Sherryl Woods - Natural Born Lawman

“I see,” Justin said slowly, his expression thoughtful. “You know, if you don’t have a place to go, Los Piños isn’t a bad little town.”

Startled by the suggestion, she stared. “You wouldn’t object? Under the circumstances, I was sure you’d want us as far from your town as possible.”

He glanced over at her. “You ever stolen anything before?”

“No.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because it’s the truth,” she said fiercely. “If it hadn’t been for Billy getting sick, I wouldn’t have done it this time. I would have come here, found a place for us to stay, gotten a job. We’re looking for a fresh start, Deputy Adams, not trouble and definitely not a handout.”

Even from behind those damnable sunglasses, she could feel his penetrating gaze. It was enough to make a liar squirm. Patsy sat perfectly still and withstood it.

“What’s your name?”

“Patsy Gresham,” she said, resorting to her maiden name. If he checked the car tags, he’d know better, but if not, if luck was on her side, she could preserve the illusion for a little while at least.

He nodded. “Okay, then, Patsy Gresham. I suppose having you stick around won’t be a problem. Just know I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

She could just imagine. He’d probably spread the word from one end of town to the other that Patsy Gresham couldn’t be trusted. What kind of life could she make for herself with a cloud of suspicion hanging over her head?

“I won’t tell a soul about what happened today, if that’s what’s worrying you,” he said, his expression softening as if he’d read her mind and wanted to reassure her. “You’ll move into town with a clean slate.”

“Why are you being so nice?”

Once more, the suggestion that he was anything other than a tough, by-the-book lawman seemed to make him uncomfortable. “Damned if I know,” he said eventually. “Just don’t make me regret it.”

If Patsy had her way, not only wouldn’t he regret it, he’d never set eyes on her again. Even in a town the size of Los Piños, it ought to be easy enough to disappear if she wanted to make it happen.

Then she took another long look at the man beside her. Of course, Justin Adams struck her as the kind of stubborn, determined man who could find whomever he set out to find. She’d just have to make darned sure he never had any reason to hunt for her.

* * *

Justin was losing it. He knew because there was no way in hell under normal circumstances he would have let a criminal off the way he was letting Patsy Gresham go free, despite what Sharon Lynn wanted.

What was it his cousin had asked? Was it the green eyes or the tears that did it? Neither, he had wanted to shout. Now he wasn’t so sure.

Every time he glanced into the woman’s sad, wary eyes, he felt some subtle change deep inside him. He wanted to strangle whoever had brought such sorrow into her life. She was entirely too young to look so beaten. And yet there was a surprising strength and feistiness about her. She might be down, but she definitely wasn’t out. He found such resilience admirable.

On the way back into town he’d reached a decision. Until he knew more, he wanted Patsy Gresham right where he could keep an eye on her. He could just imagine the kind of razzing he’d take for that. No one in his family would believe for an instant that his motives were altruistic. He could explain from now until every head of Adams cattle was counted that he was being cautious, trying to prevent a more serious crime from taking place, but they wouldn’t buy it. Not once they got a look at Patsy, anyway. They’d blame it on his hormones and his good nature and nothing he could say would change their minds.

She was a beautiful woman, all right. Fragile and road weary as she was, there was a delicacy about her that brought a man’s protective instincts surging to life. And her mouth, those luscious, sensual lips, well, it was the sort of mouth just made for kissing. Justin’s gaze had been drawn to it again and again, wondering what those lips would taste like.

Right. Like he needed to get mixed up with a woman who might be an everyday, common thief. No, what he needed to do was to send Patsy Gresham packing, send her into some other jurisdiction where she’d be another lawman’s problem.

The words had been on the tip of his tongue, too. He’d been ready to tell her that the second her car was brought back into town and filled with gas, courtesy of the deputy sheriff, he wanted her gone.

Instead, he’d encouraged her to stay. There were names a whole lot stronger than fool for the kind of man that made him. Jerk and idiot came to mind. It was also pretty clear which part of his anatomy had been doing his thinking.

“Do you have any money at all?” he asked, trying to stay focused.

“No,” she admitted after a long hesitation. “At least I won’t have any once I buy gas. But I’m willing to work for room and board. I just need a break, that’s all. I don’t want charity.”

To his dismay, he realized what he was going to do the second he crossed into the town limits. A few minutes later he pulled to a stop in front of the house that belonged to his sister, Dani. She still operated her veterinary practice from one side of it, but the living quarters had been empty ever since her marriage. If he asked, Dani would agree in a heartbeat to let Patsy and the baby use the house.

But before taking Patsy Gresham and her baby inside, there were a few more questions he needed answered.

“That car of yours is pretty expensive,” he said carefully, watching her intently. “Also, I’m no fashion expert, but I have enough female cousins with expensive taste to know quality when I see it.”

Her chin tilted up a notch. “So?”

“The two things combined make me wonder why you appear to be in such dire straits.”

“Haven’t you heard? Appearances can be deceiving.”

“Meaning that those things aren’t expensive or meaning that you’re not in dire straits? Maybe you didn’t need to steal that Tylenol. Maybe you were just doing it for kicks. I’ve heard there are rich ladies who get their thrills that way.”

Indignant color flared in her cheeks. “Of course not. You’ve seen for yourself. Billy is sick.”

“And you don’t have the money for the medicine.”

“Right.”

Her lower lip quivered and she looked as if she were about to cry. Justin really didn’t want to deal with a flood of tears, but he had no choice.

“Hand me your purse,” he said quietly.

She stared at him. “Why?”

“So I can see for myself what shape you’re in financially.”

She hugged the white leather bag almost as tightly as she clutched her son. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m ordering you to.”

“And I’m telling you, you’ll have to get a search warrant if you want to go poking through my things.”

To his regret, she had a point. He had been hoping it wouldn’t come to that, that she’d cooperate voluntarily.

“Look, if you’ll just get my car back here and loan me the money for some food, I’ll buy my own gas with the money I have left and be on my way. I can see that staying here isn’t such a good idea. For all the pretty words, Officer, it’s clear you don’t really trust me.”

“If you’d let me take a look in your purse, it would go a long way toward changing that,” he cajoled.

“Not a chance,” she said, her gaze clashing with his.

Justin debated the meaning of her resistence. She could just be a woman who knew her rights and intended to protect them. Or else she was hiding something. Maybe both. He was going to have to decide quickly whether it would be smarter to encourage her to leave town or to stay right here where he could keep an eye on her until he knew more. He gambled on the latter. It was probably better that he not examine his motives too closely.