lori king rough ride romeo (11 page)

he groped for the words and Franki quickly put two and two together. Obviously

this woman was one of Roman’s former fings. A surge of jealousy burned in her

chest that she really had no explanation for, but she heard herself speaking before

she got control of her tongue.

“Hello, I’m Franki Scott, Roman’s girlfriend.” She held her hand out,

unsurprised when the brunette’s mouth dropped open and she stared at her in

shock.

“Girlfriend?”

Roman finally found his tongue, and he made good use of it. “Yes, Abby, this

is my girlfriend. She’s the reason I haven’t been in town.”

Abby’s eyes narrowed and Franki felt almost violated under the woman’s

angry glare. “You’re not from Montford.”

“Correct. Give the girl a prize.” Franki plastered a sweet smile on her face

even though irritation was bubbling up inside of her.

“How’d you two meet?” Abby continued as if Franki hadn’t even spoken.

Roman fushed a bit, and then grinned. “I suppose you could say I just sort

of bowled her over with my charm.”

Franki might have laughed if Abby hadn’t smarted off. “Just couldn’t keep

your dick in your pants could you Romeo? I should have known. So much for

something special. Did you bother to tell your girlfriend that you were in my bed

last week?”

“Abby that’s enough.” Roman growled not even looking Franki’s direction.

His reaction made it clear that the other woman was telling the truth, but the fact

that it made him uncomfortable made Franki feel better about it. Besides, she

hadn’t actually slept with the firty cowboy yet, so what did it matter who he was

with last week?

“Oh! So you’re the sloppy kisser he was telling me about!” Franki said,

reaching across the table and lacing her fingers through Roman’s. The look on his

face was priceless, and she gave him a quick wink before continuing. “What was it

you called her, baby? Mush mouth? Slush mouth?”

“What?” Abby roared taking a step backwards. Her cheeks grew red with

fury and embarrassment as the other folks in the diner stopped pretending not to

listen and twittered loudly around them. “Roman Freemont you’d better take that

bullshit back. I’ll have you know that your boyfriend is the worst lay I’ve ever had,

missy, and furthermore, he’s slept with half the damn county so you’ll probably

end up with an STD and an empty bed when he finishes with you.”

The shot at herself didn’t bother Franki, but the fact that Abby was spewing

her nasty vile publicly set her teeth on edge. “Why Miss Abby it almost sounds as

if you know from experience what kind of STD my man might have.” Turning

back to Roman with a look of concern, she pressed her lips to his knuckles and

said dramatically, “I’m so relieved for your sake that you left her before you met

me, baby. I can’t imagine what might have happened if—”

With a screech of anger Abby final y accepted defeat and stormed away

from them. Slamming the diner door open so hard it rattled the windows. A

moment of heavy silence was followed by laughter and light applause that

brought a hot blush to Franki’s cheeks. In that moment, she realized that she

might have just cemented the town’s view of her relationship with Roman

without meaning too. Damn. Now how was she going to get out of this?

~ ~ ~ ~

Roman stared at the gorgeous woman sitting across from him in shock and

awe. She’d handled herself beautifully with Abby, and left a lasting impression on

him, too. Franki Scott had a backbone, that was for sure.

“Damn. I’ve never seen Abby put in her place quite like that.” Elizabeth

Newcomer said as she reached their table. Roman held his hand out for the

check, but the waitress only shook her head. “Oh no you don’t. It’s on me. Abby’s

needed someone to push her off her pedestal for a while, and it looks like you

finally found the right woman to do it.” The look of approval on Elizabeth’s face

made Roman smile.

“She’s damn sure the right woman,” he said firmly, tugging Franki’s hand

across the smal table so that he could kiss her knuckles the way she’d done to him

moments before. “I think I’ll keep her around for a while. If nothing else she can

act as my bodyguard.”

Elizabeth scurried away with their empty plates leaving him sitting in silence

with the woman of his dreams. She was staring at their clasped hands with a

funny look on her face.

“That was impressive,” he said softly.

Her pretty eyes met his with a pensive expression, “I shouldn’t have done

that.”

“Why not?”

“Because now everyone thinks I real y am your girlfriend,” she hissed back

with a glance around. Everyone seemed to have gone back to whatever they were

doing before Abby interrupted their day, but that didn’t appear to reassure

Franki.

“Is that really so bad?” he asked feeling his gut twist in a knot.

Franki shrugged her shoulders, “Tell me, are you really the man-whore she

says you are?”

Never before had Roman wanted to lie to someone so bad. He was sitting in

front of a beautiful woman who didn’t know the real him. He could be whomever

he wanted to be with Franki. Have a new start. Something special and clean.

With no guilt from his past mistakes. But he couldn’t find it in him to spin her tale

so he just nodded.

“I told you I’m no angel.” He muttered.

To his surprise Franki released his hand and cupped his cheek, “Hey, none of

that. I’m not perfect either. I just figured if you have a rep like that in town I’d

better be prepared for a few more jilted lovers to cross my path before I leave.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Why? For having a life?” She snorted a laugh and then shook her head.

“Look Roman, we’re both playing our parts here. All that matters is that I find

Vivi and get her away from Goat safe and sound. I don’t care if you screwed

Mother Theresa in another life; as long as you keep your promise to help me find

my sister, we’re good.”

“I’l do everything in my power to help find her, but your opinion matters to

me.”

She frowned, “Why? You don’t know me from Adam. I’m a stranger you’ve

barely spoken to since we met three days ago.”

“I’ve been trying to get clues to your sister’s whereabouts. I’m sorry if that

means I’m not available for socializing.” He grumbled under his breath.

“What I mean is that you’re not beholden to me as though we’re in a real

relationship. Don’t take things so seriously. That woman clearly likes you, so if

you need to go soothe her ruffed feathers because I upset your life, I’ll

understand.”

Roman’s confusion spilled out. “You’re just full of mixed signals aren’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Tell me, what did you feel when we kissed? Anything? Nothing?”

“Um, I ah…”

“Exactly. What I felt when I kissed you was unlike anything I’ve ever

experienced. It was magic. So I’ll be damned if I don’t take this seriously. You

need me, and it’s been over a year since someone needed me. I can’t fail again. I

won’t.”

Images were fashing through his brain as fast as the words fell from his lips.

Abe pale and still as stone on the hospital bed where they pronounced him dead.

Dead of a heart attack because Roman wasn’t there to get him help. Drannon

nodding to the nurse to confirm that it was indeed Abraham Crawley’s body.

Hawke pale and shadowed as he helped carry the casket out of the church. Vin

quietly crying on the front porch steps as the last of their friends drove away from

the ranch taking the chaos of the funeral with them. None of it would have

happened if he’d been where he was supposed to be.

“Roman…”

“I need to get back to the ranch. Are you coming or staying in town?” he

said sharply, dropping his napkin on the table and shoving his way to his feet.

Franki’s mouth hung open for a moment before it snapped close and fire lit her

eyes.

“Fine.” Her petite body moved fast, and before he knew it she’d pushed past

him and out of the diner without a backward glance. Hurrying after, he was

already regretting taking his temper out on her.

“Franki, wait a second.” He called out as she marched down the sidewalk in

the opposite direction of his truck. When she didn’t respond he jogged after her,

“The truck is the other way.”

“Then why are you going this way?” she snapped.

“Seriously, Franki. I’m sorry I bit your head off. But damn it woman, you’ve

got my brain all scrambled.” Still she stomped forward refusing to even look his

direction. With a huff of irritation he grabbed her wrist and planted his feet

bringing their forward movement to a standstill. In retrospect he should have seen

her hand moving, but somehow the slap caught him off guard and he dropped

her wrist instinctively lifting his hand to his stinging cheek. “Holy hell! What was

that for?”

“You’re a Grade A asshole Roman Freemont.”

“You...I...we...what?”

“All I want is to find my sister and get the hell out of here. What part of that

don’t you understand?” She was furious, and Roman was stunned. He couldn’t

remember a time when a woman didn’t want to be with him, and it sure as hell

seemed like Franki didn’t want him.

“What about us? What happens when you find her?”

“Us? See, that’s where you’re confused. There is no us. We’re not in a real

relationship. We’re not going to be in a relationship—no matter what you felt

when we kissed. Does that clear up all those mixed signals for you?”

“Morning Miss Scott. Looks like things haven’t much changed since we first

met.”

Roman groaned at the sound of Bran’s voice and stared up at the sky silently

praying for a bolt of lightning to take him out at that moment.

“Sheriff. It seems some things never change. Once an ass always an ass.”

Franki’s reaction to Brandon was so relaxed that it just ratcheted up Roman’s

tension more.

“This”—he gestured around them wildly—“is not my fault, damn it.”

“I wouldn’t be standing here if you hadn’t run over my bike, so technically,

it’s all your fault.” She grumbled, her full lips curling up into a sexy snarl that

made his balls ache. Why in the hel did he find her anger sexy? She was a damn

confusing woman.

“She’s got ya there, Romeo,” Bran said with a chuckle. “How are the repairs

going on your motorcycle, Miss Scott?”

“Franki, please. And as of last night, Vin had fixed everything he could on it,

and he was waiting on parts.”

“So you’re sticking around for a bit then, huh?” Bran wasn’t being firtatious,

but Roman still felt jealousy kicking up in his chest at the easy way Franki spoke

to the other man.

“Looks like I’m stuck here.” Franki said with a nod.

“Well then you should join us this weekend for the town’s annual fair and

barbeque. It’s not much compared to the kind of affair they put on in St. Paul,

but—”

“Thanks, but I’m not really much of a fair kind of girl.”

Franki’s interruption seemed to surprise Bran who gave her a strange look,

and then stood a little straighter frowning at Roman. “All right. Roman I assume

you’ll be there?”

Talk about being put on the spot. Bran may as wel have just said, “Prove

you’re willing to work for her.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Marilyn’s planning on making up something special for

the pie eating contest this year. I heard her mention strawberries and chocolate.”

Roman said refusing to meet Franki’s eyes. He was going to use this as an

opportunity. If he could show her how good life was in Montford, maybe she’d

relax and give the place an honest chance once they found her sister. Franki

needed a stable place to put down some roots, and there was no better place than

Crawley Creek Ranch.

“Good, because I’m a judge this year.”

Franki snorted at Bran, “Good grief, what is this place? Mayberry? The

sheriff is the pie contest judge, and you’re probably on the town council and the

school board too. The only thing you’re missing is a sidekick deputy.”

Roman instinctively took a step forward placing his body between her and

his friend. As much as he knew Bran would never harm Franki, he also knew how

seriously Brandon Bowers took his job. The words she picked had struck their

mark.

“Excuse me Ms. Scott, but I happen to believe that the more involved the

sheriff is in the town’s comings and goings the better off the community is. I can

tell that our way of life doesn’t quite suit you. Good luck getting your bike fixed

and getting back home.” Bran’s words were curt but he gave them both a polite

nod before he spun on his boot heel and walked away. The tense line of his spine

assured Roman that the sheriff was pissed.

When Franki didn’t respond to the tart goodbye, Roman turned to face her

full on and folded his arms over his chest. “Are you doing your best to piss off

everyone you meet?”

She shrugged and looked away, but not before he saw the hurt in her eyes.

Maybe she didn’t even realize how catty she sounded when she spoke to people.