Wild Bliss (Nights in Bliss, Colorado #14)

Chapter Three

Sawyer walked into the kitchen, his sparring session with the luscious Sabrina Leal playing through his head.

And his dick.

“Dinner will be ready in about a half an hour,” Wyatt said in a tight voice, not looking up from the stove where he stood, stirring a pot.

He was good at stirring a pot. “Did you or did you not ignore the requests Marie sent over because you wanted to force a meeting with Sabrina?”

Wyatt sighed. “I wanted to meet her, but I didn’t want to come off like some weirdo. She doesn’t go out a lot, and I couldn’t come up with a reason to go to the school. I considered adopting a kid.”

“What?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Well, I considered paying a kid to say he was like my younger brother or something, but then I realized how it would probably look so I didn’t do that. Then she started asking about the electricity and voila. Here she is. I will say I didn’t think she would end up getting stuck here. I thought she would come to the bar and then I would apologize and offer to get her a drink to make up for things, and sure, I’ll come look at your electricity.”

“You’re not an electrician,” Sawyer pointed out.

“Which is why we would have to spend time together,” Wyatt replied. “We would have to find someone, maybe talk about how to solve the problem. We won’t now because you suck.”

He wasn’t going to argue about the state of his personality. He’d been born this way. “You’re just as good as an electrician since it’s not the electricity.”

Wyatt huffed. “No. Apparently it’s an alien.”

Damn, when she’d flushed and leaned toward him his dick had tightened and his world had kind of tilted on its axis. He hadn’t expected her to push back. In his head he’d formed a fully detailed version of her. Sweet. Probably wanted a family. Wouldn’t ever accept a man who’d been arrested as often as Sawyer had. Wouldn’t want to hang out in some dingy bar in rural Colorado. Wouldn’t be able to stand up for herself so he would end up walking all over her because he was an asshole who needed a woman who could put him in his place. “Yeah, we’re going to have to figure something out or Mel really will be on my ass. And I don’t even want to mess with Nell. I thought maybe when she had a baby she would chill or not have as much time to protest, but she just brings the baby along. I swear she taught her baby to cry on cue.”

Wyatt sighed again, stepping back. “Well, I suppose she’s locked herself in the room. I’ll find a tray or something.”

“She’s promised to come out to dinner.”

A brow rose over Wyatt’s blue eyes. “She did?”

“We talked after you left. We’ve agreed I’m an asshole.” It wasn’t the only thing he’d agreed to. “And apparently I’m not supposed to call her sweetheart.”

Wyatt went still, staring at him like he was working through some problem in his head. “You called her sweetheart?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, maybe we should go over a couple of things,” Wyatt began. “Why were you such a massive ass to her? I’ve never seen you be so rude to a woman who wasn’t drunk off her ass and trying to cop a feel.”

It happened way too often at Hell on Wheels.

Wyatt waited for him to say something.

See, this was why he didn’t do friends. Or roommates. They expected a guy to talk way too much. Wyatt had been pretty easy in the beginning. They’d communicated mostly through grunts and the occasional want a beer? They’d talked about how Wyatt could help with the bar and eventually the businesses Sawyer had inherited, but then the therapy had started. Freaking therapy. “Look, I saw her and things got weird and I didn’t like it.”

“You saw her and things got weird. Weird, how?” Wyatt’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. You love at first sighted.”

Sawyer pointed a finger his way. “Abso-fucking-lutely not. I do not do the love crap. I saw her and thought ‘hey, there’s a gorgeous woman I’d like to spend some time with. In bed.’ If I’d seen her at Hell on Wheels, I’d probably have done exactly that. I would have brought her up here and had a hot night and sent her on her way. But we weren’t in my world. We were in Bliss, and I don’t belong there.”

Wyatt’s head shook. “Why do you think you don’t belong there? I don’t get it. Everyone’s so nice.”

“They’re nice, but at some point they’ll figure out what we did in the past and then it won’t be so nice,” Sawyer explained.

“They know. I mean the sheriff talked to me. He told me I should let him know if my brother ever shows up,” Wyatt replied.

For a man with Wyatt’s rap sheet, he was awfully na?ve. “He was warning you. He was telling you he’ll be watching you. Like he watches me.”

Wyatt thought for a moment. “I don’t think that’s what he meant. I know cops, man. I’ve been around all kinds of cops, and Sheriff Wright was simply letting me know he’s here. He spent time undercover in an MC. He knows what it’s like. And he knows there’s not always an easy way out. Especially if you’re born into one. He’s the one who told me to go see Alexei.”

It bothered Sawyer. “And it’s why I told you it’s a bad idea. Alexei is probably telling the sheriff everything.”

“He wouldn’t. Alexei knows where we’ve been. He wouldn’t betray me, and I don’t think the sheriff would ask.” Wyatt turned back to his stew. “Anywhere I go, my past will follow me. Do you really think we don’t belong here?”

He didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “No, we don’t belong down the mountain. Here is exactly where we belong.”

“Do you think I scare them when I go into town? Is that why you usually drive all the way to Alamosa for supplies?” Wyatt asked quietly.

Sawyer leaned against the sink, hating the fact he’d put a look of sorrow on his friend’s face, but they had to acknowledge the truth. “No. I don’t think you scare them. But I also think we’re not getting invites to dinner or town parties. Look, Wyatt, I’m not saying they’re going to show up with torches and pitchforks.”

Wyatt frowned, and his eyes narrowed. “Holy shit. They’re not afraid of us. You’re afraid of them.”

What the hell? “I am not.”

Wyatt’s head nodded as though he was confirming some long-held belief. “The way you were afraid of her. You said it yourself. You felt weird. What if weird means emotional? What if your version of weird is an emotional connection to a woman you’ve never felt before? You’re afraid of being rejected so you reject people first.”

He should never have taken him into town. He definitely should never have let him see Alexei Markov. “I am not afraid of rejection. I don’t care about anything. Now we have to talk about how we’re going to handle our guest for the next few days. You like her.”

Wyatt looked like he didn’t want to change the subject, but he went with it. “Yeah. I like her a lot.”

“You don’t know her.”

Wyatt shrugged, obviously not bothered. “I know enough to know she’s kind and funny, and she’s good with pretty much everyone she meets. She’s excited about being here in Bliss, and she wants to go ice skating but she obviously needs someone to help her get through her first winter here. She doesn’t even have a real coat. I’m surprised her sister hasn’t taken her shopping, but then she’s been super-busy with the school. She stays late most nights.”

Holy shit. This was worse than he thought. “Have you been stalking her?”

Wyatt frowned. “No. I just… I just am sometimes going the same direction and sit close to her at Trio, and I mean it’s not like I don’t have ears and stuff.”

Sawyer pointed a finger his way. “You have to stop. The sheriff won’t put up with it if he thinks you’re stalking the women of Bliss.”

Wyatt had the good grace to blush. “I’m not. It’s only the one woman, and it’s not stalking. It’s intense interest with a dash of eavesdropping. Nothing more.”

And there it was. He was neatly trapped. It was plain to see if he didn’t seduce Sabrina Leal, Wyatt would end up in prison.

His brain was really going that way. The part of Sawyer still thinking with his brain knew this was what could only be called bargaining. The dick part didn’t care. The dick part was more than happy to bargain away because he’d found a road leading him straight into Sabrina’s pretty panties. And he wasn’t doing it for love or any other bullshit. He was doing it because he owed Wyatt.

And so his brain and dick made the bargain. “You know she can never be anything more than a couple nights of fun.”

Wyatt’s gaze turned distinctly suspicious. “Is this the part where you tell me no teacher is going to ever want to build a life with two former criminals and we should accept the fact that all we can ever be is fun sex for her?”

He finally got it. “Pretty much. And it’s not just the teacher part. Her sister is a deputy with the county. She’s literally law enforcement. I’m certain she’s already seen your rap sheet.”

“I wasn’t convicted of anything,” Wyatt argued.

“Only because the MC had an excellent lawyer,” Sawyer pointed out. “Sabrina will be horrified when her sister hands her your records, and don’t think she won’t if she finds out her little sister is involved with two shady characters.”

“I’m not shady anymore. And I think you’re wrong about the sheriff. I actually think he likes me. He called me the sweet one. Said there’s always one in a Bliss partnership, and it’s obviously me.” Wyatt stopped. “Wait. Do you think they think…”

Sawyer was going to have a serious talk with the sheriff. “They don’t think we’re a couple. He’s talking Bliss nonsense. It’s something Stella said a couple of years ago. She believes every Bliss male partnership consists of an asshole and what she calls the sweet one, meaning the one the woman they select can walk all over. It’s bullshit.”

“So I really am the sweet one,” Wyatt said, his lips curling up.

“Well, we both know I’m the asshole.” He was comfortable with it. He was even oddly comfortable with the idea of sharing a woman with Wyatt. For the short term, of course. “Look, it’s obvious to me you want this woman. Physically, I want her, too. And now I think she might be able to handle what I need. She’s different than I thought she would be, so if you can accept the reality of the situation, I think we can talk to her about a suitable arrangement.”

Wyatt sighed. “You want to offer her sex.”

“It’s all we can offer her.”

“Because she’s a schoolteacher and we’re unconvicted former criminals,” Wyatt finished. “There’s not a lot of redemption in this world, is there?”

Sawyer wished so much she hadn’t shown up on his mountain. “I’m not saying you can’t find a woman and settle down. I just don’t think it’s going to be her.”

“You didn’t say we,” Wyatt pointed out.

“Because I’m more than willing to share a woman for sex, but I’m not going to have a relationship with one. I’m not built for it.” He wasn’t the kind of man who talked and shared, and that was what women needed. He could give them sex and help them out from time to time, but it was all he was good for.

Wyatt nodded, seeming to come to a decision. “All right. How about we make a deal? We’re honest with her. Honest about who we are and what we want, but we’re not going to hit her with it all at once. We’ve got a couple of days with her. Let’s have a nice meal and see where it goes.” Wyatt stared at him for a moment as though trying to read his mind. “You want to put it all out there, don’t you?”

Sawyer shrugged one big shoulder. “I think it’s best, but I’m going to let you steer this ship. I’m only here for the sex.”

“And if she doesn’t want only sex?” Wyatt asked.

“Then you should probably see her on your own, but be brutally honest with her before she says yes. Her sister will give her the report on you at some point. It’ll hurt so much more if you wait.” Sawyer had a feeling it wasn’t going to come to that. “But I think she’s interested. There’s real heat between us, and I don’t think she’ll be able to stay away. Her sister is in a ménage. She’s got to be curious. I’ll be less of an asshole, and maybe she’ll get cold and need some body heat.”

“I will take the lead and if she’s…amenable…I’ll date her on my own.” Wyatt grinned. “Amenable means agreeable. I’ve been doing word of the day. I think I’ll bring up my interest in education. It’s something we have in common.”

He turned back to his stew.

Bella came bounding in as Sawyer heard the door to the bathroom shut and lock. The dog bounced in front of him and then ran toward the back of the house and then to Sawyer.

“Bella likes her. She’s doing her ‘someone I like locked me out, and can’t you bust through so I can be with my friend’ dance,” Wyatt said.

Yeah, everyone in his household liked the new girl.

It had been easier when his household was made up of him and no one else.

But he had to admit, it had been way less fun.

* * * *

Wyatt was determined to not act like a creepy stalker. His stalking—if one could call it that—was friendly. If he thought for a second she would be offended, he would stop. She might get offended if she knew how his eyes were drawn to the deep V of her shirt. His shirt. She wore one of his white undershirts, and it looked damn good on her.

She was wearing his clothes, and the deeply buried caveman inside him liked it. The pajama bottoms were too long and she’d had to tie them around her waist, but she still looked awfully pretty sitting across from Sawyer at the dinner table they almost never used.

It felt right to have her here, and he was going to prove to Sawyer this could work.

“This is good.” Sabrina gave him a smile before she ate another spoonful.

“It’s Sawyer’s mom’s recipe.” He’d been perfecting it. Since he no longer spent his days beating the shit out of people, getting the shit kicked out of him, or lying to the police about both, he’d found the joy of hobbies. He’d tried a lot of things. The Bliss County Recreation Center was a lush field of learning. He hadn’t been good at macrame, but he’d been damn good at the self-defense class where they’d used crochet hooks to—as the teacher explained—incapacitate a son of a bitch. He’d ended up teacher’s pet in that one. But the cooking classes and the book club were what really got him interested. “I added some bone broth to give it an added layer of flavor.”

She smiled again, and his dick tightened. “Whatever you did it’s excellent and exactly what I needed. I can’t believe how cold I was.”

“You’re on a mountain more than ten thousand feet above sea level and it’s almost winter.” Sawyer had been quiet since she’d entered the room, but naturally now he found something to needle her about.

“She’s new to town,” Wyatt said pointedly. “She obviously hasn’t had time to shop. I’ll…” This might be too early to start gently taking control of certain aspects of her life like her comfort and safety. But he wanted to. He wanted to be the one to ensure she had everything she needed. When he’d first come out of the MC, Sawyer had told him he needed to find his vocation. Wyatt had been forced to look the word up because vocabulary wasn’t a big thing in his family. Vocation meant job, but it could also mean calling. The longer he was in her company, the more he thought taking care of Sabrina Leal might be his vocation. “I’m sure her sister will take her.”

Sabrina winced. “She did. I’m afraid I’m getting a hearty lecture from my sister and the men she’s engaged to. She took me to the Trading Post a couple of weeks ago and I bought a heavy coat and boots, but it didn’t seem like it was going to be so cold today. She told me there was a storm coming, but I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think snow.”

He understood. “Because you’ve never had to live through a Colorado winter.”

“But snow is rain when it’s below freezing,” Sawyer pointed out utterly needlessly.

Sabrina’s jaw clenched. “Thank you. I had no idea. I’ll write it down so I don’t get it confused again.”

Why? Sawyer rarely talked. Why had he decided to change his persona now? He could be his normal surly, silent self and everything would be fine. He was going to have to drag Sawyer’s ass kicking and screaming into this relationship. “I had a hard time with my first winter here.”

“I thought you were from Colorado.” At least she didn’t keep the look of disdain in her eyes when she switched her focus to him. It seemed reserved for Sawyer, so maybe Wyatt still had a way in.

“I am.” He took a sip of the Cab he’d found stashed away in the back of the pantry. Normally he was more of a beer guy, but he was spreading his wings. Or more importantly trying to make a good impression since Sawyer was making the worst possible one. “But I’m from eastern Colorado. It’s like Kansas lite. It gets cold, but the elevation isn’t what it is here in the mountains.”

“It’s flat,” Sawyer added.

“I know what he meant by Kansas lite,” Sabrina replied with a long sigh.

Wyatt sent Sawyer a look he hoped conveyed what an ass he was making of himself.

Sawyer sat back, looking strangely bewildered. Damn. Was the guy actually trying? What if Sawyer simply didn’t know how to carry on a conversation with a woman that wasn’t about what they wanted to drink or how they liked it in bed?

He needed to find common ground between Sawyer and Sabrina or he was definitely going to fail on this quest.

“So what made you want to go into teaching?”

Both Wyatt and Sabrina’s heads turned because Sawyer had asked the question, and his tone had been almost polite.

The dude was trying. Holy shit. He really did want Sabrina. He should have known the minute she’d gotten up in his face and shown how not afraid of him she was that Sawyer’s dick would win. He didn’t do soft and sweet. But what if he could have a combination of softness and steel? A woman he could be vulnerable around, who would also put him on his ass when he needed it.

“I always liked kids,” Sabrina said, caution clear in her tone. She buttered her cornbread. “Before my mom left active duty, we spent most of our time on military bases. The opportunities for babysitting were endless once I reached a certain age. We also had some mixed-ages classes. I liked the format. I think it’s oddly more natural than kids only spending time with other kids who are exactly their ages. When I chose to go to college instead of into the military like my mom wanted me to, she basically said she wouldn’t help me unless I was going for a degree where I was practically guaranteed a job. Teaching was on her short list, and lucky for me, it’s what I wanted to do. She still didn’t pay for tuition or anything, but she gave me thirty bucks a week for food and stuff.”

“How did you survive on thirty bucks?” Wyatt asked.

Sawyer grunted, taking a sip of his beer. “You buy ramen noodles and figure out how to make a pound of ground round last for days. Condiments are your friend. Get the cheapest burger you can at a fast-food place and load up on packets of condiments.”

Sabrina smiled Sawyer’s way for the first time. “I ate a lot of tacos. There was a place off campus where you could get ten tacos for ten bucks, and I would split it with a friend and then we had dinner for two or three days. I still had some hot sauce packets hanging around when I moved. It was so ingrained in me I kept doing it even after I had a good job.”

Wyatt was confused. “Why didn’t your mom give you money?”

“Because she didn’t agree with her life choices,” Sawyer said. “Didn’t you listen?”

Asshole. “I did but I don’t understand.”

“I think you should,” Sawyer shot back. “Your father sure as hell didn’t give you the option of going to college. Hell, he pulled you out of high school when he was legally able to and put you to work for the club.”

A flush of shame went through Wyatt. Sabrina was a schoolteacher. She valued education, and he didn’t have much of it. “I got my GED. I had to do it on my own.”

Sawyer shrugged like Wyatt had made his point. “See. That’s what she had to do.”

“She wasn’t the kindest woman,” Sabrina said quietly. “My mother had firm beliefs on how the world worked, and any time I challenged those beliefs I was punished in some way.”

Sawyer pointed Wyatt’s way. “See. Same.” He set his beer down. “Oh, did you think because she seems so nice and sweet her parents must be, too? Or is this one of those I don’t understand how the outside world works and I think it’s all puppies and roses?”

Yep, there was more of the shame. “I know how the world works. I was confused.”

“You don’t, buddy, or you would be more cautious.” Sawyer nodded Sabrina’s way. “We had to get him a social security card when he started working. At twenty-seven.”

He wished Sawyer would stop talking. “My family… Let’s say they believed in staying off the grid as much as possible. I did, in fact, have a social security card and a driver’s license. But they weren’t real. I had to have a lawyer find my birth certificate. I’m glad I had one.”

“Your past doesn’t matter,” Sabrina said with a smile. “Isn’t that kind of what this place is about? From what I can tell, a lot of people came here looking for a second chance. I’m trying to find a truly supportive family. I’m trying to clear my head of my mom’s voice. I have twenty-eight years of listening to her tell me everything will go to hell if I’m satisfied even for a moment. She thought happiness was an affront to fate or God or whatever you want to call the universe. If a person wasn’t humble and miserable, they weren’t doing something right.”

“In my world if a man wasn’t screwing over everyone outside of his family, he wasn’t a man at all.” Wyatt could relate wholly. “Did she ever tell you that you’re beautiful? I don’t say it because I’m trying to get something out of you. I’m saying it because I know how it feels to get ground under the boots of someone else’s damage, and what helps is hearing the truth. Sometimes you have to hear it over and over until you believe it.”

Her eyes were suddenly shining in the low light from the dining room sconces. “That’s kind of you.”

“He’s not being kind. He’s telling you the truth.” Sawyer was studying her. “But you don’t know it, do you? Like he doesn’t get he’s smart. You should stop listening to those voices. Just shut ’em down.”

Her eyes rolled, and she picked up her napkin, dabbing at them. “Another to write down. Forget your trauma. So, Sawyer, who’s your terrible parent?”

He seemed to think about the question for a moment. “I guess my dad. He left when I was four, though, so I don’t remember much about him. My mom was lovely, and my grandfather was the best man I know.”

“Then how did you end up being such an asshole?” Sabrina asked.

Sawyer’s lips curled up. The big bastard did seem to like it when she was mean. “I was born that way, I guess. So you’re telling me you don’t care about anyone’s past?”

“I’m telling you I don’t think a person’s past matters if they’re trying to be better.” She turned Wyatt’s way. “I think it’s wonderful you got your GED. I don’t need to run a background check to make new friends. My mom would have done it. She was suspicious of everyone. I would rather concentrate on the here and now. Wyatt, what is it you do for a living? I know Sawyer rips off his tenants.”

“I do not.” Sawyer finally seemed a bit offended. “Your rent is perfectly reasonable for the valley.”

“It’s not reasonable for a place where the electricity needs fixing,” Sabrina countered.

“I told you it’s a ghost.” Sawyer snapped his fingers as though remembering something. “Grandad used to tell the tenants to play Creedence Clearwater Revival once a day and the ghost finds it soothing. I think maybe it puts him to sleep or something.”

“That is the most…” Sabrina began.

Wyatt needed to take control or they would fight the rest of the night. “I handle some of Sawyer’s business work. His grandfather left him the bar and properties and a couple of other businesses. I do all the accounting. It’s the one thing my father and brother did value about me. I’m good with numbers and detail-oriented work.”

She focused on him. “Really? Do you use a spreadsheet? I could use a couple of lessons. The new system Stef Talbot had installed is hard to navigate.”

Now she was talking his language. He would learn the system from top to bottom if it meant spending time with her. “Absolutely. I’m good with spreadsheets.”

“He’s not great with passing on complaints, though,” Sawyer grumbled under his breath.

Wyatt kicked him under the table. Sawyer grunted.

Bella, who’d been laying under the table at Sawyer’s feet, thought it was a signal it was time to play. Her head came up, tongue lolling out as she stared at the stew.

“She’s so cute. How long have you had her?” Sabrina asked.

“Since she showed up and wouldn’t leave.” Sawyer went back to sipping his beer. “Tried to turn her over to the vet, but somehow she ended up back in my Jeep along with a dog bed, food and water bowls, and a collar.”

“He didn’t give her a name for the longest time.” Wyatt was beyond relieved they weren’t going to go into his child and young adulthood this evening. His childhood was a horror story for another time. “I moved in and finally couldn’t handle him calling her Dog all the time. So I went on the Internet and searched for most popular dog names and Bella seemed nice. I wonder why Bella, though. I love the name, but why is it so popular?”

“Twilight,” Sabrina replied with a brilliant smile. “Your dog is named after the heroine of a popular book.”

Sawyer snorted.

“I did not know,” Wyatt admitted. He’d never heard of Twilight. He wondered if she liked it. “Maybe I’ll give it a try.”

“Oh, I want in on that book club,” Sabrina shot back. “I bet you’ve never read a book like it.”

“He hasn’t read many books at all,” Sawyer said with a huff. “He’s definitely never read Twilight.”

Was Sawyer trying to make him look bad? “I read all the time. I like to read.”

Sawyer turned his way, surprise plain on his face. “Dude, I was talking about before. You weren’t exactly a big reader. You didn’t have time between…”

Wyatt stood up. It was obvious this wasn’t going the way he wanted it to. “I need to check on the dessert. I made some brownies. They should be almost done.”

Maybe if he wasn’t in the room, he could reset the conversation. He pushed through the swinging doors separating the kitchen from the small dining room, holding his bowl and spoon.

Was he doing the right thing? Despite what he’d said to her, he meant to seduce her. They had days and days before anyone would be able to get up here. She didn’t have anyone in her life. There was nothing keeping her from enjoying a brief affair.

She didn’t know he meant to make it far longer than brief.

Of course it might never get off the ground if Sawyer had anything to do with it. He seemed determined to paint them both as poorly as possible.

Or he’s trying to get all the bad stuff out of the way.

She’d said she didn’t need to know about his past.

Because she thinks you were in an isolated, probably weirdly religious cult.

She was right about the cult part. His father’s MC ran much like a cult, only they worshipped money and power rather than any deity.

He set the bowl in the sink and took a long breath. He had kind of sprung this whole thing on Sawyer. He should have sat down with him and explained his plan. Wyatt was self-aware enough to admit he hadn’t because he’d known what Sawyer would say. Absolutely no. He would have told Wyatt to pursue her on his own if that was what he wanted. Oh, Wyatt knew if he’d said it was only about sex, Sawyer might have high-fived him and told him it was go time. It wasn’t like they hadn’t shared a couple of women over the past year.

But he had the strongest feeling it would be more than sex with Sabrina. He was serious about her, and it meant he had to find a way to get Sawyer serious about her, too.

He knew most people would tell him to leave Sawyer behind, but there was another instinct playing through Wyatt. It told him if Sawyer didn’t come with him, he would be alone for the rest of his life. Despite being an asshole of the highest order, Sawyer Hathaway was also one of the most generous men he’d ever met. He owed Sawyer. He liked Sawyer. He liked Bliss and how the people here lived their lives.

He wanted all of it. Wanted it badly enough he was willing to fight for it. If he had to fight a little dirty, he was okay with that, too.

He checked the brownies and pulled them out because they were done. He hoped they weren’t sitting in absolute silence, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe he’d been wrong to push so hard at first. They needed a night to relax and settle into the situation. In the morning, he could charm her. He had no illusions they would spend the next couple of days in bed. No. The next couple of days would be spent getting to know each other, seeing if she wanted to date them.

No matter what Sawyer said, he didn’t want some secretive affair with her. He wanted a normal relationship, wanted to be a part of the town with her. Sawyer was wrong. His background wasn’t so bad no one wanted him in Bliss. The sheriff knew and thought he was the sweet one. The sheriff wasn’t freaked out by his past.

Of course the sheriff didn’t know all of his past. The sheriff only knew the actual records. There was so much not contained in those reports.

If his brother ever discovered what he’d done…

His dark thoughts were broken by the sound of the phone ringing. At least the landlines were still working. He moved over to pick up the handset, pressing the button to accept the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Deputy Leal. I’m looking for my sister.”

Despite the fact that mere moments before he’d been thinking about his good relationship with law enforcement here, he felt his spine stiffen. “Hello, Deputy. She’s having supper right now. I’ll go and get her for you.”

“This is Wyatt, right?” the deputy asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Wyatt Kemp is my name, Deputy.”

“And mine is Elisa,” she replied. “Is she okay? Gemma didn’t tell me much more than she’s stuck on the mountain with the MC boys.”

He did not like the nickname. “Neither one of us has been in an MC for a long time. We’re out of the lifestyle.”

There was a pause on the line. “Sorry about that. Gemma doesn’t have much of a filter. Is my sister okay? I have to ask you because she won’t tell me. She’ll say whatever it takes to make me comfortable, and I need to know if I should risk trying to make it up there.”

“She’s fine. She’s not used to driving in this kind of weather, and she did have a little accident.”

The deputy gasped. “An accident?”

He probably should have set the conversation up better. “I think she hit a tree, but she’s perfectly fine. We got her a warm shower and dry clothes, and she’s got a room for the night. I’m pretty sure it locks if you’re worried about it.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I wasn’t worried about you or Sawyer hurting her, Wyatt. Sawyer’s grumpy, not violent. And you’ve become everyone’s go to when it comes to taking advantage of young, strong men. Do you think we don’t see you helping Teeny unload supplies or making sure someone else elderly in Bliss gets across the street okay? Look, I know you’ve got a rap sheet, but I also know how you grew up. You’re trying. Don’t let the badges fool you. This police department is genuinely concerned with the good of everyone in town. We get to know people. So that’s why I’m going to ask you to be careful with my sister.”

“Of course.”

“Because I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

Wyatt stopped. “I don’t… Okay, I like her.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with liking her. She’s a likable person, but she’s new here and she’s getting her feet under her. Go slow. Give her a chance to get to know you. She’s not the kind of woman who throws herself into a relationship,” Elisa explained. “And that is all the sisterly advice I’m going to give you. Be nice to my sister and we’ll be good. Now can I talk to her?”

It wasn’t a conversation he’d expected to have, but it had gone pretty well. “Of course. She’s in the dining room. I promise we’re ready for this storm. She’ll be fine here.” He pushed through the doors, and the first thing he saw was Bella licking stew off the floor.

And the second was Sawyer on top of Sabrina on the dining room table.

“I think she’s going to have to call you back, Deputy.”

Nope. He wasn’t getting anything he’d expected today.