Page 31 of Tied to Trouble

The sheriff pushed his hat back on his head. “It looks as if our butcher has been mighty busy.”

“Murphy was in the truck, and the other two men are here to collect the meat,” Az added. “They thought we were, too, until Murphy arrived and denied knowing us. That’s when they decided we knew too much. I’m not sure how far Murphy would have gone if you hadn’t shown up.” He could feel Mandy shiver beneath his arm.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, boy, bringing Mandy up here with all this going on,” the sheriff scolded. “You shouldn’t have been up here yourself without back-up.”

“It’s my fault,” Mandy admitted. “I came up here looking for Az. If I hadn’t been here, I’m sure he would have been just fine.”

“Maybe,” the sheriff grunted, his eyes narrowing at them both. “I’m not even going to ask the whys and wherefores regarding that statement. I’ll just say that neither one of you should have been here and leave it at that.” He jammed his hat on his head and turned back to the cleanup.

Az looked down at Mandy. He couldn’t disagree with Evan’s analysis. He should have just hauled her out of Beverly’s house and tended to his own business, then he wouldn’t have been at the lake and been forced into a compromising situation. “He’s right, you know,” he said quietly. “We’re lucky the sheriff was doing his job.”

“I know,” she whispered back. “But we won’t tell him that,” she added gamely.

Az grinned.

***

BACK AT THE BEACHHEAD, Mandy was thrilled to see Mags come out from under her truck when the sheriff dropped her and Az off. “Mags, I’m so glad you are alright,” she cried, dropping to her knees as Mags ran towards her. She hugged the dog around the neck, a few tears dropping onto her soft fur.

Mags just woofed and licked her face, her entire body wiggling with joy.

“She’s a smart dog. She knew you’d eventually come back to your truck, so when she couldn’t follow you, that’s where she stayed.”

“You’re such a good dog, Mags,” Mandy whispered in her ear.

Az stretched his hand towards her. “Come with me, Mandy.”

Mandy took his hand and stood up, but when Az started towards the beach, she pulled back. As she remembered, this was the part where she had been in the process of getting her butt royally blistered. She had no desire to pick up where they left off, she was already sore enough that sitting was uncomfortable.

Az chuckled and tucked her under his arm. “Come on,” he said softly. “I’m not going to spank you; I just want to talk to you.”

Mandy was silent, but she allowed him to lead her back to the bench they had been sitting on earlier. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. For a while, they just sat there, and she savored the feeling of being close to him and the knowledge that they were safe.

“So, you were looking for me to apologize, huh?” he finally asked.

Mandy lifted her head and studied his face. It was so familiar, and yet so different. She pondered the changes as she reached up to tentatively run her palm down the side of his cheek to his sculpted chin. It was a little bristly, but warm, and it sent a surge of something undefinable through her.

“I’m confused, Az. You are the boy I’ve always known, and yet—you’ve changed.”

“Like you, I grew up,” Az said gruffly, his hand reaching out to cup hers.

She looked away then, trying to formulate her thoughts before speaking. The lake was beautiful in the moonlight, but the water was also deadly. Shivering, she forced her thoughts away from the barrels lying in its depths, and thankful they weren’t a part of them.

Az’s arms tightened around her. “Don’t think about what could have happened—it didn’t. Just tell me why you were up here in the first place,” he said gently, using his fingers to turn her chin back towards him.

Mandy swallowed and nodded. “I...I was so angry with you for your highhandedness that I went to Beverly’s to get away from you. But then, when you didn’t come for me, I felt...” She shrugged her slender shoulders, not sure where to go from there.

“Felt what, Mandy?”

“I felt so alone,” she whispered. “And I felt terrible that I had been so childish and maybe hurt you.” She dropped her head, ashamed to face him. “And...” She trailed off.

“And what?” he asked gently, lifting her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

She licked her lips, screwing up the nerve to continue. “And I thought I might have driven you away for good—just when I finally realized that I wanted you.”

“Wanted me?” he growled, seeming uncertain of himself. “You mean to lose your virginity with?”

The question sounded bitter, and Mandy smiled. “I never really planned on doing that.”Well...mostly never.“I was just mad at you,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “You tend to bring out the worst in me with your bossy attitude.”

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