An Officer and a Maverick. Teresa Southwick
sundress. The material was thin, still damp, and he could almost see her breasts. They looked just about perfect to him and made his hands ache to touch her and find out for sure. And this wasn’t the first time he’d experienced that particular feeling around her, but he’d always made sure not to get too close.
“I’m a people person,” she finally said. “I like chatting with the regulars, and almost everyone in Rust Creek Falls comes in to hang out at some point or other. You know, guys’ nights, girls’ night out, poker games...or people just coming in for a burger and a beer. I like hearing what’s going on in their lives and apparently, that makes them want to talk to me.”
He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound.
“What’s funny?” she asked, a small frown marring the smooth skin of her forehead.
“My job is the polar opposite. I’m a detective for Kalispell PD, and no one wants to talk to me.”
“I see what you mean.” She smiled her happy, under-the-influence smile. “But can you blame them? It makes a difference when your job is selling drinks as opposed to interrogating a perp.”
“I suppose.”
She half turned toward him in her earnestness to make him understand. “I’m somewhere between a family counselor and confessor. People feel comfortable baring their heart and soul to me, and I take that as an obligation. I consider it part of my job description to offer sensible advice or sometimes to simply listen. Whatever the situation calls for.”
“I had no idea the job was so demanding.”
“Go ahead. Make fun.” There was annoyance in the look she settled on him. “But I think people trust me.”
“In what way?”
“Rust Creek Falls is a small town. Everyone knows everyone, and some people think that gives them the right to every last detail of a person’s life. But some things shouldn’t be spread around. I know the difference, and folks who know me know I’ll keep that sort of information to myself.”
“I know what you mean about a small town,” he said.
“How? Kalispell is a pretty big city compared to Rust Creek.”
“I grew up in Boulder Junction. It’s a small town about halfway between here and Kalispell.”
She nodded. “I know it. That’s farming country, right?”
“Yeah. My family has one. Mainly they grow wheat, corn and hay. But they have smaller crops, too.”
“Like what?”
“Apples. Potatoes. Barley.”
“Sounds like a pretty big farm.”
“Yeah.” One of the biggest in Montana.
“Family, huh? Does that mean you weren’t found under an arugula leaf?”
“It does.” The corners of his mouth turned up a little in spite of his resolve to keep his distance. “I actually have parents and siblings.”
“Plural?” she asked. “Boys? Girls?”
“Two brothers and a sister. I’m the oldest.” He didn’t usually talk this much, but there was something about Lani Dalton, something in her eyes that said she was sincerely interested. She was listening, and he didn’t even have to buy a drink, just arrest her for drinking too much.
“So you grew up in a small town, too. Have you done any traveling?” she asked.
“Some.”
“Lucky you. I’ve never really been anywhere.” There was a wistful expression in her eyes. “Have you ever thought about leaving Montana?”
“No.” Not since he’d come back from Colorado a couple years ago.
“Really?”
Russ had done enough interrogations to spot a technique for coaxing information out of someone who was reluctant to part with it. He wasn’t inclined to do that. “Really.”
She studied him for several moments then nodded, as if she knew the subject was closed. “Tell me about your brothers and sister. Anyone married? Do you have any nieces or nephews?”
“No to all of the above. What about you?”
“I have two sisters and three brothers. The oldest two were at Braden and Jennifer’s wedding—”
“What?” he asked when she stopped talking.
“Nothing.” But her body language changed. She sat up straighter and shook her head. There was something she didn’t want to talk about. “My brother Caleb got married last year. My sister Paige took the plunge the year before that, and now she and her husband have a baby boy.”
“Good for them.”
“Yeah, they seem happy. But I’m not sure it would work for me.”
On a night full of surprises, that might have been the biggest one yet. “Doesn’t every girl dream of a long white dress and walking down the aisle?”
She laughed. “I’m not every girl. And in case you didn’t get the memo, a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy and fulfilled.”
“Spoken like a woman who’s been dumped.” He was watching her and saw a slight tightening of her full lips, indicating he’d gotten that one right.
Irritated, she leaned in closer to make a point. “Is that observation based on crack investigative skill, Detective Campbell?”
“Nope. It’s based more on gut instinct.”
“Wow, who knew I was going to get locked up with Dr. Phil?”
“I have my moments.” He could feel the heat from her body and her breath on his cheek. The sensations were taking him to a place he was trying very hard not to go. “You know, Lani, it’s none of my business, but I don’t think you should let one bad experience sour you on marriage.”
“Why? Because you’re married and highly recommend it?”
“No.”
“Ever been married?”
“No.”
“Then how are you qualified to endorse marriage?”
“There’s a lot to be said for it.” He hoped that didn’t sound as lame as he thought, especially because it didn’t really answer the question. He just kind of liked the way her eyes flashed when she was annoyed. It made the green and gold flecks stand out, warm colors that hinted at the fire inside.
“Like what?” she demanded.
“Well...” He thought for several moments. “Having someone waiting for you at the end of the day.” He’d missed that when Alexis walked out on him. “Someone there to listen to you bellyache about the bad stuff. And celebrate the good.”
“I have girlfriends for that.” She slid a little closer, practically quivering with indignation. “Frankly, I don’t get the appeal of being with one person for the rest of your life. Guys just stand you up. Make promises they don’t intend to keep. I mean, seriously? The very expression—tying the knot. Sounds an awful lot like a noose around your neck.”
“You said yourself that marriage is working for your brother and sister,” he challenged.
“Yeah, well, those two always were the black sheep of the family. Who wants to be tied down? Take the plunge? Think about that. Every expression referring to wedded bliss has a negative connotation. And I don’t think I’d like having to answer to someone else when I want to come and go.”
If that’s what she wanted, why should it bother him? And that, in a nutshell, was the damn problem. It did bother him. The idea of her playing the field seemed wrong. When confronted with