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admitted that she loved them, but that wouldn’t work in the long run.
She would just go back to her self-martyrdom as soon as the flush of
orgasm faded.
And was it just that? She hadn’t forgiven him. Not even close.
He walked, unsure of where he was going. The early evening air
was crisp though it was technically still summer. The grass at his feet
was a lush green and sprinkled with wild flowers. Reds and whites
and blues and purples dotted the carpet of grass as he walked closer to
the river. He stared down at the Rio Grande. It looked deep and cold.
It flowed on endlessly.
How the fuck was he supposed to deal with this? Her pain was his
fault. He’d served her up on a silver platter because his career had
meant more to him than her pride.
God, he wanted to take it all back.
“Don’t.” Cam was suddenly beside him. “Don’t give in to it.”
“What are you talking about?” Rafe asked, but he thought he
knew.
“The guilt. It doesn’t solve anything, brother. I feel the weight of
it. I feel it every time I look at that scar on her belly. We fucked up.
We can’t let it affect the rest of our lives.”
“I don’t see why not. It affects the rest of hers.”
“Only because she’s letting it. I meant what I said. I love her. I
won’t leave her again. If that means I’m a deputy in a small town,
then that’s what I’ll be. If my penance for failing her is never
touching her again, then I’ll stand back and protect her from afar, but
I don’t think she’ll resist for long. When I was in the office with her, there wasn’t some horrible guilt between us.”
Rafe hadn’t felt it. All he’d felt was his connection to her. But
then she’d rejected him.
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Cam put a hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “I don’t think you should
leave, either.”
Rafe was surprised at that. “Why? If I left, you could have her all
to yourself.”
“And be alone? I don’t think so. She’s a hell of a woman. I think it
takes two to handle her.”
Emotion choked Rafe, and he finally fucking understood. This
was why it could work. This pain he felt was halved because Cam
took some of it. If Cam was here with him, then he was never alone.
Cam would be beside him. A strange sense of love and gratitude
flooded Rafe’s system. Love? Damn. He shouldn’t think that way about his best friend, but then again—why the fuck not? He didn’t
want to jump Cam. He had zero desire to have anything physical with
the man. But maybe love was a lot of different things. Maybe love
was a word that defied simple explanation.
Family. That was another one of those words that he wasn’t sure
of anymore. His family, it seemed, was outside the norm.
“Stay with me,” Cam said. “We can get her back. I know we can.”
Rafe nodded, far too emotional to speak. He wasn’t leaving. Not
when he’d just found his home.
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Chapter Fourteen
Laura felt like a freak on display. She’d tried to take a seat in the
back, but Holly had shown up and pulled her to the front, explaining
that the only reason she wasn’t onstage was that Nate had told
everyone he didn’t want to put her on display.
Nice to know Nate Wright was on the job.
She groaned inwardly at herself. She was in a terrible mood.
She’d been sitting in this chair for an hour while Nate went over what
was happening with the rest of the town. At some point, she’d noticed
that Joe, Brad, and Edward had filed in, but they had kept to
themselves.
The fact that everyone knew about her past rankled. She wouldn’t
be proud, strong, competent Laura Niles anymore. She would be that
victim, Laura Rosen.
Nate had gone over the facts of the case and what to look for.
Everyone was supposed to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior.
Everyone was supposed to stick together. There was a lot of talk
about how Bliss had come through time and time again. Laura had felt
a bit numb through it all. The only thing that had warmed her was the
way Cam and Rafe encircled her. Even though she wasn’t talking to
them, she appreciated their presence. What the hell was she going to
do if she couldn’t get them to leave?
She wanted them. God, it welled up inside her until she almost
couldn’t breathe.
At least they had gotten to the fun part of the evening. Open
forum always brought up her spirits.
“You have got to make a law or something,” Max Harper was
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saying, his voice all growly and taciturn as he faced the small group
onstage.
Cam sat on one side of her and Rafe on the other. Despite her
locking them out, they had been standing there waiting for her when
she emerged to go to the meeting at town hall. They hadn’t said a
word, simply opened the door to the car. She’d decided not to be
stupid. Taking her own battered Jeep would have been an act of
defiance. If de Sade was stalking, she shouldn’t be alone, and calling
Holly or Nell into it seemed like a dumb thing to do.
Cam leaned across her to talk to Rafe. “Is he talking about what I
think he’s talking about?”
Laura couldn’t miss the way Rafe’s lips quirked. “I believe he is.”
“It’s a natural process, Max,” Rachel shouted, proving she didn’t
need a microphone. “How the hell else am I supposed to feed our
baby?”
Hiram, Bliss’s elderly mayor, leaned forward and spoke into his
microphone. “Max, this seems like something private between you
and your wife.”
“Oh, I wish it was private,” Max shot back. “If it was private, I
wouldn’t be standing here, but my wife’s boobs are everywhere now.
I would like to see a show of hands of the people who have been
treated to the sight of my wife’s nipples.”
No one took that bait. Laura figured Max would have written
down some names for a future ass kicking.
“I’m feeding the baby!” Rachel argued. “I don’t know what your
problem is, Max. Rye is fine with it.”
There was a tap on Laura’s shoulder. She turned around to where
Jen Waters sat with Stef Talbot. Jen’s eyes were lit with mirth, while
Stef watched the proceedings with the lazy amusement of a king
being brilliantly entertained. “I brought chocolate-covered peanuts.
Want some?”
Laura couldn’t help but smile. “You knew about this particular
topic?”
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Jen nodded. “Oh, yeah, Rachel is sick of using the privacy blanket
when she breast-feeds in public. Paige doesn’t like it. So she’s just
started plopping that sucker out whenever Paige cries. Max walked
into Stella’s the other day and just about had a heart attack. I also
know something else.”
Stef’s eyes narrowed. “Are you about to gossip, love?”
Jen flushed a little. “No. It’s not going to be a secret in
about
thirty seconds.”
Rye Harper approached the microphone. He walked up to his
brother and placed a hand on his shoulder as though about to calm his
twin down as he so often did. He leaned forward. “I’m with Max on
this one.”
“Rye Harper!”
“We decided our marriage was a democracy a long time ago,
baby,” Rye replied. “We’re outvoting you.”
Nell stood, her pretty face red with indignation. She brought her
own microphone up. “I am making an announcement. I intend to back
Rachel in this horrible affront to her rights as a mother. As long as
Rachel’s freedom to do something as gentle and pure as making sure
her child is fed is being taken from her, I cannot stand in silence.”
“Oh, shit,” Laura said as Nell’s hand went to the bottom of her T-
shirt. Laura had a pretty damn good idea what was about to happen.
She pulled the T-shirt over her head. “My breasts will be free.
You can place me in jail. You can silence me, but I will not give in. I
vow to remain uncovered until my sisters are free.”
Laura started to get up, but Henry was there before her. Damn.
Now everyone was going to see Henry’s privates, too. This was
rapidly devolving.
Henry picked his wife up, shoving her over his shoulder in a neat
fireman’s hold. Nell, never one to drop a microphone, held it even as
Henry started walking. “Henry? What are you doing?”
Henry walked straight up to Max and Rye and spoke into their
microphone. “Handle this one, people. She really will walk around all
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Amazon-like until you figure this out, and then I’ll have to break my
vow of nonviolence by killing every son of a bitch who looks at her.”
“Henry!”
His head shook as though in deep disappointment. “You see. I
cursed. I don’t curse. This is bringing out all the caveman-like
tendencies I normally despise. We’re going to join Mel and Cassidy
until such time as my wife can keep her nudity to the places it
belongs. Our bedroom. Our yard. The Naturists Community. Various
clubs. The swimming hole behind the Harper Stables. Stef’s
guesthouse. And that Divine Creek place in Texas. Yeah, you know
the one. Everyone’s naked there. See, I know you all believe I have
no boundaries. There. Firmly placed boundaries. Someone give us a
call when it’s safe to come out again.”
Nell was yelling into her microphone as Henry carted her off to
Mel’s.
On the computer screen Wolf had set up, Cassidy Meyer grinned
and rubbed her hands together. “Company. That will be nice.”
Hiram shook his head. “We’re shelving this until next week. Max,
Rye, Rachel—you work this out. The last thing this town needs is
another article on how we’re the topless town.”
“It might make them forget we’re the murder town,” Zane called
out.
Hiram sighed. “If there’s nothing else on the agenda, we should
consider ourselves adjourned.”
Nate stood up, microphone in hand. “You all remember what we
talked about. No female in this town goes unescorted until this guy is
caught. If you find yourself without someone to walk with, call the
sheriff’s department. One of my deputies or I will come and get you.
In addition, the men of the town have agreed to be on call, so to
speak. I want everyone to take a flyer with phone numbers. Do not
hesitate to call.” He stared out over the auditorium as if he could
intimidate the audience into obeying him. “If I find out that
someone’s broken this little rule, well, you know I don’t mind
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arresting people. It’s one of the joys of my life.”
Rafe looked across her towards Cam. “Your new boss is
interesting.”
Cam grinned. “I think my new boss is slightly insane.”
Cam’s open, easy smile told her he was looking forward to
working with the Sheriff. She studied him for a moment as he and
Rafe talked about what had gone on. Cam didn’t seem uneasy. He’d
walked around introducing himself to people, telling them all about
how he was the new deputy. If he was ashamed of his new job, he
didn’t show it.
Rafe had been right behind him, though he’d been quieter than
usual. Laura hadn’t missed how he’d spoken to Nate and the mayor
before the meeting had begun. He’d had a series of notes that Laura
hadn’t had a chance to peek at. She seriously suspected he was the
one behind the “no woman left unescorted” rule.
Holly walked up, a big grin on her face. “I always knew Henry
was hiding the dark heart of a predator.”
Henry? Laura laughed. “Henry loves Nell. He just proved he’s a
guy. Though I was worried for a moment that he would join her in her
nude protest.”
“Nah,” Cam said. “That dude’s a total freak. I bet he spanks her
regularly.”
Rafe concurred. “Absolutely. I was watching him. He would be
very indulgent, but he’s also possessive. She would be able to push
him very far, but once his foot is down, it would not come back up.”
“Is this that profiling stuff?” Holly asked.
“No,” Cam replied, giving Holly that good-old-boy grin that
caused Laura’s heart to speed up. Holly was a beautiful woman. How
long would it be before Cam gave up on her and went after Holly?
Could she really bear to watch her best friend with one of her men?
Why was she even thinking that? They were just talking to each other.
“I’m a guy, too. I know how I am. If a man really loves a woman,
he’s bound to be possessive.
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“And he certainly wouldn’t allow his woman to walk around
showing off what belongs to him,” Rafe said, staring squarely at her.
Holly’s stare bounced back and forth as though watching an
amusing tennis match. “Well, here in Bliss, we have some awfully
liberal clothing-optional laws.”
Cam frowned. “No, you don’t. I was given all the codes, and I was
informed to strictly enforce the dress code. The Naturist Community
is the only place where it’s relaxed. Well, and apparently the pond
behind the Harper Stables and that other place Henry said—the
guesthouse—but I don’t know what that is yet.”
Stef Talbot laughed, a silky sound. “I’m sure you’ll find out,
Deputy Briggs. Most people do.”
Laura threw him her most intimidating stare. Stef’s guesthouse
was a playroom. It was filled with sex toys and totally equipped for
BDSM play. Cam and Rafe were not going there.
“As to that end, gentlemen, would you please join me in my
office?” Stef asked. “There’s something I would like to talk to you
about.”
Cam and Rafe stood and agreed to meet with Stef. Laura pulled
Stef back. “What is this about?”
Stef’s eyebrows rose, and he went from friendly to intimidating in
a second. “You, of course. I understand your men are staying. Did
you not think we would welcome them properly? It’s just some guy
talk and perhaps a Scotch.”
“They aren’t my men.”
Stef shrugged her off. “Well, then what I say to them isn’t your
business. Logan is going to watch you.”
Laura looked, and the big deputy was standing close by. He tipped
his hat to her, but didn’t smile. Damn, when was that boy going to
smile again? “Stef, I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Consider him a bodyguard. And don’t even try to tell me you
don’t need one of those.” Stef nodded and walked off toward the
hallway that led to the town hall’s offices. Stef held the title of Bliss’s
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County Engineer and kept an office there.
Jen put a hand on her arm. “He means well, Laura. Don’t worry
about it. He won’t do anything to hurt you.” She looked across the
hall. “Oh, crap. I think Rachel’s about to break her vow not to kill
someone around her daughter.” Jen ran off.
Holly stood up and put an arm around her. “Are you sure this is
the way you want to go? Those men seem to really care about you.”
And that was the trouble. They loved her. They weren’t thinking
straight. She couldn’t stand the thought that one day they would wake
up and realize everything they had given up to be with her. “It
wouldn’t work. I don’t want to marry anyone.”
“Okay,” Holly said, but Laura could tell she didn’t believe her.
Wolf walked up, a smile on his handsome face. “Holly, I’ve been
assigned to escort you home. Your chariot awaits, if you consider a
big-ass truck to be a chariot, darlin’.”
Holly started to smile, but a low voice cut through the crowd.
“No.”
Laura turned with Wolf and Holly to see Caleb Burke standing
close, his hands in his pockets and a ferocious frown on his face. The
gorgeous doctor was staring a hole through Wolf.
“No?” Wolf asked.
Caleb shook his head. “No.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No.” Caleb walked up and placed a hand on Holly’s elbow. “She
needs someone to drive her home. It’s not going to be you. Come on.”
Holly was staring up at the doctor as she allowed herself to be led
off.
“Do I smell or something?” Wolf asked. “Because I can’t seem to