Sophie Oak: Pure Bliss

Cassidy had just said good-bye to her son. And Hope had said good-bye to her friend.

She sniffled. God, she was going to miss Logan. She understood why he was leaving, but even at his worst, Logan had been a good friend to her.

Mel waved as he walked by. Hope raised a hand and prayed she was smiling. She could feel her lips tugging up, but sometimes she wondered if the people around her could tell that it was all for show.

She sighed as a Bronco pulled up and Deputy Cameron Briggs slid from the driver’s seat. Cam Briggs was an all-American hunk of man. He filled out his khakis with impressive style.

He was also totally taken and insanely happy with his woman. He and his partner, Rafe Kincaid, shared Laura Niles. There was a whole lot of sharing going on in Bliss.

And Hope was alone. But then she deserved to be.

“Hey, Hope, anything happening?” Cam asked with a smile as he walked through the inner doors. He pulled his Stetson off his head and set it on his desk.

She shook her head. “Nope. I think we’re in a quiet period.”

That was the way it was in Bliss. Months of lovely boredom broken up with flashes of catastrophe. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to work for the Bliss County Sheriff’s Department, but she did love her job. Sometimes it was the only thing she had.

“Nate’s settled into the cabin,” Cam said. “Callie seems to be recovering quite nicely. Those babies are adorable. And Stefan gave them a little present.”

She could guess what the King of Bliss had given to his oldest friend. Callie had been unaware she was having twins. “A second set of everything?”

Cam grinned, sitting on the edge of his desk. “Callie was damn happy about that. So were Nate and Zane. They had talked about putting baby Charlie in one of the dresser drawers.” He sighed. “I love this town. Back where I came from no one would have cared enough to make sure those babies were comfortable. The women wouldn’t have made sure that Callie didn’t have to cook for a couple of weeks. They would have shrugged and moved on. Of course, the little town where I came from would have driven them out. They’re kind of traditional.”

Most of the world was. Bliss was different. “Did Logan say good-bye?”

Cam hopped off his desk and came to stand right in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders. She had to look up, way up, to see his face. His blue eyes were somber as he looked down at her. “He’s going to be okay, Hope. He’s going to get what he needs, and then he’ll come back and maybe it can work for the two of you.”

Hope felt her own eyes go wide. “Logan is like my brother, Cam. I have zero interest in him in any kind of a physical way.”

He dropped his hands. “Damn it. I always get that wrong. I guess I just thought you two would make a good couple. You’re not seeing anyone, and he’s not seeing anyone.”

She shook her head. “Not going to happen. But I do care about him.”

Neither one of them had even tried dating. They had seemed to be such good friends that there was no reason to screw it up by dating. Sex screwed everything up.

So why couldn’t she get her mind off James Glen? He was sex on a stick, walking around town in cowboy boots. He was too perfect, too gorgeous. With his easy smile and laid-back manner, he charmed just about every woman in a hundred-mile radius. He was flirty and playful. There wasn’t a woman in the county that James Glen didn’t sharpen his skills on. From babies to old ladies, he was charming with them all.

With everyone but her. It was just her luck that the only man she was interested in was totally turned off by her.

Cam shook his head. “Well, it shows what I know. Laura told me I was wrong. She seems to think you have a thing for that rancher.”

Her stomach twisted. The last thing she wanted was for gossip to start. “James? I don’t think so.”

“Well, that’s good because from what I can tell, he’s on top of just about any female who will let him climb on.”

Again. Any female with the singular exception of one Hope McLean. Her skin grew hot at the thought of the one time she’d asked him if he maybe wouldn’t mind having dinner with her since they had both been alone at Stella’s and it seemed silly to take up a whole booth when they could just sit together.

He had explained that he was done even though his burger was untouched. He’d thrown some money down and nearly run out the door.

Hope hadn’t eaten that day, merely walked up the steps to her apartment, sat down, and cried.

No. James Glen wasn’t for her.

“Hey,” Cam said, patting her on the back. “What do you want for lunch? It’s on me. We’re going to be stuck together for a couple of weeks until Nate gets back or we hire another deputy. We might as well enjoy ourselves. I brought a set of checkers and some other games.”

Logan had been the one to sit and play games with her. It would have been easier on her ego if she had been madly in love with Logan.

“I would love the special.” She had no idea what the special was today. It could be anything from enchiladas to something utterly unpronounceable made from goat and truffle oil. It all depended on what Hal, Stella’s short-order cook, had recently seen on the Food Network. Still, it was always an adventure, and Hal was nice to her.

“Brave girl. I’ll go pick it up.” Cam winked and then disappeared, jogging down the street.

She watched him go, her eyes trailing back toward the diner. It was the place where all the citizens of Bliss met and hung out. She’d eaten lunch with Logan there at least four times a week. Even at his surliest, he’d been company. Now he was gone.

And James was dating some airhead actress, though dating wasn’t exactly what Hope would call it. James wasn’t known for his long-term relationships.

Hope caught sight of the mailman. Barney Osman was a sweet man nearing retirement age. He drove all across two towns, carrying the mail in his truck. Hope stepped outside the double doors, walking to meet him before he had to come up the steps. Barney was a very nice man, but his knees weren’t what they used to be according to his many health-related stories. Hope spoke to him for a moment, learned about his ongoing battle with gout, and waved him on his way. She stood outside, sorting through the mail, which included a catalog of fishing equipment, some formal-looking letters that Nate would probably toss out in favor of the fishing catalog, an ad for computer equipment, and a large flyer for the new play being presented by the Repertory Theater.

“You should come. It’s going to be a great night,” a confident voice said.

Hope turned, her heart sinking a little. Speak of the perfectly coiffed devil. Serena Hall stood in front of her wearing jeans, a silk blouse, and heels. She looked utterly out of place and wholly beautiful. She was also known to be a complete bitch. According to the gossip, she was sweet as pie around men but liked to play the queen bee around other women.

Still, Hope tried to get along. She nodded, clutching the mail to her chest. “I’m sure it will be.”

“I have the lead this time.” Serena adjusted her handbag. “It’s hard to have to carry a whole play, but I’ve been assured that I’m doing a good job. Everyone who has seen it so far loves it.”

Hope just barely avoided rolling her eyes. “I’m sure you’re great.”

She shrugged slightly. “You know, you never can tell. James told me how good I am, but you know him. He’ll say anything to get a girl in bed. You know the type.”

Yep. She knew the type. “Sure. Well, good luck with the play. I should get back to the station in case anyone dies or something.”

“Please, Hope. No one dies around here.”