“Mr. Lampton! You don’t have to hold him so tightly. He’s tied up pretty securely,” Cade laughed as the giant baker gripped the arms of Charles Lars who stood smoldering while Cade waited for the sheriff. Rose stood beside him with Daisy on her hip and Eliza by her side.
“The scoundrel looked at Eliza,” Kyle growled.
“My love, no one looks at a woman who is seven months pregnant,” Eliza added, rolling her eyes.
Kyle grinned. “Well, I sure do!” he winked.
Eliza blushed and looked down at her belly. “This is why I love your father so much,” she told her belly. “I’m going to go see if Anna needs help.” She threw an admiring smile to Kyle before leaving Rose.
“You can go inside, Rose,” Cade said. “Sheriff Ben should be here, and with this giant gingerbread man here—” he nodded to Kyle who laughed at the description proudly.
The trot of a horse caught Cade’s attention, and he waved a hand to Sheriff Ben now approaching them.
“Come look at this, Sheriff,” Cade motioned for him to join them.
Charles’s smoldering grin fell and his skin turned pale.
Ben sucked a tooth and frowned at Kyle. “And why is Tall Pine’s beloved baker holding this criminal?”
“Because I wanted to,” interjected Kyle.
Cade laughed. “Charles tried to escape at one point and Kyle tackled him to the ground—hence the missing tooth.”
Kyle shrugged. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I needed some way to let out my frustration.”
Ben chuckled and pulled out his handcuffs. “Well, let’s get this man jailed.” He looked back at Cade. “Jeffries in there?”
Cade nodded subtly. “It is a party, Ben, albeit one that started traumatically. Perhaps we should wait until your return to talk to him.”
Ben looked like he was about to disagree but finally nodded. “Very well,” he answered.
Rose looked curiously at Cade who shook his head and mouthed “Later.”
“Well, I am starving, so I think I will join everyone else,” Rose announced. She tilted her head at Charles, whose face was so swollen he could not even glare back. “Mr. Lars, I am afraid I won’t be seeing you at the hotel any time soon.” She lifted her brows smugly and walked away thinking about how good it felt to see that cad in handcuffs and how enticing it was to see Cade talk like a detective … so very enticing.
/
“What?” Rose nearly dropped the basket of food Meg had sent home with her. Cade turned around with a raised eyebrow. Daisy’s head sunk on his shoulder, her full lips drooping to the side with sleep.
“I said you’d be shocked.” He turned back to the house and walked up the porch. The party had gone late, and he didn’t want to tell her of the murders until they were home. “No more details for you; I don’t want you screaming out nightmares and waking Daisy.”
Rose knew he was teasing, but the comment struck her pride. “Ha! That is rich coming from you who had nightmares for a week straight after reading The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
Cade paused in the front room and turned around cupping Daisy’s head. “That is because it was about a glowing dog. Who wouldn’t be afraid of a glowing dog?”
A laugh escaped her lips. “Don’t worry, if we see one I’ll protect you. Unless you would prefer that I cry and tremble and wait for you to defend me.”
She walked over to her closet, opening the door. It all seemed so normal. Coming in after a long day, teasing her husband, having him watch her as he tucked Daisy into her crib. It was so natural that she did not even realize she was undressing.
She heard Cade say, his voice unusually low, “I don’t like tame roses. I like them wild and prickly.”
“Really, Cade?” she turned around, the robe in her hands, still in a teasing tone. “Prickly? How about wild and raw?”
Cade’s eyes darkened as he stared at her; the muscles in his neck clenched. “Put on the robe Rose,” he said slowly and deliberately.
Rose looked down at what she was wearing and let out a gasp. “Oh... I, oh,” she quickly put on the robe feeling her skin turn as red and hot as a poker. “Sorry, I um, go ahead and put the food away while I change, if you don’t mind.”
He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment as if contemplating whether or not he should obey. Finally, he looked away and walked towards the door. “Fine, but don’t get scared without me.”
Just as he passed her, Rose let out a little growl and shot out her hand to scratch the back of his shirt. She did not expect for him to whirl around and grab her arm before she could even touch him.
“Too slow, little kitty,” he grinned.
“You know I hate it when you call me that,” she laughed and tried pushing him away. She forgot how strong he was as she fought against his grip and finally shoved her whole weight into him. Cade skillfully used her momentum to spin her around and toss her on the bed with him lying directly on top of her.
They both were laughing as she struggled weakly, allowing herself to be pinned down.
“Pathetic, Rose,” he teased. “Do I have to teach you how to properly punch a man?”
“Oh, I know how to,” Rose lifted her chin. “I just know how fond you are of that pretty face; I didn’t want to make you cry by ruining it.”
He grinned, his mouth inching forward. “You’d have to hit me pretty hard to damage this face of mine.”
She narrowed her eyes and whispered, “Don’t tempt me.”
He dropped his head even lower, his nose skimming her skin, his hair falling over his eyes.
Steel, lumber, rain, fresh cotton shirts, all the smells associated with Cade washed over her as her body yearned for the feel of him. Rose held her breath as Cade’s eyes fell on her lips. His fingers dug into her forearms and she could feel his heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings.
Then, suddenly, he stood up, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. “I’ll eat in my room tonight,” he said briskly and stomped out of the room.
Rose sat up, reaching for her nightdress and taking a deep breath to counter the trembling throughout her muscles. She was so close. So close to giving in, to allowing herself to be close to him, intimate and loving.
“Dear God,” she placed her head in her hands. “What is wrong with me?”