Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
S unny was still in a state of shock when Jesse drove her to the sheriff’s office.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “Reid is the last person that would do anything criminal.”
Jesse shrugged. “Maybe it’s another one of Sophie’s pranks.”
“It’s possible. But I think she’s learned her lesson about pulling pranks and she was adamant that I needed to get here as quickly as—” She cut off when they passed Nothin’ But Muffins. Her eyes widened.
Someone had painted the sign again. And not just with one t . They had completely painted over Muffins in white and had started writing something else in neat block letters.
Jesse finally noticed the sign and stopped the truck in the middle of the street. “Are you sure Sophie’s done with pranks?”
“It wasn’t her. The letters are too concise. Sophie is a messy painter. Whoever did this used a stencil.” She read the sign. “Nothin’ But LO’? What does that mean?”
“Nothin’ But Lobster? Maybe the kid likes seafood and ran out of room.”
She laughed. “Doubtful. Since the letters are capital, maybe it’s an abbreviation for something. Kids nowadays love their texting abbreviations.”
“Little Oddball?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t ever become a contestant on Wheel of Fortune , Jess.”
Jesse laughed as he pulled into a parking space in front of the sheriff’s office. He turned off the engine and sent her an understanding look. “Do you want me to take care of this? You can wait in the truck if you aren’t ready to see him.”
Sunny shook her head. “I’ll have to see him sooner or later.” Besides, she was more than a little curious about what had caused strait-laced Reid Mitchell to get arrested—if he had gotten arrested and this wasn’t one of Sophie’s pranks.
Sunny didn’t know what to expect when she pulled open the door of the sheriff’s office, but it wasn’t Decker sitting in Melba’s chair holding Holly Joy in one arm and a tiny gray kitten in the other. Holly was squealing and waving her pudgy arms with excitement trying to get to the cat.
“Now, Holly,” Decker said above the racket. “Remember what Mama said about bringing home more animals. So don’t be gettin’ too attached.”
Holly released another squeal and clasped and unclasped her chubby fingers until Decker sighed. “Well, maybe one little kitten won’t hurt anything.”
Melba came out of the bathroom. “Of course a tiny kitten won’t hurt anything. George Strait and Dixie Chick will love Loretta Lynn.” She noticed Sunny standing by the door and smiled and winked at her before she held out her hands to Decker. “Give me Holly and put Loretta Lynn back in her crate. She needs to rest up before she meets those two ornery dogs of yours.”
Decker handed the cute baby to Melba. “You aren’t going to be happy until I have a zoo, are you, Mel?”
“Nothin’ wrong with a zoo.” Melba kissed Holly Joy’s chubby cheek. “You just need to make sure you have lots of these sweet ‘thangs’ to help you take care of all your animals.”
Decker shook his head as he put the cat back in the crate. When he was finished, he turned to Sunny. “I guess you’re here to see our prisoner.” He waved a hand. “Follow me.”
Sunny was stunned when Decker led her down the hallway that led to the jail cell. “You really did lock up Reid? How could you do that, Decker? Reid’s a good man. I’m sure whatever he did wasn’t bad enough to be thrown in jail.”
Decker stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. “You didn’t see the Nothin’ But Muffins sign?”
She stared him. “Reid did that?”
He nodded before continuing down the hallway. “Caught him red handed after I got a call from Mrs. Stokes.”
“But why?”
Decker unlocked the door at the end of the hallway and held it open for her. “I think you’ll need to ask him yourself.”
She stepped through the doorway and found Reid lying on the bottom bunk of the jail cell. When he saw her, he quickly rolled to his boots. Boots that were splattered with black paint. As were his T-shirt and jeans. His hair was messed like he’d been running his fingers through it and his eyes held too many emotions to read. Especially when she was feeling so many herself. Shock. Confusion. Heartache. And the overwhelming need to dive into his arms and never let him go.
Thankfully, the bars kept her from humiliating herself.
“W-W-Why?” she sputtered.
He shrugged. “It seemed to help get rid of the icky feelings for you and Sophie.”
“You have icky feelings?”
He took a step closer. “I feel icky about the way I treated you. And I’m sorry, Sunny. I’m so damn sorry for taking my fear of losing Sophie out on you.” He hesitated. “And it wasn’t just my fear of losing Sophie that had me saying things I didn’t mean. It was also my fear of losing you. Your parents might have made a lot of mistakes, but naming you wasn’t one of them. You’re like sunshine—warm, bright, and life giving. You certainly gave me new life. You burned away all the dark clouds surrounding me and made my world bright and shining. I’m terrified of losing that light. Even if you deserve better than an inept man who couldn’t even paint a four-letter word and declare his true feelings to you without getting caught.”
So LO wasn’t an abbreviation. It was a word. The only four-letter word Sunny could think of that started with L and O had her heart beating faster as Reid continued.
“I know you already have plans to move to Dallas, but you don’t belong in Dallas, Sunshine. You belong here with Corbin and Jesse and all the Holidays.” He moved closer to the bars and grabbed on to them. “You belong here with me and Sophie. I might not have a lot to offer a woman who has everything, but I can offer you one thing. I can offer you my heart. If the hole in my chest is any indication, you already have it. I love you, Sunshine Whitlock. I have nothin’ but love for you.”
Nothin’ But LOVE.
Sunny didn’t know what to do or say. Responsible, law-abiding Reid had broken the law and committed a crime for her. To tell her, and the entire town, how he felt.
She couldn’t hold back the tears even if she’d wanted to. They blurred her vision and splashed down her cheeks like heavy rain on a windshield. She heard the squeak of metal hinges before she was surrounded by male heat and hard muscle. Reid held her tightly as he brushed kisses on her head.
“I’m right here, baby. I’m right here.”
She was enjoying the pure pleasure of releasing her emotions while being securely cocooned in Reid’s strong arms when a thought struck her.
She drew back. “How did you get out?”
He grinned sheepishly. “It wasn’t locked. I talked Decker into pretending like he locked me up because I knew if you saw me in jail, your big ol’ heart would kick in and I’d have a better chance of winning you back.”
“So you weren’t arrested?”
“Nope. Thankfully, Decker believes in second chances . . . and true love.” He leaned in to kiss her, but before he could, she punched him hard in the stomach. His eyes widened in shock as his breath came out in a startled woof.
“How dare you play such a trick on me, Reid Mitchell! You worried me half to death. And poor Sophie. She’s probably back at the trailer wearing a hole in the rug, thinking you’re going to jail and she’s going to be parentless. I should kick your butt from one end of this town to the other.” She might have socked him again if he hadn’t wrapped her in his arms. His eyes were twinkling and his lips trembled with suppressed laughter.
Which made her even angrier.
“Just what is so funny, you lowdown lying snake?”
His smile broke free. “I’ve never seen you this mad before and you’re mighty cute when you’re ticked off.”
“I’ll show you cute.” She struggled to get out of his arms, but it was like struggling to get out of a steel cage . . . one that was locked.
“Now calm down, honey. Sophie was in on it. And we only lied for one reason and that was to get you back where you belong.” His arms tightened. “Right here in my arms. How can you be mad at that?”
“I’m mad because you tricked me when you could have just come to the bed-and-breakfast and told me how you feel.”
“After the way I acted, I figured you deserved a bigger declaration. I’ll climb up on a thousand roofs in the middle of the night and almost break my fool neck, paint a million signs, even go to jail. Whatever it takes to keep you from leaving. I don’t plan on letting you go, Sunny Brook.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Ever.”
With his words, the hard shell, that years of her parents’ desertion had placed around her heart, melted like ice cream on a hot Texas sidewalk. She stopped struggling as tears gathered in her eyes.
“Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place?” She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him. When she drew back, he was grinning from ear to ear.
“So you’ll stay?”
She tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but it was hard when she was getting everything she ever wanted. Someone who loved her enough to never let her go. “Since you went to so much trouble to keep me, I guess it would be really mean to leave. And I’m just not a mean person.”
Reid’s eyes narrowed. “That’s the only reason you’re staying?”
“As you pointed out, there’s my family. And Sophie. And my gallery that I’ve decided to fill with my art.”
“I’m happy for you, but there’s not something you want to say to me?”
She pretended to think for a moment. “Umm . . . nope.”
He growled like the big grumpy bear he was. “Nope? Do you or don’t you love me, Sunny Brook Whitlock?”
She released the smile she’d been holding. For the first time in a long time, she was smiling from the inside out. “You should already know the answer to that. I think I’ve made it pretty obvious that you’ve been stealing pieces of my heart ever since I first socked you in the arm at Thanksgiving.”
“Even when I was a grieving grump?”
“Even then.” She smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “I don’t want a man who hides his true feelings. I want to know what you’re feeling every moment of every day. And I’m not going to hide my true feelings from you either. I’m not all sunshine, Reid. I’m going to have grumpy days too. Can you handle that?”
“As long as you’re by my side, Sunny, I can handle anything.”
He kissed her.
It was filled with reverence and love and respect. She suddenly realized that all her life she had felt unworthy of love. From her parents. Her brothers. The kids at school. Even her Secret Sisters. But Reid had helped her realize that she was worthy. No matter how many pranks she’d pulled or how many fibs she’d told or how badly her paintings sold.
She deserved to be loved and cherished and never let go.
If the possessive way Reid held her was any indication, he intended to do just that.
And she intended to do the same.
She deepened the kiss and was seriously considering pushing him back into the jail cell to see how well they’d fit on the small bottom bunk when Sophie’s exclamation had them jumping apart.
“Uncle Reid!”
Sunny turned to see Sophie standing in the doorway with Patsy Cline cradled in her arm and an exasperated look on her face.
“You didn’t propose before I got here, did you?”
Sunny’s gaze snapped to Reid. He didn’t look at all surprised. In fact, he wore an extremely smug smile. “With an impressionable teenager in the house, I think it’s our only choice.”
“Of course it is.” Sophie walked into the room, letting the door slam behind her. “Y’all don’t want me thinking I can have sex without marriage, do you?” She set Patsy down and the rabbit started running laps in and out of the cell while Sophie gave Sunny a pleading look. “Say yes, Sunny. Please.”
Sunny felt like her heart was going to burst right out of her chest. She fully intended to jump right back into Reid’s arms and cover his face with kisses punctuated with yeses. But before she did . . .
“I have one condition.”
Reid gave her a loving look. “Anything, baby.”
She smiled wickedly. “You finish painting my sign.”