Sweet Hill Homecoming (11 page)

He looked at her with wide eyes. “You bake?”
 

“Oh god no.” She shook her head. “No, I’m a terrible cook. This dessert is three ingredients and only requires a spoon to stir.”
 

“Well now I’m intrigued.” He nudged her elbow with his and she held back a soft giggle.

“It’s a secret family recipe.”

“I see. Well, I’m glad I can at least assist in the carrying of one of the said ingredients.”

When the street light illuminated his face, Mia couldn’t help but stare for a moment. He looked so handsome and stoic. Like in another life he was the Sheriff of the old west. Fitting. Always on the lookout for criminals and damsels in distress. In that moment, she felt like that woman. The one that got the eye of the most respected man in town. But that wasn’t reality. Because though their history had been short, it was already less than spotless or easy.

They took a right onto Pine Street, and only a few blocks down was Mia’s apartment. On the corner there was a sign sticking out of the yard with Tatum’s face on it.
 

“A lot of people come into the café and all I hear about is you running for Sheriff.” She lifted her chin at the sign but Tatum didn’t look pleased. “How are you doing with that?”
 

He glanced down at her as if she asked some kind of right question.
 

“Fine.”

There was clearly more going on in his head, and she was interested. So she pushed a little.
 

“Running against the guy that has been your boss for years must be hard?”

“He was my mentor.”

“Oh,” she frowned. “Then that can’t be easy.”

He shook his head.
 

“Can I ask why you’re running against him? If he was your mentor then…”

“People aren’t always what you think they are,” Tate said quickly. “And I’m not running against him, he’s retiring.”
 

“Why do you seem so upset by this then?”
 

He looked at her almost in shock. “Upset?”
 

She nodded. “Yeah. Typically someone in your shoes would be excited about the job promotion.”

He shrugged. “I have always wanted to be Sheriff, but I guess I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.” There was a finality in his voice that told Mia he didn’t want to talk anymore about it.
 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I know how that goes.”

Though they both kept walking, Tate scooted a little closer. “You mean when your mom died? I can’t imagine that was easy.”
 

Easy? Nothing about her relationship with her mother had ever been easy. Especially because Mia didn’t know for certain if she hated her or loved her. She absently ran a finger over her locket. There was no way to know now, and it made the hollow place in her chest ache.

“It was unexpected,” Mia finally said. “It was like I was living a certain kind of life, a life I was comfortable with even though it wasn’t perfect. Then woke up with this new, intense responsibility. Suddenly I was in charge of someone else’s future and happiness.” She glanced at Tate. He was staring at her with such intensity it made her chest clench. “I can’t let Kyle down. He’s counting on me.” She laughed but nothing was funny other than her rambling. “I’m sure I’m not making any sense.”

“No,” Tate said instantly. “You’re making perfect sense.”
 

He looked down at her and she gave a shaky smile. She didn’t know why she just vented to Tate. Maybe because he seemed like he understood on some level. Maybe because she never talked about her mom or how things changed so suddenly and Mia never got a chance to really deal with it. Whatever the reason, she felt a little lighter.
 

Though she was feeling less and less steady around the Deputy. Something about him made her a little nervous and a little giddy. Like her powerful persona was chipping just a bit and she felt like…a woman.
 

“Did you know that several people over the years have applied to be the Community Event Planner? And my mother has never hired a single one,” Tate said and kept his eyes on hers. “There is something special about you,” he said softly. “You must have dazzled her.”
 

She smiled. The little bit of credit he just gave her made her chest feel full of pride and achievement.
 

“I’m going to do a good job on this,” she said, feeling the need to inform him of her gumption to make this event a success.
 

He laughed. “I know.” He looked forward once more. “I know you’re still new to all of this and I have a lot riding on this event. So if you want to hang back this year and just observe and learn, I can take care of this.”

“That’s what this is about?” she asked. “You think I can’t handle this?”
 

“I think that it’s new territory.”
 

“I think I can manage,” she said dryly. “And I’m not hanging back. I wasn’t hired for the job of Community Event Planner.” The moment she said it out loud, she felt like a fraud. She had gotten caught up in his one nice sentence and didn’t correct him earlier. But she had to now. “This is a trial position. How I do with this event will determine if I’m long term material.”
 

“I see,” Tate said and Mia felt like an idiot.
 

So many emotions were firing and she didn’t’ know how to deal with it. She needed to keep her focus. Find her balls and woman up.
 

“So you can see why this is important to me too. I may not be the Community Event Planner yet, but this is a real job to me and a shot at a permanent position.”
 

Ms. Delmore actually looked through her book and valued her ideas. Something Mia wasn’t giving up on.
 

“I’m staying on this event, Tate. Like it or not, but that’s a fact.”

He glanced down and for a man who seemed to have every aspect of his life together, an air of insecurity came over him. Tatum West was nothing if not determined. From the way he held himself to his commitment to the truth and god knows his stickler ways to the rules…but there was respect in that. Honor. Something that while he irritated the crap out of her on most occasion, she could appreciate.
 

“I get that, Mia. But understand that nothing can mess up this event. I’m trying to show the town, especially the people that have major doubts, that I can handle being Sheriff. No scandal. Not even a hint of anything that could dirty my reputation. Do you get what I’m saying?”

She looked into his eyes and yeah, she got it. By nothing, he meant her. Nope. No way would she let him and his prick attitude damper her night. Especially when for a moment she opened up and thought they connected.

“So no fucking against the court house then?”
 

“Jesus, Mia,” he sighed like dealing with an exasperated child.
 

“What? I just want to understand. Basically you want me to keep a distance so we’re not linked on this event, is that right?”

“I just want this to go well. I have a lot going on right now and me being seen as dating or—”

“First of all, we’re not dating. Second of all, spare me your speech. I know how guys like you work.”

“And I know women like you.”

“Do you? Is that why you keep popping up everywhere I am?”

“That’s because most of the time you or your family is in some kind of issue with the law.”
 

“
That’s because
my family can’t seem to crawl out from under a semi-shitty reputation placed on us. You want to judge people on the past? Be my guest, but I’m not who you think I am.”

“Oh? Because I think I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of who you are—”

She cut him off again because he was going to likely insult her. “Do you want to be Sheriff?”
 

“Yes, I do.”
 

“Why is that, huh? Because you want to make a difference? Be a better man than Branch?”
 

Tate looked almost shocked but he recovered quickly. “Branch is a good man.”

“I’m not saying he isn’t, but I can see the guilt in your eyes. I don’t know the details of your life, but if you want something, want to be the better Sheriff? The better man?” She stopped and looked him dead in the eye. “Then act like it. Because that’s what people will see.”
 

He glanced down at her. “Is that what you do? Just act? Unfortunately it’s easier to make a difference when you can actually inflict change. And persona matters. Do you get to be who you want and it doesn’t matter how people see you? No forethought into any of your decisions?”
 

She wanted to snap at him, but refrained, because the truth was, “Yes, sometimes I do.” But when she committed, she went all in. “I’d rather do that, than live in a constantly calculated world.”
 

He looked at her for a long moment then the strangest thing happened. A kind of warmth and candor laced his features. As if he was impressed with her.

“Ambitious, Mia,” he said and Mia swore she heard praise in his voice.
 

But part of her wanted to scoff because all that ambition got her was right back to where she started. Sweet Hill. She couldn’t outrun who people thought she was. She couldn’t outrun parts of her reputation she actually earned. But she could be proud of herself now. Kyle was an ambition of hers. This job was her ambition. She may struggle in areas of her life, but Mia always owned herself, her sexuality, and her environment. She could commit and that’s what she did when Kyle needed her.
 

Kyle was forever to her, but Sweet Hill was a place she could rebuild. It offered an opportunity she could earn and make one-hundred percent hers. And not anyone, including the Deputy with his fear that she’d stain his precious reputation, could derail her.
 

“I’m going to rock the shit out of this event,” she said. “I hope you can keep up.”
 

He smiled. “I believe that. You have some valuable skills that…” he glanced away and she smiled.

“Why, Deputy, are you stalling because attempting to compliment me is that unappealing?”
 

He looked at her, seriousness in his eyes. “I stall because it’s difficult to stop at just one.” His gaze slid over her the way it had a few times now, and every time it made her hot. Her skin tingled with awareness of just how close he was. “And there are several things appealing about you, Mia.”
 

And just like that, with one admission, he changed her night. Changed her year if she were honest.

The way he said her name, as if admitting some dark truth, made her heart beat a little faster. Maybe it was the cold air nipping at her nose or the heat from Tatum’s presence, but her body couldn’t get a grip on itself.
 

They walked up to her door and she fished out her keys. Tatum set the crate of apples right inside by the entrance.
 

“Thank you, for carrying the apples and only being a borderline jackass tonight,” she said.
 

Tate smiled. The first real smile she’d seen. Like her words actually made him happy. She braced herself for the witty comeback he was likely to dish but instead he simply said, “You’re welcome.”
 

He didn’t move and she didn’t either. He stared at her. Like he was seeing all of her at once but unsure what, if anything, to say next.
 

Everything in her body was willing him to stay right there, maybe even come a little closer.
 

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but instead he cupped her face in his hand, leaned in, and snagged her lips with his.
 

Her brows shot up, but the hot sweet taste of him melted every ounce of will she had and flamed her desire. Placing her palms on his chest, she kissed him back. For weeks, she had been walking around with pent up anger, aggression, lust…and last weekend at the bar only made it worse. It was like having a taste of the sweetest chocolate and ripping it away before you could fully enjoy it.
 

His mouth was slow, taking deep licks, then trapping her lower lips between his two. This was the kind of kiss that had no beginning and no end. The intensity just kept ratcheting up with every sweep of his tongue. She groaned and fisted the material of his uniform. His chin gently tickled hers and she couldn’t help but slide her hand up and brush her fingers against his jaw.
 

The barest hint of stubble was forming. She knew he must shave every morning, but the slight scratch of his skin made every nerve ending spark. He thrust deeper into her mouth, working his lips over hers like sampling his last cool drink of water. She knew because that was exactly how she felt. She needed him to help her breathe, help her heart beat. She was ready to burst and beg for him.
 

If she didn’t think his kiss could grow any deeper, it did. He growled a little and consumed her mouth. Wrapping his strong arms around her waist and tugging her closer. One hand glided up to grip the back of her neck while the other stayed low on her back. Angling her and controlling her how he wanted.