Concealed (4 page)

“Thanks for the rescue, Sheriff.” Her hand rested on his arm innocently, however his thoughts were anything but. He wanted to feel her soft curves pressed against him as he pulled her into a scorching kiss. As if she could somehow read his mind she stepped back, putting distance between them. The second her hand left his arm, he missed the contact. “I-I’ve got to drag Faith out of here and go meet Melissa.”

“Wait.” Wade reached out and caught her wrist, holding her in place at his side. At that moment she looked more afraid of him than she had been of the goat. He must have voiced the thought out loud because a slow smile spread across her lips.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Good.” He pulled her closer, using his free hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She turned her cheek into his hand ever so gently. Her skin was the softer than anything he’d felt in a long time.

“Are you going to kiss me?” The breathless way the words tumbled from her mouth made his heart pound in his chest. He could tell she was embarrassed by what she said, but since she asked, he figured it’d be rude to not answer.

“I’m thinking about it.”

Big brown eyes were looking up at him as she took a step closer. “Me too.”

The momentary spell that had been cast between them was broken when Faith ran over with a black bunny in her arms. “Mommy, look! I caught it all by myself.” The little girl beamed up at Wade. “Isn’t she pretty?”

He smiled down at Faith but glanced back at Sydney when he said, “Absolutely.”

“Honey,” Sydney said as she crouched down to talk to her daughter, “it’s time to go meet Melissa. Can you put her back with the rest of her friends and meet me at the gate?”

“Did you see the goats? They’re so friendly!”

When Wade chuckled, Sydney elbowed him. “Yes, I saw them. They seemed to like me, a lot. Now go put her away.”

Faith ran back to one of the other kids and handed off the animal. Sydney kept her eyes on her daughter but Wade was fixated on Sydney. He was quickly becoming obsessed. Her lips turned up into a smile as Faith ran around saying good bye to each animal in the pen. Wade couldn’t stop thinking about how soft Sydney’s lips would be and how responsive she’d be to his touch. He knew she wanted him to kiss her but he’d moved on to wondering how she would feel wrapped around him in a tangle of sheets.

“I’m ready, Mommy.” Faith grabbed Sydney’s hand and extended her other to Wade. “Will you come with us?”

“I’d love to.” Wade took her tiny hand and couldn’t help but smile at the surprised look on Sydney’s face. He held the gate open and ushered them out of the pen. As Sydney brushed past, he whispered, “I’m still thinking about it.”

Sydney shocked him when she leaned closer with a flirty smile and whispered, “Me too.”

With Sydney and Wade at her sides, Faith led them down the midway. He thought of all the interesting things he wanted to show them at the festival, but then he remembered the message he was supposed to pass onto Sydney. “Melissa’s waiting for you at the dance. Do you know where that is from here?” He gave Sydney an out even though he knew Melissa’s plan was for them to be attached at the hip. There was no doubt he wanted to spend time with her, but he needed to know that Sydney was there because she was interested, not because they were thrown together by her friend.

“I think I can find it,” she said with a relaxed smile, “but maybe you better show us the way, just to be sure.” Gone were her earlier nerves. She seemed more comfortable, and with that, came a sexy confidence that he hadn’t seen from her before.

And man, did he like it.

They began the long walk across the festival listening to Faith chatter on about the different things she saw. Wade wasn’t oblivious to the way heads were turning as they passed. People had been wondering about his love life, or lack thereof, and now he found himself strolling around the biggest gathering of the year with Sydney. He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or run. Fortunately, the beautiful woman walking beside him was more captivating than frightening.

“I hear music, Mommy.” Faith stood on her tippy toes to see the large tent in the distance. “Ouch!” With a frown she stuck her foot up in the air at her mother. The little girl’s whole body started to topple over but Wade safely scooped her up. While Faith laughed in his arms, Sydney examined her foot and winced.

“That’s a big blister you’ve got there, baby girl.” She slipped the shoe off Faith’s foot then held out her arms. “I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

It took everything in him not to roll his eyes at Sydney. Faith weighed next to nothing and without a second thought he hoisted her onto his shoulders. Her squeal of laugher warmed his heart in places he long thought dead.

“I’ve got her.” He held onto Faith’s legs and tried not to wince as she grabbed two fistfuls of his hair to help her balance. “Ready?”

“I’m so big!” Her little feet bounced with each step Wade took, and from the excited shrieks she would let out from time to time, she was enjoying the view. Wade would’ve carried her up a mountain to keep the radiant smile on Sydney’s face. The way she was looking at him made him wonder why he had waited so long to spend time with her. He was enjoying her company, and Faith’s, far more than he expected.

“Well, there you are. I was just about to send a search party out for the three of you.” Agnes waved them over to a nearby picnic table. The dance floor was set up on a large grassy area behind the supermarket. Wade was always amazed at how many people could be crammed into such a tiny space. With a great flourish, he swung Faith onto the picnic table beside Agnes, taking care to protect her bare foot.

“That was fun!” Faith hugged his leg. “Thanks for the ride, Sheriff Wade.”

“Anytime.” Wade’s hand tenderly brushed over the girl’s curls. He wondered if Sydney knew how lucky she was to have this child in her life. What he wouldn’t give for someone to unconditionally love him the way Faith loved Sydney.

“You gonna stay and dance, Wade?” Agnes asked with a knowing grin on her face. “Why don’t you take Sydney out for a spin on the dance floor?”

As much as Wade had enjoyed himself, he didn’t want to push too far, too fast. She was finally more comfortable with him but it didn’t take much to make her look like she wanted to cut and run. As a lesson in patience, and to avoid the sinful temptation of her lips, he decided to leave.

“Another time,” he said to Sydney, hoping she heard the sincerity in his voice. More than anything, he wanted to get his hands on her, but not with half the town watching. He preferred for it to be much more private. And intense. When he caught Sydney’s shy smile, he knew she felt it, too. “You ladies have fun.”

Agnes watched him like a hawk, trying to dissect each of his words. He did his best to keep his expression neutral. For now, he was happy to see that Sydney recognized his interest and could feel something starting to happen between them. Let the rest of the town wonder.

“Now, don’t go running off like a jackrabbit, Wade. Join us for some music if you don’t want to dance.”

With mention of a rabbit, Faith’s eyes lit up and she launched into the details of her time in the petting area. Agnes’ attention was captured by the tiny girl’s enthusiasm, so Wade decided to take his leave, but not before catching Sydney’s eye.

“Have fun,” Wade said.

“Thanks for the rescue earlier.”

“Anytime.”

The funny thing was, walking away from them was harder than he imagined it would be. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to stay, until he left. He’d gone a few steps when someone grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

“You know, it’s not wise to sneak up on a police officer, Melissa.” He tried to be stern, but the peeved look on her face made him grin.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He could tell his exit had derailed some elaborate plan Melissa had concocted, but he wasn’t going to make it easy on her. Part of the fun of being friends with Melissa was watching her get herself all riled up.

“I’m going to check out the festival. Want to join me?” He offered his elbow but she just continued to glare at him.

“No. I don’t want to join you. Why didn’t you ask Sydney to come with you?”

“You two are leaving soon and besides, I left her in Agnes’ very capable hands,” he said, nodding toward the picnic tables.

Livid, Melissa punched him in the arm. “The only hands she wants to be in are yours, you big idiot.”

That comment piqued his attention. Wade highly doubted that Sydney would have voiced her feelings for Wade, or lack thereof, to Melissa knowing how she would react. Her cupid instinct was well known and many in town had succumbed to her exuberant dating advice only to realize that her arrow was a little bent at times and missed its mark more than it hit.

But his curiosity got the better of him. “How do you know? What did she say?”

“Oh my God, what are you, like twelve?” When Wade’s only response was to cross his arms over his chest, Melissa’s lips turned up into a wicked grin. “Go ahead, play it cool, but I know inside you’re dying to know what she might have said, aren’t you?”

Wade was, but there was no way in hell he was going to admit it now. In an effort to seem indifferent, he put on his best poker face. “Not really.”

“Not even if the things she said were pretty racy?”

That comment made his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He’d had dozens of erotic fantasies about Sydney but the thought of her having one made him crazy. “Were they? Racy that is?”

“I’m not telling,” she laughed, delighted to see him on edge. “But because I’m such a nice person I will make one suggestion.”

“What?”

“Go to the auction tonight. There’s going to be a little something up for bid you definitely want to get your hands on.” As she walked away, she yelled over her shoulder, “Bring your checkbook. I have a feeling you could be in for some competition tonight, Wade.”

IT HAD BEEN EXPLAINED
to Sydney by half the town that the festival always culminated with the auction. It was considered the event of the week. She thought it was an exaggeration until she started making her ,way toward the hall where the pie auction was being held. The building entrance was surrounded by a thick crowd of people, mostly men, waiting to get inside. A number of them she recognized as regulars from the diner, but there were also plenty of men obviously from out of town who came to Elton just for this event. She held on tight to her pie with one hand and Faith with the other. She didn’t want to lose either as she pushed her way toward the door.

There were several categories for the ladies to enter their food into. Many of the local women were serious about their baking from what Sydney gathered from the vigorous conversations in the diner lately. As she walked through the hall taking it all in, she was amazed at the spread before her.

Perfectly baked cakes, brownies, and pies lined the wooden tables in the hall like a showcase of crusted perfection. Jams and jellies and homemade butters glistened on tiny pieces of toast and crackers. Sydney had initially scoffed at the idea of entering the auction when Melissa made the suggestion a week ago, but when she found out that the money would go to the elementary school’s library, she couldn’t say no. So she spent the last two days creating the perfect blackberry pie.

Sydney began baking her pies on a whim for Pete’s shortly after she arrived in Elton. It was an easy way for her to make a little extra money on the side without having to be at the diner additional hours. Having time with Faith was important to her, so this was a great compromise. She could make the pies at home then bring them in to work the following day. Customers loved it when the pie rack was full, slices flying out the door as fast as she could bake them. All the recipes had been her grandmother’s, the one piece of her past that she held onto and carried with her all these years. Baking turned into a hobby she loved and one she was able to share with Faith.

“Mommy, you look so pretty!” Faith looked up at her with a glowing smile.

Sydney checked out her reflection in the window. She adjusted the pale blue ribbon that matched the tiny stripes in her sweater. When she and Melissa ran home between the dance and the auction, she spent more time getting ready than she ever wanted to admit. If she bumped into Wade again tonight, she definitely didn’t want to smell like a goat.

Inside the hall, her nerves started to get the better of her. The whole town would be at this auction and the last time she saw most of them, she’d been foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. She smoothed her hands down her hair and tucked the few stray pieces behind her ear, praying that she looked like a stable human being. If she did, they might forget her outrageous display from days earlier at the diner.

“I got the pie!” Faith darted toward her, the large blackberry masterpiece about ready to topple out of her hands.

“Put that on the table here by number sixteen.” The dish holding the pie hit the table with a bang, but fortunately, everything remained intact. While Faith toddled around the room checking out the competition, Sydney sliced the second pie into bite sized pieces for people to sample before they placed the bids. When the doors opened in ten minutes, all the interested bidders would arrive and let their taste buds guide them. Melissa said it was a ‘blind auction’ so the names of the people who baked the pies were kept anonymous so as to not influence the bidding in any way. It all sounded a bit complicated from Melissa’s hasty explanation, but the idea of anonymity worked for Sydney. If no one bid on her pie, she’d be the only one to know.

“There you are!” Melissa rushed in looking like the picture of fall with her jeans and cream color cardigan sweater accented by the bright scarf around her neck. She slowly looked Sydney up and down with a smile. “You look super cute! You aren’t trying to impress anyone in particular, are you?”

“I do have a knife in my hand.” Sydney waved the berry-covered blade toward Melissa’s pristine sweater.

“Brat. Come on, you’ve got to get away from this pie before the guys arrive.” She looked at her watch. “It’s almost time to start. Let me help you finish.” Together they scattered the small plates around the table. Even Sydney had to admit the pie looked damn good arranged in the basket with cute fall decorations around it. Hopefully someone would think it was worth bidding on.

“Perfect,” Melissa said as she scooped Faith up on her hip. Sydney followed them toward the door just as a rush of men poured into the hall from the opposite side. “Let’s take Faith to sample some applesauce in the apple tent while the auction is going on.” Melissa’s grip on her arm tightened as she dragged Sydney away from the pie tables.

“Lookie, lookie who just strolled in here looking all sexy in those tight fitting jeans you love so much, Syd.”

“Will you please be quiet?” Sydney hissed trying not to laugh. Melissa was outrageous and Sydney loved her all the more for it. She braved a peek over her shoulder and had to admit that Wade did look damn good, but that was nothing new. The man could wear a sack and somehow make it look scrumptious. But the simple jeans and T-shirt he was wearing did send Sydney’s heart into overdrive, especially after having spent a little time with him earlier in the day and all the talk about kissing. Her overactive imagination was a very dangerous thing.

“Here for some pie, Wade?” Melissa shouted across the room with a wave.

Wade looked their way and smiled. Whatever else she planned to say was interrupted by the squeaking microphone. Melissa picked up the pace and hustled Sydney and Faith out the door, but not before they heard the opening announcement.

“Welcome, gentlemen, to the Perfect Pairing Pie Auction. It’s tasting time! Pick a pie, pick a date,” a female voice declared with great enthusiasm as the door shut behind them.

Sydney grabbed the back of Melissa’s sweater. “Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”

“I didn’t do what you think I did,” she deadpanned, hiding behind Faith’s brown curls.

“Melissa!” Sydney stomped her foot in frustration. “What did you get me into?”

“I told you it was a blind date pie auction.”

“No, no, no, no, no. You said it was a blind auction. As in, they wouldn’t know whose pie they were bidding on.”

“Yes, that’s true. See, I didn’t lie. The guys have no idea whose pie they’re bidding on!” Melissa put Faith down and ushered her toward the applesauce tent. With a squeal, Faith ran from one display to the next, slurping applesauce off spoons as fast as she could.

Sydney cornered her friend next to a bucket of apples. “Start talking.”

“Fine.” With an exasperated sigh, Melissa waved her hand through the air. “I might have left out the part where you go on a date with the guy who buys the pie.”

“Tell me you’re kidding.” Sydney didn’t go on dates. She kept to herself and took care of Faith. The thought of going on a date with a complete stranger was unnerving.

“I’m serious, but it’s all in good fun. It’s not like you have to sleep with the guy or anything. For all you know, the winner might be married.”

“Wade’s in there!”

“Duh,” Melissa said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m gonna kill you.”

With a wink, Melissa laughed. “Nah, I have a feeling you’ll be thanking me by the end of the night. Don’t think I missed the big goofy grin on your face when he walked you to the dance this afternoon.”

Sydney tuned out Melissa’s teasing as her mind raced a mile a minute. She was about to be auctioned off like a head of cattle to a room full of men. A room that Wade was in. Would he bid on her? Would he know her pie? What if he won? Without realizing it, she had made the blackberry pie he ordered every day at the diner. If there was one pie he might recognize by taste, that was it. Her stomach somersaulted, but she wasn’t about to let Melissa know she was excited about the prospect. She’d never hear the end of it.

“Faith, don’t put the spoon back in the jar if you licked it!” Sydney gave her daughter a stern look. The guilty smirk on Faith’s face was almost enough to make her smile—almost. Instead, she glared at Melissa. “Thanking you? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I’m betting that Wade can identify his favorite pie from all the others in the room. He eats it four times a week at the diner for goodness sake. I’m betting he wins your pie!” When Sydney didn’t mirror her excitement, she shook her head.

“There are over twenty pies in there, Mel.”

“Trust me. He’ll bid on your pie. He’ll outbid everyone in town for it.”

“Did you tell him which one was mine?”

Melissa laughed. “How could I? I didn’t even know your number until I walked into the hall.” For the first time Melissa looked nervous. “Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you forgive me? And feel no pressure to rush the forgiveness, but I will remind you I’m leaving in a few days.”

“If Wade doesn’t pick my pie…”

“I’ll kill him myself.” Melissa placed her hand solemnly over her heart with a grin.

A million thoughts raced through Sydney’s head. Strangling Melissa was at the forefront, second only to dying of embarrassment when no one bid on her pie, or Wade walking out with the likes of slutty Pamela Wilson on his arm after winning her pie, or Sydney having to go out on a date with Walter Frist, the man seven months shy of his ninetieth birthday. He probably liked pie.

As a distraction, they busied themselves sampling apples until a shrill squeak of the loudspeaker grabbed everyone’s attention. “Good evening! It’s time for the Fall Festival Pick a Pie Auction. Will all the ladies who entered please return to the assembly hall for the matchmaking!”

“Come on, Faith. We gotta go get your momma a date!” Melissa yelled, turning every head in the apple tent. Sydney covered her face, not sure how she’d survive the night.

With an excited squeal, Faith licked her fingers clean and clapped her still sticky hands together. “What’s a date, Mel? Why does Mommy need one, and can I have one too?”

“A date is when Mommy gets all dressed up and a handsome man comes over to the house to take her out to dinner or someplace nice like that.” She bent down and whispered in Faith’s ear, “And he might even kiss her when he brings her home!”

“Ewwww,” Faith laughed, launching herself into her mother’s arms. “Do you really want to go on one of these dates, Mommy, and let some boy kiss you?”

Sydney wanted to strangle Melissa for getting her into this mess to begin with, and now, this conversation with Faith was just the cherry on top. As they walked into the hall she answered as honestly as she could. “I guess it depends on the boy.”

Inside the doorway, the trio gaped at the crowd that had assembled. The room was packed with hungry men and the women who had baked pies. Sydney started to panic as Melissa shoved their way into the mob of women.

It didn’t take long for her to scan the crowd and find the town’s sexy sheriff standing against the back wall. He looked uninterested in the whole event until he caught Sydney’s eye. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement and the faintest smile before turning his attention to the woman on stage, addressing the crowd.

“I’d like to thank all the ladies for the delicious pies they took the time to bake. As you can see from the empty sample plates, they were very much enjoyed.” A loud round of cheers sounded from the men in the crowd. “And thank you, gentlemen, for opening your wallets for a good cause. Now, let’s start the auction!”

Excited cheers filled the hall, but Sydney’s palms were sweating as the bidding started with the auctioneer introducing each entry. “Pie number one is a traditional apple pie, made with a recipe that was brought over on the Mayflower.” People gasped as if an impressive pedigree would somehow make the apples taste better. Sydney surveyed the women and guessed it was made by the reverend’s wife, the proud smirk on her face a dead giveaway. When the reverend’s hand shot up first to bid, Sydney’s suspicions were confirmed.

“Mayflower my ass,” Melissa whispered loud enough for only Sydney to hear.

“Twenty dollars,” the auctioneer called and the reverend nodded in agreement, proud as could be. When the auctioneer called for forty dollars and Luke’s hand jumped into the air, the reverend made eye contact with his wife and tugged at his clerical collar. He looked quite pained when he accepted the auctioneer’s call of sixty dollars.