Runaway Bride

The welts had subsided after two long days without much company, and her car was fixed, so why was Savannah still dragging her heels the next morning. Couldn't be that the handsome Sheriff had actually gotten to her, could it? No, she chastised herself. He'd practically ignored her since he kissed her so thoroughly that night in the kitchen.

  She'd relived that kiss several times. At first scolding herself for responding, then admitting that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. But it had to be pure insanity.

  The fact that she hadn't seen him since, should tell her something, shouldn't it? He was no more interested in a relationship than she. Right? Right! He wasn't the marrying kind, and he had been a gentleman to let her go. She should be thanking her lucky stars. But she missed him.

  The Sheriff was merely being nice and she shouldn't make anything of it, she told herself. But oh those soft lips lingered in her memory a little longer than the law allowed. The way he had kissed her....

  It had been a mistake! Thank God they had stopped. Just in time! For had he pursued it, she would have been willing. This knowledge scared her witless. She'd never let any man have his way with her. She'd always been completely in control. So had Chad. Chad never had stirred such feelings. What did it mean? She had loved Chad, hadn't she?

  Or was that the ugly truth? She hadn't been in love with Chad. She'd simply convinced herself she was in love. In reality, she knew very little about real love.

  That one kiss had her re-evaluating her entire life.

  Dragging her camera and suitcase back to the car, she stowed it in the backseat and turned to find the Sheriff standing just in front of her. Everything inside her went to jelly. Oh, she was so attracted to him, she couldn't stand it, just looking at him made her want him. That wasn't love either…that was lust.

  "Leaving so soon?"

  "I've imposed long enough."

  "No imposition, really. Guess you're headed for that dude ranch now?"

  "Guess so, if you're not charging me with theft, that is?"

  He smiled, "I checked your story."

  Her shoulders slumped.

  "It's my job, Savannah. Your id matches, of course. But I had to be sure. It's my responsibility, you understand. You will have to rent a car though. They want theirs back it seems. They wanted to come out and pick you up, but I advised them it might be best to give you a little time. I told them about you staying with your Aunt, so they wouldn't worry about you. And you need to get your license taken care of as soon as possible. I've procured a temporary one from the judge here in town. He, like me thought it best, under the circumstances."

  She rolled her eyes, firmed her lips and looked at him. "I guess I should thank you. I wouldn't want to break any laws, Sheriff." She said reaching for the paper in his hands. Her fingers grazed his and she nearly jerked the paper from him. "But I might have known, my parents would be livid. I'll take care of it today, if there's a rental in town."

  "Sure, just head south on the highway, you'll see it, on the right. Leave this car there, I'll pick it up this evening, bring it out here, so no one will tamper with it. A car like that, draws interest in these parts."

  "Thanks. I thought I'd kill a little time in town, shopping for some clothes."

  "You're welcome to stay ..."

  "No thanks Sheriff, you've been very accommodating, and I'd like to thank you for everything. I'll leave your sister's clothes at the store, if that's okay?"

  He nodded.

  She couldn't see his eyes for the sunglasses, and she so wanted to see them. She wanted to know he wasn't mocking her. Now she'd never know exactly what he thought of her.

  She extended her hand, and he took it. They shook and she got in the car and drove away from the one man that made her toes curl, her blood zing, and her mind a total blank. It was romantic lust, that's all it was…

  Flipping on the radio, she listened to a country and western station, imitating their twang. She rolled down the window and let her hair fly. She did everything to distract herself from the image in her rear-view mirror. He was still staring after her.

  As she ran her hands over the jeans in the small clothing store in town, she told herself that it was all for the best. She didn't need the Sheriff. He didn't want a woman and he made that clear. Still that kiss lingered in her mind. It wasn't just a kiss, she told herself. He was making love with his lips. Would there ever be a man that kissed her like that again, that wasn't marriage shy? She doubted it. Besides, it was only a kiss. You couldn't plan a life on a kiss.

  Had she blown it up, bigger than it was? Was it her imagination that his kiss was a little more than interested? Surely she had. It seemed all her emotions had been going wild lately. Perhaps being dumped by another man did hurt her ego?

  She paid for a stack of clothes, changed into a pair of tight fitting jeans and western shirt. She grimaced at the image in the mirror. She filled out her jeans well enough, but without make-up she looked ever so plain, and just a little younger.

  Then she asked the sales lady if there was a place to get a soft drink.

  "Sure, the "Done That" saloon is just two doors down."

  "Saloon?" She questioned. "Oh, I meant a café or something."

  "Well, it's a bar, honey, but the cafe doesn't open till five." The saleslady smiled at her.

  "I see, well, would you see that the Sheriff gets these clothes back. They belong to his sister and he was kind enough to let me borrow them."

  "Of course, just leave them in the dressing room."

  "Thanks." Savannah shrugged. The bar sounded interesting enough to try. She paid for her things and headed down the boardwalk for the saloon.

  The door swung just like an old time movie saloon, and she almost giggled. The bar was long and solid oak, a beautiful work of art, Savannah sighed as her fingers ran over the edge. There were benches lined up and a few cowboys scattered in a couple of booths. Two men were shooting pool, and glanced up as she came in.

  One winked.

  Harmless, she thought.

  She headed for the bar and tried to ignore them. But something had her looking again. There went those crazy emotions again. What had happened last night in the dark, scared her, and thrilled her all at once. She shouldn't be so attracted to a man she barely knew. But it didn't mean a thing. And even the handsome Sheriff had called her "sweet". That should have been enough right there to break any spell he might weave. Maybe the Sheriff thought she kissed men all the time. Maybe she thought her fickle, reckless, and maybe even loose. He had to know that sex wasn't part of her life…yet.

  If only he knew. He'd have a good laugh. But she had to forget that kiss, and the man behind it. The Sheriff wasn't looking for a lady. And the kiss was meaningless to him. Maybe he kissed lots of women like that. He'd never know that it was a once in a lifetime for her.

  Thinking about the kiss, and about the almost marriage to Chad, she felt something inside her rebel. She wasn't good enough, or woman enough for Chad, or perhaps she might have kept him on the straight and narrow, and she wasn't enough to change the Sheriff's mind either. So just where did she stand as a woman?

  Wanting to put Ben out of her head, she decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. This was a perfect opportunity to prove something to her bruised ego. A little flirting could go a long way for a girl. It was all in fun, she told herself. In fact, it was exciting. She needed to feel something other than this constant buzz around the Sheriff. He made himself clear more than once and he'd been up front about it. She shouldn't be the least interested in him, either. After all, he'd cuffed her, hadn't he? Had she forgotten that? Obviously she had. Well, even Chad had confused her. To the point of thinking she knew absolutely nothing about men! Maybe she didn't. And maybe, just maybe it was time to find out!

  What would it hurt? Innocent flirting, after all, she was long overdue for an adventure. Not attracted to either man, she knew this would be an innocent adventure in womanhood.

  Sauntering with her soft drink i
n one hand and her other hand on her hip, she batted her eyes playfully at the youngest of the two. Maybe she was pouring it on too thick. How did one gauge that.

  "Can I play too?" Her voice was deliberately husky.

  "Why shore honey. Can you shoot?"

  "A little," she teased with a smile, glancing at the youngest man with exaggerated interest.

  "Well hell fire honey, let's see what you can do." The other one said looking at her from head to toe.

  Savannah edged closer to the younger one, thinking he might be a safer bet than this oversized stud.

  "You wanna lag?" The youngest chimed in, moving closer.

  She smiled, took a big deep breath, causing her chest to expand and the cowboy's eyes dropped to the first button of her shirt.

  "Ladies first," said the older cowboy with a grin, and a quick lick of his lips.

  Savannah summoned all her courage and brazenly strutted to the table, she took the younger cowboy's hat and put it on her head, then she took the cue and chalked it good, as her brother taught her. She wasn't doing anything she hadn't seen her friends do, but somehow, she seemed to come off different.

  She was about to rack the balls when the bigger cowboy obliged and the younger man took both her hands in his and caressed each finger with added chalk.

  "Suppose we make this interesting," she cleared her throat and stared into the young cowboy's eyes. He was handsome, but he didn't hold a candle to the Sheriff. She had to quit thinking about the Sheriff, he wasn't interested in playing games nor getting married. And she was. Marriage was utopia. Stamping out the Sheriff's image, she smiled and nodded.

  "Sure, I win, you buy dinner, how's that?" She crooned playfully.

  "Ah now honey, we can do better than dinner, can't we?"

  "It's a date," she agreed, Just because she'd never played this game of cat and mouse, didn't mean she couldn't act.

  "Rack 'em, Leroy," The youngest cowboy said staring straight into her smiling and unsuspecting face.

  "The lady breaks 'em." Leroy nodded.

  Savannah moved herself closer to the young cowboy, and extended her body over the table. Even though her daring display had caught the eye of everyone in the saloon, she wasn't paying attention. She hadn't realized that flirting took so much effort.

  She took the cue stick and leaned into the table, stretching herself in an exotic pose. Then she heard the break of the balls and heard one drop into its pocket. Leroy whistled.

  She glanced up at him and smiled, the younger cowboy pulled her up against him. She smelled the beer on his breath, saw the desire in his eyes and knew she was in the biggest trouble she had ever been in. Oh dear God, she'd gone too far.

  Why oh why was she playing with such fire? Just because the only man she had ever almost married preferred male company to hers, didn't mean she had to prove to the world she was a woman. Did it? Well, maybe it did. Maybe her ego had been hurt more than she thought. Maybe she wasn't sure how to handle Chad's problem or her own. Chad was gay, but she was just alone, sad, and lost from the world she wanted to build.

  Even though her brother Jarod had taught her to play pool and play well, these cowboys wanted much more than a game and she was flirting with sure disaster. A bet was one thing, what these fellas wanted was not flirting. And she suddenly knew it. She swallowed hard. She'd been the one to start this, somehow she had to get herself out of it. But how? She'd never dealt with a half drunk cowboy before.

  There was no manual for getting out of something like this. How did her friends handle it? She couldn't remember.

  A prayer went up, but she remained confident as the second ball found a pocket. The young cowboy pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. He was more immature at kissing than talking and she bit back a retort when he tried to nuzzle her neck. Sweat peppered her upper lip. Her hands trembled, but she ignored the silent threat that lay between her and these men. Somehow she had to use her head and get out of this. But how?

  This was simply flirting, and she could handle a couple of red-neck cowboys, couldn't she?

  She poised herself for another shot, bent to take aim, and heard Leroy let loose with a big boast.

  "This hot little mama is playing for keeps. Now honey, don't scratch. We might have to take you up on your generous offer. 'Course I wouldn't mind takin' you on, anytime." Leroy's hot breath filled the air around the room.

  Smoke and beer seemed to reek. Savannah felt her knees quiver. She was in much too deep and how to get out wasn't spelled out on the wall. Innocent flirting, wasn't that what she was doing? But it had been her only intention. She'd seen her friends do it a million times. So why was she in so deep? What had she done wrong?

  She could tell instantly from the looks of the other women in the bar, she was doing this all wrong. So how did she correct it?

  But if she thought this was trouble, she had no idea.

  Leroy had just put his hand on her tight clad jeans when he was suddenly shoved away and again, she felt the shaft of cold hard handcuffs going around her wrist.

  "Aw now Sheriff, ain't no reason for that. The little lady was just playin' us a game of eight ball."

  "Game's over," came the steel edge of Ben's voice.

  Leroy's hands fisted and he bit his lip to keep from objecting to the action. Savannah almost wished he would make the Sheriff back off. Almost. Trouble was, she was downright relieved that he butted into the game. She'd gone to far and the Sheriff obviously knew it.

  The Sheriff pulled her around so that she was staring into the hottest, maddest, brown eyes she'd ever seen.

  "I think you'll have to pass on that offer, Leroy."

  "What are you doing?" She finally found her voice. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried. Actually she was both!

  There was no time to decide on a defense, for he was pulling her out of the saloon, and into the bright sunshine.

  "Will you take these off me now, Sheriff?" She insisted indignantly.

  "No ma'am." He responded and kept pulling her through the street toward his office.

  She was embarrassed and angry. He was as much a bully as Leroy.

  Twice he had put those cold steel cuffs on her and she was beginning to tire of his he-man tactics.

  "Am I under arrest?" she tried to stop him in the middle of the street?

  "I'm not sure yet," he muttered, and pulled her to the curb. Then thrust open the door to his office and pushed her inside none too gently.

  Without another word, he opened a cell and thrust her into it. Then he went to his desk, sat down, took his hat off and acted as though he was suddenly absorbed in the papers on his desk.

  "I demand to speak to my lawyer," she yelled.

  He didn't respond.

  "I demand to know what I'm being held for," she continued.

  Nothing.

  "I didn't do anything," she wailed, helplessly.

  Still he didn't act as though he even heard.

  She slumped down on the small bunk bed and cried. He didn't so much as look at her. And a few minutes later, when a young man came through the door in a rush, he glanced at her in the cell and then at the Sheriff.

  "Leroy just decked Many."

  "Damn fool," the Sheriff muttered, grabbing his hat and shoving it on his head.

  Savannah grabbed the bars and demanded to be set free, but there was no one to listen. And the room became ultra-quiet.

  She sat there for the better part of the afternoon, alone, frightened and wondering what would happen to her next. She pictured herself in prison, for a crime she never committed, and trying to explain to a judge it was all over a stupid game of pool. Innocent flirting.

  The Sheriff returned late that day, the sun was setting low, and only shadows kept her company.

  Being in jail was a new experience, one she already knew she didn't want to repeat.

  "Sheriff, could I use the restroom?"

  No answer, only large tensed shoulders that refused to give her attentio
n.

  "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I wish I'd never come here. Never got off that damn bus."

  Now he turned to look at her.

  "That makes two of us," he said. He came closer, unlocked the door, and pointed to the restroom at the back.

  She scuttled into it, closing out the rest of the world. Glancing in the mirror she saw the disheveled young woman that she'd become. Her make-up was smeared, her face was a mess from crying, and her hair was nothing but straggles.

  She stuck her tongue out at herself. "I'll bet I'm the only woman ever arrested for flirting."

  After washing her face and hands, and using the restroom, she opened the door.

  When she came out, she barely lifted her feet. She didn't lift her head.

  He held the cell door open for her.

  She walked inside slowly, turning about to say something until she saw his face, a mask of anger.

  He closed it behind her.

  She bit her lip and flopped down on the cot, just as a young girl came flying into the office.

  "Ben, oh Ben, you're home. Oh...I've missed you. So has Mama. Are you coming over tonight?"

  Ben smiled and pulled the arms from around his neck. "I'm not sure Jessica. I've got a prisoner and I'm busy. And I'll bet you have school work to attend to."

  "But, you haven't been over since you came home. Why not?"

  "Honey, I told you, I'm really busy right now." Ben's voice was patient, but firm.

  Jessica spotted Savannah, and twisted to look at her. "With her?"

  "Yes with her! Now run along home and do your homework. I'll visit when I can."

  The girl eyed Savannah again, then slowly backed to the door. She left without another word.

  "Well, well," Savannah said sarcastically. "Looks like the big Sheriff does have a lady."

  "She's not my lady," he corrected without looking at her.

  "Sounded like it." Savannah smirked. Inside she was in turmoil. The fact that some woman did have the Sheriff wrapped around her finger, made Savannah feel funny. Why should she care?

  Someone else came in, "I can't believe it," Mrs. Johnson was saying.

  Good Lord, the whole town must know, Savannah thought to herself, unable to meet the woman's glance.

  "Well believe it," the Sheriff said quietly, not looking up from his task.

  "But, what did she do?"

  "Let's just say she caused a disturbance, and let it go at that," he answered.

  "The poor dear. I brought her some leftover chicken."

  "Take it to her," he directed.

  Mrs. Johnson came up to the cell door. "I'm so sorry dear. I'll bet you are starved. I've brought you some chicken, hon. And if you need anything else, you just let me know."

  Savannah finally looked at the woman, seeing no censure in her eyes. She tried to smile, "Thank you, Mrs. Johnson."

  "I'll see you get some clean sheets, too dear." And with that she shook her head.

  She spoke softly to the Sheriff and then with a smile and a wink, she left, leaving Savannah feeling lower than a skunk. She felt ashamed and didn't even know why. She wanted to crawl under some rock and disappear. But what had she done? What was her crime? Disturbance?

  How had she gotten herself into such a mess, all because she ran from a wedding!

  She spent another hour berating herself for pulling such a stunt and then wondering to what extent it had become such an unlawful thing to flirt with a man.

  When he was about to lock up and leave for the day, she had to ask him.

  "Why am I being held?" she asked in a small voice.

  He came to stand in front of her, looking directly at her, into her eyes, into her soul.

  "Junction was a real nice little town until you came here. I haven't used handcuffs in over a year. But you come to town and all hell breaks loose. Leroy nearly broke the bartender’s jaw. Want to know why?"

  "Yes." Savannah's mouth popped open.

  "Because Many said it wasn't your fault. Said I should have arrested Leroy instead."

  "And you blame me for that?"

  "Among other things, yes. I have put you into protective custody for now. I don't get you. I probably never will. I kissed you and you backed off like a snake had bitten you. They put their hands on you, made bets with you and you flirt like some little hussy. Are you really that shallow and two-faced?"

  She opened her mouth to protest and he pointed his finger at her, “Don’t press it Savannah, You are still in possession of your parents car, and they weren’t sure if they wanted to press charges or not, so don’t tempt me. You came to town with no id, and dressed well…dressed in that get up. I could throw the book at you if I wanted to. Now, your bail is $150, or a night in jail, take your pick.”

  "You’d do this just because I flirted with a couple of…"

  "Not for flirting, no. Those men were not playing for money, would you rather I put down a different charge?"

  "You mean they thought I would really go through with it? But I didn’t intend…."

  "Maybe you didn’t, but they did. Now which is it going to be, a night in jail or $150?"

  "But why are you taking it all out on me?"

  "Because you started it." He stared at her with such a frown.

  Where could she go, he certainly hadn’t offered her a room in his home again? She only had a little over two hundred dollars altogether. She had no choice. He intended to keep her in jail overnight.

  "I guess I’ll stay then…"

  "It's not like you can't afford it. I find it strange that you have money, but no id."

  As though he were trying to reason it all out in his own head, he shook his head and glanced at her again, "You are a walking piece of trouble. How I could ever thought you so sweet, is beyond me."

  Tears streamed down her face, yet his words gave her a ray of hope. She had finally gotten rid of her "sweet image". One accomplishment, only what had it cost her? "I'm sorry. But I really didn't do anything wrong."

  "You obviously don't have to," his eyes narrowed on her. "Sleep on it. I'll see you in the morning."