Shane (2 page)

“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m Lacey Metcalfe, and I called about the job
opening.”

“Yes honey, I told the sheriff you’d be stopping
by.” She stood. “Come with me, I’ll take you back to his office. Can I get you
some coffee?”

“That would be great.
Milk, but no
sugar.”

She followed the woman down a small passageway where
it looked like there were three or four more rooms. The woman stopped and
turned to the one on the left. The door was open, so she tapped on the wall.

“Shane, Ms. Metcalfe is here.”

“Great, show her in.”

“Go in, honey, and I’ll be right back with your
coffee.”

“Thank you.”

Lacey stepped into the office. The sheriff stood,
and she recognized him immediately. He’d been one of the cowboys herding the
cattle, the one with the cute butt.

Not
only a cattle herder but town sheriff too.

She’d gone from freezing to, too warm in seconds
with her cheeks burning wondering if he recognized her. And worse still, remembered
her ogling his ass.

“Hi, Ms. Metcalfe, I’m Sheriff Shane Malone.”

He stood and reached across his desk for her hand.
She took it and looked into the most gorgeous blue eyes she’d ever seen. The
almost matched the big blue Montana sky.

New
life that doesn’t include men.
Yeah, that’s my new mantra. Say it three times in quick succession and you’ll
be perfectly okay.

His hand lingered on hers, and she noted how rough
and calloused it felt compared to other guys she’d known. Would that be a plus
or a minus when it came to touching her body?

New
life that doesn’t include men.
New life that doesn’t include men.
New
life that doesn’t include men.

She coughed, pulled her hand away and guessed that
the mantra wasn’t working. Not that it was entirely her fault because he was so
damn gorgeous.

“Have a seat,” he said.

She pulled up a chair, and he sat. She looked around
his office, looking for photos of perhaps a wife and kids, but she couldn’t see
one. Did her new life not include sex too, or was it just men?
 

The secretary chose that minute to head in with the
promised mug of coffee, jarring her out of her inner thoughts. “By the way, my
name’s Ruth.”

“Hello Ruth, and thank you,” said Lacey taking the
mug from her. The warmth of it felt welcome as she curled her fingers around
its circumference.

“You’re welcome.” She left and pulled the door
closed.

Lacey watched the sheriff over the rim of the mug as
she brought it up to her lips. He filled out his denim shirt very nicely. She
especially liked the way it pulled over his chest and upper arms. It even
looked like his biceps were well developed too.

“So, Ruth tells me you’re here to apply for the
job?”

She jumped, almost spilling coffee down her coat.

“That’s right. I’m very interested in being a
trainee deputy sheriff.”

He pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote something
down on it. He leaned back, the chair squeaking as he did so.

“In fact, I have my resume here.” She leaned
forward, put the mug on his desk and searched through her bag. Somehow, him not
taking his eyes off her made Lacey all fingers and thumbs as she rummaged
around. Lacey knew she had it somewhere in this mess.

“Take your time, no hurry,” he said.

She put her make-up bag on his desk by the mug,
pulled out her cell phone, and there underneath everything, sat the piece of
paper.

She pulled it out and handed it to him. The chair
pinged as he sat forward, took it and quickly placed it in front of him. He had
gorgeous long eyelashes too and a cleft in the chin. She looked away when he
glanced up at her after reading the resume.

“Ms. Metcalfe, can I call you Lacey?”

“Absolutely.”

“Lacey, I see you’re from Boston.”

“That’s right.”

“Any particular reason you’re in Montana looking for
work? Marrying a local maybe?”

She shook her head.
“No, not getting
married.
I just wanted a change.”

He took a deep breath and rubbed his index finger
over his chin before leaning back in his chair again.

“Lots of people come here because they’re running
away from something. It’s the perfect place to get lost if that’s what you want
to do. Sometimes it’s the law, the government, even a spouse or themselves. You
fit into any of those categories?”

She held up her hand, wanting to say the only thing
she was running from was a broken heart, but that wasn’t any of his business,
even if this was a job interview.

“No, none of the above.”

He bit his lip. They were gorgeous too. Full, smooth
looking and…

“And you’ve got no experience working in law
enforcement?”
She shook her head. “But I’m adaptable.”

“That’s great to hear, but this job needs someone
with that sort of work background because they’ll be a deputy within six, maybe
nine months.”

“I can do it.”

He pushed her resume back toward her. “I’m sorry
Lacey, but I really don’t think you’d be a good fit for the job.”

She hadn’t come all this way to be dismissed within
the first five minutes of walking through the door.

“That’s not fair. You haven’t really interviewed me
or asked me any real questions yet.”

“Okay, you ever fired a gun?”

Technically she had.

“Of course.”

“What sort of gun was it?
Make and
caliber?”

Did water pistol count? Or even the super soaker
she’d used at her brother’s tenth birthday party?

“You’ve never held a gun let alone fired
one,
have you?” He raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, so I haven’t, but I could learn.”

“I need someone that already knows how to, and also
understands what it’s like to work in law enforcement.”

So he wasn’t even going to give her a chance.

“It’s because I’m a woman isn’t it?”

He held up his hand. “Hey, don’t you dare pull that
sort of crap. I don’t want to get a letter from some fancy Boston law office
saying you’re suing me for sex discrimination. You are not right for this job,
period. I don’t care if you have breasts or a penis, those are the facts.”

“I can do this job, Sheriff Malone.”

“If it’s a job you need I can ask around town. In
fact, my mother’s looking for someone to help out at the café she runs.”

“Café worker.
Have
you seen my resume? I have a degree and a solid working background. You think
that’s all I’m qualified to do?”

“Now don’t get all high and mighty with me. This is
a working class town with down to earth values. If you don’t like it or think
working in a café’s too demeaning for you, then I suggest you get your designer
clothed ass out of my town and head back east.”

She’d never been so tempted to slap a man across the
face. No, that wasn’t true. Her ex-fiancé fit into that category perfectly. Lacey
stood, jarring the coffee mug on his desk, sending it on its side, and the
remaining portion of the coffee headed toward her resume and the arrogant
sheriff. He jumped up from his chair, but he wasn’t fast enough. A brown stain
now marred the front of his jeans. He picked up the mug and glared at her.

“Good day, Sheriff Malone. I’ll see myself out, but
you haven’t seen or heard the last of me.”

Chapter
Two

 
Shit, bad start to the day.

Shane stood, pulled his now damp jeans away from his
crotch, and walked to the window. She had a spring in her step as she made her
way out to her car. Same car he’d seen on the road this morning when he’d been
herding cattle with Flynn and Rory. He’d recognized her the second she’d
stepped into his office, but had opted not to say anything. He wondered if
she’d even recalled seeing him. If she had, she’d obviously decided not to
comment on it either.

He downed what was left of his coffee and watched
her back out of the lot, almost hitting a truck in the process. Shane tugged on
the front of his pants again, but this time it wasn’t because of the wet coffee
patch. Feisty women always gave him a hard-on. They were difficult to tame, and
that’s what he loved so much about them. Breaking them in like a wild Mustang
was half the fun. Lacey Metcalfe had curves too. He liked ladies with some meat
on their bones.
Something soft and wonderful to bounce
against during sex.

He coughed. His mind was heading into the gutter.

Shane watched until her car was out of sight before
returning to his desk. Grimacing when he sat down, he realized some of the
coffee had dripped onto his chair but only after it was too late and he’d
already parked his backside on it.
 
The
chair was cold, but at least it cooled his balls that had been put on full
alert.

Lacey had left her resume. He looked it over again.
He was sorry that he’d offended her, but the truth was she wasn’t a good match
for the job. He bit his lip. He would have been reluctant to give it to her
even if she was. He had one rule, no dating employees and co-workers. That sort
of thing never worked out.

Leaning back, he grinned. He could imagine summoning
her in here to his office, bending her over his desk, pulling down her panties
that he was sure were both pretty and pricey.

“Shane Malone, did you upset that nice young lady?”

Ruth’s voice snapped him out of his dirty thought.
Good thing someone had.

“She wasn’t right for the job.”

“She didn’t look happy when she left, and she was
mumbling something about a chauvinist pig. I assume she was referring to you.”

“Come on, Ruth you know me better than that. That’s
the last thing a woman would ever call me.”

She winked at him. “So you found her attractive, is
that what bothered you?”

He didn’t answer. Ruth knew him well, too well for
her own good.

“Did she happen to say where she was staying?” he
asked.

“No, but I could ask around for you.”

“Great because I think I need to phone and apologize
to her. I’d hate her to think all Montana men are like me.”

“Yes, heaven forbid if they were.” She winked at him
again.

****

Lacey raised her glass to let the bartender know she
wanted another one of these goodies. The men in Timber Creek might be trapped
in the twentieth century, but at least their drinks tasted a hell of a lot
better.

He nodded. “I’ll be right with you,” he called to
her.

She didn’t quite know what she’d ordered. It had
looked good sitting in the glass belonging to the old man sitting three seats
down from her. The next one the bartender poured her would be her third. Two
had always been her max. She usually didn’t drink before the sun set. And
drinking this sort of thing on an empty stomach probably wasn’t a good idea
either, but the sheriff’s attitude had pissed her off big time. The fact that
he was as cute as hell hadn’t taken the edge of his caveman attitude either.

Pig.

“You say something, miss?” asked the bartender.

She blushed, not realizing she’d actually verbalized
her opinion of the lawman. She shook her head. “Fill her up and keep them coming,”
said Lacey sliding the glass toward him.

Had she slurred a few of her words? Nope, that
wasn’t possible because she’d only had two drinks. She burped, and two men
sitting near her looked her way. She blushed for the second time.

“Excuse me,” she said waving to them.

The word
me
was definitely slurred. She didn’t usually burp after drinking either.
Although too much beer made her fart.
Good thing for the
guys seating near her that she’d opted for the hard stuff. She slid a ten
dollar bill toward the bartender and had the strange feeling she was getting
lightheaded but tried to ignore it.

“You okay there?” asked the bartender.

“I am perfectly okay.”

All
four words slurred.
Things not looking good.

“I’m afraid I can’t pour you any more drinks after
this one. You’re clearly intoxicated.”

“Am not.”

Why didn’t the bartender stand still when he spoke
to her? What was wrong with all the men in this town?

Oops,
it’s me
who’s
moving and not him.