shoulder, “Sorry, I’m more of a hot cocoa kind of girl.”
She walked away, hips swaying like she knew he was watching. And he was. He was so focused on the way that fur trim flirted with her incredible heart-shaped backside, he didn’t even notice Logan had strolled up behind him until he spoke.
Sheriff Logan Miller stood on the station’s top step, looking amused as all get-out. Even though he was trained, well over six feet, and carried a badge and gun of his own, Noah could still take him. Didn’t stop the sheriff from saying, “That was entertaining. Watching a Tucker go down in flames always makes for a good night.”
“I was laying the foundation,” Noah replied.
“Or wasting your time.” Logan grinned. “In fact, you’re so far in the friend zone you don’t even see the zone.”
“I’ve been getting in and out of the friend zone since middle school. I’ve got her right where I want her.”
“Where’s that? Doing her chores?” Without waiting for an answer, Logan turned and entered the station. Noah followed.
“You weren’t close enough to see, but she was feeling it, too.”
Logan ushered him past the front desk and into the back office, laughing the entire way. By the time the sheriff sat his annoying backside behind the desk, Noah felt like strangling him.
“Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night,” Logan said.
Noah blew on his hands while rubbing them together. “Are you going to ask about my feelings next or offer me a hot cup of joe?”
Logan reached behind him and in a matter of seconds a Keurig machine whirled to a start and began percolating. Noah almost groaned when hot steam fogged the window that separated the sheriff’s office from the rest of the station.
Logan handed him a mug of coffee, then released a low whistle. “Never thought I’d see the day when Noah Tucker got all out of sorts over a little chill factor. City’s made you soft.”
“Was going to say the same about you.” Noah lifted a brow, then the coffee mug which read REAL MEN DO BALLET.
“Sidney bought me that for Father’s Day,” he said, grinning so big Noah couldn’t help but smile in return.
Logan was dad to the sweetest five-year-old on the planet. With her blond curls and adorable tiny-girl voice there wasn’t much Logan wouldn’t do to make her happy. After suddenly losing his wife a few years back, Logan worked hard to fill both parental roles, trying to give his little girl as normal a life as possible. Noah guessed that meant doing daddy-daughter ballet.
“How’s she doing?”
“Growing up too fast,” Logan said. “She started kindergarten this year. Already negotiated extra recess time for the class with her teacher.”
Noah laughed. “Sounds like you have a little lawyer on your hands.”
“Bite your tongue. One lawyer in the family is enough for me,” Logan said, referring to his sister-in-law, a local county prosecutor. “So what brings you home?”
“My boss had me running an Interview and Interrogation seminar up near Fort Worth yesterday, and I have another one in Texarkana a few days after Christmas. I planned on heading back to Austin in between, but Cody asked me to spend the holidays at the Crossing.”
Coming home always managed to put Noah on edge. Had he been out of his mind when he agreed to spend the entire holiday at his family’s ranch? He’d rather be waterboarded than spend even a night there, but when he’d heard his nephew’s wish was to spend Christmas morning with his favorite uncle, Noah packed his bags for a long winter’s trip.
“You been to the ranch yet?”
Noah took a sip of the hot coffee, not caring if it scorched his tongue. “Nope. Headed there now.” And already he was itching to leave.
“Tell Cody I’ll be there around seven.”
“Is there a game on I don’t know about?” Noah wasn’t all that into sports anymore. He didn’t have the time. But hanging out with old friends and tossing back a few sounded like a fun distraction.
“No, Little Mermaid Live is playing on TV tonight and Sidney asked to watch it with JT,” Logan said, referring to Noah’s nephew.
“How times have changed.”
No game. No beer. No old times to be had, it seemed. Cody was married with a son. Logan, who Krazy Glued all the principal’s furniture to the gymnasium ceiling, was now the town’s sheriff. The only thing that remained the same?
Noah was still scared to go home.
Chapter Two
Growing up the daughter of a convicted felon, Faith Loren