Lone Star Holiday Proposal

He took a step closer to Jeb. “Turn yourself in, man. You know the authorities are going to catch up with you sooner or later.”

“Not if I get to Mexico they won’t. With that money I reckon I can disappear for a while.”

“Oh, you’ll disappear for a while, all right,” Nolan agreed as he spied Nate Battle and a couple of his deputies move silently up behind Jeb.

Jeb grinned, but then he realized that Nolan’s words had held a double entendre. “Whaddya mean?”

“I mean there is no money. Not from me and not from Raina either.”

Jeb started to swear and launched himself forward at Nolan, both fists now swinging in fury. Nate and his deputies closed the distance between them and wrestled him to the ground, but not before a punch caught the edge of Nolan’s jaw making his head snap back. But one shot was all the other man got and it was with a great deal of satisfaction that Nolan watched the deputies cuff Jeb and haul him to his feet to read him his rights then lead him to their car—as he loudly and energetically protested the whole way.

“I think we can add resisting arrest to his list of charges, don’t you?” Nate Battle commented as he straightened his jacket.

“Yeah,” Nolan said, rubbing his fingers along his jaw where Jeb’s fist had connected.

“You want to press charges for that?”

“No.” Nolan shook his head. “I’m pretty sure he has enough charges against him now to ensure that he won’t bother Raina again.”

The sheriff gave him a piercing look. “Like that is it? You’re soft on Raina Patterson?”

Nolan nodded.

Nate reached out a hand to Nolan. “As I said this morning, good to have you back in Royal.”

Nolan shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thanks. It really is good to be back.”

“I guess we’ll be seeing more of you.”

“If you mean, am I staying in town, the answer is yes. And I’m rejoining dad’s practice, too.”

“That’s good. We need men like you and your dad fighting for the vulnerable people in this town.”

With that, Nate tipped his hat and turned and walked toward his car.

Nolan stood there in the darkness, oblivious now to the cold that whipped around him. Home. He really was home again and he had the approval of the sheriff. It probably didn’t get much better than that in terms of acceptance. There was just one more obstacle to overcome. Raina. He’d taken care of her past, now he needed to share his own. And for the life of him, he didn’t know how he was supposed to do this right.

* * *

Raina checked the floor safe in the shop for the umpteenth time to reassure herself the money she was holding for Jeb was still there. Well, where else would it be? She closed the door and spun the dial before pulling the trap door down over it again. It had been a couple of days since she’d promised him she’d have the money ready. It wasn’t like him not to show and the waiting was making her jumpy.

Even his phone calls and texts had stopped. So what on earth had happened to him? She didn’t dare hope that he’d left and forgotten all about it. That wasn’t his style at all.

Raina got to her feet and went over to the cheval mirror she had propped in the corner of her small office and checked her appearance. Nolan was picking her up soon and taking her out for dinner. Her dad had JJ at his place for one of their much anticipated Saturday nights together and for some stupid reason Raina felt more nervous about tonight than she had on her very first date with a boy.

This is Nolan, she kept telling herself. You know him. You trust him...mostly. She shook her head. She trusted him, she just didn’t know everything she needed to know about him yet. There was a difference. Of course he had secrets, so did she, didn’t she? She sighed. Maybe that was her trouble. She trusted too darn easily.

She studied her reflection in the mirror. The long floral skirt she’d teamed with a pair of high black boots made her feel feminine and pretty, although after a day on her feet, her toes were beginning to complain. It’d be worth it, she’d told herself as she examined her reflection and smoothed the soft sweater she’d chosen over her hips. She didn’t often wear black but the contrast between the sweater and her creamy skin brought out the light in her eyes. Noticing her makeup could definitely do with a touch-up, she grabbed her makeup bag from her purse and made a few running repairs, eager to look her best for the man who continued to send her pulse flying.

The bell chimed out front and she quickly shoved her makeup bag back into her purse and went out into the shop, a smile already stretching her lips.