he felt the same connection she had felt. She had never run into him before, but she did stick mostly to herself on her days off, only going out with Reva every so often.
“Abel will not give up until he catches this creep,” Jessy reminded her firmly, unaware of Mia’s lustful thoughts. “He is good at his job.”
“He seems very dedicated to it.” Mia tried to keep from showing any interest in Jessy’s future brother-in-law. He obviously did not feel any desire for her. Mia knew Delores already had a possible future wife for her son. Mia needed to get him out of her mind once and for all. Men were more trouble than they were worth. Good looks meant nothing. Frank had dark, sexy looks and that ended badly.
“I’d better get to studying.” Jessy picked up her coffee and headed for her usual table by the window. Sometimes her fiancé came in and joined her. They seemed like such a happy couple. Mia wondered what it would feel like to have someone love her like that. She always told herself she was fine living a single life, and having no one tell her what to do, but at times it was lonely. Mia didn’t need the kind of drama men brought with them. It didn’t matter how handsome the sheriff was. She got busy with her duties and put Sheriff Hotness out of her head.
Chapter Four
“Are you serious, Gwen?” Mia yelped into the phone line. Becky, who had been washing dishes, gave Mia a curious look. Mia spoke for a few more minutes then hung up the phone. She grinned, feeling excited for the first time since coming to Brook Hollow all those weeks ago. She had just finished breakfast at Becky’s house when Gwen had called. Mia still hadn’t replaced her cellphone and didn’t feel the need to rush.
“Gwen got a plane ticket. She’ll be here in two weeks.” Mia smiled, feeling elated and relieved that her problems were almost over. Not that she didn’t like Brook Hollow, she did, but she also missed New York. A picture of Abel Ramirez flashed in her head but she quickly pushed it away. He was a dangerous temptation she did not need. She had to remind herself of that constantly. “Mitch says Frank must have moved on. He has been spotted with several different women, and goes to the same nightclub all the time. He has not made any attempt to leave the city.”
“That is awesome news.” Becky dried her hands with a dish towel. She looked just as excited as Mia felt. “I haven’t seen Gwen in ages. Being a nurse keeps her hopping. Is her boyfriend coming with her?”
Mia shook her head no. “He couldn’t get off work.”
“Too bad. I’d like to meet him. My brother approves of him,” Becky replied. “I haven’t visited them in a few years. Building up the shop has kept me too busy.”
“You know what they say, Becky. All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl, or something like that,” Mia teased, feeling joyful.
Becky chuckled with amusement. Mia was so glad her and Becky got along so well. The woman was full of compassion and treated Mia in a motherly way. Mia really appreciated it. After all, Mia sort of crashed into Becky’s life without much warning. Mia was well adjusted to small town living being here almost two months now. The time had passed quickly.