Page 4 of Return to Laurel Valley

“I’ll take them off as soon as I can get you in a cell.”

“You can’t be serious,” she said, freezing him with a glare. “You’re just mad because I had to leave while your hormones were still wanting more.”

“No, I’m mad because you never came back,” he yelled, louder than he wanted to.

She froze and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.

They’d been on the street long enough to draw attention, so he moved her toward the station at the end of the street. Thank God for the incoming storm because hardly anyone was out and the streets were almost deserted. But he knew from experience it wouldn’t take long for word to spread.

She didn’t fight him, but he could feel her resistance. The walk gave him a chance to get himself back under control. He hadn’t meant to admit what her leaving had done to him. He wasn’t an impulsive man by nature. But one look at Lily and his future had flashed before his eyes. All he knew was that she was his, and he’d do whatever it took to make her his. He hadn’t expected her to agree to marrying him. It had been wild and reckless and crazy, and they’d dragged the justice of the peace out of bed and sworn him to secrecy.

He guessed neither of them had thought about the what after.

“Come on, Blaze,” she finally said. “We both know you’re not really going to arrest me. I’ve followed a skip into town.”

“If he’s smart, he’s finding a place to hunker down for the night. Storms will be here soon. And yes, I am going to arrest you. The last time I checked, there was a warrant out for your arrest. Destruction of private property?—”

“That’s crap and you know it. I was trying to get my brother out of there before he hurt anyone. The only reason that window broke was because I ducked when one of your upstanding citizens threw a chair.”

“Uh-huh. Watch your step here,” he said, leading her up the steps to the new sheriff’s office. “Don’t forget the broken bottles.”

“I’ll pay the twenty dollars to replace the bottle of Jameson’s I smashed over that idiot’s head who threw the chair. He could’ve killed me. Maybe I should press charges.”

“That’s certainly your right to do so. Of course, we’d have to hold you in the cell a little longer while we got it all straightened out.”

Blaze nearly grinned as he heard her growl low in her throat. Lily Crow in a temper was a fine thing to see.

“Give me a break. This is about your ego, plain and simple. You want good old-fashioned revenge. I had no choice in what I did that night and you know it. I had to get Jacob out of there before he hurt anyone. He might be my brother, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what kind of person he is. It was better all around for us both to get out of town.”

“And now you’re back,” he said.

He gripped her elbow and turned her so their faces were only inches apart. He felt the tension, thick with what had been left unsaid between them. “Tell me, Lily. What was I to you? A lark while you were searching for your brother? Or a distraction who fell right into the palm of your hand? Did what we have ever matter?”

She lifted her eyes so the dark orbs were intent and focused solely on him. “You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” she admitted. “But sometimes the best things come with a price. Sometimes a person’s path is set before they ever take the first step. I never wanted to hurt you.”

The door to the sheriff’s office opened and the spell was broken between them. Colt O’Hara leaned against the jamb with his arms crossed over his chest and his piercing dark gaze narrowed.

A year hadn’t changed Colt’s appearance much. He was the boy next door. Handsome and friendly—golden brown hair and dark eyes—he reminded her of a golden retriever. As good looking as he was, he definitely wasn’t her type. But she noticed the gold wedding ring on his finger. That was a new addition. She knew he was a doctor and Blaze’s cousin, but other than that they had only had a few interactions.

“I had forty-two phone calls at the clinic since Lily rode into town,” Colt said. “I had to shut down the clinic, and Raven said I’d better get over here to make sure no one needed stitches. I’d suggest you two get in here before the whole town is standing in the middle of the street to watch the show.”

Blaze inhaled slowly and then exhaled, counting as he did so. He and Lily were forever plagued by interruptions. But Colt was right. Even now shop doors in town were opening and heads were popping out to see what was going on.

Lily turned to face Colt and gave him a cheeky grin. “Dr. O’Hara. I bet you thought you’d never see me again. Miss me?”

Chapter Three

“Lily Crow,” he said with a smirk. “I should’ve known the weathermen weren’t talking about rain when they said a storm was coming.” He stepped back out of the way so Blaze could usher her inside. “As far as being happy to see you, I’m still up in the air on that. There aren’t a lot of women I know who can beat Blaze at pool and wreck a bar all in the same week. Looks like you’re still making trouble.”

“What can I say?” She winked. “I’m a woman of many talents.”

“Don’t make me hurt you, Colt,” Blaze said, gritting his teeth so hard he thought they might turn to dust.

Colt and Blaze were cousins and they’d grown up together, but there was more to it than that. Colt was as close to him as any of his brothers. It made no sense. They were only two months apart in age, and Colt had always been the good boy—the teacher’s pet—the nice guy. People didn’t usually say those things about Blaze.

Not because he wasn’t a nice guy—he was—it’s just that people looked at him and tended to walk in another direction. Maybe it was the tattoo sleeves that covered his arms or because he had the look of a man who’d seen too much and done too much. But despite their differences, Colt was his best friend. Colt had been the one he’d called when he’d needed a bullet dug out of his shoulder while he was working undercover, and Colt was the only one who knew that he and Lily were married.

He’d been fortunate after the old sheriff had retired early, and Blaze had been appointed in his place until the next election. The new sheriff’s office bond had already passed, and his cousin Hank had gotten the contract and had it built by the deadline. So Blaze had walked into his job with a new station and the ability to hire all the deputies he needed once the people of Laurel Valley realized the less-populated areas were being used for drug and human trafficking.

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