Daddy in Cowboy Boots (Montana Daddies #9) - Laylah Roberts Page 0,20

spat the gum into his hand. That was truly, truly gross. He moved away from her, throwing the gum in the trash can before he opened the door to the truck parked alongside the sidewalk. Shit. How had she missed him? She’d walked right into him.

How embarrassing.

He drew out a napkin from out of the truck. He quickly wiped his hand before leaning in and grabbing a bottle of water. He held it out to her.

“You’re not wrinkly and hairy.”

“Um, thanks, I think?” He gave her a strange look.

You’re talking out loud, Marisol.

“Here.” He wiggled the drink in his hand.

“Ahh, no thanks.”

“It’s new. I just bought it. Drink.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t. You’ll need it.”

“Marisol,” he said in a commanding voice.

“Besides, I’m fine. Not thirsty at all.” Except her voice was all raspy from her choking fit and that bottle of water was looking mighty tempting.

“Are you always this stubborn?” he asked with a hint of exasperation.

Her eyes widened at the accusation. “I’m not stubborn. I’m very easy-going. I never make waves at all.”

“Not from what I’ve seen.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Look. Just because I don’t want a drink of water doesn’t make me stubborn.”

“It does when you’re refusing on principle not because you’re not thirsty. I promise, it doesn’t come with strings attached.”

“I didn’t think it did.” She snatched the bottle of water from him, grumbling to herself as she took a few long sips. She was only drinking it because she wanted to, not because he’d goaded her into it.

She tried to hand it back but he shook his head. “Keep it. Drink it. Now, where are you headed to?”

“Umm . . .”

She was saved from having to answer him by a big red truck pulling up. Out climbed Linc and she sighed in relief.

“Morning, Linc,” Ed called out. Obviously, he wasn’t on duty today. He was dressed casually in a shirt, jeans and black jacket.

“Morning, Ed,” Linc replied with a nod of his head before turning his attention to her. “Morning, Mari-girl. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” She smiled at him widely.

“We just had a collision,” Ed countered.

Really? Did he have to make it sound so bad?

“A collision? Are you all right? What happened? Was it in that crap piece of car of yours?” Linc asked with concern as he gently ran his hands over her arms and down her body. “Where does it hurt?” He turned to Ed. “Why haven’t you taken her to the hospital?”

“I’m fine. It wasn’t a collision.” She glared at Ed. Why did he have to make it sound like that?

“It didn’t happen while we were driving. She walked straight into me.” Ed bent down and picked up her book, looking at the cover.

Which had a half-naked, muscular man on the front. She wished she had her eReader. Nobody could see what she was reading then. Truth was, Ed wasn’t the first person she’d banged into while she was reading and walking.

Once, the man she’d bumped into had shoved her aside and she’d ended up on her ass on the road in a puddle.

That had been humiliating.

“Can I please have that back?” She reached for the book, snatching it from Ed’s hand. He grinned at her.

“Wait. Was she reading while walking again?” Linc turned to her with a frown.

“Again?” Ed asked. “This happens often?”

“She nearly ran into a lamp post day before yesterday.” Linc crossed his arms over his chest.

“Hmm, that so?” Ed replied.

“Yep. And I seem to recall telling her then that I didn’t want her walking around with her head in a book again.”

She gaped at Linc. What? Had he actually been serious about that? She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as she stared from Linc to Ed then back again.

“Never thought I’d have to instigate a no-reading-while-walking rule.” Ed shook his head.

“What? You can’t just make up rules!” She turned to Linc. “He can’t, can he?”

“Well, let’s see. He is the sheriff.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You’re the sheriff?” She gulped.

Ed nodded and she took a longer look at him. He was about an inch taller than Linc and just as broad with dark hair and gray eyes. He filled out that shirt of his nicely. She couldn’t believe she’d just thought that.

He’s a cop. The goddamn sheriff.

But he wasn’t in uniform right now, which made it easier to be around him.

“Even the sheriff can’t just make up rules like that.”

“Well, I was hired to protect the people of this town, including you, little miss. And this is