Page 54 of Wild Love

I narrowed my eyes on her. "I got the impression you enjoyed when my brother showed up." He wasn't a sheriff or even a deputy back then. He was just my annoying brother who was home from college on break.

"He was always nice to us. It was better than when your dad came."

"Dad could be scary." I thought he was a big teddy bear, but Marigold had a thing about authority. She was a rule follower through and through.

"I wanted to have fun but not get a record."

"That's pretty easy to do when your dad is the sheriff. Believeme; I tried. He always bailed me out and made sure no charges were filed.”

"You never did anything truly awful. We drank underage and went to parties."

"You're right. We weren't bad girls as much as I wanted to be. I had no clue what real life was like." I thought I wanted to be crazy and wild, but then Steve made some comment about me wanting him because of the way I acted. As if being fun meant I was down for sex with anybody and everyone. I might have been free-spirited, but I was careful who I slept with. I didn't trust easily.

"Speaking of, did you ever have dinner with Chance?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not yet." Then my gaze settled on her. "Why? Is he asking you about it?"

"Possibly," she said with a sly smile. "Why haven't you?"

"I don't want him to judge me for being home or leaving soon." The truth was, I didn't want him to ask pointed questions about why I was here. Chance would want to fix it, and he couldn't. Some things were better left alone.

"He wants to give you space, but he also wants to spend time with you."

"Have you two been hanging out lately?" I always wondered if her crush on him ever turned into something more when I was gone.

Her cheeks turned pink. "He stops in at the library. He says it's to make his presence known to the kids. He doesn't want them to be afraid of a man in uniform."

I touched my chest. "Who knew my brother was such a sweetie."

Marigold gulped her tea too fast and started coughing.

"Are you okay?" I asked her when she'd somewhat recovered.

Her eyes were wet, and she waved a hand in my direction. "I'm fine. What were we talking about?"

"Chance."

Her eyes flared. "Right. He comes in to talk to the kids and usually asks me for a book recommendation."

"Chance reads?" I leaned forward. He was always a rough-and-tumble kid. He didn't slow down for anything except video games.

"He's been into thrillers lately."

Chance stopping into the library on a regular basis to talk to Marigold. What was going on there? "And he asks about me?"

Marigold nodded. "Since you've been home."

"He doesn't need to worry about me. I'll be okay."

"Go out to dinner with him and tell him that. Then he'll stop bugging me."

I raised a brow but didn't call her out. Did she enjoy him stopping by to talk to her? She mentioned wanting to date someone seriously. Then she admited Chance stopped in to see her.

I didn't know what the deal was. But maybe I could find out if we went to dinner. I got out my phone. "Texting him now."

Scarlett: How about that dinner you promised me? I'm having a hankering for steak.

Chance: I know just the place.

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