down and walked inside, looking a little nervous.
Mo crossed the road and went in after her. Might as well ask her if she had any trouble last night, why the Pebble Creek sheriff was over at her place. He wanted to make sure she was okay. But as he stepped into the restaurant, he spotted the man in question getting up from a table in the back and greeting Molly with a big smile.
For a moment, Mo stood and stared.
They’re on a damned date.
Man, he felt stupid. And then he knew at once what Kenny had been doing at her place last night.
His jaw clenched, even as a perky blonde waitress hurried over to him.
She flashed a toothy smile. “How many are in your party?”
“I was just looking for someone. Thanks. They’re not here.” He turned on his heel and stalked out. The sight of the sheriff with Molly twisted his insides as if he’d swallowed poison. What the hell was wrong with him?
* * *
S AYING YES TO K ENNY had been a mistake. She knew it five minutes into dinner, but at that point, it would have been inexcusably rude to get up and walk away. She appreciated all Kenny was doing for her, but whatever her grandmother had said about love growing over time, she knew at a gut level that nothing whatsoever was ever going to grow between them. Even the least spark of chemistry was completely missing.
She had more chemistry with Moses Mann, for heaven’s sake, and that man thought she was a criminal.
“I can probably find a buyer for Dylan’s truck,” Kenny was saying as they walked out of the restaurant after dinner. They’d talked more about her brother than anything else. “After the police release it.”
“That would be great.” Whatever money she got for that she would immediately put into the new mortgage on the ranch.
A pink convertible pulled up in front of the diner next to them. Four women about her age got out, laughing and teasing each other. They had matching tattoos on their shoulders, maybe some sort of a sorority symbol. They joked about their cross-country drive that sounded like a grand adventure.
They looked wild and free, and she felt a sudden pang of envy. She’d done everything possible in the past eight years not to raise any eyebrows, to become a respectable mother, someone people didn’t whisper about. She didn’t want Logan to have to struggle with that in school like she had to with her mother’s reputation back in the day.
Her wild side scared her. She’d given in to it once and ended up with the wrong man. She’d had to pay for that every day since. She’d learned her lesson. Safe was always best.
Kenny looked safe enough. He was a sheriff.
Why couldn’t she feel some attraction toward him?
He was looking her over, his interest clear in his gaze. “Wish I could drive you home.”
She was flattered. She really was. But she wasn’t interested.
“Got the pickup right here.” She stepped toward her car. “Have to go get Logan from the library.”
Kenny leaned forward, probably to kiss her on the cheek. She headed him off by lifting her hand for a quick wave and stepping back at the same time. Then she turned to search for her car keys in her purse. She didn’t look up until she found them.
“Thank you for dinner. It was really nice to catch up.” Was it too late to start pretending that the past hour and a half had been just a friendly meeting?
Kenny watched her for a second. “I’ll see you around, then. I have the night shift tonight. I’ll be driving by to make sure everything is all right out your way.”
“Thanks,” she said sincerely. Kenny wouldn’t work as a boyfriend, but she was more than grateful to have him as a friend. Maybe she could pay him back in some small measure with a basket of goodies from her garden. And by taking extra-special care of his horse. Not that she didn’t pretty much spoil all her animals rotten.
She drove over to the library, wishing once again that she had Grace to discuss her date with. Maybe Grace would talk
Mo crossed the road and went in after her. Might as well ask her if she had any trouble last night, why the Pebble Creek sheriff was over at her place. He wanted to make sure she was okay. But as he stepped into the restaurant, he spotted the man in question getting up from a table in the back and greeting Molly with a big smile.
For a moment, Mo stood and stared.
They’re on a damned date.
Man, he felt stupid. And then he knew at once what Kenny had been doing at her place last night.
His jaw clenched, even as a perky blonde waitress hurried over to him.
She flashed a toothy smile. “How many are in your party?”
“I was just looking for someone. Thanks. They’re not here.” He turned on his heel and stalked out. The sight of the sheriff with Molly twisted his insides as if he’d swallowed poison. What the hell was wrong with him?
* * *
S AYING YES TO K ENNY had been a mistake. She knew it five minutes into dinner, but at that point, it would have been inexcusably rude to get up and walk away. She appreciated all Kenny was doing for her, but whatever her grandmother had said about love growing over time, she knew at a gut level that nothing whatsoever was ever going to grow between them. Even the least spark of chemistry was completely missing.
She had more chemistry with Moses Mann, for heaven’s sake, and that man thought she was a criminal.
“I can probably find a buyer for Dylan’s truck,” Kenny was saying as they walked out of the restaurant after dinner. They’d talked more about her brother than anything else. “After the police release it.”
“That would be great.” Whatever money she got for that she would immediately put into the new mortgage on the ranch.
A pink convertible pulled up in front of the diner next to them. Four women about her age got out, laughing and teasing each other. They had matching tattoos on their shoulders, maybe some sort of a sorority symbol. They joked about their cross-country drive that sounded like a grand adventure.
They looked wild and free, and she felt a sudden pang of envy. She’d done everything possible in the past eight years not to raise any eyebrows, to become a respectable mother, someone people didn’t whisper about. She didn’t want Logan to have to struggle with that in school like she had to with her mother’s reputation back in the day.
Her wild side scared her. She’d given in to it once and ended up with the wrong man. She’d had to pay for that every day since. She’d learned her lesson. Safe was always best.
Kenny looked safe enough. He was a sheriff.
Why couldn’t she feel some attraction toward him?
He was looking her over, his interest clear in his gaze. “Wish I could drive you home.”
She was flattered. She really was. But she wasn’t interested.
“Got the pickup right here.” She stepped toward her car. “Have to go get Logan from the library.”
Kenny leaned forward, probably to kiss her on the cheek. She headed him off by lifting her hand for a quick wave and stepping back at the same time. Then she turned to search for her car keys in her purse. She didn’t look up until she found them.
“Thank you for dinner. It was really nice to catch up.” Was it too late to start pretending that the past hour and a half had been just a friendly meeting?
Kenny watched her for a second. “I’ll see you around, then. I have the night shift tonight. I’ll be driving by to make sure everything is all right out your way.”
“Thanks,” she said sincerely. Kenny wouldn’t work as a boyfriend, but she was more than grateful to have him as a friend. Maybe she could pay him back in some small measure with a basket of goodies from her garden. And by taking extra-special care of his horse. Not that she didn’t pretty much spoil all her animals rotten.
She drove over to the library, wishing once again that she had Grace to discuss her date with. Maybe Grace would talk
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