Faith's Sheriff (Montgomery Family and Friends) (8 page)

Faith reached out and took the offered blooms.  She slowly brought them up to her nose and inhaled the fresh floral scent.  Thank heavens she wasn’t allergic to them, because there was nothing she loved more than the smell of fresh flowers.  Well except maybe the woodsy citrus smell of Cole Duncan which was quickly becoming imprinted on her mind.

Her mind wandered to thoughts of being enveloped by that scent while Cole hovered over and around her making love to her in a tangle of crisp cotton sheets. She heard the loud clearing of a throat and jerked back to the here and now.  Cole was looking at her expectantly and Faith realized he’d called her name several times.  She hadn’t heard him, because she’d been focused on the erotic images flashing through her mind.  She could feel heat rushing to her face.  Thank goodness she didn’t have pale skin or she’d probably be bright red.

“Welcome back,” Cole teased.  “That must have been some kind of daydream.  I could feel the heat from here.”

Faith didn’t waste time with a comeback.  She needed to put some space between Cole and herself or she was never going to get him off her mind.  She opened the French doors and quickly slipped inside.  There would be safety in numbers.  She all but ran to the kitchen and the comforting presence of her best friend. 

“Playing matchmaker again, I guess,” she said to Caroline as soon as she saw her.  “There’s no way it took you this long to get more tea.”

Caroline winked, “did it work?”

Faith gave her friend a mysterious smile.  “I don’t know.  I guess you’d have to ask Cole about that.”

“Ask me what,” Cole’s deep and husky voice whispered into Faith’s ear.

Her whole body was aware of his close proximity and she had to consciously will her breathing to slow and even out.  Her mind was cautious, but her body was ready to jump in and see exactly just how far things could go with Cole.

“I thought you might like to stay and have dinner with us,” Caroline issued the invitation.

“Now Caroline, you know I love your cooking.  Who can resist great food and even better company?  Count me in and thanks.”

Faith felt her stomach flip.  It looked like she wasn’t going to be getting a break from Cole’s intoxicating presence anytime soon.  She clenched her fists and felt something jab into the palm of her hand.  Oh she’d forgotten all about the flowers.  “Caroline do you have an extra vase for the flowers Cole brought over?”

“I sure do.  It’s right there in that cabinet.”  She turned to Cole, “can you reach it?”

Cole stretched a hand out to open the cabinet above the refrigerator and glanced inside.  He saw three empty vases.  He opened the door wider so Faith could see inside.  “Which one do you want for your flowers,” he asked. 

Faith’s heart melted just a little bit more.  Her ex would have just grabbed the closest one.  He wouldn’t have wanted or cared for Faith’s opinion much less taken the trouble to ask.  She looked at the three vases.  One looked like an oversized Mason jar and would be perfect for the daisies.  “I like the one in the middle,” she told him.  “I think the vase and daisies combined will have a comforting downhome country appeal.”

Cole reached into the cabinet and snagged the vase.  Once he had it out of the cabinet he handed it over to Faith.  “Okay let’s get those flowers some water.”

Faith held the vase he’d offered with a tight grip.  Her fingers had accidently brushed against his when she’d taken the vase and once again she found herself hungering for his touch.  How would it feel to have those strong capable hands caress every inch of her body?  She let out a deep sigh and turned toward the kitchen sink.  Yep dinner tonight was going to be pure torture.  Heaven forbid if his thigh accidently slid against hers under the dining room table. 

She thought about pleading a headache and turning in for the night.  No one would blame her. After all she’d been through a very frightening ordeal.  She didn’t want to be rude though.  Caroline had opened her home to her, and Cole had gone to the trouble of bringing her the gorgeous flowers.  And as loath as Faith was to admit it part of her wanted to be in Cole’s company.  Her body craved his attention even if her mind balked at the idea of spending any more time than necessary with the sexy and surprisingly considerate sheriff.

Faith turned her attention from thoughts of how fast Cole was growing on her to helping her friend.  “What would you like me to do to help with dinner,” she asked Caroline. 

Caroline looked taken aback.  “Well not a thing,” she insisted.  “You and Cole are guests.” She glanced at the microwave clock.  “Kyle is due back from the golf course any minute now.  Why don’t the two of you take that tea out to the back patio and wait for him?”

Faith knew there was no use arguing with Caroline and she didn’t want Cole to think she was afraid to be alone with him, so she pasted on a smile, grabbed the pitcher of iced tea and started walking toward the back of the house.  She looked over her shoulder at Cole when she didn’t hear him following her.  “Well are you going to join me or not?”

Cole winked at her.  “Now how could I turn down an invitation like that?”  He picked up a couple of glasses and followed her out to the patio. 

Once the doors were closed and they were alone Faith put her elbows on the table and used her hands to prop up her head.  She gave Cole an intense stare.  “I’m perfectly safe here you know.  I don’t need a babysitter if that’s why you’re here.”

“Oh Faith, I see you as a lot of things, but trust me when I say a baby isn’t one of them.  I’m here because I want to be here, not because I think you need protection.  If I thought you were in imminent danger you’d be at a safe house under lock and key with at least one deputy on guard twenty-four-seven.”  He mimicked her posture and leaned in as close as the table would allow.  “I’m here right now, because no matter how much we have tried to ignore it in the past there is something brewing between us.  And it is getting stronger every day.”

Faith felt the tingle caused by his intense gaze all the way down to her toes.  She curled them and then in a lame attempt to break the connection between Cole and herself, she slumped back in her chair to put as much space between them as possible.  It didn’t seem to help.  Her eyes were still glued to his and the electricity that existed between them was working at high wattage. The electricity arcing between the two of them was probably powerful enough to operate a toaster.  If she wasn’t careful she was going to get burned, again.

She let out a little sigh of defeat and reached for the pitcher of iced tea.  She proceeded to fill both glasses.  Then she picked up the one closest to her and wiped the glass with its refreshing condensation across her brow.  It didn’t help.  Faith had a burning feeling in her gut that there was only one thing that was going to quench the powerful need that Cole created in her.  And she didn’t know how much longer she could fight the all-consuming and powerful need Cole created inside her.

She squeezed her thighs together to try and alleviate the sweet ache starting there.  A chuckle from Cole told her that he knew exactly what she was doing.  In an unladylike move she gulped down half the glass of tea.  It didn’t help.  Luckily she was saved when Kyle Wakefield put in an appearance. 

“Hello Kyle,” she greeted her best friend’s husband.  “I’m sure you and Cole have something manly to talk about.”  She jumped up from the chair she’d been sitting in.  “I think I’m going to help Caroline in the kitchen after all!”  She took off without a backward glance, but Cole’s laughter followed her all the way to the kitchen.

SIX

The day started off like any other Monday.  Faith grumpily turned off the alarm on her cell phone when it started beeping at 6:30 a.m.  Then she went through all of her early morning pre-work preparations.  After her hair was dried and styled she dressed in a floor length cotton skirt and matching short-sleeved cotton blouse.  She tried to reassure herself on the short drive to work that everything was normal.  That was despite the fact she was staying with her best friend’s family because a large rock had been thrown through the picture window in her rental house, and the mother of a student was dead, and the father was also the victim of a horrendous crime or on the run as a murderer. 

Nope nothing normal about any of that, but Faith was determined to put on a brave face and act as if it was business as usual.  At least until she walked into her classroom to find the man haunting her dreams sitting behind her desk.  Faith wasn’t too happy to see him.  She blamed him for the heated dreams and erotic fantasies that were making her toss and turn.  Those dreams had kept her from getting a decent night of sleep for three nights in a row now.

Cole Duncan was dressed in his usual uniform of khaki pants and dress shirt.  His long muscular legs were stretched out on the top of her desk.   His booted feet were crossed and sat squarely in the middle of her desk.  He was leaning back in her chair with his hands clasped behind his head.   He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.  He offered Faith a slow sexy smile. 

“W-w-what are you doing here?” Faith stammered out the less than welcoming greeting.  Her hand flew to her mouth as all kinds of thoughts began to fly around in her head.  Her forehead scrunched up and she frowned.  “Has there been news about the vandal that targeted my house, or the whereabouts of Richard Tome?”

Cole dropped his feet to the floor and held both hands out in front of him in a take it easy kind of gesture.  “Whoa, slow down.  Unfortunately there is nothing new to report on either case.”

Faith narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her breasts.  “Then what are you doing here?”

“Maybe I just couldn’t wait to see your beautiful face,” he outrageously flirted with Faith and was pleased to see an increase in her rate of breathing.  He loved knowing he affected her just as much as she affected him.

“Humph, spill it Sheriff.”  She arched a delicate brow.  “What’s the real reason for this early morning visit?”

Cole gave her a casual shrug.  “Until something breaks loose on either case I think it would be wise to keep a close eye on you.”  He tapped his chest, “and who better for that job than me.”  He wasn’t letting some junior deputy spend the day lusting after her.  Just the thought was enough to get his back up. 

Faith reached up to run a hand through her hair, but at the last second she remembered she was wearing it up in a clip, so it wouldn’t get in her way during the busy school day.  Her hand dropped limply to her side and she chewed on her bottom lip instead.  She could hear footsteps in the hallway.  The school was slowly coming to life as more and more teachers, students, and even parents arrived to start the busy day.

“Be straight with me Cole.  Are my students in danger because I’m here?”  She loved her job and she loved her students.  She would never willingly do anything to put them in danger. 

“Probably not,” Cole wanted to soothe her worry, but he didn’t want to give her a false sense of security.  Until he had a handle on what was going on in this town he wanted everyone to be on their toes, especially Faith.  They were just getting to know each other and so far he liked what he was learning. He didn’t want an unforeseen act of malice to screw things up, not when things were just heating up between the two of them.  “I’m just here as a precautionary measure.  It helps that I can keep an eye on both you and Jasmine at the same time.”

“Oh, do you think Mr. Tome might try to make contact with his daughter?” 

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.  “Probably not, but I’d feel better knowing there are eyes on both of you.  The deputies are all busy today so guard duty fell to me.”  And he wasn’t complaining.  He was relishing the opportunity to witness Faith on her home turf.

Faith felt the little quiver of nerves that seemed to be standard when she was in Cole’s presence.  They felt much like the gossamer wings of a thousand butterflies fluttering around in her tummy.  “I won’t object, because somehow I don’t think you’d listen.” 

She gave him her most serious stare.  “Just don’t get in the way and don’t do anything to upset my students or my classroom routine or I’ll be on that phone to Mason Blake so fast your head, no make that your badge will be spinning.” 

Cole’s smile got a lot bigger and he tweaked the end of her nose.  “Did I ever tell you I like a woman with a little spunk?  The truth of the matter is Mason will side with me on this one.  Abigail has taken you under her wing so to speak.  She would want you protected if there was even a possibility of anything happening to you.  Mason loves and adores Abigail, he’d want her happy.  And a little extra security never hurt anyone.” 

“Oh you….”  She wanted to come back with a snappy comment, but the first bell rang and several students began spilling into her classroom.  She was relieved to see Cole fade into the background and take a seat in the back of the classroom out of everyone’s way.  Besides knowing Cole was there made her feel safe.  That was a fleeting feeling at best, and Faith was anxious to hold onto it for as long as she could. 

Jasmine came in with Joyce Montgomery by her side.  Joyce was carrying the baby in a portable bassinet. She looked every inch the fantastic mom Faith knew she must have been when the Montgomery sisters had been growing up.

Faith rushed over to greet them both.  She gave Joyce a hug and Jasmine a friendly pat on the shoulder.  “Jasmine I’m glad to see you this morning.  Why don’t you put that bag into your cubbyhole while I talk to Mrs. Montgomery?”

Jasmine gave a sad little nod to both ladies and scampered off to do her teacher’s bidding.

Faith fussed over the sleepy infant for just a couple of seconds.  She became more serious when she felt heat at her back and knew without turning that Cole had joined them.  “First I want to thank you Joyce for being there for Jasmine.  She and the baby are lucky to have you.”

“The whole matter is very unpleasant to say the least, but I’m glad I’m able to provide a stable and loving environment for them until Deputy Owens is settled and his wife Susan is on the road to recovery.”  She shook her head.  “Those two have a long hard road in front of them.  And that poor child Jasmine,” Joyce let out a longsuffering and heartfelt sigh.   “Her mother’s dead and her father is either dead too or worse the murderer who took her mother’s life.”  She put a hand on her heart and shook her head.  “I just can’t imagine…”