His hopes died when he pulled onto the shoulder and watched in his rain-spotted side mirror as a short, curvy deputy got out.
Tully wore her sheriff’s cowboy hat, but not a jacket. Rain immediately soaked her shirt and spotted her pants. He had the sudden urge to jump out of the truck and yell at her for not being appropriately dressed for the weather.
He had no right to care about her, but damned if he could help it.
It had only been a week since he’d seen her, yet as soon as she stepped up to his window, his heart kicked up and his lungs felt airless. Beneath the brim of her dripping hat, her brown eyes were soft and filled with something that made his chest feel like it was being squeezed in a vise. He knew if he didn’t get out of there fast, he’d embarrass himself badly.
He manually rolled down the window, ignoring the cold rain that came in. “You’re right. I was speeding. So give me a ticket and I’ll be on my way.”
But she made no move to write him a citation. She just stood there looking at him with those sad Bambi eyes that were slowly killing him.
“I’m sorry, Jaxon.”
He turned away from her and stared out the windshield. “And exactly what do you have to be sorry for, Officer Gentry?”
She swallowed audibly as if she had something lodged in her throat. He could relate. He felt like a softball was stuck in his. “For not sticking up for you with my daddy.”
“I could care less if you stick up for me with your daddy.” But he did care. He cared too much.
“Then why haven’t you texted me back?”
He shrugged and refused to look at her. “I’ve just been busy. You get along with Huck better anyway. We seem to rub each other the wrong way.”
He wanted the words back as soon as they left his mouth. Because there had been a moment on the porch when they hadn’t rubbed each other the wrong way. A moment when they’d rubbed each other exactly the right way. He couldn’t help thinking about how she’d looked when she’d been moaning out her orgasm.
But he didn’t want a woman who was ashamed of him.
“Look,” he snapped. “Just write me the damn ticket and get the hell out of the rain before you’re completely soaked through.”
“I’m not going to write you a ticket, Jaxon. I just want to explain. I didn’t stop by your house because I wanted to check and see if you were robbing the hardware store. I knew you weren’t responsible for the alarm going off. Just like I know you didn’t rob the gas station. I should have been brave enough to explain that to my daddy—brave enough to tell him that I loaned you money.” When he didn’t say anything, she swallowed again. “Anyway, I’m sorry. So sorry.”
She turned and walked away.
He sat there for only a moment before he threw open the door and jumped out. He caught up with her halfway to her SUV and spun her around.
“Well, I don’t need your apology, Tallulah Gentry! I especially don’t need your money. I’ll figure out a way to pay back every cent you’ve loaned me. Every damn cent! After that, I don’t want to see or talk to you again. Do you hear me?”
She slowly lifted her bent head and the sight of the tears racing down her cheeks as heavily as the rain broke him.
“Dammit!” He grabbed her by the arms and shook her until her cowboy hat fell off. “Don’t you dare cry. Do you hear me? Tears aren’t going to make me change my mind.” But as soon as the words were out, he had her in his arms tucked close to his chest and was kissing the soft curls that sprang up from the top of her head. “Don’t cry, Tully. Please don’t cry.”
She clung tightly as she sobbed. “I’m so sorry . . . Jax . . . please don’t be mad at me . . . I just feel so torn between loyalty to my daddy and my belief in you.”
Her words took all the steam right out of his anger.
He knew all about showing loyalty to your parents. He could have easily turned his mama in for child abuse. Instead, he’d kept his mouth shut and never once confronted her about her bad parenting. So how could he blame Tully for not wanting to confront her daddy about his simple mistake? It wasn’t like the sheriff didn’t have just cause to believe it had been Jaxon.
“Okay,” he said.
She drew back, rain and tears running down her face. “Okay?”
He released her and reached down to scoop up her hat, placing it carefully back on her head. “I accept your apology.”
She hesitated for only a second before she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He figured it was just going to be a quick kiss of thanks. But as soon as her lips touched his, it turned into something else entirely. He didn’t care that it was raining cats and dogs. He didn’t care that they were standing on the side of the highway where anyone could drive by and see them. He didn’t care that this woman was going to hurt him. And she was going to hurt him. Bad. All he cared about was keeping her right where she was.
In his arms.
She seemed to feel the same way.
