Love, Diamonds, and Spades (Cactus Creek #2)(14)

It was wrong on so many levels that he looked even more overbearingly sexy at the moment. “So I missed an oil change or two. I hardly think I’m going to be a danger on these ten-mile-and-hour roads.”

“Fifteen. And I’m afraid that wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.”

She rolled her eyes, certain there was a silent ‘little lady’ drawled out at the end of that sentence. “Who are you, the sheriff?”

“Well, actually…” He reached in his back pocket.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Seriously? Was he also the town mayor and the mail man?

Her thoughts must’ve been coming through loud and clear on her face because he paused and gave her a stern look. “Look, we may not be as big city as you’re used to but our law enforcement system isn’t anything to look down your nose at.”

Instantly, she felt bad. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re a great sheriff. I just—?

He chuckled. “I’m just messing with you. I’m not the sheriff. Where do you think you moved to, The Little House on the Prairie?”

Quinn very nearly took a swing at him.

“Our sheriff is about sixty years old and scarier than a snake. He’s kept me on the straight and narrow ever since he caught me eating strawberries at the market without paying for ‘em.” Rylan shook his head solemnly. “I was headed down a slippery slope for sure. It started out with an innocent blueberry here and there, then I’d worked my way up to a handful of grapes. Next you know, I would’ve been going for a watermelon without thinking twice about it had he not intervened.”

Quinn fought hard to hold back her incredulous laughter. The man was certifiable. Dammit, how did he always make her want to laugh?

It almost killed her but she maintained radio silence, keeping her glare on high by literally biting her tongue.

He gave her a look filled with charm and triumph as he walked backward to his work truck, taking his win gracefully…well, as gracefully as the man could while doing a silent victory dance with those golden eyes of his.

Giving Quinn a warning look, he called out, “By the way, Sienna isn’t just the town grease monkey, she’s also the town dog catcher and a football coach over at the high school. Woman has a mean tackle so don’t even think of trying to pay her.”

With that, he climbed in his truck and drove off, smiling eyes meeting hers through the rear view mirror one last time before he turned the corner.

“That has to be the most exhausting man on the planet,” Quinn said under her breath, to no one in particular.

The amused laugh from the woman who was now upright and under the hood, fiddling with the engine, told her she hadn’t muttered it quietly enough.

Going over to formally introduce herself to the mechanic that she was actually thankful for—the car had been making some odd noises lately—Quinn was surprised to find the woman wasn’t at all as tomboyish as she was expecting. Grease-covered, yes, but very pretty.

“Rylan will grow on you. He’s a big teddy bear. Nice to finally meet you, by the way.” Sienna gave her a friendly grin. “Your reputation is pretty notorious around town. I’m a big fan. I think you’re becoming a little bit of an urban legend with my students.”

Quinn chuckled, instantly liking the laidback woman. “Oh, so you’re a teacher?” Thinking back to her earlier conversation with Rylan, she cringed. “I’m sorry if I came across like a city bitch earlier. You know, with the whole sheriff thing. I don’t really go around thinking small town stereotypes about everyone here, I swear. I actually like Cactus Creek. A lot.”

Sienna waved off the apology with a laugh. “He wasn’t teasing you about the last part. I really am the town’s unofficial dog catcher, as well as a football coach at the high school.”

That was incredibly cool.

“But otherwise, yes, he did seem to be goading you pretty impressively.”

Tell me about it. “He’s freakishly good at it, too. Is he that exasperating with everyone?”

Sienna chewed on her lip in debate for a moment before saying carefully, “Actually, he’s usually the most laidback guy around. From what I can tell, he’s just this way with you.”

Oh. Well that was kind of…flattering.

“And Quinn?” Sienna smiled. “Just so you know. I’ve never once lost to him in fantasy football.”





CHAPTER SEVEN


SHE’D ACCUSED HIM of being her keeper. Rylan frowned. Not that the woman didn’t need one; at times, she truly did. But he wasn’t trying to keep her.

Lie.

Ignoring the voice in his head that rejected the way he’d worded that last statement, he kept right on trying to figure out his not-at-all normal behavior around Quinn. Dani and Sienna were having a freakin’ field day with it all, and he didn’t blame them. He wasn’t acting like himself at all. But the woman just brought out a strange side of him.

It took a little time, but he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t trying to be her keeper.

He was simply trying to spoil her.

She was a hard-working single mom who deserved to get spoiled, he reasoned.

No big deal.

What was turning into a slightly big deal today, however, was his own reaction over not being able to spoil her today. For the first time in weeks, he hadn’t been able to drop in to see her at all. And he missed the hell out of her.