Chapter Eight
S adie’s heart pounded hard in her chest as she lifted on tiptoe to peek over Dale’s shoulder while he aimed his gun at the barn doors. Every muscle in his body was tense and coiled, ready for action. Tension hung thick in the air. Outside, the sound of footsteps grew louder.
Whoever it was, they were coming fast.
She glanced at Dale’s profile. His gaze was fixed on the door, his finger hovering near the trigger, apparently ready to protect her at all costs. Sadie held her breath, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins, sending her thudding heart into her throat.
This was real—dangerously real. She had seen Dale in action before, but never like this. Never with such cold, controlled intensity.
With the footsteps almost upon them now, Sadie wished she’d had her gun with her. Fat lot of good it did her in a lock box at home. She’d learned at a young age how to shoot and had a permit to carry. Glancing around, she spotted a pitchfork nearby and grabbed it, grateful to at least have some type of weapon. Just as she tightened her grip on the wooden handle and braced for whatever was about to burst through the door, the sound of a familiar voice broke through the tension.
“Dale? It’s Gabe.” The familiar voice was urgent but reassuring, cutting through her fear like a knife.
Her protector exhaled sharply, lowering his gun as the barn doors swung open to reveal Gabe and his two deputies, weapons in their hands. They stopped dead and their brows rose at the sight of them.
Sadie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her body sagging with relief. “Gabe,” she breathed, her voice shaky but grateful. “You scared the hell out of us.”
“You’re pretty scary yourself,” the sheriff countered. “You can put the pitchfork down now.”
Dale turned to look at her, his gaze shifting from hers to her weapon, then back again.
She shrugged. “What? I needed something. How else could I have your back?”
His lips twitched. “Thanks.”
She smiled and nodded.
“And, Jesus, Gabe,” Dale said, pivoting around to face his friend. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot first and ask questions later.”
“Sorry about that,” Gabe replied, his tone serious as he holstered his weapon. “Didn’t mean to spook you. We got here as fast as we could. Thought you would’ve heard our vehicles.”
Need had overridden all their senses because they’d been too busy kissing. But what a kiss. It’d been so much better than she’d ever imagined. Sweet and gentle had quickly turned into a hot, hungry search for each other’s tonsils. Even now, remembering the passion with which he’d ravaged her mouth sent heat rushing through her body again.
Feeling all eyes on her, Sadie busied herself with returning the pitchfork to where she found it, willing her face not to blush.
It did anyway.
Dammit.
Don’t look at them. Don’t make eye contact , she silently ordered when she had no choice but to turn around and walk back to Dale’s side.
Gabe regarded her closely, his gaze narrowing briefly before flicking to Dale. His lower lip twitched slightly but then it stopped. “So, tell us what’s going on.”
Her heart rocked, and for a crazy second, she thought the sheriff was asking about them until Dale answered, quickly explaining how they’d arrived to find the horses loose, wearing the halters she’d taken off them before putting them in their stalls that morning. Dale also told the sheriff about the unsettling sense that they hadn’t been alone, then pointed to the pile of charred fireworks behind them in the middle of the aisle.
Gabe’s expression darkened as he listened, his gaze sweeping the barn as if expecting trouble to jump out at any moment.
“All right,” the sheriff said once Dale had finished. “We’ll have a look around.” He nodded to his deputies, who immediately began searching the barn, their flashlights cutting through the shadows as they checked every corner.
While the deputies worked, Gabe turned back to Dale and Sadie, pulling out a notepad. “I’m going to need statements from both of you.”
They each took turns recounting what had happened, Dale’s voice calm and measured, while Sadie’s was tinged with the remnants of fear that still lingered in her chest. As they spoke, the reality of the situation settled in deeper, the sense of unease gnawing at the edges of her thoughts.
What in the world was actually going on?
Once the deputies completed their search, Gabe turned to Dale. “We’ll keep an eye on things here tonight, but I’d feel better if you didn’t stick around. Go home, get some rest, or go visit your father.”
Dale shook his head. “I’m staying. I’ll walk the grounds with you.”
The sheriff stared at her protector for several long seconds before muttering under his breath. Shock whispered through Sadie. She exchanged silent looks with the deputies. No one but Lyndsey had ever gotten Gabe to back down.
“Since I recognize that damn stubborn look and know you’re really not going to leave,” the sheriff said, “then I guess I have no choice but to let you tag along.”
Straightening her shoulders, she faced the man too. “And I still have to feed the horses.”
“I’ll handle it,” Dale said.
Sadie opened her mouth to protest, but he held out his keys, his expression leaving no room for argument. “Take my truck and go home. I’ll get dropped off by one of the deputies later.”
Before she could argue, Gabe chimed in with a nod. “I’ll drop him off myself, Sadie. You’re safe to head home.”
Again, she hesitated, not one to shirk her duties, but the look in Dale’s eyes told her he wasn’t going to budge. With a reluctant nod, she took the keys. “Be careful, okay?”
Dale’s gaze softened a fraction. “I will.”
Casting one last look at him, Sadie turned and made her way to the truck, her heart still pounding with the lingering adrenaline.
So that’s what it felt like…
Funny, Dale’s kiss had a similar heart-pounding, body-shaking effect.
She drove away with a smile on her face, and in the rearview mirror, the barn faded into the distance behind her. With luck, Dale, Gabe, and his men would find a clue that solved the mystery today.
A shiver raced down her spine, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were far from over.
By the time she turned off the driveway onto the road that led to Main Street in town, Sadie managed to quell her misgivings enough to concentrate on the miracle that had taken place in the barn.
Dale Taylor had kissed her.
After fourteen years, she’d finally gotten the kiss she’d always wanted.
Warmth spread through her body and brought a smile to her lips. And she hadn’t made the first move.
As Sadie drove down the familiar country road, the afternoon sun was bright in the beautiful blue sky shining over the fields and trees. Her mind drifted back to the barn and that amazing kiss.
It was a moment she hadn’t expected, a connection she hadn’t planned on, but it left her with a warmth in her chest she couldn’t quite shake. She smiled, remembering the feel of Dale’s hungry lips on hers, the way he’d held her close as if he didn’t want to let her go.
Lord knew she hadn’t wanted to let him go, despite being lightheaded and needing air.
The familiar chime of an incoming call interrupted her thoughts. She quickly dug her phone out of the purse that she’d forgotten she left in the truck.
The sight of the horses in the driveway had pushed all other thoughts from her brain at the time.
Glancing at her phone, she noted her cousin Harper’s name on the screen. Yes! She was beginning to wonder if her cousin was going to call her back. Harper had been unable to talk last night because she was busy helping her mother sort through things, deciding what to take with her to Florida or donate.
Sadie had gone through the same long but necessary process with her mother before her parents had moved, too.
Using the phone holder conveniently placed on the dash, she hooked her device into it and accepted the call.
Harper’s beautiful voice filled the air. “Hi, Cuz. What are you up to?”
Now? Nothing. But about a half hour ago, she’d finally been locking lips with the guy she used to doodle hearts around.
“Who, me? Just driving home from feeding the horses,” she replied, and not only did heat rush up into her face but her darn voice sounded breathless to her ears.
She just hoped her cousin hadn’t picked up on it.
“Really?” Harper’s voice dripped with curiosity and a tinge of mischief. “Why does it sound like you’re beet red and lying through your teeth?”
She laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play coy with me, Sadie Quinn. You sound breathless like you just kissed a movie star. Spill.”
More heat infused her cheeks.
Well, damn. She was never going to talk her way out of it now.
“Someone much, much better than a movie star,” she admitted with a sigh. “Dale and I might’ve…kissed.”
Harper’s indrawn breath rustled through the phone. “Wait—Dale? As in your high school crush, Dale?”
Sadie nodded. “Yes.”
Harper’s squeal of delight echoed around the cab. “Oh my God, finally! Tell me everything!”
Omitting the tension-filled moments and the part about the wandering horses, she gave a brief overview of the unexpected yet perfect kiss. Harper listened with rapt attention, occasionally throwing in a “Yes, girl!” or “I knew it!” that made Sadie laugh. It felt good to share a happy moment and something pretty miraculous with her cousin, someone who had always been her confidante.
“So, was it worth the wait?” Harper asked.
“Absolutely! It was beyond amazing” Sadie admitted, her smile widening, and her body heating at the memory.
Damn, Dale was potent. Just the thought of him made her breathless .
It was insane. She was stupid, but she didn’t care.
“He’s…he’s different, Harp,” she said, her voice sounding soft. “He isn’t like the guys I’ve dated before.”
Granted, one had been an eighteen-year-old when she had been a senior. And the other had been twenty-six when they’d parted after three years of dating. Austin had been fun-loving, creative, and free-spirited. She’d enjoyed her time with him but had always known he wasn’t the one. She’d wanted him to be, but he wasn’t, and she didn’t think she was the one for him either. Eventually, Austin had moved to Austin to be able to say just that and to improve his artistry. They’d parted with a lot of fond memories and no hard feelings.
In fact, he was one of her subscribers and avid supporters of her channel, and she, in turn, subscribed to and supported his art tutorial one.
“Of course, Dale is different,” Harper said, regaining Sadie’s attention. “He always was where you were concerned.”
She laughed. “True.”
“Plus, he is a former Navy SEAL. They’re a different breed altogether,” her cousin pointed out. “I’m so happy for you, Sadie. You deserve someone who sees how incredible you are.”
She swallowed past a suddenly hot throat. “So do you.”
Before her cousin could respond, a large, black SUV with dark tinted windows burst in front of her from a dirt road on her left, cutting her off.