tried to get her nerves under control.
Tuck had outfitted his personal truck with lights and a siren for when he was called out unexpectedly. He motioned for Bay to climb in while he opened the passenger door. Giving herself a stern lecture, she walked around the pick-up and slid inside.
It only took about ten minutes to get to Possum Crossing, but it took another ten to get to Flossie’s house. The ride was long and tense with neither of them saying a word. Flossie lived well off the beaten path, down a long dirt road that was badly in need of repairs. The ride was long, slow and bouncy, making Bay aware of every move Tuck’s body made.
Tuck pulled up in front of a picturesque, old, white farmhouse. Flossie stepped out on to the porch and jerked her thumb in the direction of a detached garage. While Bay looked around in awe at the abundant lush flowers and fruit trees arranged around the place, Tuck easily turned the truck around and backed it up to the garage.
“Don’t you steal any of my tools in there, Tucker Adams. I know where you live and I will take them back outta your hide.” Flossie stood on the porch, a large orange and white cat twining around her legs.
Bay sent a startled glance at Tuck who only smiled and exited the vehicle. “Flossie, go back inside and bake me a pie like a good little woman should.”
Bay knew her mouth dropped open. She climbed slowly from the truck, cautiously keeping to the other side of the vehicle away from Flossie. The woman really did scare her and for someone to speak to her like that, she was waiting to see if Flossie brought out a gun.
Instead, Flossie roared with laughter. She looked to Bay and noticed the stains on her shirt. “Girl, who you been rollin’ the mud with?”
“Scotty Brooks.”
Flossie’s laugh was gone and her face took on a fierce scowl. “You arrest that piece of trash?”
“Yes ‘mam.”
“Good. Then maybe you’ll get a pie and not that weasel, Tucker Adams.” She stomped back in the house.
Bay looked to Tuck, stunned and speechless. “Looks like you made a friend.” Turning, he slid open the garage door and walked over to a plastic-draped couch. Looking back he asked, “You gonna’ help with this thing?”
Dazed, Bay hurriedly moved to help. Together they easily lifted the couch and set it in the back of Tuck’s truck. He slammed the tailgate closed and then closed the garage door. “Let’s go.” He climbed once more into the driver’s side of the truck.
Bay got in the passenger side, completely confused. “Um, we’re just leaving? I didn’t thank her for the couch.”
Tuck shot a glance at her dirty clothing, “Would you like to go inside and thank her?” She could see the smirk lurking just behind his solemn face.
“Uh. No. I can thank her at work. Later.” Bay shifted uncomfortably.
A low chuckle rumbled from deep inside Tuck’s chest. “Bring her a pack of flower seeds.”
Confused, Bay frowned. “Flower seeds?”
Tuck only nodded and motioned to the surrounding landscaping before starting down the long winding driveway. The drive back was as silent as the one there had been. It left Bay to ponder the strangeness of the woman’s house they had just been to. She had expected a different way of living in this rural area, but Flossie was more confusing than she had originally thought.
When they reached Miller Springs, Tuck pulled around to the alley and the entrance to her apartment. Together they wrestled the couch out of the truck and started trying to work it up the narrow stairway. The next few minutes were a comedy of errors that if anyone had been watching, they would have most likely laughed themselves silly.
The couch wasn’t that heavy, but it was large and awkward and the stairway was rather narrow. Since a bed was all Bay had moved in so far, the narrowness hadn’t been a problem. It was now. After many grunts and curses, with Tuck trying to lift his end backwards up the stairs and Bay pushing from the bottom, Tuck’s hands slipped and he dropped his end, causing it to nearly bowl Bay over and down the few steps they had managed so far.
“Okay. Switch places. You up here since you’re shorter and I’ll shove from that end.”
Bay glared daggers at the man. She eyed the tiny space between the couch and the wall. “And how do you propose we switch places?”
Tuck simply stepped onto the plastic still covering the couch and walked down the seat cushions. Bracing his hands against the wall, he stepped down off the couch beside her. “Like that.”
They were now standing facing each other in the small space. Bay looked up, sudden nervousness flooding her system. The heat between them made her short of breath and she realized her knees had gone weak. She could smell him, all warm, male musk and knew that she was in seriously deep trouble.
Tuck cleared his throat. “Uh, you could climb back up the same way.”
Bay nodded and woodenly turned to climb the couch. She felt Tuck place a steadying hand on her back and the shock of his touch made her stumble. He grabbed her with both hands around her waist and she sucked in air, feeling like her entire body was catching on fire.
“Careful, there.” His voice was low and raspy, sending shivers through her.
Gritting her teeth and finding the determination to not completely embarrass herself, Bay slammed her hands against the walls and stomped her way over the couch. Stepping carefully onto the stairs above she leaned down and found a hold on the couch. The sooner this thing was moved, the sooner the man would be away from her.
It took several more minutes of struggling, but they managed to get the couch into Bay’s apartment. Giving it a final shove out of the way, Bay pulled the plastic off to find a rather attractive brown and blue striped couch. Wadding up the plastic, she tossed it beside the door to take to the dumpster later. Turning back to Tuck, she saw him quickly look away from where he’d been watching her.
Was he staring at my butt? She wondered with a frown. “Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.” She hoped that would nudge him out the door.
He nodded and walked over to the windows. “Nice view. You can see most of the town here.”
Shifting uncomfortably Bay agreed, “Yeah. Need curtains, though, to make sure I’m not giving free peepshows.” Biting her tongue sharply, Bay cursed her choice of words.
Tuck’s face reddened. Clearing his throat, he turned as if to leave. He paused in front of her, looking over her stained clothing. “You’re sure you’re okay? No injuries from dragging Scotty around?”
Bay raised her eyebrows in question, “I just helped you carry a couch up a set of stairs. A couch that nearly knocked me into the street. That hurt much worse than anything Scotty Brooks could do.”
“Yeah.” Tuck gave a small chuckle. Glancing at the otherwise empty room he continued, “If you ever need help with stuff, just ask. It’s no problem.”
He was standing entirely too close for her comfort, causing all kinds of tingles and feelings inside her. She only nodded and said, “Yeah, well, thanks again. It’s, uh, getting kinda’ late for me though, you know. Night shift and all… this is my sleeping time.”
Attempting to give him a smile, Bay looked up at Tuck. He was staring. Right at her mouth. She swallowed dryly. The heat between them intensified until she began to wonder if important things on her body were just going to start simply melting away.
Finally, he gave only a curt nod and left, shutting the door behind him. Bay let out a huge sigh of relief as instantly the tension fled. Giving the couch a light kick for all the trouble it had caused, she headed for the bathroom to shower off the fight with Scotty before going to bed.
- 3 -
Four months later.
Tuck braced his hands against the sides of the shower wall hoping the cooling spray would ease the fire in his gut. Cursing harshly, he noted that it didn’t seem to be working. His body wanted what it wanted even if his mind and heart disagreed.
With a vicious twist of the taps, he turned off the water and jerked the towel from the rod. Drying himself
off roughly, his mind went over the day’s schedule, refusing to acknowledge the sweaty dream he’d woken from that involved his own Deputy and the hard reaction it had brought. It wasn’t until he remembered that today was the final meeting with the preacher for the wedding in two weeks that Tuck gave in and let out a frustrated roar of cursing.
Jerking on his clothes, he stomped to the kitchen for coffee. While he waited on the coffee to brew, Tuck leaned against the counter and tried to think clearly. It wasn’t easy. His thoughts and feelings had been a jumbled mess ever since he hired that damn woman.
Taking a deep cleansing breath, he concentrated on Clarice. After a bit, the tension left his shoulders and the familiar warmth came back to him. He imagined her soft blond hair, those baby blue eyes that just made him melt and her tiny soft body that felt like coming home every time he sank into her. That was what he wanted.
Quiet, firm security and the amazing love of the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. That was his Clarice. He wasn’t stupid, he knew she’d pursued him until he broke, but turns out, that was okay with him. Thoughts of spending the rest of his life with her