I Know You Love Me (2 page)

He seriously meant to do something about her, but kept putting it off because...well, because he was sleeping with her.

"What? Damn irritating woman!"

"That's my cue to go and see Gertrude. Hey, Drew, isn't Allison just the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Drew watched his best friend leave.
The man has lost his mind. Cute...the woman was annoying, exasperating...Hell. Of course she was cute, and she'd just snagged one of the two most sought-after bachelors in town on her second night there. That was a new record for them, and that made her someone to watch; especially with how excited Jimmy was about this date.

Sitting back, he came to a decision he knew Jimmy wouldn't like. His friend didn't know it yet, but he wasn't going on that date alone. It was for his own good; something fishy was going on, and Drew refused to let his best friend get hurt by any woman.

The look on Allison's face when she returned amused him. The stoic, calm woman who'd been sitting across from him just moments ago was now pale and angry. Maybe Jimmy changed his mind?

"Find your file?"

"No! That incompetent woman you call a file clerk was...is..."

The fact that she had to stop and calm herself enough to speak couldn't be good for him or the department. This unflappable woman was embarrassed, he was curious to find out why.

"Was what?"

"She was having sex with one of your police officers in the file room."

"Bonnie?” Now he understood her anger and embarrassment. He was equally as angry that one of his men would do something so foolish, especially today, but he was more furious that Bonnie would attempt to play him for a fool in his own precinct.

"Which one?"

"Sorry?"

Gritting his teeth, he realized that she had no way of knowing the cop's name. “Point him out to me, Allison."

"Why would I do a daft thing like that? So you can go beat him up for sleeping with your girlfriend? Yes, Sheriff, I recognized the woman from last night."

Drew laughed, appalled by her poor image of him. “Bonnie, my girlfriend? Please give me some credit."

Allison narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you denying that you have had a sexual relationship with...Bonnie?"

The way the name was spat aroused his curiosity even more. “Would that make you jealous?” He didn't understand why he'd asked her that, but suddenly he wanted the answer to be yes. Jimmy or no Jimmy, this feeling needed to be looked into further.

"Oh, definitely Sheriff. I'm jealous of a woman who's been sleeping with
how
many men at once?"

One less, starting now.

It infuriated him that this woman, could read him so easily after a few hours, but he still couldn't get a handle on exactly who or what she was.

"Tell me who it was, Allison; I need to reprimand him for his unprofessional behavior."

Allison snorted. “You mean punish him for getting caught screwing in the station."

She definitely didn't mince words, and he liked that. “More or less."

"What part did I get wrong?"

Drew chuckled. “Getting caught by the county auditor, in the middle of the audit."

Allison started laughing and leaned back against the office wall, amusement shining in her big, blue eyes. “I promise not to hold it against you if you can give me your word that it will never happen again. But I still need those files. Care to fetch them for me?"

"Didn't they see you?"

Allison's cheek regained their reddish hue. “They were a little busy, Sheriff."

Damn, she was smart. His respect for her rose about three notches.

"Which files did you need?

Allison bit back a smile as she handed over the list. Looking around, she decided she didn't feel like waiting for all hell to break loose, and went off in search of her deputy.

"Heya, cutie. Did Gertrude find you a new assignment?” She loved how Jimmy always had a sexy grin ready every time he saw her coming.

"Yeah, seems someone is vandalizing the local high school."

Sitting on the corner of his desk, she picked up his paperweight to busy her hands. “Could be several someone's. I'd wager, male someone's."

"Want a job? I wouldn't mind keeping you in town permanently."

"No thanks, I already have one too many, as you are well aware, my cute one."

"Allison, when are you going to start calling me Jimmy?"

Putting down the paper weight, she leaned over and cupped his cheek in her hand. “As soon as you ask me to."

Jimmy took her hand and kissed it. “Just checking, I kinda like being called cutie. You can keep doing it all you want."

Laughing, she shook her head at his roguish grin. She normally avoided men like Jimmy—they caused her nothing but trouble—but his honest smile and clear blue eyes told her she could trust him.

"Let me guess, it's a nice change from gorgeous and handsome?"

"Very nice...so where's Drew? I can't believe that he let you come out here during the audit just to talk to me."

The reminder of the Sheriff had her off the desk in seconds. That was one man she never wanted to be left alone with for a long period of time if she could help it.

"The audit is pretty much over; I took care of most of the paperwork stuff while he was out on that call. All I have left are questions and fact checking.” She could tell that Jimmy was suspicious of her explanation, and she had a sick feeling that she was about to lose her date tonight.

"I'll ask again. Where is Drew?"

The raised eyebrow and hidden smile pulled a returning smile from her lips against her will. Damn him and his adorable dimples. Time to test her theory.

"Getting me some files."

"Files? From the file room?"

Disappointment filled her. She hated being right about these things Jimmy knew about Bonnie and had never told his friend.

"Yes, why?"

"You sent him in there on purpose, didn't you?"

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Allison! You know he's seeing Bonnie."

She couldn't take it anymore. Jimmy knew the truth and had kept it a secret. “You knew! You knew all about Bonnie's extracurricular activities, and you let me go in there!"

"Everyone in the station knows, and I had no idea they would do that with you here. Honest, Allison. I never would have let you go in there if I'd known."

That excuse annoyed her; maybe Jimmy wasn't different after all. “You mean everyone knows but the Sheriff? Why is it he doesn't know?"

Jimmy shrugged. “Well, he's a little possessive of the women he's seeing."

That confirmed her suspicions about the Sheriff and why the clerk still worked there despite her incompetence.

"Are you one of her many...extracurricular activities?” As much as she liked the guy, she couldn't date someone with tastes that led them to women like Bonnie. She wasn't that desperate for a man.

"As you well know, Bonnie, my darling woman, isn't my type."

Relieved by his answer, she grinned when he got up and approached her.

"Just checking, so how long until diner? I'm starved."

After walking in on the woman he'd spent the evening with and his lowest-ranking officer in the file room, Drew was angry; his pride had been bruised. He'd thought for sure that Bonnie had been satisfied when she'd left his bed. Knowing he'd been wrong stung.

To walk out of the filing room after dealing with that indiscretion and see Allison flirting with Jimmy pushed him over the edge into jealousy. That reaction stopped his feet in surprise. Why should he care if she flirted with Jimmy? He wasn't even attracted to the woman...much.

Watching Jimmy say something amusing and Allison respond by placing her hand and head against his chest was more than he could take. He fought against the irrational jealousy and failed miserably when Jimmy slipped his arm around her waist to give her a quick hug.

"Ms. McKay, can we please finish this audit. I don't have all night."

Allison sighed. “Guess it didn't go well, after all. See you in two hours, cutie."

"How...?"

The grin she flashed his friend made his bad mood worse. Damned woman! “Ms. McKay!"

"Coming, Sheriff.” Pushing away from the desk, she stopped one last time to look at Jimmy. “Think I should let him have his chair back?"

Drew gritted his teeth and walked into his office. She'd meant for him to hear that, and Jimmy was loving every minute of his humiliation today. It was almost as if Allison didn't want to be alone in Drew's office with him. Now he definitely wasn't letting Jimmy go on that date alone.

He passed her the files as she walked into the office. “Here are your files, Ms. McKay, let's finish this so I can go home."

[Back to Table of Contents]

"I hope you like this place, Allison."

Allison smiled, slipped her arm through Jimmy's, and drank in the atmosphere. “I'm sure I... Please, God, no!"

Jimmy looked up, immediately on alert. “What is...I swear, Allison, I had no idea."

Taking his arm, she started to turn away and make her escape. “Maybe we can escape before..."

"Allison? Sweetheart, I thought that was you. Who's your friend?"

Biting back a groan, she plastered a smile to her lips and turned toward the man who had addressed her. “Uncle George, this is Deputy Jimmy O'Toole. What are you guys doing here?"

"Your mother told us you'd be working up here, and we thought we'd surprise you. It's been too long since you sang with us."

Allison shook her head and started backing away from him. “No way. Forget it. It took me years to get out of the band. I'm not going back. I have a new job and a new life now. I'm here as the county auditor. Who in their right mind would take me seriously if I start singing with the bar band?” Jimmy slipped his arms around her waist in a show of support, and she appreciated the gesture until he opened his mouth.

"I will—I love to hear you sing. The only other person you need to worry about is the Sheriff, and he rarely comes to the Honky Tonk,” Jimmy pointed out, receiving a conspiratorial grin from her uncle.

Laughing sarcastically, she leaned into the security Jimmy offered her. “Great. Just what I need—for the sheriff to take me even less seriously than he does now. My only salvation in this is that he has no clue who I really am."

Jimmy gave her a quick hug, but Allison didn't care. She wasn't jeopardizing her job for anyone. “No I'm not doing it. I know you guys will be great, but I'm on a date, and I intend to enjoy it...alone.” Leaning up on her toes, Allison quickly kissed her uncles cheek then turned back to Jimmy. “Let's go grab a table, cutie—preferably something in the back, as far away from the stage as possible. God willing, if they can't see me, they'll forget about me.” She knew it was a lost cause, but it felt good to stand up to her uncle for once.

Jimmy grinned and led her toward the back of the room, straight toward a secluded little alcove. “Admit it, sweetheart—you just want to get me alone in the dark."

Walking into the bar, Drew went straight toward the one person he knew would give him answers.