Page 42 of Anything for You
Well, nothing except maybe the low-level suspicion she was flirting with me just a little.
“I promise I’ll never feed you eggplant. I have no doubt I can stick to that promise. I’m reliable.”
She tilted her head, eyes skating over me in an assessing sweep. “I’m sure you are.”
Bracing my hand against the frame, I leaned in. “I am.”
Her lips parted, and her eyes softened as they flickered back and forth between mine. The air grew thick, the dim sounds of crickets disappearing as I took in the arch of her brows and the perfect slope of her nose. Her eyes appeared to be smiling even when she was still staring back as though transfixed.
I knew the feeling.
She reached up with her free hand, moving so slowly I thought it’d never reach me, but eventually, her palm pressed against my cheek and jaw, her fingers settling next to my ear.
Electrified, I leaned closer. Bear still had my foot stapled to the porch, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Instead, maintaining the connection with her, whatever this was, became my primary objective.
Bear shifted, ears perked, and he let out a bark.
Sadly, this startled Dove, and she pulled her hand back, then her eyes shifted over my shoulder where I turned to see a large white SUV trundling down the drive.
“Is that a police car?” she asked, worry infusing her tone.
“It’s Sheriff Ryan. Juniper Creek’s sheriff,” I explained, hoping it’d set her at ease but feeling a deep sense of foreboding at the sight of the man parking, engine off, and slipping out of his front seat.
“Sorry to disturb, Dorian. Ma’am.” He tipped his head, now covered by the cowboy hat he’d settled on his head as soon as he exited the car, at Dove.
“What’s going on?” I asked, worry crawling up my shins before I set a hand on Bear, who’d stayed close.
He shook his head. “Not sure it’s much of anything, but we had some reports of some issues around Patriot Ridge. Thought I’d come out and see if you’d had any issues on your line. I’m sorry it’s so late.”
“Not that I saw earlier. We weren’t where the trouble’s been in the past, but we can ride out there if you think we should check. What kind of issues?”
Dove shifted, and her hand slipped into the one of mine not resting on Bear. My heart warmed as Ryan spoke.
“We ended up arresting two kids who’d started a small fire. Someone saw them run back to the commune borders. They seemed to think they couldn’t be questioned or taken in if they crossed the line.” He sighed and shook his head. “Jackson Smith, seventeen, and Ransom Petersen, eighteen. A Hawk Jensen and a Cory Smith came and bailed them out. I haven’t seen any of these guys around, and I suspect they’re part of the new crew who’s made the switch from Sego Lily to Patriot.”
Dove had gone stiff next to me.
“Did you say—” She cleared her throat of the rasp she’d started with. “Did you say Hawk Jensen?”
Like lightning, the realization struck home. DoveJensen… and Hawk must be her brother. She hadn’t seen him for years, and he was right here?
“Yes, ma’am. Do you know any of them?” the sheriff asked.
She dropped my hand and now clasped hers together, pressing them close to her body.
“Just Hawk. He’s my brother.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Dove
I’d slept fitfully and rolled out of bed ready for work and as much distraction as possible. Sheriff Ryan had left not long after I’d told him I did in fact know Hawk Jensen. At least, I used to know him.
What kind of messed-up person is upset that their brother hasn’t tried to see them after the only contact they’ve had with him is him calling her horrible names? I mean really, who does that?
But there it had been at the sound of his name, a bruise deepening with every minute I thought about how close he apparently was and how little he cared to see me.
Dorian could clearly tell how upset I was, but I’d insisted I was fine. He needed to go check his property, and I wanted him to do that—it’d be awful if there was a fire we didn’t know about, or any other problems. So I promised him I was going to eat and get to bed early.
