How unlike a window peeper or serial killer to announce his arrival. But who else could it be?
The sheriff, of course! Why hadn’t she thought of that? She raced to the door, flipped up the lock, and breathlessly flung it open.
Ty Beaumont was standing on the threshold.
Sunny screamed.
Spinning around, she went racing back across the living room, intent on getting into her bedroom, which had a lock on the door.
She was brought up short when he grabbed a handful of her nightgown. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He whipped her around and brought her up hard against him. “Are you all right? What’s happened?”
“I’ve called the sheriff,” she said in loud defiance.
“You have?”
“Yes. He’s on his way. He’ll be here any minute.”
“He’s already here.” His lips twitched with the need to smile. Then he mimicked her gape-mouthed expression of incredulity.
“You’re—”
“Sheriff Ty Beaumont. Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” he drawled in a broad Southwestern accent. “How can I be of service?”
“By going straight to hell!”
Sunny shoved herself away from him, seething with anger over his amusement, which he didn’t have the good manners to hide. Actually Sunny was just as angry with herself as she was with him. She, who had lived alone in New Orleans for years, had let her imagination run away with her and had behaved like a complete fool. He would think she was an idiot.
With a broad sweep of her hand, she pushed her tangled hair back. “How do I know you’re the sheriff?”
With that same drawl and the lowering of one eyelid, he said, “Wanna see my pistol?”
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was more subtle than his innuendo. Her eyes became slits of fury. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Did you ask?”
“What were you doing sneaking around my house in the middle of the night?”
“I was responding to your call for help. Arleta, the operator, said you sounded scared out of your wits.”
“I was!”
“Are you always such a ’fraidy cat?”
“Of course not. What were you doing out in the shed?”
“What shed?”
“You mean that wasn’t you?”
“You mean there really was a suspicious noise?”
“Why else would I call?” Sunny cried.
He hooked his thumbs beneath the waistband of his tight jeans and cocked his head to one side. “I figured that you invented this ‘intruder’ just to get me out here.”
“You arrogant sonofa—” Rage flickered like flames in her eyes. “I heard something out in the shed,” she said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.
A deep crease of genuine worry formed between his brows. “Then I’d better take a look. You stay here.”