Playing With Fire (Tangled in Texas, #2)(13)

Oh. Right. “No, I guess not. Bobbie Jo said it was just a well-baby exam.”

“That’s good.” But Cowboy’s words didn’t match his expression as his brows knitted together. “Last night I gave you a card with my cell phone number. Any reason why you didn’t call me instead of Jake?”

I shook my head again. “I didn’t call anyone. Bobbie Jo did, remember?”

“Well, why didn’t she call me?”

“I don’t know. I guess that’s a question for Bobbie Jo.” I pulled my door open and moved closer to get in.

His arm shot out across the doorway, blocking me from sitting down. I turned my head to look at him and watched another grin tug at the corner of his mouth. “You have a little something…” He lifted his free hand and swept his calloused thumb across my bottom lip. “Right there.”

My mouth fell open involuntarily at the intimate gesture. At first, I thought he’d made the whole thing up—possibly trying to charm me once again—but then I remembered touching my fingers to my lips at the gravesite. I glanced at my hands, which were still dirty from pulling weeds and picking flowers.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a tissue and dabbed at my lips. “Um, thank you.”

He dropped his arm and straightened his posture, suddenly looking very official. “We still need to go over what happened last night so I can add it to the report.”

Guess he was trying to charm me, after all. I glanced at the thin gold watch on my left wrist. “I can’t right now. I’m going to be late for work.” I slid into the driver’s seat of my car and closed the door, looking back at him through the open window.

“It’s only going to take a few minutes.”

“Sorry,” I said, starting my car. “The director is only covering for me until noon, and I still have to go home and change.” The denim overalls I wore were comfortable, but way too casual to be deemed professional work attire.

He huffed out an irritated breath. “That fire happened only minutes after you put something in the dumpster. I have questions that need answers.”

“No, what you’re really saying is you think I started the fire last night.”

Cowboy’s jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“But I am your number one suspect, correct?”

His eyes burrowed into me and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “Look, this isn’t some sort of witch hunt. I’m just doing my damn job.”

“Fine. I’ll get in touch with you…after I’ve spoken to a lawyer. In the meantime, I’m going to work so that I can do my job. Good day, Captain.”

As I pulled away, he cursed under his breath, but I sighed with relief. At least he hadn’t called me Sparky again. How did he even know about that terrible nickname, anyway?



After driving home to change and grab a quick sandwich, I made it to the library right on time. The director had a meeting at City Hall she needed to attend, so the moment I arrived, she made a beeline for the door.

Only ten minutes passed before Cowboy stormed into the library, hands fisted at his sides and a sour expression on his face. “Would you quit running away from me while I’m trying to talk to you?”

“As far as I was concerned, we were done talking. I told you I had to change and get to work.”

His hard gaze immediately lowered, taking in the sight of my calf-length yellow sundress and white canvas tennis shoes, before darting back up to my face. “Do you always dress like this?” The way his eyes widened told me he hadn’t meant to verbalize his thoughts and he was just as surprised by the unintentional insult as I was. “I mean…er, sorry.”

So what if my work clothes looked like something out of Sandra Dee’s closet? It wasn’t like I dressed to please him. Actually, it was just the opposite. I dressed this way to keep men like him away from me. It was an added bonus that it was for his own safety…even if I kept that information to myself.

I shook my head passively, then started past him, insulted by his comment. “It’s fine,” I said drily.

He reached out and gently touched my arm to stop my movement. “Anna, I didn’t mean that the way it came out. I just meant you have a good figure. I can see it, despite your clothes.”

Silently, I glared at him.

“Uh, I mean…I can see through your clothes.” Then he cringed and breathed out a few expletives.

“Good to know,” I told him, my tone suddenly drought-worthy. I snatched up the book on the counter that he’d given me to hold the night before and shoved it into his chest. “Here’s your book, superhero. Now maybe you can use your telepathic abilities to read my mind.” I walked away from him and kept going until I’d crossed the room and put some distance between us.

From there, I studied him inconspicuously as I pretended to straighten the books on the shelf before me. I rolled my eyes. Good with the ladies, my ass!

Cowboy rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head as he carried the book to the nearest table and sat down. He opened it to where he must’ve left off the night before. Once he looked determined to focus on the task at hand, I reluctantly circled back and returned to the circulation desk…and to my own work. The stack of romance novels I’d devoured over the past week and brought back to the library were piled high on the desk, waiting to be checked back in.