Page 4 of Barbed Wire and Burglary
“Don’t you dare,” his girlfriend threatened playfully. “My client had a feast catered to her shop today for an employee appreciation shindig. You won’t believe how much she insisted I take home with me.”
“Are you sure your brother doesn’t want it?” Though Deputy Aaron Cannon belonged in jail, he was a complete softie where his sister was concerned. She was staying free of charge in his guest room at the lake house he was renting. Granted, she was helping with the cleaning and cooking while he recovered from a bullet wound he’d suffered in the line of duty—yet another issue the Pinetop sheriff wasn’t being very forthcoming about, not even to A.J. The only thing A.J. could take to the bank about Aaron’s injury was that there was more to the story than what had made it into the official report.
Aurora made a sound of disgust. “He’s the pickiest eater on the planet and a germaphobe on top of that. The possibility that someone else might’ve breathed on the food would be enough to scare him off.”
“Did they?” A.J. teased as he reached his truck, unlocked it, and climbed in.
“Did they what?” She sounded puzzled.
“Breathe on the food you’re about to palm off on your poor, unsuspecting boyfriend?”
She burst out laughing, just as he’d hoped she would. “I’m dating a funny guy.”
“Funny looking, too.” He added that part just to see what she would say. He revved his motor and started the short drive to the lake, which he could see from where he was sitting. The Lonestar Security office he’d just finished touring had an unobstructed view of the water.
She sniffed. “Fishing for compliments?”
“Does that mean youdon’tthink I’m funny looking?” he taunted.
“Seriously, A.J.?” Humor infused her voice. “As if I’d agree to date anyone less than seriously hot!”
He grinned. “Now, you’re just roasting me.”
“Tell you what.” She chuckled again. “How about we settle this once and for all when you get here?”
“How do you plan on doing that?” He turned onto the road that hugged the lake and made his way toward the cottage her brother was renting.
“Come and find out,” she challenged.
Don’t mind if I do.His heart thumped with anticipation as he pulled onto the driveway leading down to the water’s edge. The cottage Aurora was staying in with her brother was owned by a pair of schoolteachers who’d retired to Florida. If they ever put it up for sale, its private dock, gazebo, and picturesque views of the lake would cause a bidding war. According to A.J.’s research of the area, real estate on the banks of Heart Lake was that much in demand.
He parked in the driveway in front of the garage door and jogged to the front porch where Aurora was waiting for him. Her sweet smile, willowy frame, and wavy blonde hairthat tumbled below her waist never failed to fill him with wonder. She was so beautiful inside and out, and she was his.
For now.
At the edge of his mind lurked the fear that her smile would fade the moment she found out what he really did for a living. It killed him that the first woman who’d interested him in the seventeen years since his wife had passed was related to a man who belonged behind bars. And it was just A.J.’s luck to be the guy tasked with gathering the evidence that would lead to his arrest.
He’d prayed about it, begging God for the kind of solution to the coming showdown that only He could provide. So far, though, A.J. hadn’t received any divine answers, forcing him to keep his real mission a secret from Aurora.
She scanned his features as he took the steps two at a time to meet her on the porch. “What’s wrong?” She was bundled in a quilted white coat, a white sock hat, and white mittens that made her look like a snow angel.
“I missed you.” Emotion roughened his voice. He really hated not being able to tell her the truth. Keeping secrets this big from the person he loved went against all the Romance 101 rules out there.
“I missed you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He lifted his Stetson from his head and placed it on hers before claiming her lips. There was a desperate edge to his kiss that she must have sensed, because she pulled back a little to get a better look at him.
“That was some kiss,” she declared softly. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”
“Oh, you bet your boots there’s something wrong! One kiss isn’t going to cut it.” He tugged her closer for anotherkiss, pouring everything he was feeling into it. They’d only met a few weeks before Christmas, but already they’d grown so close that he could no longer stand the thought of not having her in his life. The more he got to know her, the harder he fell for her.
At first, he’d felt a little guilty over finding out she was ten years younger than him, but she’d made it clear that their age gap didn’t matter to her. He planned to speak with her about their relationship soon—about taking things to the next level. It just didn’t feel right bringing up the topic of always and forever ahead of her brother’s arrest. Instead, A.J. had been living in constant fear that her brother’s arrest would destroy everything blossoming between them.
“A.J.,” Aurora sighed against his lips. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I have a few ideas,” he informed her huskily. “They sound something like this. Don’t ever let me go.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” She gave the hair at the back of his neck a playful tug. “Ever!”
