Seeking Shelter (9 page)

His father had been sheriff then, but hadn’t had time for his son, not between his law-enforcement responsibilities and running his own ranch. So Gavin had been raised by his grandmother more than his dad. Amy had always felt sorry for Gavin when they were kids, but he’d grown into a bit of a bully.

She used to think he was protecting himself, and she wondered if he was doing that now. But from what? Jace? That didn’t make sense.

Just then the front door opened and two of her regular customers came in. Amy greeted them, hoping that would end this conversation.

Gavin strolled up and down the aisles, as if he expected to find someone.

“Why are you here, Gavin?”

“No reason. Just checking around.” He strolled back up to where she was working.

“If I see anything out of the ordinary, I’ll give you a call, okay? I have customers.”

“Good. Good.” He nodded at the women, who were putting items into a shopping cart. When they moved to the freezer section, he turned back to Amy.

“I take my job seriously, too, you know. This is my town. Civilians have no idea of the risks in the world. I’ll do what I have to to protect it.”

He actually believed that?
His
town? Yeah, thanks to his father and grandmother dying, he owned two of the bigger ranches in the area. Not that he worked either of them. No, he rented them out and collected the money. And he’d run for sheriff unopposed. Had it all gone to his head?

“Word around town is you’re getting your kitchen remodeled.” Gavin had wandered to the rear of the store again.

Amy stiffened. How had he found out? Caryn. Who else knew? Everyone now. “I’m thinking about it.” Sort of.

“How seriously you thinking about it?”

“I...I’m just getting started.” She looked at the women, hoping they’d come up front.

“Well, you know there’s more to it than just moving furniture. There’s permits and—”

“That’s all taken care of, Sheriff.”

Startled, Amy spun around to see Jace leaning in the doorway. His stance was relaxed, but the intensity in his eyes was the exact opposite. He wasn’t looking at her, but followed Gavin’s progress to the front of the store.

“Is it now?” the lawman asked, then looked at Amy. “I thought you were just thinking about it.”

“I am.” Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to be thinking about it more than she was.

With a sigh, Amy smiled at the customers, who’d thankfully moved to the checkout. Both women looked on with great interest. “Thanks for stopping by, Sheriff.” She tried to make her smile sincere. “Always good to see law enforcement on duty, isn’t it, ladies?”

With their nods of approval, Gavin’s chest puffed up and he headed toward the door. For a short second Jace stood in his way. Amy held her breath, praying they wouldn’t go any further with all this male posturing.

Jace nodded and stepped aside. “Afternoon, Sheriff.”

“Holmes.” The screen slammed in Gavin’s wake.

“Such a nice young man. He’s done well, taking over for his father,” one of the ladies said, and while Amy nodded politely, she wasn’t so sure.

Moments later, the customers were gone, too. Jace, however, still lounged near the front door, slowly spinning the rack of postcards.

“Did you need something?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He grabbed two cards and threw them on the counter. “These.” He took a deep breath. “And to apologize.”

“A-apologize?” Automatically, Amy rang up the purchase. Her fingers stilled as she stared at him.

“Yeah. I’m not used to having to think about other people. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen. I have to remind myself that others don’t think like I do.” He tossed a couple of dollars on the counter.

“Really?” She took the money and shoved it into the cash drawer without looking.

“Let’s try this again.” He smiled. “Here’s my offer.” He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “I have the money to get the materials. Cabinets, flooring, new appliances. The labor is free. For now, this is my job. Consider it a gift to Katie from Mac.” He didn’t add Amy’s name, and she felt a twinge of sadness.

“How do I know you even know how to do this?”

“You want a copy of my résumé?” His smile was downright indulgent now. He winked and she could only stare.

He took pity on her confusion and turned serious. “Though most of my jobs have been in mechanics, I’ve worked plenty of construction and carpentry. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” His grin returned and something warm settled in her belly. She bit back the groan it inspired.

For the first time, she wanted to accept his offer. She felt her resolve slipping. Besides, he couldn’t make the kitchen any worse.

“Here.” Jace flattened a piece of paper that had been folded half a dozen times. “This is what I have planned. I’m flexible as to what you prefer. It’s your place, but I thought this might do.”

Amy stared at his scarred, work-roughened hands. The sun had darkened his skin, and the paper with his simple ink drawing looked bright in contrast.

“It’ll still be small, I won’t kid you, but it’ll work better. You’ll have more storage here.” His finger trailed over the line of a wall he planned to put up between the kitchen and the living area.

Amy wanted to stay angry with him, but every time she tried, he went and did something nice. Like apologizing.

Still, the idea of leaving him in her home made her stomach cramp. With...what? Fear? Distrust? No. Anticipation? And something else she couldn’t figure out. She looked at the drawing instead of his face, trying to find some fault, some reason to say no, some reason other than her own stubbornness.

Glancing at his hands again as they refolded the paper, she realized what she’d come up with weren’t reasons, but excuses.

“Look.” He stepped close and smiled at her once more. “I know you have to work upstairs, and I also know you don’t like me being down there with or without you.”

“No...no, I’m fine,” she protested.

He actually laughed. “You can’t lie worth shit, you know, so don’t try it. I promise I won’t go snooping in your stuff, or take anything. You’ll be right upstairs and can come down at any time. And you can frisk me when I leave if you like.”

Silence.

He was kidding, wasn’t he? The idea of putting her hands on that body...

This was for Katie, she reminded herself. Katie was her world. That should appease the mother part of her. She looked back up at Jace, daring to meet his eyes. But she was more than just a mom. She was a woman.

A lonely woman.

Disappointment cut into her, but she pushed it away. “Okay.” She nodded, then watched him head to the door.

“So I’ll see you in the morning.” He looked back, meeting her gaze before stepping outside.

She went back behind the meat counter, hiding from anyone who came in, and let herself wilt.

CHAPTER NINE

I
T
WAS
MIDAFTERNOON
when Jace walked into the garage. He still had some work to do on the bike and wanted to get it done before he started on Amy’s kitchen tomorrow.

“She gonna let you do it?” Rick barely looked up from the truck engine where he’d buried his head.

Jace shrugged and went over to see what he was working on. Didn’t these people have anything else to do but worry about each other’s business? Jace watched a tumbleweed drift by the open garage door. Guess not.

“I have no clue if she’ll actually open the door tomorrow morning. But she agreed.” The two-by-fours and drywall were sitting over in the lumberyard’s back lot, bundled and ready. He’d ordered it earlier this week, on the chance she’d eventually give in.

Rick pulled back from the engine. “I’ll be damned. You’re a regular miracle worker, you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

He laughed. “You’re getting into that fortress. She doesn’t let anyone that close. She’s never liked change.”

“Really?” Jace moved over to the bike and crouched down to start working. He didn’t ask or say anything more, not sure he wanted to discuss Amy.

Rick rummaged around in the toolbox. “Yeah, I guess she had enough of that as a kid. What exactly you got planned?”

This time Jace laughed. “Is that a roundabout way of asking my intentions?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Pretty much replacing everything. Floor, cabinets, appliances.”

“How long you think it’ll take?” Rick nodded as he wiped his grease-covered hands on a rag.

“A week. Maybe. It’s not a huge job.”

“I ain’t much of a carpenter, but putting in cabinets can be a pain. I can be an extra pair of hands.”

“I appreciate the offer. I’ll probably take you up on it. Can you hand me those pliers?” Jace asked, hoping that would end the conversation.

The metal felt cool against Jace’s palm as he focused on the task at hand. Rick went back to his own job and they worked in silence for a while.

“Mr. Jace.” Katie’s voice shattered the quiet.

Jace turned to see her standing in the doorway with Butcher beside her. “What are you doing here?” He smiled to soften his words.

“Mama said I could take Butcher for a walk. He wanted to come see you.”

“Really?” Jace heard Rick chuckle from his perch on the truck’s bumper. It might have been more believable if the dog had even been paying attention. He was sniffing the ground as if he were on a trail. “Did you need something?”

“Nope. Just visiting. Whatcha doing?” She didn’t wait for an answer but moved closer to the truck. “Hi, Mr. Rick.”

“Hey. Howdy, Butcher,” he answered.

“Can Butch have a biscuit?” Katie asked.

“Yep, you know where they are.”

“Can I have a sucker?”

“Go for it.”

Jace watched Katie skip into the office. She came back out a few seconds later, a white candy stick between her lips. Butcher was licking his lips.

“Thanks, Mr. Rick. See you later, Mr. Jace.” The girl and her dog left without another word.

“What was that all about?” Jace stared at the now-empty doorway.

“Hey, I keep the kids and animals happy. That way I don’t get bit or thrown up on, and their moms come back as customers.”

“That’s your marketing plan?”

“Yep. Works like a charm.”

“Really?” Jace laughed as he turned back to the bike. What a place. Oddly enough, he was starting to like it, but with a shake of his head he shoved that thought away. He wasn’t a small-town guy anymore.

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
,
Jace watched Butcher sit at the back screen door, staring down the lane. Without Katie, the dog’s world was apparently empty.

Such devotion. Jace doubted anyone had ever felt that way about him, but he hadn’t exactly let anyone get that close in years. He was a little envious.

Watching Amy with Katie the other night at dinner had reminded him of his mom when he’d been a kid. She’d loved him at one time. Before Dad died, before she’d fallen apart...before he’d run away. He would never know how she’d felt, but that didn’t stop him from wondering. He could ask his brother, Linc, if she’d ever mentioned him, but he was half-afraid of what he’d hear.

Footsteps on the sidewalk made him look up. He sighed, not at all in the mood to deal with the obnoxious sheriff today. Rather than deal with Gavin, Jace focused on measuring the boards he planned to cut. He marked three of the two-by-fours before he looked up again. Gavin was still there, a few yards away, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.

“Is there a problem?” Jace snapped the tape measure back into its casing.

“Maybe.” The lawman took a step forward. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Amy yesterday, but I was under the impression you’d be leaving town fairly soon.”

Jace took his time answering. He put the tape measure back into Hank’s old toolbox. “Plans changed.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I got a job, so I’ll be here a bit longer.” He knew he didn’t owe the man any explanation, but he had to give him something, some bone to gnaw on instead of focusing on how to make Jace’s life miserable.

“This for Amy’s kitchen?” Gavin indicated the pile of two-by-fours.

“Yeah.” Considering they were at her back door, the answer seemed obvious. “Just started the framing.”

“You know, there are plenty of men already here who can help her. We don’t need a stranger interfering.”

Jace picked up the circular saw and hit the switch, listening to the high-pitched whine. He resisted the urge to grin maniacally at Gavin. Stupid horror movies.

He did, however, look over at him once he’d cut the board. “And yet her kitchen’s been waiting how long to be fixed?” He revved the tiny engine again and bent to cut the next board, ignoring Gavin.

“Hello, Gavin.” Amy stepped out into the yard. “Back so soon? Did you need something?”

“Morning.” The lawman’s hard steps seemed overly loud on the wood decking as he walked toward her.

“Not too busy?” He tilted his head toward the store.

“No. But it’s still early.”

“Seems like you’d be busy in the morning, what with that fancy coffee bar and all.” He hooked his thumbs in his belt and paced back toward the alley. Maybe he was leaving. No such luck. He scooted over beside Amy. Jace’s fist tightened around the saw but he kept his mouth shut.

Now what was Gavin going to say to her? She hadn’t been there when the punches and insults were flying at the bar the other night. She’d missed every filthy word that came out of the man’s mouth. The tension in the store yesterday had been thick, but had the audience stopped him?

Jace saw her flinch.

Surely Gavin knew how fast word spread in this town. Even Jace knew that, and he wasn’t from around here. Had the sheriff been spying on them? Was he threatening her? Jace put the saw down, ready to jump in if necessary.

Gavin glared at Amy and Jace saw something in the man’s eyes that sent a shiver up his spine.

“You better pay attention.” The lawman leaned close to her and whispered, though the sound carried in the quiet morning air. “You, of all people, need to watch who you associate with. You haven’t always made the best decisions.”

He saw Amy cringe, then defiantly lift her chin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing.” Gavin chuckled, but it was an odd sound. “Just stating the obvious. Not too many other single moms around, if you haven’t noticed.”

Jace stepped forward, getting between the two of them and crowding the shorter man. “Unless you have business here or need help finding something in the store, Gavin, maybe you’d better get back to work.”

The sheriff laughed as he took a couple of steps back. “No sense getting your feathers in a ruffle.” He headed toward the alley. “I’m just down the street, you know.” He thumbed the brim of his hat. “When you need help, I hope I’m in the office for you.”

Amy didn’t say anything else, simply let him go, her hands fisted at her sides.

Once the lawman’s footsteps had faded away, Jace turned around to face her. “That one’s trouble.”

“Gavin?” She scoffed at the warning. “I’ve known him since we were kids. He’s always been a bully. He’s just a lot of hot air.”

She took several deep breaths, but Jace knew she wasn’t as calm as she wanted him to think.

Something was up with that guy, but Jace didn’t know him well enough to tell what. Nor would he be here long enough to make a difference.

“Thanks for stepping in, but I can handle Gavin,” Jace said, just as she reached for the screen door. She froze then slowly turned around.

“Like you did the other night?” Amy stepped away from the door. “And for the record, I know you can. But Gavin isn’t your problem.”

Jace cut through the next board with a swift swipe, the end piece falling to the deck with a loud thump. “Does he know that?” He picked up the cut piece and headed to the screen door. “You said the other night that he didn’t approve of you. Why? He can’t be old-fashioned enough to think being a single mom makes you a bad person.”

“I know.” She didn’t sound convinced. “He grew up in a single-parent home. Not a good one. But you’d think he’d understand,” she murmured, and Jace saw her struggle to keep her chin high.

She held on to her pride and he admired her for giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, though he hated that she had to do it. “That’s nuts.”

“Welcome to my world.”

* * *

F
OR
THREE
DAYS
Amy had been good. She’d forced herself to trust Jace. When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she crept down the stairs, hoping to just peek at the kitchen. The new cabinets were being delivered this afternoon, and she was more than curious.

Jace had put up plastic to keep as much of the dust out of the rest of the apartment and the store as possible. Right now, it was pulled back. She’d heard him carrying supplies in for the past hour.

She hadn’t used the kitchen in the last few days, which wasn’t that much of a change. She stopped two steps from the bottom, and could only stare.

Jace had taken off his shirt. His broad, tanned back was to her as he hammered. She saw the muscles there and in his shoulders bunch and release. His skin rippled in rhythm with his every move. Her mouth went dry and the air stopped moving in and out of her lungs.

She hadn’t felt this way in...she refused to think about the last time her hormones had been this revved up. Once, and only once, had she let herself lose control. She’d trusted Matt, wanted the relationship he promised—until she’d said no and he’d ignored her. Look where that had gotten her.

Before Jace could notice her, or she could reach out and touch all that glorious skin, she started up the stairs.

“Did you need something?” he asked.

Damn. She turned around again, swallowing the heat that had lodged in her throat. “No. I was, uh, just coming down to check on the progress. But you’re busy. I’ll come back later.” Preferably after he put his shirt back on....

Jace stepped over to the staircase, silently challenging her to stand her ground. The glint in his eye told her he knew exactly her dilemma.

“I’m not busy. Not now.” He leaned his forearm on the handrail, bringing his naked upper body way too close. She could feel the warmth of him reaching out to her, engulfing her.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she wasn’t sure she could speak. “I...”

Oh, for God’s sake, what was wrong with her? This was her house. He was simply working on her kitchen. She should just move him aside and barge past, and she almost did...until her palm met his solid chest.

She froze, staring at her hand, so small against his broad muscles. Slowly, she lifted her eyes and met his gaze. The heat there didn’t simply warm her, though. It threatened to melt her into a puddle on the stairs. She tried to pull her hand back, but suddenly he was holding it tight.

She should struggle. She should scream at him. She should be scared to death.

But she wasn’t. Why not? She could barely think, much less answer her own inane question.

“I’m wondering,” he whispered. “Should I let you go?”

No. “Uh...yes.”

And he did, causing her to stumble. She caught herself with a hand on the rail at the same time that both his hands closed around her waist.

“Come on,” he said, guiding her down the stairs. “Let’s get you out of harm’s way. Last thing I need is for Gavin to arrest me because you fell down the stairs.”

“No, that wouldn’t be good.”

For a tension-filled minute Jace stood there, in her space, exuding that masculine heat. And then he stepped away and started to pick up the tools he’d scattered around the place. He found his shirt and pulled it on, not bothering to button it, but still covering up all those muscles.

That was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? So why did she feel so disappointed?

He turned his head, and the smile that spread across his face did a number on her heart. “What do you think?” His voice was a rough bass.

She tore her gaze away from him and focused on looking around the kitchen.

The wall was up. He’d put down a new linoleum floor and she knew that later Rick planned to come over to help finish moving the appliances out of the hallway. “It’s getting there. I think.”

The only thing that seemed the same was the sink. She walked over to it as much to get away from Jace and his temptation as check it out.

“I’m not changing any of the plumbing,” he explained. “Though I do want to get a new faucet.”

“What’s wrong with this one?” Amy pushed on it. Icy water splashed over her and she screeched in shock. Her thin T-shirt soaked through and became plastered to her skin.

Jace moved quickly, hunkering down under the sink to shut off the water. “Damn. I thought that was tight. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s cold.” She pulled the clingy T-shirt away from her skin, but not before he took in the damp fabric and all that it clung to. She half expected the shirt to start steaming as a flush spread through her.