How to Land Her Lawman Read Free Page B

and see what happened.
    She leaned over and hugged her friend. “That’s why I needed to talk to you.”
    â€œHappy to help.”
    â€œYou definitely did,” April said.
    And now she had a plan.

Chapter Two
    A pril pulled the chicken casserole out of the oven and smiled at the cheerful bubbling around the edges of the perfectly browned noodles. The crispy parts were her favorite.
    â€œOkay, then,” she said to herself, “Operation Poke the Bear is officially under way.”
    And officially time to get in touch with her inner flirt. Hopefully she still had some of that mojo although that would presuppose she ever had any in the first place. Anything too obvious would be, well...too obvious. It would be a dead giveaway if she walked up to him and said, “Hey, Mr. Sexy Pants, come on up and see me sometime.”
    When she started to hyperventilate it was a signal that she needed to get a grip. Less than twenty-four hours ago Kim had floated this idea. A slow start didn’t mean she’d lose the race and as long as she didn’t do anything out of character, no warning flags would be raised.
    â€œOkay. Here goes.” She put a lid on the dish, then slid the whole thing into a casserole carrier and food warmer.
    April grabbed the dish and went out her kitchen door, stepping onto the patio. She looked around at her neatly trimmed grass and the flowers in cheerful bloom. A sidewalk led to the alley and she smiled, remembering that her mother put it in because there was already a worn path in the grass from April going to Will’s house. Or him coming here.
    That seemed like a lifetime ago, but still a stab of sadness went through her. She still missed her mom and probably always would. Seeing Will again had stirred up a lot of memories, some good but a whole lot of them not.
    Sighing, she walked across the alley, up the three steps to the Fletchers’ back door and knocked loudly.
    Moments later it opened and Will stood there. “April. Hi.”
    â€œHey. I made a casserole for your dad. And everyone.” Oh, God, her mind was going blank. “I’ve gotten in the habit of doing this since he got out of the hospital. It was a helpless feeling not being able to do anything for him, so I made food and brought it over. This is heart-healthy. Low fat. Whole-grain noodles.” She was babbling.
    When the horrifying thought sank in, she pressed her lips closed and ground her back teeth together. And oh, right, she was supposed to be flirting. So she batted her eyelashes.
    â€œThis is very nice of you.” Will took the container she held out and met her gaze. Frowning, he asked, “Is there something wrong with your eyes?”
    â€œOh. No. I mean—” She blinked furiously. “I think there was something in one, but it’s fine now.”
    â€œGood.”
    Doggone it! This flirting thing wasn’t easy. It just felt awkward and dishonest. She should cut her losses and run for cover. “Okay, then. I’ll see you around.”
    â€œCome on in.” Will moved the door open a little wider with his shoulder. “Unless you’ve got plans.”
    â€œNo.” Jean Luc was busy tonight, so she was free to flirt.
    She walked into the house that was as familiar to her as her own. The door opened into the family room with a leather corner group and a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. On the other side of a granite-covered bar was the kitchen with its large square island, stainless-steel appliances and plentiful oak cupboards.
    She looked around. “It’s awfully quiet. Where is everyone?”
    â€œKim is out with Luke.” He set the casserole on the island and looked at her. The expression on his face said his sister and her fiancé weren’t out so much as staying in and having sex.
    April’s already pounding pulse kicked up a notch. “What about your dad and Tim?”
    â€œThey went to a