Taming a Texas Devil - Katie Lane Page 0,28

porch steps to massage her temples, which were now throbbing. She heard the clatter of a bike being dropped before Cheyenne joined her on the steps.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m a horrible deputy.”

“No, you’re not. You saved my butt.”

Dixie glanced up. “Only because Officer Hayes figured out what you were doing. If not for him, I would’ve embarrassed you in front of the entire pharmacy.”

“But you were the one who charmed my daddy so all I got was a stern lecture and you gave me enough courage to talk to him about why I did it. He got a little embarrassed, but then we had a good talk and he gave me enough money to buy what I needed. That wouldn’t have happened without you.”

“I’m not sure that comes under deputy duties.”

“Why not? Aren’t law enforcement officers supposed to protect their community? Well, you were protecting me. You didn’t do it with a gun, instead you did it with your charm—something Sheriff Willaby never used. He just threatened people with his gun or throwing them in jail. Which made everyone hate him. They don’t hate you.”

“They don’t like me.”

Cheyenne’s hesitation said it all. “That’s because they don’t know you. I didn’t much like you until yesterday.” She shrugged. “I thought you were kinda stuck up.”

Stuck up? For a woman who had prided herself on winning Miss Congeniality, that hurt. But she couldn’t deny it. She had been acting stuck up by hiding away in the sheriff’s office and not making an effort to interact with the people of the town. And why? Because she was afraid of having a run-in with a real criminal? But there were no criminals in Simple. Just young girls who needed a little guidance, and Dixie had proved she could handle that. And if she could handle a shoplifter, maybe she could handle the other minor crimes that took place in the town.

At least until her daddy gave in.

In the meantime, she would stop hiding and do her job.

She’d prove to that arrogant Texas Ranger she wasn’t a spoiled ditz of a deputy.

Chapter Eight

“Now this here is the best deadbolt on the market.” Boone Murphy pointed to one of the three locks he had gotten for Lincoln. “If you have a good sturdy door, no one is going to be getting through this.”

Lincoln nodded. “Then that’s the one I’ll take.”

“But these other two aren’t bad either. I mean we haven’t had a break in here in Simple since Floyd Sims had to break into his own house when his wife locked him out for staying at Cotton-Eyed Joe’s too late. His wife is one mean-spirited wo—’

Emma Johansen came out of the back. “For the love of God, could you just shut up. He came in to buy a deadbolt, not to have his ear chewed off for an hour.”

“Speaking of mean-spirited women.” Boone shot a glance at Emma.

She socked him in the arm. “You better watch it, Boone Murphy. I took you down in third grade and I can take you down now.”

“I hope you’re taking notes, Lincoln,” Boone said. “If I show up dead, you’ll know where to look.”

Lincoln kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to get involved in a domestic argument. The two owners of the Simple Hardware store fought like cats and dogs, and according to town gossip had been fighting ever since they were in high school. He wasn’t sure why their fathers had given them each half ownership in their business. Or why Boone or Emma hadn’t sold out to the other one. It was a strange situation. One he wanted no part of.

Just like he wanted no part of babysitting Deputy Meriwether. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much choice. He’d been given a job and Lincoln always completed a job. Until the deputy quit—which he hoped would be soon—she was his responsibility. He intended to keep an eye on her, but from a distance. Getting too close had proven to be a bad mistake. One he had no intentions of making again.

“Did you want to pay with cash or credit?” Emma asked.

“Credit.” He intended to give the bill to Dixie’s lazy landlord. He slid his credit card into the card machine while Emma bagged his deadbolt.

“Is this for Chester and Lucas?” she asked. “With their house being so new, I wouldn’t think they’d need a new lock already.”

Before Lincoln could answer, Boone spoke. “I know who it’s for. Deputy Meriwether. Her landlord, Jimmy Jones, mentioned that he needed to fix