“I’ve had a sensational teacher. I might give him dessert after all.”
Chuckling, he gave her a squeeze. “Besides what you just gave me, what’s for dessert?”
Charley giggled and rolled out of bed. She stepped into her panties and pulled her sweater over her head. “Come on,” she said and grabbed his hand. “It’s being served in the living room.”
Sully rolled out of bed and tugged on his undershirt and boxers. He followed her and headed into the living room as she went into the kitchen. He added logs to the fire and stirred them to life. She returned to him with two plates, each holding a brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They sipped more of their wine as they ate, and then Sully’s cell phone rang.
“Hey, Dad. What’s up?” he asked and listened. “The shell casing recovered by the cops at the Fleming crime scene is a .38? Damn. I wish we could run a ballistics test on Vaughn’s gun to see if it’s a match.” Sully paused, nodded, and then said, “Yeah, I realize there’s no legal reason to seize his gun. Too bad we didn’t buy it when given the chance.” Again, he listened and then said, “Thanks for keeping me updated.” They spoke for another minute before Sully hung up. He looked at Charley as if deciding whether or not to share the conversation.
“What is it, Sully?”
“Maybe nothing.” Sully paused, and when she tilted her head, he said, “Vaughn’s caliber of bullet from the gun he’s been waving around is the same caliber used to kill your mother.”
He paced the floor.Where was she? No doubt with that rancher in the big truck. He had decided the other guy he’d run into in her shop was of little to no consequence. It was the one named Sully ruining everything. This morning he’d stopped by her shop. Still no sign of her. He had walked up the hill to her apartment. Not there. Gnawing on his thumbnail, the voices said that Charley had to come home sometime. Maybe not. Maybe the cowboy planned on keeping her all to himself. He shrieked at that thought. What were they up to? Had she had sex with the guy? Picturing that, he screamed again. He had to get Charley’s attention.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Do you think Rod wanted rid of his gun because he killed my mom with it?” Charley asked.
“He’d be an idiot to try to unload it at my shop,” Sully replied. “But he might be that stupid. Or maybe he was there hoping to confront me and find out if what I told him about the malfunctioning was accurate.” Sitting on the sofa beside him, Charley hugged herself as he said, “Or maybe he wanted to gauge if I suspected something about him.”
“I don’t know what to think,” Charley said. “But I do know one thing, Rod was really angry when I refused to—to?—”
“To what?” Sully asked when she looked away from him.
“Flirtwith him.” With a sigh, she asked, “When will I ever be able to go home?”
“I don’t know.” Sully pulled the beautiful, vulnerable woman into his arms. “But you have options. You have this cabin, and you can stay with me at my house.”
“But my flower shop is in Old Colorado City,” she said, her pretty brow furrowing. “My duplex is there. My livelihood is on Colorado Avenue.”
“Livelihood in the midst of death.”
“In the midst of death,” she echoed softly. “How sad.”
“Business has dropped off there anyway. Let’s take things one day at a time.”
“You’re right.” Charley eased her way out of his embrace and sat up straighter on the sofa. “I don’t mean to sound sorry for myself.”
“You don’t, and I understand.” He swept a long lock of hair away from her face to her back. “If I thought I was unsafe in my own home and business, I’d feel as discouraged and unsure of what to do next as you do.”
Charley nodded. “I have you and the Coopers. Barely more than a month ago I was all alone.”
“Come with me to work tomorrow,” Sully suggested. “Randy and I have a group of three coming in who want to ride and do some skeet shooting. I checked on Rain, and you can ride her tomorrow. It will be a gentle exercise for her. You’ll be doing us a favor.”
Charley stared at him. The fire in the hearth crackled and glistened in her royal-blue eyes. The softest of smiles touched her full lips, and her head tilted. She was so beautiful, and she had such a spectacular body. He was honored to have been her first. He smiled and then inwardly balked at the probability of not being her only or her last. Hell. As gracious as she was funny and as compassionate as she was brave, a realization crossed Sully’s mind.
He was falling in love with Charley Cooper.
Sully reared back a little at that jarring thought. Where did the idea of love come from? He’d never been in love. Never thought he would be. Never thought he needed to be. He watched a single tear roll down her soft, ivory cheek and gently thumbed it away.
“I’ll be forever grateful to you for how you stepped in from the day I met you and took charge. You’re handsome, smart, and generous. You could be anywhere with anyone you chose,”Charley whispered. “But you’re here with me tonight.” She twined her arms around his neck and holding him to her heart, she said with conviction, “You’re my hero, Sullivan Custis.”
Yeah, he loved her. Not just tonight. Forever.
“All right, city slicker,”Sully began outside the stables the next day after handing the reins to the mare to her and placing her hand on the pommel of the saddle. “Slide your left foot into the stirrup like you did when you rode behind me on Storm. Give a little hop on your right foot and swing yourself onto Rain.”
“I will.” Charley didn’t miss the stirrup on her first try this time, but her tennis shoe slid all the way through the stirrup. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned red. “Or not.”
