The Deputy Gets Her Man

He was about to make some sort of reply when Loretta arrived. As the young woman took their orders, Rosalinda could see the waitress was bursting with curiosity, but thankfully she didn’t ask to be introduced.

Once she’d left, Tyler picked up the glass of ice water that Loretta had served him and took a hefty drink. Rosalinda was momentarily distracted by the long, brown fingers wrapped around the slender glass. This morning as he’d clasped her hands, she’d been struck by his calloused skin, the roughness that told her he used his hands for more productive things than signing paychecks.

“Do you live here in Ruidoso?” he asked.

“At Ruidoso Downs,” she answered. “I used to live down on the res, but that made the drive to Carrizozo even longer. In case you didn’t know, that’s where the sheriff’s department, courthouse and county jail are located.”

“I know where it is,” he told her. “But this is a huge county. If you arrest someone in the Ruidoso area do you have to drive them all the way to Carrizozo to lock them up?”

Shaking her head, she said, “No. We can use the local lockup here as a preliminary holding cell. Then later we transport the suspect to the county jail. And you’re right about this county being huge. The sheriff’s department has jurisdiction over 4,859 square miles. That’s why Sheriff Hamilton likes for his deputies to live all over the county. Makes it easier for us to keep up with what’s going on in our area and to better deal with local problems.”

“I see.”

He rested his shoulders against the back of the padded seat, and Rosalinda was drawn to their width and the slow, sensual movements of his body. The man was more than enough to take a woman’s breath away. So why wasn’t he married? Or at the very least, playing the field? She could only presume he wasn’t interested in having a relationship with a woman. And yet there were moments he looked at her with something like hunger in his eyes. Not necessarily for her, but for something that was missing in his life. The whole notion unsettled her.

“So you lived down on the reservation,” he remarked. “Are you Native American?”

“Half. My dad is from the Zuni tribe and my mom is white. They have a little farm south of Gallop—near the river.”

“Hmm. How did you end up all the way down here?”

“How did you?” she countered.

A clever smile lifted the corners of his lips, and Rosalinda was suddenly wondering what it would feel like to be kissed by this man. It had been so long since she’d had a man’s lips pressed to hers, she wasn’t sure how her body would react. Maybe her mind would freeze everything inside of her and she wouldn’t be able to feel a thing. Or maybe she’d want to run and never stop running.

Oh, God, why was she thinking these things now? Tyler Pickens wasn’t here as her date! He wasn’t here because he found her attractive, intriguing or anything else. He was simply showing his gratitude for not hauling his wrangler to jail.

“All right,” he conceded, “I ended up here because I didn’t like where I was.”

“Hmm. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that come out of a Texan’s mouth.”

His lips twitched with sour humor. “It was the circumstances, not the place, that pushed me to move here.”

“Ah, yes, circumstances,” she repeated softly. “We all have them, don’t we?”

“Some more than others,” he said.

Rosalinda felt something inside pushing and prodding her to confide in him, to relate exactly why she’d come to this southern part of the state. The realization startled her. No one, except for Sheriff Hamilton and Undersheriff Donovan, knew about her past and the traumatic experience she’d been through. She’d never really wanted anyone to know about the strange and dangerous situation she’d gotten herself swept up in. But the moment this man had set his cool green eyes on hers, she’d felt a connection. The guarded walls inside her had started trembling and cracking. It was the most reckless feeling she’d ever experienced in her life.

Clearing her throat, she sipped her coffee and told her heart there was no reason for it to bump along at such a high speed. Until last night, when Brady Donovan had briefed her, she’d not even known Tyler Pickens existed. She wasn’t going to confess her personal life to this man, she promised herself. She wasn’t going to do anything with him, except eat a meal.

“So how is Mr. Garza?” she asked. “Still angry with me?”

“Since this morning, I’ve not talked to him. I’ll give him a chance to lick his wounded ego before I light into him. As for being angry with you, Santo isn’t the sort to simmer and carry a grudge.” It was a trait that Tyler admired and wished he could apply to himself. But try as he might he’d never been able to forgive his family for hurting and ostracizing him. And why should that matter? he glumly asked himself. Neither his twin brother nor father needed or wanted his forgiveness.

Hell, it had been over nine years since he’d spoken directly to either of them. That’s how much they cared. As for his sister, Connie, she’d always avoided controversies in the family just so she wouldn’t have to face Warren Pickens’s wrath. And Edie, his mother, had tried to stand up for him, but her opinion had never held much weight for a man who didn’t respect women. Now his mother was the only one who still loved him enough stay in touch. Even though her calls and letters were few and far between.

“Well, I thank you for explaining about his wife. It makes me feel a bit better to know it wasn’t entirely me that made him fly off the handle.” Shaking her head with self-recrimination, she said, “I should have realized what he was doing. But to be honest, I’m still green at my job. Sheriff Hamilton says it takes years of experience and learning to catch all the nuances needed to make a great lawman. It’s clear that I have a ways to go.”

One of his brows arched upward. “Does he know what happened this morning with you and Santo?”

She tried to laugh, but the sound came out more like a strangled cough. “Of course he knows. Everyone in the department heard me call in the arrest. I’ll be the butt of their jokes for months.”

“I wouldn’t let that bother me. People have talked about me for years and it hasn’t killed me yet.”

His green eyes appeared to soften, and Rosalinda found herself drawn into their depths. Whenever he looked at her it was like he understood she’d been to hell and back, that she had her secrets just like he had his. Perhaps that was why she kept getting the urge to tell him private things about herself.

Glancing furtively at him, she asked, “You think people around here gossip about you?”

Before she could answer, Loretta arrived with their food. She placed a Reuben sandwich in front of Rosalinda and served Tyler a chicken-fried streak smothered in gravy. After the waitress had refilled their drinks and left the table, Tyler answered Rosalinda’s question.

“I know for a fact they gossip about me. Once my foreman was asked if I was an extremist and kept my house stockpiled with rifles and weapons.”

Frowning, Rosalinda picked up her sandwich. “Do you have a stockpile of weapons?”

His chuckle conveyed how ridiculous he considered the idea. “The only weapon I possess is a hunting rifle and I keep it locked away because I quit hunting years ago. I think—well, when people don’t know about something or someone, it sparks their imagination and they start making up things.” He sprinkled pepper over his food and reached for his fork. “And I suppose I make matters worse because I don’t mix and mingle with the folks around here.”

“Why don’t you mix and mingle?”

He shrugged. “I don’t dislike people, Ms. Lightfoot, but integrating into the community is for other folks. Not me. If someone wants to be my friend, that’s good. But I don’t go out searching for them.”

What about searching for women? she wanted to ask, but stopped the words before they could pop from her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to give Tyler Pickens the idea that she was interested in him in a personal way.

What kind of idea do you think you’re giving him by inviting him to meet you here tonight? You are interested in him, Rosa. You just don’t want to admit it.

Kicking back the incriminating voice in her head, she turned another question on him. “What about the folks back in Texas? Do you still keep in touch with them?”

His gaze quickly dropped to his food and several awkward moments passed before he eventually answered, “No. That part of my life is over.”

There was a tone of finality to his voice that spoke of loss and pain. The sound sent questions about him and his family spinning through her mind. “Oh. So you’ve lost your parents?”

Looking up, he cast her an empty smile. “No. They’re quite alive and well.”

That stunned her and she suddenly realized he was like a mystery box wrapped in layers and layers of richly textured paper. She wanted to peel them away, to peek inside at this rancher, who was unlike any man she’d ever met. But that wasn’t a part of her job. Not when her motives for the questions were completely personal.

After forcing down several bites of sandwich, she said, “There are times I really miss my family. I have three brothers and one sister, but I don’t see them or my parents very often. I rarely get enough free time to make the trip up to Gallop.”

“Then why don’t you live up there? Near them?”

Because the pleasure of being in her old hometown had been ruined by a man and the obsessed woman who’d refused to relinquish her hold on him.

“I like it better down here,” she told him flatly. “My job—the people—it’s all home to me now.”

His eyes narrowed as his gaze swept a perceptive path over her face, and Rosalinda felt her cheeks warming, her breaths coming just a bit faster. Could he actually see the haunting memories on her face? Even more, could he see exactly how much he was affecting her?

“When you say home, I take it you don’t share it with anyone. A husband or boyfriend?”

His question filled her with a sense of fear. Which was ridiculous. Since her ordeal with Dale, she’d not written men totally out of her life. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to be loved. And yet the idea of being intimate with a man again was like venturing a walk through a bear-infested forest. Even though Dale had been a gentle, loving man, he’d been carrying problems that she’d not known about. Problems that had eventually exploded onto her. And the more she’d tried to stand by her man, the more dangerous everything had gotten.

“I’m single and unattached,” she finally answered. “But I’m only twenty-six. I’ll have plenty of time later on to think about marriage.”

Across the booth from her, Tyler tried to focus on his food, but it was hard to do when the pull of the sexy deputy kept urging his gaze back to her side of the table. She wasn’t married or living with a boyfriend. The fact had him smiling inside.

Damn it! He must have breathed in too much smoke last night. Something had clearly messed up his thinking. Otherwise, he would have never suggested meeting this woman for dinner. True, he was grateful that she’d not caused real trouble for Santo, but he could’ve shown his appreciation in some other way. Like a simple thank you.

But she’d sparked something in him that had shaken him out of a long, cold sleep. He’d not been able to resist the urge to spend more time with her and let her warmness thaw him back to life.

“You’re very young,” he commented. “How long have you worked in law enforcement?”

“I worked for the Ruidoso Police Department for a year and a half before I applied for the job of county deputy. I’ve worked for Sheriff Hamilton for about seven or eight months now.”

“Hmm. How did you decide you wanted to be a law officer? Was that something you’d always planned to be?”

“No. When I first got out of high school I always had intentions of becoming a schoolteacher. I love children and Mom always said I had a way with my younger brothers.” She placed what was left of her sandwich back onto her plate and toyed with the pile of potato chips lying next to it. “But all of those plans got forgotten for a while. And then I became friends with Johnny Chino. Do you know him?”

Tyler rolled the name through his memory bank. “Not personally. I’ve heard the name. He’s some sort of famous tracker, isn’t he?”

“Used to be. He’s a deputy now. Anyway, he and his wife—she’s a medical doctor here in Ruidoso—both urged me to go to police academy. They thought I’d be good at it. And once I started considering their idea, it began to appeal to me. Now I like to think that I’m helping people be safe.”

She smiled at him and Tyler felt something inside him go soft and helpless. Her white teeth against her creamy tan skin, the impish curl at the corners of her plush lips was an intoxicating sight. Especially since he rarely received a genuine smile from anyone.

“What’s been the most rewarding thing about your job so far?”

“Finding a lost little boy. The mother feared he’d been kidnapped from their front yard. But I have brothers so I understand how adventurous boys can be. So I followed my hunch and found him at the nearest baseball park. He’d climbed down in the dugout and fallen asleep.”

“Wow. That must have made you feel like a true heroine,” he said.

Her smile turned modest. “I don’t know about that. But the look on the mother’s face when I handed her son back to her is something I’ll never forget. And since then I’ve had a few more proud moments. Especially when Sheriff Hamilton praised me for busting a local theft ring. But that’s enough about me. What about you? What made you decide to be a rancher?” she asked.

“I grew up with horses and cattle.”

The smile lingered on her lips. “Well, no one in my family ever worked in law enforcement. But I didn’t let that stop me. My family and friends say I’m stubborn, but I like to think of myself as determined.”

Since he’d only just met her, he didn’t know those things about her. But he did know she was very beautiful. After his divorce, he’d never imagined himself looking at another woman and feeling a strong desire. For the past ten years he’d never been tempted to spend more than five minutes with one. But here he was doing just that.

“I’m sure you’re a very good deputy. Sheriff Hamilton wouldn’t have any other kind. But don’t you ever worry that you might find yourself in a dangerous situation?” he asked.

Something flickered in her eyes just before they dropped to her plate, but the glimpse was too quick to determine what she was thinking or feeling.

“I’ve been in dangerous situations before and I’ve learned how to handle them. As a matter of fact, I teach a self-defense course to women one night a week at the community center. The way I see it, the stronger a woman is both mentally and physically, the safer she’ll be.”

She was not a petite woman. Her height was probably taller than average and there was nothing fragile about her generous curves. No doubt she would be physically strong. But were her defensive skills enough to wield off a gun or a knife? It was an image he didn’t like to contemplate.

DeeDee hadn’t been physically strong. She’d been a tiny little thing that thought lifting a hair brush was enough of a morning workout. But mentally, she’d been as wily as a cat. She’d known exactly what buttons to push and what cards to play to get what she wanted. In the beginning her wants had been Tyler. But that had quickly changed once Trent stepped in and began working his charm on her.

“Your family doesn’t worry about you having a dangerous job?” he asked.

“My family understands that I don’t have to be a deputy to be threatened.”

He was trying to figure out that odd statement when a shadow loomed up beside their table and he looked up to see a stocky, auburn-haired man dressed in a deputy’s shirt and jeans. He was squinting at the two of them as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. For some reason, the idea irked Tyler.

“Rosa, is that you in a dress?” he asked incredulously.

The moment she glanced away from Tyler and up to the other man, instant recognition hit her face and she smiled as though she was seeing an old friend.

“Hank! I thought you were off duty tonight, too!”

He shook his head. “I had to go back out to the Chaparral.”

She scowled faintly. “Why didn’t you let me know? I could have joined you.”

The deputy, who appeared to be in his early thirties, shrugged one shoulder. “You needed the rest. And it was a matter I could deal with myself.”

She let out a long breath as her eyes darted awkwardly from Hank to Tyler, then back to Hank. “Well, thanks. Mr. Pickens and I just happened to be having supper at the same time tonight and decided to have our meal together,” she explained. “Have you two met before?”

“I don’t believe so,” Tyler said as he glanced to the other man.

“Hank and I usually work as partners,” she told him.

Tyler extended his hand to the lawman. “I’m Tyler Pickens. Nice to meet you.”

Hank shook his hand. “Deputy Hank Harrigan. Same here,” he said. “I think I remember seeing you at the Chaparral several years ago. When the rustling ring was busted.”

“You probably did,” Tyler replied. “I was there to help hunt for Alexa. Thankfully, Jonas found her before anything terrible happened.”

Hank nodded. “Yeah. A real Texas Ranger to the rescue. All of us around here were impressed by him.” He glanced over his shoulder to a table across the room, then back to Rosalinda. “Well, I’d better get over to my table. My buddies are waiting. See you in the morning, Rosa. And you take care, Mr. Pickens.”

Tyler nodded at Hank’s parting words before he turned his attention to Rosalinda. Now that her coworker had left, her expression had become strained.

“What’s the matter?” he asked her. “Are you worried about him seeing you having dinner with a suspect?”

“You’re not a suspect. Not exactly,” she corrected, with a grimace. “I just wish—well, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, one way or the other, he would’ve probably heard about you and me having dinner together.”

Tyler put down his fork. “Are you interested in him? I mean romantically?”

She grimaced. “No. But he’s sort of interested in me. And I’ve always put him off by telling him I’m not interested in dating. Now he’s going to think I was lying to him.”

Tyler glanced across the room to where the deputy had taken a seat at a table with two more law officers. From the corner of his eye, he noticed all three men were glancing surreptitiously in their direction. He didn’t know whether to be amused or irritated by the attention.

“Your partner is going to believe we’re dating just because we’re having a meal together? That’s being pretty presumptuous, isn’t it?”

She didn’t answer immediately and he glanced across the table to see a faint blush had painted her cheeks a soft pink. The color made her features even lovelier.

“I’m sorry. That was silly of me to say. It’s just that … well, I don’t do this sort of thing for any reason. And Hank knows that.” She quickly dabbed her lips with a napkin, then changed the subject completely. “If you’re finished, I’d like to leave now.”

Clearly, she was flustered. But whether he was the reason for this change in her, or if it was the sudden appearance of Deputy Harrigan, he had no way of knowing. Something Tyler was certain of, though, was that he was far from ready for his time with this woman to end.

“Sure. I’ll signal the waitress and we’ll get out of here.”

Five minutes later, Tyler had settled the bill and the two of them left the restaurant by way of a side door. The exit led onto a large deck where patrons could take their meals outdoors. Since it was dark, only a handful of people were sitting around the wooden tables partaking of drinks.

Beside him, Rosalinda lifted her face skyward and let out a long sigh. “It’s good to be away from prying eyes. Besides, the night is beautiful. It’s much nicer out here, anyway.”

Not wanting her to make a quick dash to her vehicle, he curled a hand around her elbow. “Let’s walk over to the back of the deck and look at the creek,” he suggested.

She hesitated, but only for a moment. “All right.”

Since the restaurant and adjoining deck were built at the base of a mountain, the property behind it consisted of thick forest. Directly beneath the back side of the deck, a small creek tumbled its way down the hillside toward a larger branch of water. In the light of day, trout could be spotted swimming in the crystal clear stream. Tonight, the only things visible were shiny dapples created by moonbeams slanting through the pine boughs.

As they stood side by side, staring down at the moving water, Tyler told himself he should drop his hold on her arm, yet he couldn’t bring himself to lose the contact. Her skin was warm and soft and her nearness made him feel like a man again. A man strong enough to love and protect a woman. It was a sensation he’d believed he would never experience again and it filled him with immense pleasure.

He said, “I’m sorry if my being here tonight will cause you trouble at work.”

“It won’t. I’ll simply explain to Hank that you and I had a few more things we wanted to discuss.”

“You mean about the arson? Or each other?”

Her attention on the creek, she let out another long breath. “We’re not supposed to be discussing each other.”

Releasing his hold on her arm, he eased his hand onto her shoulder. The moment his fingers pressed into her bare skin, her face twisted around to his, her lips parted and Tyler’s heartbeat quickened.

“There are other ways for a man and woman to learn about each other besides talking,” he murmured.

“Mr. Pickens, I—”

“It’s Tyler to you.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Ty, if you’d like.”

Her dark eyes widened just a fraction as they settled on his mouth. “Ty.”

The whisper of his name was all that passed her lips before he decided to cover them with a kiss.

Chapter Four

Time was nonexistent to Tyler as his lips roamed over Rosalinda’s. The seconds that were ticking away didn’t matter. At least, not to him. All that did matter was the unexpected pleasure warming his blood and making him forget the loneliness of the past years.

But then, just as quickly as he’d started the kiss, she ended it by easing her mouth from his and placing a step between them.

“I have to go,” she murmured, her gaze riveted on her feet.

As she turned to leave, Tyler caught her by the upper arm and for one split second he considered jerking her back into his arms and kissing her again. But he quickly squashed the urge. Something told him that Rosalinda was too important to waste on a momentary indulgence.

“All right,” he said slowly. “I’ll walk you to your vehicle.”

With his hand gently curved around her arm, they walked across the wooden deck, then down the steps to where a row of cars were parked along the street curb. Along the way, she remained silent until they reached a black pickup truck with the county sheriff’s logo stamped on the side.

“Here’s my truck,” she told him.

They paused in front of the vehicle and though Tyler knew he should drop his hand and allow her to leave, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.

“I’ve enjoyed this evening, Rosalinda.”

Her gaze fluttered up to his face and even though there was only the streetlamp to illuminate her features, he could see a pained look in her eyes. Had his kiss done that?

“Thank you for dinner, Tyler.”

She said his name with easy sweetness and the sound poured through him like warm honey and coated all his rough spots.

“My pleasure.”

Her lashes lowered at the same time her tongue came out to moisten her lips. It was all Tyler could do to keep from bending his head and kissing her all over again.

“I’m sorry if I seem a little weird to you,” she said with a sudden rush of breath. “But I—Well, kissing is not something I’ve done in a long, long time.”