Tempting Love (Cowboys & Angels 3)

“Actually, Steed, this might help with the present situation you’re fixin’ to face, if you get my drift,” Waylynn said.

Steed sat back and raked his hand down his face. “Christ Almighty, I need strength.”

Corina cleared her throat and looked at Chloe. “Well, I’d have to say yes! He is very much as cute as Wade. Maybe even more handsome.”

Corina and Paxton looked at each other. When Corina wiggled her eyebrows, I rolled my eyes and took a drink of my iced tea. Lane Lewis was a dick, and I couldn’t stand the motherfucker. Now he was going to be teaching my niece and playing teacher with Corina.

This fucking sucks.

“Yay! I can’t wait to meet him!” Chloe clapped her hands. How Gage slept through Chloe’s outburst was beyond me.

Cord bumped my arm. “You remember Lane. Don’t you, Mitchell?”

Glancing over, I shot him a dirty look. “Yes, I remember him. Why?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Just wondering how you feel about the woman you secretly pine over getting cozy with a guy who, back in high school, stole your clothes when you were in the shower and ran them up the flagpole.”

Keeping my voice low, I replied in a hushed voice, “She isn’t getting cozy with him. They work together.”

“I give him less than a week before he asks her out.”

Looking at the rest of them, I realized we’d missed some of the conversation.

“We actually had a couple of drinks before I headed over here,” Corina said. “Tried to nail our game plan for the school year.”

They’d had drinks already?

“I’d started my lesson plans, so I told him I would let him look over them. You don’t happen to have a copy of your lesson plans from last year, do you?” Corina asked Paxton.

“Yep, I sure do. They’re in the file cabinet. I left it all there for the next teacher.”

Corina and Paxton got lost in shop talk, lesson plans and where the crayons were stored.

With a chuckle, Cord shook his head. “Well, hell. The bastard moves fast. I’ll give him that much.”

I tried to tune in to what Corina and Paxton were talking about. Not two seconds later, my mother yelled as Amelia and Wade walked in.

“We’re home!” Amelia said with a huge smile.

“Oh, hell yeah. She’s married,” Cord whispered as we all stood. “Look at the blush on her cheeks. It’s killing her not to shoot it out.”

I let out a chuckle and nodded.

Pulling Amelia in for a hug, my mother said, “Welcome home! How was the trip?”

Amelia drew back. “It was amazing. Beyond amazing. I love that town and now I have a reason to love it even more!”

Wade slipped his arm around Amelia’s waist.

Waylynn slid next to Amelia. “Tell us already, Meli! We’re all going to crazy trying to guess what it is!”

Lifting her hand, Amelia let out a scream. “We got married!”

Cheers erupted, and I couldn’t help but notice my father mumbling a silent thank you prayer to the good Lord above.

Laughing, I walked over and hit him on the back. “Well, you know what they say.”

He looked confused.

With my best smirk, I said, “First comes marriage, then comes a baby carriage.”

His confused look turned to one of horror.

“Bite your tongue, Mitchell Roy Miller. It’s hard enough knowing my baby is married. Let me get used to that.”

Amelia was the apple of my father’s eye. It was going to be hard for him to let her go. I’m sure that was one of the reasons my parents had never complained about Amelia still living at home.

“Well, at least she’s sort of still here. She’ll be living on the ranch.”

He nodded and took a drink of rum and Coke.

“When’s the baby coming?” Chloe shouted and everyone laughed.

My father groaned. “Oh, Christ Almighty.”

When the call came over my radio I let out a frustrated sigh. “Jesus Christ. I’m trained in Special Weapons and Tactics. I handle murder investigations! Not missing pies from Mrs. Johnson’s window!”

Marilyn’s voice responded over the radio. “Sheriff Miller can’t get to it, Mitchell. He asked if you could go on over and talk to her. She likes you and all.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “She wants me to date her granddaughter, Marilyn! That’s why Miller wants me over there. He thinks it’s funny.”

“Well, things are quiet on the front. Sure you can’t handle it for the sheriff? He’s dealing with loose cattle over on Ranch Road 37.

“Fine, I’ll take care of it.”

I did a U-turn and headed back to town. By the time I pulled up to Mrs. Johnson’s house, I’d gotten six text messages from Robert. It didn’t help that our dispatcher was his sister, and I was positive Marilyn told Robert about the pies. When I stopped my car, I noticed I had a message from him.

Robert: Hey, while you’re there, get me an apple pie.