only added to his
unease. He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed or angry at his little deception. But
the time for the truth was now.
“Why, Daniel Bodine, if this isn’t a surprise. Now I know you’re not here to check
out a book, so what can I do for you?” The dry raspy voice of Mabel Comstock
harkened back to high school and he broke out in a sweat. Just a glance from the little
white-haired woman from over the top of her glasses had always been enough to make
him squirm.
Remembering his manners, he doffed his cowboy hat. “Howdy, Miz Comstock. It’s
good to see you.”
46
Ride a Cowboy
“Hrmph.” Her mouth pursed, and her eyes narrowed, “I know this isn’t a social
call…” One gray brow quirked upward. “Or maybe not for me. You wouldn’t be here to
visit the newest member of my staff here, now would you?”
He felt the heat creep across his cheeks and cursed his lack of composure. You’d
think a twenty-nine year-old man, and a deputy sheriff to boot, wouldn’t be intimidated
by a tiny curmudgeon of a woman. He cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact…Yes
ma’am. I’d like to see Miz Carter…if it’s not an inconvenience.”
Mabel Comstock’s eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth quirked into a
semblance of a smile. “Katelyn’s in the computer room.” When he continued to stare
blankly at her, she motioned toward a room at the back of the building. “That room’s
been in this building for five years—don’t be such a stranger, Daniel.”
“Yes, ma’am…thanks.” With relief, he headed to the rear of the library.
Katelyn’s back was to the door as he opened and closed it quietly behind him. She
was on her knees on the floor, her torso beneath the table. The view of her backside,
heart-shaped mounds that jiggled a little beneath the fabric of her slacks as she tugged
at something out of sight, had him grinning. He leaned against the door, and crossed
his arms over his chest to wait. No sense in spoiling a good opportunity to take in the
scenery by announcing his presence.
She muttered something unintelligible before backing out from beneath the table.
As her head popped into view, she caught sight of him. “Oh!” She slammed her head
against the table as she tried to rise. Tears filled her eyes.
He rushed to help her up. “Are you okay?” He pushed her toward a chair. “Take it
easy here for a second. I’m sorry I startled you.”
Rubbing her head she frowned at him, then took in his uniform in one long glance,
from head to toe. Her expression was one of dismay. “You’re a policeman?”
“A deputy sheriff,” he corrected her.
“No, no one said… you didn’t say.” She looked at him accusingly, a scowl wrinkling
her forehead.
47
Delilah Devlin
“I assumed you knew.” Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie. He hadn’t mentioned it, but he
couldn’t have known how much Dwight might have blabbed to her after he’d removed
the snake. He knelt beside her so their gazes were level. He didn’t want her staring at
his uniform. “I guess there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other.”
Her glance slid away from his. “You’re right. We really haven’t talked very much.”
Daniel bit back a smile and picked up one of her hands, so dainty within his hamfisted palms, and squeezed it gently before letting it drop to her lap. “How about we
spend some time together. You’re coming with me tonight, right?”
Her gaze went to the glass door and back. “Daniel…I don’t know…”
He drew a breath and felt a slow burning anger heat his cheeks while tension filled
his arms and chest. “We had a deal, Miss Librarian.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ll still do that,” she hissed, “but don’t you think you should
give…the rest a little time? I mean, you’re a deputy…you have a reputation—”
“Seems the only one worried about the differences in our ages is you, Katelyn. I’m
beginning to think
unease. He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed or angry at his little deception. But
the time for the truth was now.
“Why, Daniel Bodine, if this isn’t a surprise. Now I know you’re not here to check
out a book, so what can I do for you?” The dry raspy voice of Mabel Comstock
harkened back to high school and he broke out in a sweat. Just a glance from the little
white-haired woman from over the top of her glasses had always been enough to make
him squirm.
Remembering his manners, he doffed his cowboy hat. “Howdy, Miz Comstock. It’s
good to see you.”
46
Ride a Cowboy
“Hrmph.” Her mouth pursed, and her eyes narrowed, “I know this isn’t a social
call…” One gray brow quirked upward. “Or maybe not for me. You wouldn’t be here to
visit the newest member of my staff here, now would you?”
He felt the heat creep across his cheeks and cursed his lack of composure. You’d
think a twenty-nine year-old man, and a deputy sheriff to boot, wouldn’t be intimidated
by a tiny curmudgeon of a woman. He cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact…Yes
ma’am. I’d like to see Miz Carter…if it’s not an inconvenience.”
Mabel Comstock’s eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth quirked into a
semblance of a smile. “Katelyn’s in the computer room.” When he continued to stare
blankly at her, she motioned toward a room at the back of the building. “That room’s
been in this building for five years—don’t be such a stranger, Daniel.”
“Yes, ma’am…thanks.” With relief, he headed to the rear of the library.
Katelyn’s back was to the door as he opened and closed it quietly behind him. She
was on her knees on the floor, her torso beneath the table. The view of her backside,
heart-shaped mounds that jiggled a little beneath the fabric of her slacks as she tugged
at something out of sight, had him grinning. He leaned against the door, and crossed
his arms over his chest to wait. No sense in spoiling a good opportunity to take in the
scenery by announcing his presence.
She muttered something unintelligible before backing out from beneath the table.
As her head popped into view, she caught sight of him. “Oh!” She slammed her head
against the table as she tried to rise. Tears filled her eyes.
He rushed to help her up. “Are you okay?” He pushed her toward a chair. “Take it
easy here for a second. I’m sorry I startled you.”
Rubbing her head she frowned at him, then took in his uniform in one long glance,
from head to toe. Her expression was one of dismay. “You’re a policeman?”
“A deputy sheriff,” he corrected her.
“No, no one said… you didn’t say.” She looked at him accusingly, a scowl wrinkling
her forehead.
47
Delilah Devlin
“I assumed you knew.” Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie. He hadn’t mentioned it, but he
couldn’t have known how much Dwight might have blabbed to her after he’d removed
the snake. He knelt beside her so their gazes were level. He didn’t want her staring at
his uniform. “I guess there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other.”
Her glance slid away from his. “You’re right. We really haven’t talked very much.”
Daniel bit back a smile and picked up one of her hands, so dainty within his hamfisted palms, and squeezed it gently before letting it drop to her lap. “How about we
spend some time together. You’re coming with me tonight, right?”
Her gaze went to the glass door and back. “Daniel…I don’t know…”
He drew a breath and felt a slow burning anger heat his cheeks while tension filled
his arms and chest. “We had a deal, Miss Librarian.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ll still do that,” she hissed, “but don’t you think you should
give…the rest a little time? I mean, you’re a deputy…you have a reputation—”
“Seems the only one worried about the differences in our ages is you, Katelyn. I’m
beginning to think
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