Firefly Run by Trish Milburn

pile of wooden shingles.
    "The cabin you’re staying in and the one next to it have several rotten shingles that have to be replaced. If you need anything, I’ll be in the office."
    Shelly headed that direction, intent on finishing her new brochure so she could send it to the printer. She stopped short when she realized she hadn’t shown Reed where the ladder was stored and retraced her steps. But as she rounded the corner of the shed, she ran into Reed so hard he had to drop the hammer and nails and grab her arms to prevent her from falling.
    She gasped, then forgot how to breathe when she looked up at him. A strange look filled his eyes, perhaps confusion or disbelief, but for such a short moment she wondered whether she’d seen it at all. Seconds stretched as they stood only a couple of inches apart. Her heart thumped like that of a doe that had just had a brush with a car. She too felt as if she’d been grazed by something much larger than herself. For one terrifying moment, her gaze locked on Reed’s lips and she wondered what they’d feel like on hers.
    As if he’d seen her thoughts and deemed them inappropriate, he steadied her then stepped back. "You okay?" His voice was strained, and his eyes didn’t quite meet hers.
    "Yeah." She cursed herself for her breathless response. What was wrong with her? You’d think she’d never been near a handsome man before.
    She glanced down, saw the nails scattered across the ground, and immediately crouched to gather them.
    "I’ll get those," he said.
    "No, I’ve got it. I’m the one who caused them to go flying."
    Though he kept his distance, he lowered himself to help her retrieve the wayward nails.
    "You sure you’re okay?" he asked.
    "Yeah, why?"
    He stared at her, more seconds in which she forgot to breathe. "Nothing," he said. "Never mind."
    When she plopped the last nail back in the can, she sprang to her feet, giving herself a head rush. "I was just coming to tell you where the ladder is."
    "I found it, but thanks."
    "Oh, okay." Her nerves jumped as if they were Irish step dancing beneath her skin. She had to pull herself under control. "Well, be careful. I don’t want you falling off the roof and sending my insurance rates sky high."
    Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the office with a ton more cool than she felt.
    Once inside and seated at her computer again, she forced herself to breathe slowly. Her senses were super heightened because of Eddie, that’s why she was seeing things that weren’t there. She shook her head and got to work. She began to hum, and it took her a few minutes to recognize the name of the song. "The Yellow Rose of Texas." The song that had been playing in the background when she’d answered the phone earlier.
    A chill skittered down her spine.
    ****
    Eddie savored the taste of the giant shrimp almost as much as he had that of the shapely beauty he’d just left in a cushy room upstairs. All around him, the sounds of freedom and sin mingled and intoxicated him. Las Vegas. If there was any place more different than his hellhole of a prison cell, he couldn’t imagine it. If he could shoot all this delicious excess into his veins, he would.
    Slipping back into the real world had been even easier than he’d imagined. After a huge steak dinner that would make any Texas native proud, he’d headed for Vegas. His pockets filled with money that had been kept by family since his imprisonment, he’d arrived with pleasure on his mind. Sex, cool drinks, fine food and a few games to get his blood to pumping.
    The most entertaining game of all—pretending he had no idea that he was being tailed. He smiled and almost felt sorry for the poor schmuck whose sole purpose in life now was to watch his every move and report back to Tanner. And he had no doubt it was Tanner who’d ordered the tail. After all, Tanner had reason to hate him and look for the least little mistake that could send him back to prison.
    Fools, all of