Eternity Springs naked and spread-eagled on her bed, his wrists cuffed to her iron bedstead, flashed into her brain. He removed them from his belt and dangled them before her eyes. Temptation, like the apple from the tree.
In self-defense, she scrambled off his lap and sat on the far end of the swing. “I should be insulted. We’ve never even been on a date.”
“Want to go to dinner tomorrow night?”
She closed her eyes. Yes. “No. It’s a bad idea, Zach. Any minute now I’m going to be horrified by what just happened.”
“Why? We’re two single adults.”
“Like I said. You’re a cop.”
“Sheriff. And what does that have to do with … wait.” He scowled at her. “Wait just one damned minute. You’re not comparing me to your ex, are you?”
Of course she compared him to Kyle. That man had fooled her completely, hadn’t he? Experience had proved that she had no sort of judgment where men were concerned, hadn’t it?
Yes, everything she knew about Zach pointed toward him being a stand-up guy. But like they say, Been there, done that, got the orange prison jumpsuit to prove it. Dodging the question, she said, “Look, I’m not myself tonight. I’m still on a post-party high.”
His scowl darkened. “You’re not claiming that I took advantage of you.”
I wish. She shook her head. “Absolutely not. You should know I value truth more than just about anyone you’ll ever meet.”
“That’s understandable considering what happened to you.”
The unstated support of her version of the tale warmed her like brandy on a cold winter night. It also made her vulnerable. She couldn’t go there with this man. She was finally getting on with her life, and he would be a complication. A delicious complication, true, but … “Look, Zach. It’s been a very busy day and I honestly don’t know what I’m feeling tonight. I think it’s best for both of us that you leave now.”
“Here’s your soap; what’s your hurry?”
“Don’t be difficult. Please?”
“All right.” He sighed dramatically and stood, but the gleam in his eyes showed her he had no hard feelings. “Want me to drop off your deposit for you?”
Savannah opened her mouth to say no and surprised herself. “Yes, thank you. That would be very nice. Wait here and I’ll get you the bag.”
“So you do trust me.”
“With my money, yes.”
“That’s a start.” He laughed and grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. He bent and gave her another thorough, knee-melting kiss. “Good night, Peach.”
Once she handed him her money bag, Sheriff Zach Turner picked up his bag of soap and headed around the side of her house with a wave and a parting comment guaranteed to haunt her through the night: “Guess I’ll just go home alone and take a bubble bath.”
Memorial Day weekend kicked off the Eternity Springs summer season with a bang—literally. The Wounded Wings One Hundred charity bike race, which wound through the mountains above Eternity Springs on a hundred-mile-long route, started on a pistol shot. The streets bustled with people, and in shops and other businesses all over town cash registers dinged and beeped and rang up a satisfying number of sales.
The bike race kept Zach busy, but not so much that he didn’t spare a thought or twelve about a certain shopkeeper.
He’d spent a restless night following the open house. Sexual frustration and mental puzzles clamoring to be studied didn’t make for comfortable sleep. After devoting considerable thought and a good bit of fantasy to the events of the evening, he’d concluded that Savannah likely did look at him through eyes clouded by her experience with a dirty cop, and that he needed to do something to change that.
He wasn’t that guy. He wasn’t like any of the men who had let her down throughout her life, and she needed to know that. He decided to make convincing her of that a personal challenge.
After his bike race duties ended, he strolled his patrol route through town and supported local business by stepping into the Taste of Texas Creamery and ordering two cones. Five minutes later, having increased his pace so that the ice cream didn’t melt, he slipped into Heavenscents just as a pair of tourists took their leave.
Savannah stood at her register ringing up a customer. Otherwise, the shop appeared empty. Perfect timing. Gallantly he held the door open for her departing customers, then offered her the cone. “Can I tempt you?”
She gave him a droll look but accepted the ice cream. “I’m a sucker