Fighting Chance (Misty Grove Book 1) (6 page)

“Well, see here, Sheriff. I can refuse treatment.”

Take that you arrogant bastard.

His jaw ticked and hardened perceptibly, and judging by his resulting non-response, she knew she’d scored a hit. She’d let him stew on her answer before she demanded he take her back to the ranch. She enjoyed her view. Cassie studied the sheriff’s profile, and the first thing she noticed was the perfectly angled planes of his jaw. Strong definitely and a bit too serious, like he didn’t smile often. The first time she’d seen him, he’d been clean shaven, and her attention drawn to his eyes. Now he was definitely rocking several days of stubble, the roughness appealing to her. She’d never been partial to clean-cut men, maybe that was why she barely gave him a second thought after the first time she’d met him. His dark hair was thick and cut in a crew cut, with a slightly textured top. Thick, dark lashes were prominent from her vantage point. Hmm ... Millie was right, he was promisingly attractive. All right, he was plenty sexy, and if that was muscle shifting under that sheriff’s uniform, Cassie was more than curious. However, Millie’s warning chimed loud and clear in her brain. Also, her leg started to hurt.

“Look, I can take care of myself at the ranch. We have medical supplies on hand given some of the horses get sick sometimes.”

“You’re not a horse, Cassie.” His clipped response belied the humor of his statement.
 

“It’s just a few scrapes.” She was fast losing her patience. “Nothing a little disinfectant can’t fix.”

“If you won’t go to the hospital, you’re coming home with me.”

“What?”

“Take your pick.”

“Why is it always two choices with you and not one is a choice I want to make?” Cassie asked, exasperated. Who did he think he was?
 

“I’m not compromising on your health and safety. Not going to a hospital is already pushing my sense of responsibility.”

“For Christ’s sake, you’re taking this serve and protect a bit too far, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. But that’s just the way I’m made, babe.”
 

His face winced after the endearment left his lips. Cassie had to admit that she was glad she wasn’t the only one who was disconcerted.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “That was very unprofessional.”

“So is kidnapping me.”

He chuckled and she was quite mesmerized at how the smile transformed his face into downright handsome. Her heart sank when she remembered again that he was off limits.

“You’re right.” He slanted his gaze at her teasingly, and her damned heart skipped a beat. “You make me do crazy things. Now why is that?”
 

Oh, my God. Is he flirting with me?
She got flirted with all the time, but she had no problem shutting the guys down—or boxing their ears—but for some reason she didn’t want the sheriff to stop. “Sheriff ?” Now why did that sound dirty? Why had she felt a tingle between her legs at the idea? “That wasn’t appropriate.”
 

Ahhh, Cassie, live for the moment, girl
. What was stopping her from getting slammed on the hood of his truck and getting fucked on an isolated stretch of road? The pain in her leg reminded her not so nicely that her pent-up fantasies were short-lived.

Instead of answering her, he reached over and chucked her under the chin before switching on the police scanner. “Dispatch, this is Sheriff Stone. Can you have one of the deputies locate Deuce Walker and his associates, please? Have them brought in for questioning. Whoever gets assigned, have them call me.”

After his exchange with dispatch, he glanced at her. “There’s still someone after you. Prime suspect is, of course, Bowman and his cronies. But if you have any other enemies, Cassie, now is the time to tell me. I hate being kept in the dark if it impedes the sheriff’s department from doing their job.”

They had a lot of enemies. Some disgruntled losers of the underground fights and some from the shadows of their previous life. They were almost safe and would know for sure when Colt and Matt returned.
 

“I can’t think of anyone,” Cassie said. “Can I use your phone? I need to call Mac and let him know I’m going to be late coming home tonight. I also need to tell Lucas I can’t make an appointment with him.”

“Tell Mac you’ll be back tomorrow.”

“All right . . . Wait, why?”

“We’re not sure who’s after you and you’re not safe to be alone.”

“Lucas can stay with me.”

“I’m also having a deputy patrol the road near the ranch.”

Ugh, Colt would be so pissed if he were here. She was starting to sound like a broken record saying she could protect herself. She didn’t want to come across as stupid or stubborn. A normal woman who’d been attacked would be thankful. But she wasn’t like other women.

“Thank you.” Still, she had to try and convince him to drive her back to the ranch. “I worry about Mac and our ranch hands, but seriously, Lucas and Mac can protect me. You don’t have to put me up in a safe house or anything.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as putting you in a safe house.” Trent glanced at her again. “You can stay with me.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Trent had lost his sanity.

But he didn’t give a fuck.
 

Cassie tensed beside him. He waited for an explosion, and it didn’t take long. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“I don’t trust you with anyone else.”

“Uh, Sheriff, can I be honest with you?” Her voice was hesitant.

“By all means, let’s be honest.”

“You’re kinda freaking me out.”

That made two of them. He’d been acting out of character since the moment he’d met her. Or maybe it was that damned town that didn’t make sense.
 

“Look, I may have been rash in offering my place. But I’ll feel better if I take a look at your injuries at least. We can make a decision how best to handle this going forward.”

“I need to call Lucas.”

Trent didn’t answer, just continued driving.

“Now, Sheriff,” she said sternly.

“Smart girl.” Trent sighed as he unlocked his phone and handed it to her. “Making sure someone knows where you are in case I’m a psycho cop.”

She rolled her eyes at him before fiddling with the phone.
 

“I thought you were going to call your brother.”

“As if anyone memorizes phone numbers nowadays,” she quipped. Finding what she needed, she pressed on the screen. Trent kept his eyes on the road, even when all he wanted to do was stare at the woman beside him. There was something about her he couldn’t put his finger on. Tough exterior for sure, kept her wits about her, and no damsel in distress here, yet something about her was screaming to be saved. Or maybe he was just imagining too damned much.
 

“Lucas? Hey, I met with a slight accident ... Yeah, I’m fine. Someone tried to run me off the road ...”

Trent’s hands curled tightly on the steering wheel as he listened to her recount her attack. How could she be so blasé about it? It was pissing him off.

“... Sheriff found me on 623 ... He’s taking me ... No. To his house. I know better than that, Lucas.” A long pause and then, “I’ll be gentle.” She sniggered, casting him a mischievous look, which he caught.

Grinning, Trent asked, “What are you up to, hellcat?”

“Yes. I know,” she said, still talking to Lucas. “Millie schooled me, remember? I’m sure it’s just our sheriff’s need to protect and serve. Uh-huh. I know, I know. Hey, I’m using his phone. I hope to be back at the ranch tonight.”

Don’t count on it.
He had a compelling desire to cuff her to his side and throw away the key. Trent had no idea where these feelings were coming from.
 

“Okay. Bye.” Ending the call, she handed him back the phone. “Thanks.”

“I gather your brother is more worried about you coming home with me than the fact that you’ve been attacked,” Trent remarked tightly.

“You don’t know my brother and you don’t know me,” Cassie shot back. “Of course he’s worried. But he knows me enough to know I’m fully capable of taking care of myself. You can be sure he’s handling this and calling Mac right now to do a perimeter check and secure the ranch. This isn’t our first rodeo, Sheriff. Our property is a prime pipeline for drug dealers and poachers who run through the backwoods. We’ve made enemies.”

“I better find some reports of this filed with the sheriff’s department,” Trent replied evenly. “I won’t stand for vigilantes, not when I have men who can take care of this.” Jesus Christ, how much was going on in this town that had never reached the sheriff’s department?

“Cassie?”

She had turned to look out the window, probably in annoyance at his little lecture, which was confirmed when she glanced back at him like he was a bug under her shoe. Thank fuck his apartment was just on the outskirts of Misty Grove, because he had an overwhelming urge to wring her neck. It was either that or give in to this mad desire to kiss her.
 

“You guys don’t happen to have bodies of poachers or drug dealers buried at the ranch, do you?”

Her smile was enigmatic. “Of course not.”

He’d leave it at that. It was a half-hearted attempt to find out the truth.
 

*****

So this was where he lived. The Timberline apartment complex was the last Bowman development just before hitting Stratford land that separated Misty Grove from the town of Edington. Cassie wondered if the sheriff knew this. Not that it made any difference. He should remain neutral, and she was fine with that. Cassie was never one for favors anyway. She didn’t want special treatment from anyone. This was one trait she disliked in Wyatt who had always found a manipulative way to get someone to owe him something.

The pickup parked right beside two flights of covered stairs. Cassie opened her door and swung her feet to the ground, grimacing a bit as pain jolted up her right leg. Trent was right beside her in an instant.

“Here, let me help you,” he offered brusquely.

Her first instinct was to wave him off. She wasn’t feeling
that
helpless. But something about him made her want to lean into him. He was tall, easily six four like Colt.
 

“Thanks,” Cassie breathed out as she grasped his forearms for leverage. Bumping her head against a solid chest, her hands splayed across his rock-hard torso, feeling broad shoulders and chiseled flesh. Not the stacked-muscle kind like her brother, but more like someone who remained fit, but who didn’t spend hours in the gym. His clean male scent made her knees wobble.
 

“Easy,” Trent whispered as a chuckle rumbled from his throat. “I’m not sure if it’s your injury or me that’s making you weak.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Cassie retorted hotly. She could feel her cheeks burn even as she tried to push away from him, but he simply tightened his arms around her. And she guilelessly sank into him, despite Millie’s warning echoing through her head. She thought she heard Trent inhale sharply.

“Cassandra ...” His voice had roughened.

“Sheriff!” a woman called from beside them. “Oh my goodness, is she all right?” A blonde in a nurse’s uniform approached them.
 

“Yes,” Trent answered. “Although her cuts need some tending. Pia, this is Cassie. Cassie, Pia.”
 

“Oh, you poor thing,” Pia gushed and bent forward to inspect Cassie’s leg while giving them an unfettered view of her cleavage. “You should have brought her to the hospital, Sheriff. Looks like she banged her head too.” The blonde straightened and peered at Cassie’s forehead.

“I’m fine,” Cassie replied stiffly, discomfited by the other woman’s perusal. “I didn’t even want to come here.”

“I understand, sweetie, but you never know with a head injury,” Pia said. “I can fix you up at least. I’ve got a few minutes before I head to the hospital.”

“I got this,” Trent replied abruptly.

“Sheriff, maybe you should let the nurse ...” Cassie started saying, but Trent’s piercing blue eyes silenced her.

“Well.” Pia frowned, resting both hands on her hips while splitting a glance between them. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Sheriff.”

“I do. I was a trained medic with my unit in the army.” Trent prodded her forward. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Pia. I have to see to Cassie.”

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Trent bent forward, and before Cassie knew it, he was carrying her up the stairs.

“Sheriff!” Cassie sputtered. “This is totally unnecessary.”

“You’ll have to call me Trent now,” he said without missing a beat. “Now that I’m carrying you in my arms.”

She looked at him in confused excitement.
What is he doing to me?

“You know, Cassandra, you’re heavier than I thought.” Trent grinned teasingly.

Oh, my God! The nerve!
“Put me down, asshole!”

Trent burst out laughing at the look on her face, whatever it was. Shaking his head, he said, “I was kidding, babe. Do you see me huffing and puffing? You’re tiny.”

She was not. She had long legs and muscular thighs and she was proud of them. Her glutes were high and round. Her torso was not as toned and bore a layer of softness courtesy of the many homemade fried chicken and pecan pies she had consumed at Millie’s Diner. Shoulders, arms, and back were kept in shape by the many pull-ups she did back at the barn where she had installed a pull-up bar. It was an interesting pastime she did. Betting against the ranch hands on how many chin-ups she could do against them.
 

“This is me,” Trent said, reaching a corner unit. “Can I set you down?”

“By all means, it’s not like I’m going to expire on you,” she replied dryly as she was set back in a vertical position. Trent kept an arm around her while he reached for his keys with his other hand. Opening the door to his apartment, he gently guided her in.
 

“Oh my,” Cassie said as her eyes scanned the art-deco furniture that kind of belied the persona of the sheriff she had come to know. “Quite the decor.”

“I moved in to this place already furnished since my stint as sheriff is temporary.”

So Frank was right, the new sheriff was just holding the fort until the next election. For some reason, this made her sad. She liked Trent Stone, but not as much as she would have liked it if her friend, Frank Briggs, took over as sheriff. The problem was he didn’t want the job. He thought Misty Grove was too much trouble for him to be able to discharge his duties as sheriff. He wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye like Trent’s predecessor. His job as the officer-in-charge of the courts sure had him a bit more morally centered.