lori king rough ride romeo (12 page)

“Look, I get it. You’re stressed about your sister, and you’re in an unfamiliar

place, so you’re on edge, but please stop trying to push people away. I can help

you. I want to help you. Hell, Bran could be one of the fastest ways to find your

sister, but you just went and insulted him.”

“I don’t want to involve the police. It could get Vivi hurt.” She said

immediately turning a shade too pale for his liking.

“I know, that’s why I didn’t bring it up to him, but think about it, Franki. I’ve

talked to multiple people who know this region of North Dakota forwards and

backwards. No one has even given me a lead yet. We could be wasting precious

time asking the wrong people.”

To his shock, her big blue eyes grew glassy with tears and her bottom lip

trembled slightly. “I never thought…oh, my god...”

He wrapped her in his arms, tight against his chest. “Shhh. Don’t second

guess yourself. You’ve been making the best decisions for each step you’ve

reached, but now we’re at a fork in the road. If we continue on with no clues and

no help, we’re not very likely to come up with anything. It’s been how many days

since you heard from Vivi? What if they’ve moved her in the interim? We’re

looking for a place with a lot of comings and goings, but we might have been

looking for the wrong thing. Maybe we need to look for a place that’s suddenly

empty after it was really busy.”

She didn’t hug him back, but she accepted the embrace and the comfort

offered and he figured that was a pretty good step. At least she wasn’t hissing and

scratching like a feral cat anymore. He’d never met a more prickly woman in his

life.

After several tense moments, she finally murmured something into his chest.

“Thank you. For helping me. I’d do anything to find Vivi. If you think the sheriff

can help us, then I’ll trust you.”

Unable to stop himself, he tipped her face up to look into her teary eyes. She

might be on the verge of crying, but not one damn tear slipped the confines of

her eyelids. Strength and determination shone in their deep blue depths, and his

heart ka-thumped in his chest. He suddenly became very aware of the way her

body pressed against his. Her breasts were firm against his lower ribs and abs,

and her sweetly feminine scent filled his nose. She was a delicious armful.

It took everything he had to release his hold on her and take a step back.

The devil in his head urged him to capture her plump lips and take what he

wanted, but that would just push her away even more. And besides, that’s what he

did with every woman he met. That’s why he was so goddamn lonely. He wanted

more from Franki. Something different.

“Come on. We’ll go back to the ranch for now, and I’ll reach out to Bran

later today. We’ll invite him out for dinner, and maybe we can present the facts to

my brothers and Bran all at once. With the think team on it surely we’ll come up

with some great ideas.”

Franki shook her head, “Wait, your brothers?”

“Oh yeah. This has just become a Crawley Creek operation, and no man is

left behind.” Stroking his finger across her tense jaw, he smiled at her. “Trust me,

Franki.”

It took a moment, but she finally nodded and whispered, “Okay.”

The one word answer cemented her place in his heart. If he didn’t succeed

in finding Vivi and keeping Franki he’d never be the same again.

Chapter 11

Franki felt sick to her stomach that evening as she walked down the beautiful

staircase at Crawley Creek. Not only had she bet her sister’s life on a family of

cowboys she barely knew, but she was also asking for help from a man she’d

directly insulted just hours ago. It was like she was living a nightmare. She wanted

nothing more than to wake up back home in St. Paul and pick up the phone to

call her sister for a long overdue girl talk. Hell, for that matter she’d rather wake

up four years ago and phone her mom to say I love you.

The scent of gril ed meat hung in the air, and as usual, the rumble of voices

drifted from the kitchen and dining room. It seemed there was always someone

around to talk to at Crawley Creek and she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it.

She was used to spending her time alone. Wrapped up in the comfort of the

familiar, and avoiding the judgement of others.

“Do you remember that time when Jenny Carlton brought her pet cat to

school for show and tell, and you brought Rocky the golden retriever that same

day?”

Male laughter rumbled, and Bran’s voice said, “Shit, yeah. I remember the

ass chewing I got from Principle Flint and Mrs. Gall, too. How was I supposed to

know we had to reserve a day to bring a pet for show and tell.”

Franki entered the kitchen as Vin said, “It took nearly an hour for the fire

department to track that cat down in the supply room closet and the rest of the

day for everyone to clean up the mess.” Both men looked up at her

simultaneously and she forced a small smile to her lips when they greeted her.

“Hey Franki.”

“Ms. Scott.”

She nearly cringed at Bran whose tone shifted from friendly and open to

cold and polite. Time for damage control.

“Hello gentlemen. Sorry for interrupting your chat. Sheriff, please call me

Franki.” Her thumbs hooked in the back pockets of her jeans, she fidgeted

awkwardly under Bran’s scrutinizing gaze.

He nodded, “Franki, then.”

“I actually wanted to apologize for my earlier behavior. You seem to keep

catching me at my worst. I promise you I wasn’t intentionally being rude.” She

could feel Vin’s curious stare darting back and forth between her and Bran, but

she held her eyes on Bran. If Roman thought they needed the Sheriff ’s help then

she had to fix the damage she’d already done.

“You did seem a might touchy.” He agreed, “Consider it forgiven and

forgotten.”

Relief swelled in her chest and finally a genuine smile spread over her face,

“Thank you.”

Bran’s eyes widened and he cocked his head. “Wow.” He looked over at Vin

who was staring at her with a gaping mouth.

She glanced back behind her before asking, “What?”

“Uh…” Vin said, fumbling and looking away.

“You’re um, very lovely when you smile like that.” Bran said returning the

gesture.

Embarrassment fooded her cheeks with red hot heat and she dropped her

gaze. “Thanks. Um, does that mean I’m not particularly attractive when I’m not

smiling?”

“Fucking hell, woman.” Bran said, sighing and rolling his head back on his

shoulders to stare up at the ceiling. Franki and Vin both laughed.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You left yourself wide open for that.” She teased.

“Damn, she’s gotcha there, Bran.” Vin said, shaking his head and throwing

back the last of the pop in front of him. He held up the can and shook it gently,

“Want one?”

“Please.” She agreed readily settling on the bar stool next to Bran. He held

his out to Vin who took it and tossed it into the bin on his way to the fridge.

“So, tell me Franki, to what do I owe this dinner invitation? Surely you and

Roman didn’t ask me out here just so that you could apologize for that little

remark this afternoon?”

“We wanted the gift of your charming company,” Roman said as he entered

the room and immediately crossed to stand behind Franki. His hands cupped her

shoulders, and he gave her an affectionate squeeze before he slapped Bran on the

back. “Thanks for coming out, man.”

Bran snorted at the backhanded compliment, “No problem. I’m glad I could

make peace with your warrior woman.”

Again Franki forced back a sarcastic comment and just laughed with

everyone else. It was becoming more and more obvious that she and Roman were

attracted to each other, and she didn’t want his family to hate her when she left

because they thought she’d broken his heart.

“Not a warrior so much as an anti-social hermit forced out of her

comfortable cage and into the big, big world.” She said as she accepted a pop

from Vin and popped the top.

“A hermit huh?” Bran asked.

“I do much better when I’m alone because there’s no one to insult.” Franki

shrugged like it was no big deal, but she could see the questions spinning in Bran’s

head. This was obviously a very intelligent man, despite the slow cowboy drawl.

“So tell me, Sheriff, where’d you get that Southern accent? Certainly not in

North Dakota.”

The shift in conversation worked perfectly, and he went on to explain that he

was actually born in Mississippi, but moved to North Dakota with his

grandmother when he was very young. Raised by a good old-fashioned southern

belle he’d picked up a heavy accent.

“And you, Ms. Scott? I know you’re from Minnesota. Have you always lived

there?” Bran asked politely.

“Yep. Born and raised. This is the first time I’ve travelled away from there.

Like I said, I’m more of a homebody.”

Marilyn entered the kitchen with a big smile on her face and greeted them

all. “I hope you’re all hungry! I have cheesy potatoes in the oven, and Drannon is

taking the steaks and the corn off the grill now. We’re going to eat on the picnic

table out back if that’s okay by everyone.”

“Is there anything I can do to help, Marilyn?” Franki asked. Roman still

stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders, and just having him close

made her body do weird things. Her heart was racing, and her palms were oddly

sweaty. She wasn’t used to being touched, and as much as she enjoyed it, it was

becoming a bit awkward now. She needed some distance from him.

“Do you want to help me bring everything out? I’ve only got two hands and

my knee is giving me some trouble today, so I’d prefer to make less trips down the

back stairs.” Marilyn said. The whole time she spoke the motherly woman was

efficiently gathering the things necessary for their picnic and finishing the

cooking. Her mastery of multi-tasking was impressive.

“We’ll al help, and then we’ll only need to make one trip.” Roman said,

reaching for a stack of plates. On his way past Marilyn he brushed a quick kiss on

her cheek. “Did you put some of that cream on your knee like Doc told you too?”

Marilyn frowned at him and said, “Hell no. It smells like a horse’s ass. Makes

my head hurt just getting a whiff of myself.”

“I’ve read that adding more turmeric and ginger to your diet can sometimes

help with joint pain. I had a neighbor back in Minnesota who suffered from

terrible arthritis in her hands. Sometimes they’d be gnarled up so tight that she

could hardly use them. It broke my heart because she loved to knit and she made

the prettiest blankets.” Franki offered as she picked up a pile of napkins and a

basket of silverware. Vin and Bran both collected armloads and all five of them

headed out the kitchen door onto the back patio. Drannon and Hawke were at

the grill, and an oversized picnic table covered by an enormous umbrella sat in

the center of the patio.

“I’ll have to look into that. I do love ginger tea.” Marilyn said.

Before Franki could take her seat Roman wrapped his arm around her waist

and whispered in her ear, “Not quite as anti-social as you want everyone to

believe, huh?”

She wrinkled her nose and pushed him away moving to the other side of the

table. His cocky grin assured her that he wasn’t upset, and she nearly groaned out

loud when he took the seat directly opposite her, and immediately planted his feet

on either side of hers. It was as though he couldn’t resist touching her every

opportunity he had.

“Soups on.” Drannon called out as he carried a large plate full of steaks in

their direction. Hawke followed with a dish of corn on the cob.

“Where’s Lacy?” Roman asked.

“She’s not feeling well. Said she thinks she has a migraine coming on so she’s

laying down. I’ll fix her up a plate so that she can eat when she wakes up.”

Drannon explained.

“This looks delicious, D and Marilyn.” Vin said starting the process of food

passing so that everyone could fill their plates.

It took several minutes for everyone to get settled in to eat, but the group

continued to chat as old friends do. Franki was absolutely fascinated by how close

the four brothers were considering they didn’t share any blood. The more she

heard about their individual stories the more she grew to respect what they’d

managed to become.

“How many kids do you suppose came through Crawley Creek?” Bran

asked.

“Hundreds. I know Sera kept the records and would have been able to tell

you the exact number, but I don’t remember off the top of my head.” Drannon

said.

“It sounds like you guys were very lucky to find the Crawley’s.” Franki

added.

“No doubt.” Roman said with a laugh. “I’m not sure any one of us would

still be around today without Abe Crawley teaching us how to be men, and Sera

Crawley softening us up and teaching us how to love.”

Nods of agreement from everyone at the table punctuated the sentiment.