natural beauty. She annoyed the hell out of him, but he was still a guy and couldn’t help but notice she’d grown into a pretty sexy woman. As a teenager, her legs and arms had been long and gangly, like an awkward colt, her father used to say. But something happened along age twenty-one, and suddenly her entire body was in complete proportion in a package that he knew some of the guys in town would love to get to know better. He’d gladly give her to any of them, as long as they moved to the other side of the world.
“Shane, be a dear and drop Krista at her house for the cinnamon. Her car isn’t here.” Ignoring Shane’s dropped jaw she turned to the other woman. “When you come back, bring those containers you bought and we’ll fill them up after dinner.” His mother turned her attention back to him. “Are you coming back for dinner tonight?”
Normally, he ate with his parents several times a week, but he’d had enough of a certain neighbor for one day. “No, I’ve got plans. Thanks,” he muttered.
She didn’t argue with him, seeming to sense that he needed to cool off. “I’ll stop by the station tomorrow with some of this coffee cake. I need to catch up with Bertha anyway.”
If anyone could come close to his mother’s gossipy nature, it was the sheriff’s office administrator. Fortunately, she was also the most trustworthy woman he knew. If it was confidential information, Bertha wouldn’t share, no matter who asked.
He bent to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Fine. See you then.”
Without caring if Krista followed or not, he walked out of the kitchen. If she wasn’t outside by the time he was in the car, she could walk.
He’d just opened the car door when she sauntered down the steps as if she had all the time in the world.
His hand slammed the horn with a loud blast. “Come on!”
Krista walked around the car, pulled open the passenger door and plopped into the seat. “Relax. It’s not as if you have to race back to the office.”
He felt his impatience boil. “How the hell do you know if I have to race back there or not?”
He twisted to back up, stretching his arm along the back of the seat. When his hand brushed the back of her hair and she jerked from his touch. Shane scowled. Did she think he did that on purpose? As if he’d get that close to her for any reason.
“Bertha would have called you if there was anything going on. You must feel like quite the big shot with Sheriff Canfield out of town this week.”
He drove down the street from his folks’ house and turned the corner. “It’s a responsibility, not a game.”
Krista shrugged. “If you say so.”
He clenched his hands tight on the wheel. For whatever reason, there wasn’t another woman on earth who annoyed him as much as this one. “Speaking of jobs, what happened to the one you were going to take last month?”
“It wasn’t for me.”
“The job wasn’t for you? How would you know? You never even started.” He couldn’t remember the last time she’d held down a job for more than a couple months.
Next to him, Krista yanked her hair from the ponytail holder and raked her fingers through it. She put the rubber band between her lips, and with both hands, brushed her hair back from her face. Shane couldn’t help but stare as her breasts rose high with her hair-fiddling antics. Along with beautiful legs, Krista had not missed out in other womanly curves. When her hair was once again secured, she dropped her arms and her breasts bounced back into position. His groin jerked irrationally, and he forced his gaze back to the road. What the hell was wrong with him today? That was twice he’d noticed her physically.
“Don’t worry about it.” She glanced out the side window as he pulled into her driveway. “Falls into the category of ‘Not Your Business.’”
He stopped the car. “Oh, like my mother’s little lunch clubs falls into the ‘Not Your Business’ category?”
Before she climbed out,
“Shane, be a dear and drop Krista at her house for the cinnamon. Her car isn’t here.” Ignoring Shane’s dropped jaw she turned to the other woman. “When you come back, bring those containers you bought and we’ll fill them up after dinner.” His mother turned her attention back to him. “Are you coming back for dinner tonight?”
Normally, he ate with his parents several times a week, but he’d had enough of a certain neighbor for one day. “No, I’ve got plans. Thanks,” he muttered.
She didn’t argue with him, seeming to sense that he needed to cool off. “I’ll stop by the station tomorrow with some of this coffee cake. I need to catch up with Bertha anyway.”
If anyone could come close to his mother’s gossipy nature, it was the sheriff’s office administrator. Fortunately, she was also the most trustworthy woman he knew. If it was confidential information, Bertha wouldn’t share, no matter who asked.
He bent to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Fine. See you then.”
Without caring if Krista followed or not, he walked out of the kitchen. If she wasn’t outside by the time he was in the car, she could walk.
He’d just opened the car door when she sauntered down the steps as if she had all the time in the world.
His hand slammed the horn with a loud blast. “Come on!”
Krista walked around the car, pulled open the passenger door and plopped into the seat. “Relax. It’s not as if you have to race back to the office.”
He felt his impatience boil. “How the hell do you know if I have to race back there or not?”
He twisted to back up, stretching his arm along the back of the seat. When his hand brushed the back of her hair and she jerked from his touch. Shane scowled. Did she think he did that on purpose? As if he’d get that close to her for any reason.
“Bertha would have called you if there was anything going on. You must feel like quite the big shot with Sheriff Canfield out of town this week.”
He drove down the street from his folks’ house and turned the corner. “It’s a responsibility, not a game.”
Krista shrugged. “If you say so.”
He clenched his hands tight on the wheel. For whatever reason, there wasn’t another woman on earth who annoyed him as much as this one. “Speaking of jobs, what happened to the one you were going to take last month?”
“It wasn’t for me.”
“The job wasn’t for you? How would you know? You never even started.” He couldn’t remember the last time she’d held down a job for more than a couple months.
Next to him, Krista yanked her hair from the ponytail holder and raked her fingers through it. She put the rubber band between her lips, and with both hands, brushed her hair back from her face. Shane couldn’t help but stare as her breasts rose high with her hair-fiddling antics. Along with beautiful legs, Krista had not missed out in other womanly curves. When her hair was once again secured, she dropped her arms and her breasts bounced back into position. His groin jerked irrationally, and he forced his gaze back to the road. What the hell was wrong with him today? That was twice he’d noticed her physically.
“Don’t worry about it.” She glanced out the side window as he pulled into her driveway. “Falls into the category of ‘Not Your Business.’”
He stopped the car. “Oh, like my mother’s little lunch clubs falls into the ‘Not Your Business’ category?”
Before she climbed out,