Chapter 2 #2
What the heck is wrong with me? Granted, she hadn’t been with anyone since Jacques, and even that had been months ago. I wonder if he’s single. Who cared. He was nice to look at. It didn’t hurt to appreciate a man in uniform.
She watched the sheriff talking with Deputy Sawyer and inspecting the back seat of her vehicle.
The sheriff ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, creating a sexy windblown appearance.
He glanced in her direction. Kate could tell the sheriff wasn’t happy with his officer by the way the deputy studied his shoes. She couldn’t help but grin.
When the cruiser door opened, Kate dangled the handcuffs in front of the oh-so-sexy and irritated sheriff. He ground his teeth, didn’t say a word, and took the metal restraints from her. He tossed them to his stunned officer. “I’m sorry, Miss Davis. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”
The sheriff reached out to help Kate out of the car, and she placed her hand in his, wondering what his skin might feel like under the soft leather of his gloves.
His eyes were the color of dark chocolate, and he had long lashes any woman would desire.
Good thing she wasn’t made of snow, or she would have melted on the spot.
Nick glared at his officer and began escorting Kate to her vehicle.
She started to shake. She didn’t know if it was the cold or if her body had caught up to the adrenaline overload.
“Come on, let’s get you out of the cold. I’m Sheriff Nick Reid and if you’d like to file a complaint, stop by the police station. It’s a mile west of the church.”
“Thank you. I won’t be pressing charges.”
He kept her on the safe side of him, away from traffic. He smelled of fresh snow and pine. Yet the only thing fluttering through her mind was whether she had lied about her weight on her driver’s license. Of course she had. Though not by a lot.
Kate crawled in behind the wheel of her vehicle and started the engine, turning the heat on full blast. Sheriff Reid closed her door and placed a hand on the open window jamb.
She couldn’t help but stare at his strong jaw and close-cropped beard. She itched to run her fingers through his thick and wavy dark locks. Jacques’s hair was thinning, and it wouldn’t surprise her if he went bald in a few years. Hah!
The sheriff handed back her Illinois driver’s license. “Welcome to Deer Creek Falls, Kate.”
One side of his mouth tilted up, and her heart skipped a beat.
“Probably best to keep the catnip in a covered container instead of in freezer bags and open on the back seat.”
“I will. I don’t normally store it in the car.”
“So you’re a cat lady, huh?” His brow quirked.
Kate pursed her lips. “Yep. A spinster cat lady. You got me.”
She pushed the button to raise the window, and Sheriff Reid stepped back.
He might be off-the-charts gorgeous, but he’d just lost brownie points.
Didn’t he know better than to call a single woman a cat lady?
She only had two; it wasn’t like she had an entire vehicle full of them.
Men! This was one of many reasons she planned on staying single.
* * *
Nick grasped the steering wheel to help lift his aching limbs into his SUV and called dispatch to sign off for the day. He’d deal with his deputy later. All he wanted to do was relax on the couch with his feet up.
Damn. He was such an idiot. Why would he call her a cat lady?
Normally he would let something like this go, not caring if he offended someone while doing his job, but he couldn’t.
Her first impressions of the sheriff’s department didn’t sit well with him.
He could only imagine what she must think of him and their small town. He didn’t know why, but it upset him.
Lost in thought, he drove past the old church, the SUV’s headlights reflecting against the familiar trailer parked in the back. Without a second thought, he turned around and parked next to the small cargo trailer.
He glanced into the window of Kate’s vehicle. She had removed the catnip. He should go home. Relax and watch the game. Instead, he climbed the church steps and knocked. He ran a hand through his hair as she opened the door.
Kate’s brown eyes widened in surprise. “Hello, Sheriff. I hope you didn’t come to arrest me. As you witnessed before, I have a knack for getting out of handcuffs, so you’d be wasting your time.”
His smile widened at the little spitfire in front of him. “Believe me, if I handcuffed you, I’d make it difficult for you to resist.”
Kate’s eyes skimmed his body, and she swallowed.
What the hell? He kept putting his foot in his mouth around her.
Why did he think flirting with the newest townie was a good idea?
Kate wore pink pajama bottoms with the seven dwarves on them and a tight-fitting long-sleeved white waffle shirt.
He cleared his throat and looked past her into the house.
“I wanted to see if you needed help with unloading the trailer. But I see you’re already relaxing. ”
Kate’s cheeks turned pink, and she glanced down at her attire. “Umm—just getting comfortable so I can unpack some kitchen boxes.”
“Need any help?” He was an idiot. Why would she want help from a stranger, a police officer who, through association, had had her handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car? It didn’t exactly scream Welcome to Deer Creek Falls, we’re glad you’re one of us now!
It surprised him when Kate stepped back and welcomed him in. She wore furry cat slippers. Adorable.
She led the way toward the kitchen island. The aroma of turkey and stuffing made his stomach growl. Apparently she heard, because she glanced his way and smiled.
“Would you like to share my leftovers, Sheriff? I have plenty . . . I mean, if you don’t mind sharing with a cat lady.” Her bangs fell into her eyes, and she swiped them back behind her ear.
“About that. I’m sorry. I meant to say you like cats. Only a statement.” He hadn’t stumbled this badly since high school when he tried to ask Jane Olson to the prom. “Please call me Nick. And for the record, I like cats too.”
Kate placed another paper plate next to her own and dished out a hearty portion of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing for Nick. “Sit before you fall over.” She was thankful her aunt had packed paper products with the leftovers.
“I look that tired, huh?” Nick pulled out a counter stool and sat. “Great kitchen. You must like to cook.”
“I do, but I prefer baking.” She pulled the plate out of the microwave and placed it in front of him. “Check to see if it’s hot enough.”
He took a bite of the mashed potatoes, nodded, and swallowed. “Definitely hot enough.”
“What would you like to drink? Alexis, my contractor, left me a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer, and a few cans of soda. I don’t drink soda, so it’s all yours if you want it.”
“I know Alexis. She and her crew do nice work. I’m off duty, so I’ll take a beer. I don’t drink soda either.”
Kate left a space between them and sat. She decided she didn’t care what Nick Reid thought of her attire. It wasn’t like she planned on dating the handsome sheriff.
She glanced at his ring finger. No ring, which excited her but also had her reaching for water. You’re getting ahead of yourself, Kate. Stop fawning over the sexy sheriff. You’re not looking for a boyfriend.
Nick’s deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“This is good. I couldn’t have dinner with my family yesterday. I’m sure I have leftovers waiting in my fridge at home.”
“You had to work?” She remembered a lot of holidays with only her mother because her father was on duty.
“Yep. I have a rookie deputy. You met him earlier,” he joked.
Kate swallowed and grabbed her water glass again. His expression was warm. It was hard to ignore a man like this, even if he didn’t fit into her plans to start over on her own. “I thought he might be a rookie.”
“Oh yeah? Have you run into many rookies?”
“I have. My dad is a retired captain, Chicago PD. He’s the one who taught me how to remove handcuffs.”
“Impressive.”
Over the course of the meal, she shared her plans for renovating the old church, and he gave her a bit of background on the area. Eventually, she pushed her empty plate to the side.
“Are you from a big family, Kate?” he asked.
“Nope. Only child,” she said. “How about you?”
“I’m the oldest, then Garrett, Cole, and Chloe. My parents own the Deer Creek Lodge.”
“Oh, Chloe who owns Rural Chic Boutique? Your mom is Ruth?”
“She is. I take it you’ve met?”
“Yes. When I was in town to purchase the church. I stayed at the lodge. They’re both very nice.”
“Thanks. What about your parents? Are they still in Chicago?”
“No. They retired to Florida a few years back. They’re having a blast.” Kate cleared Nick’s plate and remained standing. “My mom’s sister lives in St. Paul, so I spent Thanksgiving with her before coming here. It helped break up the drive. Can I offer you another beer, Sheriff?”
“Nick,” he said. “No. I should head home. I wanted to apologize for earlier.”
“Thank you, Sher—Nick.” Kate walked him to the door. “All is forgiven.”
“Thanks for dinner, Kate. I’ll see you around.”
Kate watched Nick climb into his vehicle and waved. She was in so much trouble.