Trouble in a Stetson (6 page)

Lola’s pussy clutched him, milked and squeezed as every nerve ending coiled tight then flew apart. Crying out, riding him through the storm, she knew she would never get enough of his man. As the last burst of pulsing pleasure seared her, Sam came too, biting gently on her nipple, groaning against it.

Lola sank against him, her breath heavy against his shoulder as Sam slowly stroked her back. “Wow. Nice way to start the day,” she managed on a gasping breath.

“Yeah. You don’t have plans tonight, do you?” His hand moved down to stroke her ass.

“Uh-uh. You offering?”

“You bet I am, darlin’. I’m up for a red hot affair if you are. I’ll come by tonight.

That okay with you?”

* * * * *

Several days later, Lola looked up from filling a batch of salt shakers and smiled when Emily and Roxie came breezing through the front door of Blue Belle’s. “Hey, ya’ll.

Slumming today?”

Both women walked up to the counter. Roxie grinned. “I was hungry for pie.”

“We have some of that. Fresh made today. How about you, Em? You’re probably ready for some good stuff right about now since you actually have to eat your own cooking these days.”

Emily rolled her eyes and grinned. “Rub it in, why don’t you?”

When they were settled into a booth with a platter of homemade French fries and slices of lemon meringue pie, they started catching up. It was mid-afternoon and quiet as a tomb in the café. Belle had worked the morning shift and was off so the friends had the place to themselves.

Roxie forked up a bite of lemon pie and hummed a little. “Damn. This is good stuff.

Don’t tell me you made this.”

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Lola shook her head. “Hey, I’m southern, honey, I can deep fry just about anything but Belle does the pies. Aren’t they yummy?”

Emily bit into a crispy French fry and moaned. “Mmm. I swear, I’m starving. Did I tell you I’m taking cooking lessons? Wyatt figured out pretty quick that I can’t boil water much less cook for all those ranch hands and he took pity on me. What a guy.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Lola dug into one of the pockets on the slim apron tied low on her hips. “Here ya go, Em. I copied some of Belle’s easy recipes.”

“Note the emphasis on
easy
?” Roxie snickered around a mouthful of pie. “I swear, Em, you’re hopeless. Been worried about how long you could continue fooling him.”

Lola leaned her elbows on the table and watched her best friends spar. They were so good-natured and fun. It was little wonder they were such pals.

Emily sighed. “God, I admit it. I
am
hopeless but Wyatt doesn’t seem to mind.”

Lola exchanged a telling look with Roxie. “Do I sense more to this story?”

Em’s grin answered the question handily and then she noticed a little color rise to Roxie’s cheeks as she glanced nonchalantly out the plate glass window. “Um, Rox? Why do I get the feeling Em’s not the only one to have something hot and heavy in the works?”

“I chased. I caught and he’s happy about it. ’Nuff said.”

“You are such a badass, Roxie,” Emily teased. “Impressive.”

Lola clutched her hands beneath her chin and sighed. “My hero. Oops. Make that heroine.”

Roxie laughed. “Ah, he wasn’t all that hard to catch.”

No surprise there.

Cliff Beckett, owner of Chaps, Mesa Blanco’s honky-tonk, was a red-blooded man who had eyes in his head. Roxie was a beautiful, sexy woman. Naturally, he fell into her hands like a big, good-looking wad of putty and before all was said and done, Lola suspected Roxie would mold the hunky man to her liking.

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“So what about you?” Emily said, spearing her with a look. “Are you burning up the sheets with the sheriff?”

Roxie sniffed the air. “Hmm. I think I smell smoke.”

Lola sighed. “Call the fire department. Does Mesa Blanco have one? Hmm. Well, if they do, call ’em quick.”

Roxie and Emily both laughed.

When she told them about the kids who’d harassed her that night after they’d met for drinks, she watched Roxie bristle. “What the hell? Are you kidding me?”

“Damn little twerps,” Emily chimed in with a scowl.

“No, no, settle down. I called Sam and he came a runnin’. Took them home to their folks and I’m sure that was punishment enough for the little pervs.”

“What a guy.” Emily sighed.

“Isn’t he just?” Lola gathered up a bit of meringue on her fork. “I swear. The man turns me inside out. Makes me wonder about leaving here. Am I crazy?”

“Probably certifiable, honey,” Roxie said. “None of us plans to stay but damn if I wouldn’t like a little more time here.”

“Me too,” Emily said, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “Me too.”

Lola thought about her hot nights between the sheets with Sam Campbell and had to agree.

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Trouble in a Stetson

It had been a hell of a day already and Sam couldn’t wait to finish it up, close it down and get back to his important business with one beautiful waitress. Lola had become a permanent fixture in his life for the past two weeks and he wasn’t a man who lied to himself.

He couldn’t get enough of her.

Dangerous.

Sam knew he was playing with fire and like a dumbass, he was bound to get burned. The woman would be deadly to his heart and he constantly had to remind himself of what she was.

Rich man arm candy.

A blast of shockingly cold air hit Sam the minute he and his deputy Eldon, stepped through the door of Blue Belle’s. Time for a quick jolt of caffeine.

Yeah, keep lyin’ to yourself, buddy.

You’re here for
her
.

Sam saw Lola immediately as she came through the swinging doors that led to the kitchen. Balancing a big tray of blue plastic glasses, she turned and started stacking them next to a giant silver urn that was marked with a popular tea label. Smiling at the sight she presented with her hair pulled up in a big, messy pile of curls, he and Eldon planted their butts on bar stools at the counter.

When Lola turned and saw him, her smile widened. “Well, hey there. If it isn’t the handsome sheriff and his super cute deputy. Hey, Eldon.”

Eldon, a gangly young fellow in his late twenties, turned several shades of red and shyly tipped the brim of the cowboy hat that was part of his uniform. “Ma’am.”

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“That’s Lola to you. I’m way too young to be a ma’am. Ya, hear?”

Sam laughed. “Quit tormenting Eldon, Lola. Pretty soon you’ll be messing with his head like you mess with mine.”

“Is that so?” Lola cocked her hip and winked at him.
Brazen little thing
. “Imagine that. Little old me messing with your head. Can I get you guys some coffee? Just made some fresh.”

“Sounds good,” Sam said.

When Lola turned to fill their order, he studied her covertly from top to bottom.

There was something different about her these days. Back when he’d first set eyes on her she’d been harried and pretty upset about the turn of events. She fairly oozed panic.

Look at her now. Her smile was bright and easy as she worked behind the counter and her teasing manner made him happy.

What the hell was up with that?

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been truly content. Sam was no fool. He knew damn good and well that Lola was responsible for the way he was feeling these days.

“So what have you gentlemen been up to today?” Lola set two steaming mugs in front of them along with a small pitcher of cream. “Lots of crime fighting?”

“Actually, yeah,” Sam said as he doctored his coffee with a splash of cream and gave it a stir. “Tough morning.”

Lola’s eyes went wide. She stilled. “What happened?”

“Shut down a meth lab about ten miles from here. Had some help from the state police but we got it done.”

“What the hell, Sam? I thought a place like this would be pretty much crime free.

Are you okay? Was there shooting involved? Oh my God!”

Sam sat up straight, noting the fear on her face and hurried to reassure her. Hell, was she worried about him? “No, honey. Settle down now. We got them while they 46

Trouble in a Stetson

were still sleeping off the booze from the night before. And don’t forget, I had plenty of help.” When Lola visibly relaxed, he picked up his coffee, took a sip and continued.

“Rural areas have lots of drug problems and it keeps us on our toes. It’s just part of the job.”

Eldon’s phone rang then and after a brief conversation and quick goodbye, he left the café to head back to the sheriff’s office. Sam was alone with Lola except for one other customer.

“Hey, Lola, can I get a refill?” This from Harry, an old timer who sat at the other end of the counter. He was pretty much a permanent fixture in the place since his retirement after years of working in the oil fields. The elderly man held out his cup.

Lola seemed to collect herself and gave Harry a big smile. “Sure thing.”

As she poured more coffee into his cup, Harry grinned. “I heard some gossip around town that you were one of them strippers when you worked in Vegas.”

“Now, Harry, that’s just not very politically correct of you. They are called exotic dancers these days but no, I danced in a show. Didn’t do any exotic dancing. And where on earth did you hear such a thing?”

Harry laughed, the sound rusty and rough. “Aw, I’m just pulling your leg, Lola.

Trying to get your goat.”

“Consider it got, you old stinker.” Lola set the coffee pot aside. “Just because I came here from Vegas doesn’t mean I lived some kind of wild and crazy life. I mean, yeah, I danced in a show for close to ten years, but I’m still a country girl at heart.”

Smiling, Sam shook his head. She was unflappable and so damn likable.

“What kind of get-up did they have you in, little gal?”

“Well, pretty much close to nothing and lots of little sparkly things on my costume.

Had to wear this big feathery thing on my head.” Using her hands, she emphasized how high it might have been. “Heavy. Oh Lordy! Heavy. Hard to do prancing, dancing and high kicks when wearing that thing.”

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Harry shook his head. “Now that I would’ve liked to see.”

“Me, too,” Sam said. “Some kind of balancing act but I bet you looked great.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Lola walked up and leaned her elbows on the counter and stared him straight in the eye. “Not too shabby.” With a flirty, highly seductive glint in her eyes, she drew the tip of one finger down his collar and then gave it a tug so she could whisper in his ear. “Wanna see, Sheriff? I think I can still muster up a high kick or two for you. I’m very flexible.”

Sam’s belly tightened as her warm breath sifted across the curve of his ear and his cock twitched in response. “You offering?”

Lola pulled back then surprised him by kissing him right on the mouth. It was a short, sweet peck considering other kisses they’d shared but the touch zipped straight through his body like an electrical charge.

Yeah, he was in a hell of a lot of trouble here.

“Oh yes, I think I am. You off tonight?”

Sam nodded. “Tomorrow too.”

“Hmm. As it happens, I’m not working tomorrow either.”

Sam’s mind conjured downright dirty images of all the things he wanted to do to that wicked body of hers. His heart rate picked up. “Sounds like a date.”

A chime rang over the doorbell and Lola released him. He looked over his shoulder to see a woman hovering in the doorway. Two small kids stood behind her. Sam frowned. She wore a look of desperation that he’d learned to recognize in his years of law enforcement. Lola excused herself and walked up to the woman.

Lola spoke with her quietly and he saw her shake her head. “No, we don’t really need any help right now. I’m sorry.”

Though Sam strained to hear more of what was being said, Lola pitched her voice low, disguising their conversation. Within a few minutes, the woman herded her children inside and they sat together in a booth near the windows. Every bit of teasing 48

Trouble in a Stetson

and humor left Lola’s face as she headed to the kitchen. While he nursed his coffee, he watched her come back out with platters of burgers, fries and soft drinks.

As the small family ate their meal, Lola came back behind the counter, reached into her apron and took out some money. She put it in the cash register.

“What are you doing, honey?” Sam asked, though he already knew.

Lola just shook her head. “It’s my tip money. They were hungry, Sam.”

That was all she said. Sam got the feeling that Lola knew exactly how it felt to be without the bare necessities. There was a hell of a lot more to her than met the eye and Sam fell just a little bit in love.

Damn it.

* * * * *

Lola was nervous. She didn’t know why exactly but expectation, a feeling of premonition, practically hovered in the air. Despite her tendency to be a little soft and gooshy about things she had her practical moments. Woo woo stuff wasn’t something she seriously considered. Still she wondered at the feeling of something impending.

Sensing her overnight excursion might lead to something monumental, she packed her Barbie makeup case. Already she’d soaked in the bathtub until her skin was pink and glowing. She should have been relaxed but no. Something was different in Sam’s voice when he’d called her earlier.

“How would you feel about staying at my place?” he asked in that slow Texas drawl. “Nothing against your apartment.”

She laughed. “No offense taken. It’s not much. I have to admit, I’ve been curious to see where you live.”

Silence fell on the other end of the line. “It’s not fancy. I’m not a rich man, Lola.”

Well now.

Where had that comment come from? Sam already knew about her past and where she’d grown up and her tiny temporary dwelling here in Mesa Blanco was certainly no 49

Regina Carlysle

mansion. She realized there was much to learn about what made Sam tick and tonight she aimed to dig deep, assuming he would let her.