Runaway Bride (11 page)

Thinking about the kiss, and about the
almost marriage to Chad, she felt something inside her rebel. She
wasn't good enough, or woman enough for Chad, or perhaps she might
have kept him on the straight and narrow, and she wasn't enough to
change the Sheriff's mind either. So just where did she stand as a
woman?

Wanting to put Ben out of her head, she
decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. This was a
perfect opportunity to prove something to her bruised ego. A little
flirting could go a long way for a girl. It was all in fun, she
told herself. In fact, it was exciting. She needed to feel
something other than this constant buzz around the Sheriff. He
wasn't interested in getting married and he'd been up front about
it. She shouldn't be the least interested in him, either. After
all, he'd cuffed her, hadn't he? Had she forgotten that? Obviously
she had. Well, even Chad had confused her. To the point of thinking
she knew absolutely nothing about men!

What would it hurt? Innocent flirting,
after all, she was long overdue for an adventure. Not attracted to
either man, she knew this would be an innocent adventure in
womanhood.

Sauntering with her soft drink in one
hand and her other hand on her hip, she batted her eyes playfully
at the youngest of the two. Maybe she was pouring it on too
thick.

"Can I play too?" Her voice was
deliberately husky.

"Why shore honey. Can you
shoot?"

"A little," she teased with a smile,
glancing at the youngest man with exaggerated interest.

"Well hell fire honey, let's see what
you can do." The other one said looking at her from head to
toe.

Savannah edged closer to the younger
one, thinking he might be a safer bet than this oversized
stud.

"You wanna lag?" The youngest chimed
in, moving closer.

She smiled, took a big deep breath,
causing her chest to expand and the cowboy's eyes dropped to the
first button of her shirt.

"Ladies first," said the older cowboy
with a grin, and a quick lick of his lips.

Savannah summoned all her courage and
brazenly strutted to the table, she took the younger cowboy's hat
and put it on her head, then she took the cue and chalked it good,
as her brother taught her.

She was about to rack the balls when
the bigger cowboy obliged and the younger man took both her hands
in his and caressed each finger with added chalk.

"Suppose we make this interesting," she
cleared her throat and stared into the young cowboy's eyes. He was
handsome, but he didn't hold a candle to the Sheriff. She had to
quit thinking about the Sheriff, he wasn't interested in playing
games nor getting married. Stamping out the Sheriff's image, she
smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I win, you buy dinner, how's
that?" She crooned playfully.

"Ah now honey, we can do better than
dinner, can't we?"

"It's a date," she agreed, Just because
she'd never played this game of cat and mouse, didn't mean she
couldn't act.

"Rack 'em, Leroy," The youngest cowboy
said staring straight into her smiling and unsuspecting
face.

"The lady breaks 'em." Leroy
nodded.

Savannah moved herself closer to the
young cowboy, and extended her body over the table. Even though her
daring display had caught the eye of everyone in the
saloon,

She took the cue stick and leaned into
the table, stretching herself in an exotic pose. Then she heard the
break of the balls and heard one drop into its pocket. Leroy
whistled.

She glanced up at him and smiled, the
younger cowboy pulled her up against him. She smelled the beer on
his breath, saw the desire in his eyes and knew she was in the
biggest trouble she had ever been in.

Why oh why was she playing with such
fire? Just because the only man she had ever
almost
married preferred male company to hers,
didn't mean she had to prove to the world she was a woman. Did it?
Well, maybe it did. Maybe her ego had been hurt more than she
thought. Maybe she wasn't sure how to handle Chad's problem or her
own.

Even though her brother Jarod had
taught her to play pool and play well, these cowboys wanted much
more than a game and she was flirting with sure disaster. A bet was
one thing, what these fellas wanted was not flirting. And she
suddenly knew it. She swallowed hard. She'd been the one to start
this, somehow she had to get herself out of it. But how? She'd
never dealt with a half drunk cowboy before.

A prayer went up, but she remained
confident as the second ball found a pocket. The young cowboy
pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. He was more immature
at kissing than talking and she bit back a retort when he tried to
nuzzle her neck. Sweat peppered her upper lip. Her hands trembled,
but she ignored the silent threat that lay between her and these
men. Somehow she had to use her head and get out of this. But
how?

This was simply flirting, and she could
handle a couple of red-neck cowboys, couldn't she?

She poised herself for another shot,
bent to take aim, and heard Leroy let loose with a big
boast.

"This hot little mama is playing for
keeps. Now honey, don't scratch. We might have to take you up on
your generous offer. 'Course I wouldn't mind takin' you on,
anytime." Leroy's hot breath filled the air around the
room.

Smoke and beer seemed to reek. Savannah
felt her knees quiver. She was in much too deep and how to get out
wasn't spelled out on the wall. Innocent flirting, wasn't that what
she was doing? But it had been her only intention. She'd seen her
friends do it a million times. So why was she in
so
deep
? What
had she done wrong?

But if she thought this was trouble,
she had no idea.

Leroy had just put his hand on her
tight clad jeans when he was suddenly shoved away and again, she
felt the shaft of cold hard handcuffs going around her
wrist.

"Aw now Sheriff, ain't no reason for
that. The little lady was just playin' us a game of eight
ball."

"Game's over," came the steel edge of
Ben's voice.

Leroy's hands fisted and he bit his lip
to keep from objecting to the action. Savannah almost wished he
would make the Sheriff back off. Almost. Trouble was, she was
downright relieved that he butted into the game.

The Sheriff pulled her around so that
she was staring into the hottest, maddest, brown eyes she'd ever
seen.

"I think you'll have to pass on that
offer, Leroy."

"What are you doing?" She finally found
her voice. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried.
Actually she was both!

There was no time to decide on a
defense, for he was pulling her out of the saloon, and into the
bright sunshine.

"Will you take these off me now,
Sheriff?" She insisted indignantly.

"No ma'am." He responded and kept
pulling her through the street toward his office.

She was embarrassed and angry. He was
as much a bully as Leroy.

Twice he had put those cold steel cuffs
on her and she was beginning to tire of his he-man
tactics.

"Am I under arrest?" she tried to stop
him in the middle of the street?

"I'm not sure yet," he muttered, and
pulled her to the curb. Then thrust open the door to his office and
pushed her inside none too gently.

Without another word, he opened a cell
and thrust her into it. Then he went to his desk, sat down, took
his hat off and acted as though he was suddenly absorbed in the
papers on his desk.

"I demand to speak to my lawyer," she
yelled.

He didn't respond.

"I demand to know what I'm being held
for," she continued.

Nothing.

"I didn't do anything," she wailed,
helplessly.

Still he didn't act as though he even
heard.

She slumped down on the small bunk bed
and cried. He didn't so much as look at her. And a few minutes
later, when a young man came through the door in a rush, he glanced
at her in the cell and then at the Sheriff.

"Leroy just decked Many."

"Damn fool," the Sheriff muttered,
grabbing his hat and shoving it on his head.

Savannah grabbed the bars and demanded
to be set free, but there was no one to listen. And the room became
ultra-quiet.

She sat there for the better part of
the afternoon, alone, frightened and wondering what would happen to
her next. She pictured herself in prison, for a crime she never
committed, and trying to explain to a judge it was all over a
stupid game of pool. Innocent flirting.

The Sheriff returned late that day, the
sun was setting low, and only shadows kept her company.

Being in jail was a new experience, one
she already knew she didn't want to repeat.

"Sheriff, could I use the
restroom?"

No answer, only large tensed shoulders
that refused to give her attention.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I wish I'd
never come here. Never got off that damn bus."

Now he turned to look at
her.

"That makes two of us," he said. He
came closer, unlocked the door, and pointed to the restroom at the
back.

She scuttled into it, closing out the
rest of the world. Glancing in the mirror she saw the disheveled
young woman that she'd become. Her make-up was smeared, her face
was a mess from crying, and her hair was nothing but
straggles.

She stuck her tongue out at herself.
"I'll bet I'm the only woman ever arrested for
flirting."

After washing her face and hands, and
using the restroom, she opened the door.

When she came out, she barely lifted
her feet. She didn't lift her head.

He held the cell door open for
her.

She walked inside slowly, turning about
to say something until she saw his face, a mask of
anger.

He closed it behind her.

She bit her lip and flopped down on the
cot, just as a young girl came flying into the office.

"Ben, oh Ben, you're home. Oh...I've
missed you. So has Mama. Are you coming over tonight?"

Ben smiled and pulled the arms from
around his neck. "I'm not sure Jessica. I've got a prisoner and I'm
busy. And I'll bet you have school work to attend to."

"But, you haven't been over since you
came home. Why not?"

"Honey, I told you, I'm really busy
right now." Ben's voice was patient, but firm.

Jessica spotted Savannah, and twisted
to look at her. "With
her
?"

"Yes with her! Now run along home and
do your homework. I'll visit when I can."

The girl eyed Savannah again, then
slowly backed to the door. She left without another
word.

"Well, well," Savannah said
sarcastically. "Looks like the big Sheriff does have a
lady."

"She's not my lady," he corrected
without looking at her.

"Sounded like it." Savannah smirked.
Inside she was in turmoil. The fact that some woman did have the
Sheriff wrapped around her finger, made Savannah feel funny. Why
should she care?

Someone else came in, "I can't believe
it," Mrs. Johnson was saying.

Good Lord, the whole town must know,
Savannah thought to herself, unable to meet the woman's
glance.

"Well believe it," the Sheriff said
quietly, not looking up from his task.

"But, what did she do?"

"Let's just say she caused a
disturbance, and let it go at that," he answered.

"The poor dear. I brought her some
leftover chicken."

"Take it to her," he
directed.

Mrs. Johnson came up to the cell door.
"I'm so sorry dear. I'll bet you are starved. I've brought you some
chicken, hon. And if you need anything else, you just let me
know."

Savannah finally looked at the woman,
seeing no censure in her eyes. She tried to smile, "Thank you, Mrs.
Johnson."

"I'll see you get some clean sheets,
too dear." And with that she shook her head.

She spoke softly to the Sheriff and
then with a smile and a wink, she left, leaving Savannah feeling
lower than a skunk. She felt ashamed and didn't even know why. She
wanted to crawl under some rock and disappear. But what had she
done? What was her crime? Disturbance?

How had she gotten herself into such a
mess, all because she ran from a wedding!

She spent another hour berating herself
for pulling such a stunt and then wondering to what extent it had
become such an unlawful thing to flirt with a man.

When he was about to lock up and leave
for the day, she had to ask him.

["Why am I being held?" she asked in a
small voice.

He came to stand in front of her,
looking directly at her, into her eyes, into her soul.