Chapter Six

The next morning Sasha dressed with more care than if she’d been going to tour a rental apartment on her own. She opted for a yellow sleeveless sundress with white lace stitched around the scooped neck and five rows of the same crocheted cotton lace rising up from the hem. The hemline and neck were modest and not an appliquéd school bus or crayon in sight. The humidity was lower today, so she’d elected to leave her hair loose. Yup, decreased humidity was the explanation and nothing to do with not wanting to look “all teachery.” She wasn’t vain, but she knew her hair looked best left loose to fall around her shoulders.

She gathered up her things, checking to be sure she had her checkbook in case she needed it for a rental deposit. Zipping her purse closed, she realized Remy had never explained much about the rental. He was a master at distraction. Jimmy had been good at that, too. Was it a cop thing, or was she easily distracted? She’d have to put a stop to that. She was done playing roles assigned to her by others or being swallowed up by forceful personalities.

Rose Creek was her home now, and she was determined to make it on her own. Her parents, who’d retired and moved to Arizona, had tried to persuade her to move to Scottsdale, but she knew they would dote on her. As much as she loved them, she was done being smothered. She could take care of herself. Sure, she was interested in dating, but she had no intention of tying herself down to a man again right now. Especially not to too-sexy-for-his-boots Sheriff Fontenot.

Which is why you changed your outfit six times, right? She pushed the thought from her head as she glanced one last time in the mirror.

“Now, behave yourself while I’m gone,” she cautioned Henry, who opened his eyes but didn’t move from his spot where the sunlight was hitting the bed.

After checking her watch, she opted for taking the stairs. She came out of the stairwell as Remy, dressed in jeans and a NOPD T-shirt, entered the lobby. He stumbled a bit on the smooth floor when he spotted her. She had to appreciate the way he recovered and the sexy little grin he wore.

“Don’t you just look good enough to eat, cher.”

“Not all teachery? Hmm?”

He chuckled. “You’re never going to let me live that faux pas down, are you?”

It was her turn to grin. “Not likely.”

With a nod to the desk clerk, they went through the glass double doors to the parking lot. A bright blue sky and low humidity greeted them. Sasha chuckled.

“What’s that for?” Remy glanced at her.

“That’s me being mean. According to the Weather Channel this morning, they’re in for a spring snowstorm back home.” She walked beside him to his car.

“Back home?” He tilted his head as he gazed at her and pressed the key fob to unlock the car. “Isn’t Rose Creek home now?”

“Huh…you’re absolutely right.”

“So, I’m more than a badge and a cheap haircut?” He opened the passenger door.

She got into the car. “Isn’t fishing for compliments beneath you, Sheriff?”

He leaned over, his arm resting on the doorframe. “Nothing is off the table where you’re concerned, Miss Honeycutt.”

A thrill ran through her, and she averted her head to fasten her seatbelt. He shut the door and hustled around the front.

He got into the driver’s seat and started the car’s powerful engine, then turned to look at her before backing out. “I want to be sure of one thing before we go to look at this place. Henry is an indoor cat, right?”

She frowned. Was this rental going to be off the table before she even got to look at it? “Yes, but he’s been neutered and litter box trained and I’ve never had any problems. I can pay a pet deposit, if the owner is concerned about—”

“You misunderstand me. I asked because there’s a series of creeks running past the house in the woods.”

Her frown deepened. Where was this going? “I can’t imagine Henry going near the water or—”

Remy pressed his index finger into a furrow between her eyebrows, a sensuous glow in his dark eyes as he gently twisted his fingertip.

It was just a fingertip, and he barely made contact, but that touch was causing her senses to sizzle and snap. She swallowed and tried to get things back on track. “Remy? My cat?”

“Right.” He dropped his hand and put the car in Reverse. “I mentioned it because I can’t totally rule out alligators.”

“Alligators in Texas?”

He slipped on a pair of Ray-Bans. “Yeah, we’ve posted Keep Out signs at the border, but those wily creatures ignore them.”

She rolled her eyes but had to admit she enjoyed his teasing. “Very funny.”

“If you like that, I’ve got some more.”

She tutted her tongue before saying, “I’m not sure I could take much more.”

“You’d be surprised, cher.” He inched the sunglasses down with his finger and met her gaze. “Still interested?”

“I told you, I can’t date the parent of a— Oh, you meant about the rental because of the alligators.” She wished she had a pair of dark glasses to hide behind, but she’d forgotten them on the desk in her room. Not that a measly pair of sunglasses could hide her embarrassment anyway. The bane of living with pale skin.

He pushed his sunglasses back into place and backed out of the parking space. “We can discuss the other if you’d like.”

“No thank you,” she said firmly, her hands folded in her lap. “Besides, it’s not like Henry tries to dash out whenever I come or go. I’ll just be extra vigilant and guard against illiterate alligators.”

He burst out laughing and reached for her hand. “As if that hair and those legs weren’t enough, I find out there’s a sense of humor hiding in there. You’re going to be lethal, cher. Maybe I should be warnin’ the gators.”

A smiled played about her lips. She couldn’t resist that sexy laugh. “You could post signs, but I hear those aren’t always effective.”

He squeezed her hand. “Where have you been all my life?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Running away from men like you?”

“Ouch.” He let go of her hand as he pulled onto the road and merged into the light traffic.

“Did Evie get off to her birthday party okay?” Maybe a change of topic would help dispel some of the tension sparking between them. If not, she was in danger of melting into a puddle at his feet. Not exactly a good way to convince him she was serious about not getting involved.

“She did.” He checked the mirrors before changing lanes. “This place is on the other side of town. It’s right on the edge but within the town’s limits.”

“In other words, still in your jurisdiction.” Not that it mattered. Her thoughts had been on him when he’d been a nameless stranger in a piano bar.

“Yep, you can call me with your complaints.” He smoothly merged into the traffic. “Not to mention, you get weekly trash pickup.”

“By you?”

“Ha-ha.” He stopped at a red light. “Unless, of course, you have some sort of fantasy I could fulfill?”

She shook her head slowly and rolled her eyes. No need for any extra fantasies where Remy Fontenot was concerned. She had enough for a movie and not Fellini this time but the X-rated kind.

“It was worth a shot,” he said as the light changed.

“I doubt you get many complaints. Everyone seems to love you.” She’d bet half the women in the town had fantasies about him. Let’s keep that observation to ourselves.

He huffed out a breath. “Until they get a parking or speeding ticket.”

“That won’t be a problem. I’m very law abiding.”

“I’m sure if we put our heads together we could come up with a few laws for you to break.”

“I’m sure you could, but I do want to thank you for warning me about the alligators. I know he’s just a cat to some, but he is my cat.” And that little speech cemented her cat lady status.

He gave her a quick sideways glance. “So that makes both of you important to me.”

Sasha’s stomach did a little flip. How was she supposed to stay casual when he said stuff like that? It had been a long time since she’d been important to anyone but her cat. And she suspected Henry tolerated her because she fed him.

…

So that makes both of you important to me. Remy groaned inwardly. What kind of sappy talk was that?

She was more skittish than her cat. He needed to take this slow, not scare her off. But Sasha Honeycutt was worth every bit of time and attention.

What else was he supposed to talk about? How about how her bare legs in his peripheral vision fueled fantasies spawned by last night’s dreams?

Finally he pulled the Charger into a driveway that curved around the front of an immaculately maintained, white two-story home. The brick sidewalk was an invitation to climb the three steps onto an open front porch that ran the length of the home. A white-painted wooden door with three narrow vertical windows inset into the top divided the front of the house in half. Floor to ceiling windows flanked by black shutters on each half. Black-painted swings hung from the ceiling on each end of the porch and four simple box columns supported the roof. The place reminded him of Sasha…sunny, welcoming, and traditional.

He removed his sunglasses and put them on the dash. “What do you think?”

“I love it. It’s gorgeous.” She turned to him and smiled.

“You need to see inside before you pass judgment.” He swallowed as the force of her smile made his chest expand.

She frowned suddenly. “I couldn’t possibly afford a place like this…are you sure the price you quoted me is correct?”

He nodded when her gaze flicked to him. “Verified it with the owner this morning. Don’t forget you’re not in the northeast. Housing is less expensive here.”

She undid her seatbelt, and he got out of the car. He hurried around to her side, but she had already stepped out. Standing staring at the house, she looked as though she was about to perform one of those dance moves like Evie when she was excited. The thought made him glad he was able to arrange the rental.

“I…gosh, I don’t know what to say. This is prettier than anything I could’ve imagined.” She gazed lovingly at the home.

For the first time in his life, Remy was envious of an inanimate object, but he was glad he could make her happy. That’s what he wanted. He liked seeing her smile, knowing he’d put it there. Wanting to please her had nothing to do with losing control. No, everything was working out exactly as he’d planned last night.

“Are you sure there’s no catch?”

“Absolutely,” he assured her. “I heard the owner was thinking of renting it out so I contacted him on your behalf.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Tell him I’ll take very good care of it.”

He pulled a key out of his pocket. “I’m sure you will.”

“Why is he renting it out?” she asked as she followed him onto the porch.

“He works in the oil industry and took an extended overseas contract. I’ve kept an eye on the place for him, but having someone living here will be even better.” He inserted the key into the lock. An image of carrying Sasha over the threshold popped into his mind. Whoa, don’t get ahead of yourself, there.

She glanced around the porch. “This would be beautiful with planters and flowers and some bright pillows on the swings. Yellow, I think. Does he need a security deposit? Because of Henry?”

“I vouched for your character. Told him those rumors flying around about you were—”

Her mouth popped open, and she sputtered. “Rumors? What rumors? What are you talking about?”

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Teasing and watching her spark was way too enjoyable. Inside that conservatively wrapped package was a stick of dynamite. “Something about you kissing a stranger in a bar in—”

She exhaled loudly. “You’re terrible. You had me believing you.”

“Terrible? And here I was chivalrous and assured him the entire incident was…let’s see, what was that word I used…?” He snapped his fingers. “Aberration! I told him it was an aberration.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “Despite your despicable behavior, I can’t thank you enough for this. I never expected to find such a wonderful place.”

“Despicable? Again with the barbs. I…”

But one look at her grin and words flew out of his head. What had he been going to say? All he could do was stare at her mouth.

Kiss her, an inner voice shouted. But he didn’t want to scare her off. Last time he kissed her, she’d fled. He needed to take it slow, gain her trust. She was worried about her job, and he shouldn’t ignore that if he wanted her trust. Sasha was understandably cautious, but he would get around that. In the meantime those eminently kissable lips were—

Beep. Beep.

The spell broken, they jumped back, looking to the street. Someone in a rusty old pickup drove past, a hand waving through the open window.

Sasha took a step back. “Who was that?”

He shrugged. “Could have been any number of people or just a friendly stranger.”

He should be rejoicing the interruption. Last thing he wanted was to scare her off by rushing. Sasha wasn’t like the last woman he’d dated, who’d been all over him. But then, he couldn’t imagine that last woman enjoying a family supper with him and Evie. Nor could he imagine the sultry weather girl from a local station in New Orleans discussing Eloise books with his daughter. Is that why he’d picked someone who lived so far away from Rose Creek? To make it easier to keep those parts of his life separate and protect Evie? But this time it appeared his daughter was taking matters into her own hands.

He shook his head to disperse troublesome thoughts and opened the front door with a flourish. “After you.”

…

Sasha hesitated for a moment, trying to gather her scattered thoughts and let her heart slow to its normal rhythm. She’d been convinced Remy was going to kiss her again before that pickup driver honked his horn. And she had wanted it, had started to close her eyes in anticipation, had even started to lean—

“Sasha?” Remy was looking down at her, a puzzled frown marring his handsome face. “Don’t you want to go in?”

“Of course.” She gave herself a mental shake, then stepped inside knowing she would love the interior as much as the exterior.

The foyer was tiny but everything was white; even the wood floors and steps leading upstairs were whitewashed, so the small area was bright and airy. The unadorned windows let in light and gave the area a spacious feeling.

The hardwood floors continued into the small but cozy living room. The wheat-colored upholstery on the couch and chair mixed well with the light teal walls and teal accents.

“The owner said you can use his furniture or put it into storage. Whichever you prefer.”

“What about his wife? Won’t she mind having her things put into storage?”

He tilted his head. “What makes you think he’s married?”

“This place has a woman’s touch,” she said as her gaze swept the room, taking in the throw pillows on the couch but pausing at the lack of any memorabilia. “Or had one.”

“Had. His wife died two years ago, and that’s why he’s been taking overseas assignments. Can’t face living here without her and can’t bring himself to sell it, either.” Remy sighed and rubbed a hand over his jaw.

Sasha nodded. Leaving the home she and Jimmy had shared had felt as if she’d abandoned Jimmy. Shaking off the old life and expectations of widowhood had been freeing, but acknowledging her old life with its dreams and expectations was well and truly over had been hard. But she was ready for her new life.

“Sasha?” He waved his hand in front of her face.

She blinked several times to clear away the cobwebs and memories.

“Thought I lost you there for a minute.”

His movements released his familiar spicy scent, doubling her heart rate, quickening her breath. She shifted and moved away from him.

He eyed the distance she’d put between them but didn’t try to close it. “Will you need help moving in? I can round up some guys to help.”

“Thanks. Most of my things are in storage. Since this place is already furnished, I may leave my big items there.” She liked most of the furniture items and they fit so well in the house.

“Like I said, you can put his things in storage if you’d rather have your own with you.”

She shook her head. “I’ll just bring some smaller items myself in a couple trips. This will be temporary unless the owner decides to sell.”

He stalked toward her, closing the distance between them. “Why don’t you want my help?”

She stood her ground. “I didn’t say I didn’t want your help. If I decide to bring things I can’t handle, I’ll be sure to call you.”

“And I’ll come running, cher.” He licked his lips.

She glanced away. “I think we need to see the rest of the place.” Before I do or say something I’ll regret.

They toured the remainder of the snug home. There was a half bath off the hallway leading to a pleasant kitchen in the back of the house. She loved the sun-room off the kitchen and could imagine spending a lot of time out there. Upstairs were two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

Back downstairs, she asked, “Are you sure the owner doesn’t mind renting it to me? Rumors aside, that is.”

He grinned. “I told you before, he’s fine with it. Said it was a relief to know someone is looking after the place.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I am.” He checked his watch. “Now for some lunch.”

“Don’t you have to pick up Evie?”

“Not for several hours yet.” He reached for her hand and linked his fingers through hers. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Bossy much?”

“What can I say? I’m a take charge kind of guy.”

So I noticed. He’d taken charge of her kiss in New Orleans. She used the excuse that she owed him for finding her this wonderful rental to cave in and join him. Lunch in town wasn’t a date, and no one could turn it into something it wasn’t.

They drove back to town. Sasha admired again Rose Creek’s main street with its brick storefronts, many with colorful awnings and planters full of flowers on the sidewalk.

Remy found a parking spot in front of a small café she’d noticed several times on her way through town. Her temporary residence was on the outskirts, so she tended to frequent those places. She had a feeling this café was one of those gathering spots so unique to small towns. Remy chose a booth by one of the large windows. Margie’s Kitchen was stenciled in white letters on the glass, and the shadows from the lettering fell on the tabletop.

“Howdy, Sheriff.” A sixtyish waitress with spiky auburn hair set a couple of menus down on the table. She had a butterfly tattoo on the inside of her wrist. “Enjoying a day off?”

Remy’s gaze rested on Sasha. “You better believe it. Best one I’ve had in ages. Juanita, this is Sasha Honeycutt. She’s the new second grade teacher at the elementary school.”

“Ah, that explains why my grandson is already looking forward to second grade.” Juanita grinned at Sasha. “What you want to bet we’ll suddenly have more fathers volunteering and attending school functions?”

Sasha smiled, but she could feel her cheeks heating. “Of course it’s nice to have both parents involved, but I can’t date the parent of a student.”

“Isn’t Evie a second-grader?” Juanita’s puzzled glance jumped between Remy and Sasha.

“Oh, this isn’t a date.” Sasha motioned her hand between her and Remy. “It’s…it’s…nothing like that.”

Why wasn’t Remy saying anything? Sasha gave him a you-can-jump-in-anytime glare.

Juanita cleared her throat and rested a hand on the top of her order pad. “So, separate checks?”

“Yes,” Sasha said at the same time as Remy answered “No.”

Juanita licked her lips. “Well, okay…why don’t I take your drink orders and we’ll worry about the rest later.”

Sasha watched as the chirpy waitress was stopped by another customer as she made her way to the beverage station. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but Sasha didn’t like the way Juanita and the man she was speaking with kept glancing back at them with speculative expressions.

“Why didn’t you say something? This isn’t a date and you know it.” Sasha unfolded and refolded her napkin, trying to square up the corners. Keeping her hands busy usually helped her focus. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work around the sexy sheriff. She couldn’t remember getting this flustered over a guy since middle school.

Remy reached across the table and laid his hand on top of hers, stilling her movements. “I apologize, cher. Do you want me to make an announcement?”

Sasha jerked her head up. “Announcement?”

“Yeah, you know, I could stand up and tell everyone this isn’t a date.” He chewed on his bottom lip as if to keep from laughing.

Of all the… She yanked her hand away from his. “Are you crazy? That-that would just make it worse.”

“How about”—he leaned across the table—“if I handcuff you? We can tell everyone I arrested you.”

She scowled at him, but she wasn’t totally without a sense of humor, and it was kind of funny. Not that she was about to let him know that. “Be serious.”

“Oh, darlin’, believe me, if we’re using handcuffs, things have gotten very serious.” Remy glanced around as if to see who was listening. “For all they know, we could be talking about schoolwork. Although, if you keep turning those pretty shades of red, everyone here’s gonna know we’re talking more than readin’ and writin’.”

She glanced around the crowded café. Had the amount of customers doubled since they’d arrived? It’s lunchtime, Sasha, quit imagining things.

He glanced around at the other patrons and, when his gaze came back to her, he drew his eyebrows together. “Is dating me such a bad thing?”

Before Sasha could form a response, the waitress came back with their drinks. Sasha sighed. Keeping her hands busy wasn’t the answer. Reminding herself—and him—of the ethics rule about dating wasn’t helping, either. Nor was reminding herself of his occupation. She was already getting in too deep.