Before I could shove him away, hands grabbed my arms and yanked me back.
Ian.
Stone stumbled a step, more surprised than anything, and Ian moved between us, his body rigid, jaw tight.
“Keep your hands and lips off my girlfriend,” Ian said, his voice low and unmistakably dangerous.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Stone replied evenly. “She was about to blow the tail.”
I barely heard them.
My attention snapped past them, down the street at the guy.
Our little commotion had caught his attention—spooked him—and he took off down a side street.
“Darn,” I muttered.
Stone pointed past me without looking away from Ian. “I needed to distracted her without alerting him. She was following a suspect connected to the bank robbery. We already had another agent tailing him. I wasn’t about to let the guy realize he was being watched.”
Ian didn’t back down. “You could’ve found another way.”
Stone’s mouth tightened. “I did.”
I finally rounded on him. “You don’t get to use me as part of your plan.”
“And you don’t get yourself noticed,” he shot back. “Which you were about to do.”
Before I could respond, a familiar voice cut in.
“What the hell is going on?”
Josh no doubt had made another round of Main Street, not to patrol but to see if I went to talk with Kate. He stopped short a few feet away, his gaze bouncing between Ian, Stone, and me.
Ian didn’t hesitate. “Stone kissed Pepper.”
Josh’s head snapped toward Stone. “You what?” He stepped toward Stone. “Explain why a federal agent has his hands on my sister?”
Stone opened his mouth?—
And a police siren wailed nearby.
Every head turned.
A patrol car rolled up, lights flashing just enough to draw attention from half the block.
A moment later, my dad stepped out.
He took one look at the cluster of people, the curious glances from passersby, and the unmistakable body language of a situation already out of control.
“All of you,” Sheriff Madison said sharply and pointed to a spot away from the middle of the sidewalk, “step over there. Now. You’re drawing a crowd.”
We all obeyed.
Once we were out of the main flow of foot traffic, he planted his hands on his hips and fixed us with a look that had silenced me since childhood.
“I’m driving to get myself coffee and a tasty pastry from Sadie’s place when I see you all blocking the sidewalk and arguing.” He shot Josh a glare. “Including a police officer who should know better.”
“Stone kissed her,” Josh said as if it explained it all.
