“I need your help with my computer.”
“Aw, the beast acting up again? I’ll have to call the repair dude. Later. It’s lunchtime.”
She turned to leave. “By the way, Dani Sullivan is here to see you.”
Matt gritted his teeth. Just what he needed, another friend of Sam’s wanting to see
where his dad worked. “Give him a can of soda. I’ll be just a minute.” He enjoyed
the occasional visit from Sam’s friends and their parents when they were in town.
He liked getting to know the kids, but now wasn’t a good time.
Tiffany giggled before heading out the door. “As you wish, boss man.”
Admittedly, this kid had Matt’s curiosity piqued. Sam usually took a while to get
chummy with the vacationers, but not so in Danny’s case. When Matt had talked to Sam
after the sand-in-the-eye incident, every sentence related to Danny. Danny knew how
to fix his eye. Danny made everybody laugh. The muffins at Danny’s were awesome.
Matt vaulted off the chair, hoping to catch Tiffany before she left the building,
but he clipped the edge of a pile of paperwork, and it toppled over. File folders
and papers sailed under his desk, and a few pieces wedged into the cracks in the linoleum.
Reason set in. Any lost computer files wouldn’t be any easier to find now. It could
wait. He sighed and sank onto all fours to clean up the mess.
He crawled around under his desk to scoop up the fallen documents. He opened his mouth
to yell for Tiffany again when the floorboards creaked and footsteps sounded in the
office.
He let out a long exhale. “Dammit.” Still on his hands and knees, Matt circled his
desk to rescue some wayward papers. Expecting Tiffany, he stopped midcrawl when he
saw a pair of white strappy sandals. Next came sexy-as-anything legs.
Before he got to the neckline of her white T-shirt, he caught sight of the most incredible
pair of breasts he’d ever seen. Round. Firm. Large. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he
was a breast man. Sure, he liked all the other parts, too, but breasts were the ultimate.
When he finally locked eyes with his guest, those begging-for-a-kiss lips curved into
a sly grin. His blood rushed south of the border.
“Hello,” she said. “Wondered when you’d finally get this far.”
He couldn’t read the expression on her face. Interested or irritated?
Matt reprimanded himself for openly gawking at this woman and silently admitted to
being a lecherous pig. What the heck was his problem? Had it been so long since he’d
been with a woman that when he was finally exposed to one he turned into an idiot?
Get a grip, man.
He’d never seen her in town, so that meant summer tourist. He reminded himself that
he didn’t want to get involved in a temporary relationship, although this seductive
woman could surely make him second-guess his goals.
Matt stood, straightened his shoulders. Both hands remained fisted, the papers a crumpled
mess clutched tightly in his grasp. He tossed them on his desk then stuck out his
right hand. “Sheriff Matt Reagan.”
The woman, who’d likely just come from a
Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit Edition photo shoot, placed her hand in his. Smooth, warm flesh sent a heated
signal to his misbehaving body parts.
“Dani Sullivan.” She slipped her hand out of his grasp. “I’d like to say, ‘nice to
meet you,’ but I’ll reserve judgment.”
Guess his inspection hadn’t gone unnoticed. At the moment, he was glad he wasn’t the
type to blush.
Whoa. Wait a second. Back up.
The
Danny? While Matt felt confident this woman had awesome muffins, he hadn’t expected
his son to take a shine to an adult woman.
“I thought you were a boy,” Matt said, aware that he sounded as dumbfounded as he
felt.
“The last time I checked, I was a woman.” She flashed him a cocky expression she probably
reserved for all the brain-dead men she met.
“Please, have a seat.” Since Matt had just broken a personal record and made a fool
of himself in front of someone who could give as good as she got, he retreated behind
his desk.
She eased into a black fake-leather chair. After she leaned back, she crossed her
legs. Her totally bare legs. When his groin failed to twitch in response to her movement,
he took a slow, deep breath. He applauded his self-control, then realized he had a
death grip on the armrests.
“What can I do for you, Ms. Sullivan?”
Dani leaned forward in her seat. “I have a problem only you can fix, Sheriff Reagan.”
Chapter Two
Gone was the teasing sparkle in Dani’s eyes. She tossed a piece of paper on his desk.
“I don’t deserve this.”
He eyed the parking ticket. “It’s a rare person who thinks they do, Ms. Sullivan.”
“I wasn’t illegally parked. My car stalled in front of the bus stop. As I was trying
to get it restarted, some guy came along and ticketed me. He wouldn’t even let me
explain.”
Matt rubbed the back of his neck. “Young guy? Crew cut? Looks about twelve?”
She nodded.
Matt expelled a sigh. “Deputy Weaver. He’s new and a bit ticket happy.” Matt stashed
the citation in his shirt pocket. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks. I was told you would.”
“I heard you met my son today.”
She nodded. “He was at the cottages with Rachel and her boys.”
“He called me after you got the sand out of his eye. Thank you, by the way. You were
all he talked about. I thought you were a playmate.” An image of a
Playboy
Playmate popped into Matt’s warped brain, and he rushed to clarify. “I mean a boy
his age.”
She was quiet for a minute. “I guess I can see how you’d make that assumption. Actually,
I’m a nurse, vacationing here for the summer.”
With difficulty, Matt tamped down the pleasing notion of seeing this woman around
town for the next few months. He wanted more than a fling. He wanted a wife, a partner.
Someone who would love him for the rest of his life. A loving mother for Sam. He’d
promised himself and his son there’d be no compromising next time around. “You made
a good first impression with Sam.”
She smiled as if she’d just received the highest compliment. “I had fun. Sam’s a sweet
boy. He advised me up front there’d be no shots.”
Matt chuckled, picturing Sam making the connection between nurses and shots. In the
back of his mind, he tucked away the fact that she liked children. That was always
a stumbling block with the women he dated. They were plenty interested in him, though
not usually in his son. But he and Sam were a package deal. The next woman in Matt’s
life would want Sam as much as she wanted Matt.
Not that he was interested in dating this woman…much.
“He shouldn’t have any problem with his eye. If you notice him rubbing it, you might
want to take him to the doctor.”
“I’ll do that.”
Between Matt’s erratic hours with his new job as sheriff and his mother’s influence
wreaking havoc with their daily routine, their house had turned chaotic. Sam was probably
due for his annual checkup anyway.
The phone on Matt’s desk rang. No doubt Tiffany was on her extended lunch hour. “I
apologize, but I’m the only one in the office right now. I have to take this.”
She stood. “See you around, Sheriff.”
With a seductive sway of her hips, she left his office. He rubbed his chest and took
his first full breath since she’d walked in.
…
Dani slammed the car door and marched toward her cottage. The smell of fresh-cut grass
hung heavy in the humid air, and her shirt clung to her back.
Okay, so the meeting hadn’t been picture perfect. She’d gone there wanting to get
a sense of what kind of father her son had, but she’d left with more questions than
answers. Her first impression was a hot-headed player with a side of easily flustered.
A very sexy player.
Sure, she’d taken care of her parking ticket, but their visit had turned into a flirt
fest. At least it had felt like flirting. She didn’t know squat about teasing guys.
Usually words popped out of her mouth uncensored, but with the sheriff, it had turned
into something more than silly banter. She should have ignored him, but the sheriff’s
attention threw her off-kilter, and her plan had taken a nosedive.
Matt had scrambled Dani’s emotions from the minute she’d walked into his office. The
obscenely good-looking sheriff sparked something inside her that had been dormant
for years. Maybe forever.
She’d no sooner reached the back door when she caught sight of Rachel waving a handful
of marigold-colored papers. With her stick-straight blond hair in a ponytail and her
face devoid of makeup, she reminded Dani of a young girl coming home from school,
not a mother of three.
She gestured for Rachel to come inside, then took the lead through the screened-in
porch. Once in the kitchen, Dani kicked off her sandals, tossing her purse on the
counter. She took a deep breath in an attempt to restore her equilibrium.
Rachel placed a flyer on the table. “Bad afternoon?”
With a forced smile, Dani shrugged. “I’ve had better.” Like when she went to the dentist
a few months back for a root canal.
“Here’s something to put you in a good mood. Info on the cookout.”
Dani sat at the kitchen table, motioning for Rachel to do the same.
“You still free tomorrow?” Rachel pushed the flyer across the table.
“Yep.” She skimmed the handout. Everyone needed to bring a dish. “Not sure what I’ll
make yet, but I’ll be there.”
“Great,” Rachel said. “Should be a good time. Sam put in his request for more of your
muffins.”
She offered a polite smile despite the leap her heart took in her chest. “Sure, maybe
I’ll make a salad, too.”
“Perfect. Oh, you’ll get to meet Sam’s dad. They’re here all the time. We invite them
to anything we’ve got going on at the cottages.”
“Great.” It’d be the perfect opportunity for Dani to watch Sam and Matt interact.
“Though I went to see him earlier about my parking ticket.”
“You’ll be seeing him a lot more. He’s been helping Jack since he bought the bungalows
two months ago.”
Just what she needed, more time with the sheriff. Though maybe it was a good thing.
She could scope him out. Find out if he always crawled around on all fours.
“He’s a great guy.”
“I’ll bet.” Except maybe when he was eyeballing a woman like she was a trophy-winning
smallmouth bass. But no, she wasn’t even the slightest bit flattered by his attention.
Oh, who was she kidding? She was nothing but a big, fat liar.
“And he’s single,” Rachel added.
“Don’t care about his marital status.” Dani toyed with the edges of the flyer. Although
she did wonder about the adoptive mother. She’d have to work that into the conversation
sometime without sounding too nosy.
Rachel chuckled. “Did you get a good look at the guy? He’s perfection.”
No kidding.
Dani had been surprised by Sam’s adoptive father, unprepared for the sexy sheriff
with his deep-set blue eyes. Their color rivaled pictures she’d seen of the Caribbean.
A shadow of stubble enhanced his handsome face with its hint of twin dimples. His
sandy-colored hair was cut short—shorter than Dani usually preferred on men—yet somehow
on him the style worked.
The closest thing to imperfection was a less than straight nose with its end hooking
a tad to the left, which somehow only made him more attractive. No doubt the body
hidden by his clothes was perfection, too. The total package that comprised Matt Reagan
made a woman think naughty thoughts. Thoughts of steamy summer nights, passionate
kisses, and tangled sheets.
Dani headed for the fridge. “I’m not looking for a man.” Even to her own ears, she
didn’t sound too convincing. “All I want is a quiet summer, which is contradictory
to anything related to the male species.”
“True.” Rachel smiled. “They do like to stir things up a bit.”
Isn’t that the truth.
She returned to the table with two glasses and a pitcher of pink lemonade.
“He just might be your type.” Rachel shook her head to decline Dani’s offer of a drink.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had anyone in my life, I don’t even know if I have a
type other than a man who breathes and walks upright.” After her broken engagement,
she wondered when—if—she’d ever be ready for another relationship.
Not that the sheriff would be a candidate. She couldn’t be part of Sam’s life, not
if she wanted him to have a normal, happy childhood free of drama.
Dani took a sip of her drink. “If this guy’s so great, why aren’t
you
dating him?”
Starting with her thumb, Rachel counted her reasons. “First, I’ve already got three
males in my household. One more, and I’ll have to be committed.” Up went another finger.
“Two, Matt and I are good friends. Have been since grade school. Just because I think
he’s hot doesn’t mean I want anything more from him than his friendship.” One more
finger joined the others. Her voice softened. “And three, I’ve had my one true love.
I’m destined to spend the rest of my time alone.” With her confession, her face pinked.
“I can’t believe I just dumped all that on you. We barely know each other, yet here
I am spilling my guts.”
Dani waved it off. “Dump all you want.”
A low rumble of thunder interrupted them. Dani peeked through the kitchen window at
the dark sky and the churning mass of clouds over the lake.
“I should go.” Rachel stood, then hesitated. “Almost forgot. My brother plans to start
renovations on your cottage Saturday morning. He wants to know if eight o’clock is
too early to begin.”
Dani grimaced. “I’m a night owl. I usually go to sleep around three.”
Rachel laughed. “So eight in the morning probably seems like the middle of the night.
Maybe since it stays light for so long they could start after lunchtime and work until
dark.”
“It’s okay.” Dani relaxed against the door. “Jack told me about the storm damage when
I made the reservation. Part of our agreement was that he could work on the repairs
at his convenience. It’s about time I get my internal clock readjusted.”
“I’ll let him know.” Rachel made for the door. “I need to run. We haven’t eaten dinner
yet. See you tomorrow.” After a quick wave, Rachel dashed across the grass as the
first few raindrops splattered down.
After dinner at the Lakeview Diner and a quick stop at Millie’s Market, Dani stood
in Lake Bliss Videos. She was trying, without much success, to ignore the smell of
fresh-popped popcorn coming from the front of the store and focus on the back cover
of the DVD in her hand. The movie didn’t seem too ridiculous if you ignored the bit
about the heroine shaving off all her hair to try to get the hero’s attention. Dani
picked up another one about a female executive chef who falls in love with a fast
food manager.
“Looking for romance, Ms. Sullivan?”
She knew that voice. Matt Reagan. She took a few deep breaths to stay calm, but all
she accomplished was to catch the scent of soap that clung to his skin. Her body came
to life like a daffodil after a cold winter. Definitely not a good sign.
When she turned to face him, he backed up a few steps. He still wore his uniform.
His sexy, sexy uniform. She stared at his tan shirt and wondered again what kind of
muscles it hid. She was in the process of checking out his utility belt when he cleared
his throat.
Busted.
She redirected her attention upward. He lifted his eyebrows, and the amusement showed
on his face. She held up the movies she clutched. “I’ll pass these on to you when
I’m done. You could use a few pointers on how to treat a woman.”
“I’ve never had any complaints.” The rat actually chuckled.
“Probably because the women were so shocked at your macho crap it left them speechless.”
Without keeping her head bent back at a ridiculous angle, she could only stare at
his broad chest. She wondered if she’d ever see him shirtless.
What a ridiculous thought.
“Do you have a minute to talk?” he asked.
“About what?”
“I’d like to…” He bent at the knees to get eye level with her. “How tall are you?”
“Tall enough to kick your butt if I wanted to.” She didn’t earn her second-degree
black belt for nothing.
His bark of laughter caused heads to swivel in their direction. The next time she
was around this man, she was going to duct tape her mouth shut.
He took a few steps closer, infringing on her personal space. He stood so close that
the heat from his body seeped into hers. What was up with him? She tipped her head
back to look him in the eye.
Wrong move.
A devilish gleam lit those brilliant blue eyes a second before he dipped his head.
Mesmerized, she studied his sexy mouth. If she only had an extension ladder, she’d
have a chance for a taste. His mouth hinted at a smile as if he could read her mind,
and he reached behind her. She held her breath in anticipation of his touch and licked
her lips. Despite her valiant effort, she couldn’t ignore her heart belting away in
her chest.
He was going to kiss her. The sheriff—her son’s father!—was going to lock lips with
her, right here in Lake Bliss Videos.
Before she could close her eyes, he retracted his arm and took a half step back. He
pressed a movie into her hands. “I’ve seen this one. Wasn’t too bad.”
When he took another step and crossed his arms over his chest, she realized her mistake
and stared at the rom-com in her hand.
She went to push past him but paused when he reached toward her, almost tentatively.
But then Sam rounded the corner and turned down the aisle. She stepped away as Sam
stopped next to his father and looked up at her.
“Hi,” Sam said. “You renting a movie, too?”
She winked. “Yep. Seems like a good night to stay indoors.”
Thunder cracked. The windows rattled as if in agreement.
“Can I ask you a nurse question?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
Sam studied the movie case in his hand. “Does it hurt when you get blood taken out?”
Dani sucked in her breath. Was Sam ill? Her gaze darted toward Matt.
“Just routine,” he said, answering her unspoken question
.
Exhaling all the air that had backed up in her lungs, she knelt in front of Sam. “Yes,
I’m afraid it stings a bit, honey.” His head hung lower. “It feels like a shot, but
it’s not so bad. It only lasts a few minutes.”