But the best part of Patty’s was the artwork she displayed from all the local artists. Once a week, she went to the elementary school and did art projects with each grade, and the best works from each class were always showcased in her front window. I couldn’t remember how many times Mom would bring me here for a snack just so she could see my work in the window.
As I got out of my car, my eyes landed on the latest grade-school artwork, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw my cousin Nova’s name on one of them. It was a painting of New York, her favorite place in the world and where she spent a few weeks every summer with her mom’s family. She and her parents lived with mine, so I’d grown up listening to how much she missed New York from the time she got home until she left again the next summer. School would be out for the local kids by the end of the week, so I couldn’t help but wonder when Nova and her brother would be leaving for their annual trip.
As I opened the door, a buzzer sounded, and Patty came out of the back with a rack loaded with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The heavenly smell had my stomach grumbling, reminding me I had barely touched my lunch earlier. My head had been so full of Ben, I hadn’t even thought of food until the smells hit me.
“Well, if it isn’t my best customer!” Patty greeted with a grin, placing the cookies on the counter and coming around to hug me. “How are you, sweetheart?”
I hugged her back. “Good. Busy, but good. How are you, Miss Patty?”
She sighed heavily and told me all about her oldest son marrying a girl from Washington she didn’t care for. While she made my turkey and Swiss sandwich, she caught me up on all the local gossip, and I found the stress of the day slowly easing from my shoulders.
“Have you seen the new sheriff?” she asked as she packaged up three of the cookies for me, and all the tension returned to my body tenfold.
“We’ve met,” I confirmed with a nod.
She waved her hand in front of her face, fanning herself. “Dear Lord, that boy,” she laughed. Patty was in her late fifties, so to her, most men were boys. “And every single woman from the legal age of consent up to eighty is sniffing around that one. You wouldn’t believe all the offers he’s been getting since he came to town. And as soon as Sheriff Hogan stepped down, announcing Davis as his successor until the election this fall, it’s only gotten worse. You would think this entire county was in heat the way those girls all throw themselves at the poor boy.”
“Really?” I tried to act indifferent, when inside, I was suddenly fighting jealousy so intense, I wanted to scratch out the eyes of every female in the county who’d even looked twice at Ben. “I hadn’t noticed anyone sniffing around, but I just met him.”
“Next time you see him, watch. I bet you at least one local will try to get his attention in some shape or form. Especially over at Aggie’s, from what I hear. That Tabby has made a fool of herself more than a few times, I’ve been told. Do you know how many flat tires he’s had to change on the side of the road in the past month?” She laughed, shaking her head at how ridiculous it all was. “Why, just last week I saw him changing the tire for…”
Her voice trailed off when something out the front window caught her attention. Curious, I turned to follow her gaze, only to find the sheriff’s cruiser had pulled up beside my car and Ben was getting out. The sun hadn’t set yet, so I could see him perfectly. His gun was still attached to his belt, as was his flashlight, but he took the radio off and tossed it back inside the cruiser before shutting the door.
Pushing his sunglasses up on his head, he looked in and caught my gaze, and my lips started to tingle all over again from his kiss that afternoon. As I stood there watching, he walked into the deli.
“Good evening, Sheriff. What can I do for you?” Patty asked as she bagged up all of my food.
“Miss Patty,” he said with a smile that nearly knocked me on my ass then and there, and that was before he turned it on me. Once he did, I had to grasp hold of the counter to steady myself. “I’ll take whatever she’s having.”
“Of course. Exactly the same?”
“Please.” Crossing to stand beside me, he brushed his upper arm against my chest, and I couldn’t help the sharp inhale as my nipples hardened at the deceptively innocent touch. That wicked smile he gave me said he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
I had to get out of there before I did something I would regret. I was weak where this man was concerned. Weak and stupid. Earlier, I’d allowed him to kiss me even though Uncle Spider had been right inside Aggie’s. Uncle Spider was just as dangerous as Dad. He wouldn’t hesitate to hurt or even kill Ben if given a reason. And I wouldn’t be the reason something happened to the man I was crazily starting to care about.
“How much do I owe you, Miss Patty?” I got out in a weak voice.
“I got this,” Ben informed me. “Then we could go to the park and eat if you want. I’m off duty now.”
“No.” Definitely no. I couldn’t be alone with him again like we were the night before. Ten minutes with no one around, not even a single car, and I’d been ready to let him take me against the hood of my freaking car.
Taking a ten out of my wallet, I placed it on the counter, not even caring about the change.
But no sooner did it touch the surface than he picked it up and pushed it back into my hand. “Don’t argue with me about this,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I’m paying for dinner.”
“Sheriff,” I half growled in frustration, my hand burning from his touch where he was still cupping the money in my palm.
“Lexa,” he countered.
From the other side of the counter, Patty tried to stifle her laugh, and my face heated. Fuck. This was going to be all over town before the end of the night.
I was reminded of the gossip Patty told me earlier, and all thoughts of my parents finding out about this disappeared, replaced once again with jealousy. Crumpling the money in my fist, I lifted my brows at Ben. “You go around buying dinner for every girl, Sheriff?”
“Do my grandmother and secretary count as girls?” he asked, amusement in his eyes. He knew I was jealous, and it was funny to him. “Because I bought my sixty-year-old secretary lunch today.”
“What about all the girls whose tires you change?” I demanded, so mad now, I was shaking. But the thought of Ben screwing his way through Trinity County’s single female population hurt more than I ever could have imagined it would. “You buy them a meal after? Take them back to your place for a picnic in bed?”
The amusement died a quick death in his eyes, and he lost his smile. “What are you talking about, woman? What did I miss?”