Claimed by the Lawman (Lawmen of Wyoming Book 4) Read online

  “I most certainly will keep that in mind.” Kace tipped the brim of his hat and bid the man farewell, quickly making his way toward his truck. If he didn’t need a stress reliever before seeing the Mayor, he certainly did now.

  As he climbed into his truck and pulled out onto the street, he worked his jaw, hoping to relieve some of the tension. He pasted a smile on his face as he drove past Wilkes who was watching from the sidewalk.

  As far as jobs were concerned, Kace couldn’t complain. Most of the time he had the flexibility to investigate and do his own thing, but on occasion, the Mayor wanted to toss his authority around. But why on this case? No doubt Mansfield was the one who had informed Wilkes. The two were hunting buddies, but the truth was, whether Kace investigated the Posey case or not, it was no sweat off the Mayor’s brow. Unless he was worried that somehow this would ruin his chances for being re-elected.

  Pushing those thoughts into the back of his mind, Kace steered the truck toward Sadie Mae’s. A few minutes later when he stood in front of her door and it came open, her frown and tilted hip told him she wasn’t happy. What was new as of lately?

  “You’re late,” she mumbled.

  “I didn’t know I had a set time.” He blinked.

  “When you call and say you’re on your way, that means you’re on your way.” She looked at him through her mascaraed eyelashes.

  He understood she was still fuming over the other day. He swiped off his hat and held it against his chest. “Come on. You can’t be mad forever.”

  The corner of her lips played with a smile. “Well, I guess I can forgive you…that is if you work a little harder.” She pushed the door open wide and stepped back.

  Once inside, he wasted no time. He pulled the luscious blonde into his arms and kissed her.

  Chapter 7

  TYLER UNLOCKED THE front door, dropped her purse on the table and made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. Her mind was exhausted after running numbers on what it’d take to purchase the theater and make the necessary renovations. Would the bank even give her a loan?

  With her thoughts heavy, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head, dropping it onto the floor. She was putting on another shirt when she stopped and sniffed the air, catching a scent that reminded her of burning wood. She made her rounds upstairs, searching each room, all the electrical outlets, her straightening iron, and the vents. And then she saw it through the bathroom window. A cloud of smoke extending up from…what?

  Hurrying to look out the window, her mouth fell open and her stomach twisted.

  The rundown shed in the backyard had smoke barreling out of the broken window.

  After the initial shock of seeing the flames, she kicked into action and raced downstairs, picked up her purse dumping out most of the contents in a hurry to grab her phone. Breathless, she dialed 9-1-1 and frantically told the dispatcher that her shed was on fire.

  “Calm down, ma’am,” the dispatcher said. “Did you say your shed is on fire?”

  “Yes. My shed. Please hurry.”

  Clicking off, she dropped her phone and ran out to stand on the back porch staring in disbelief as the roof caved in. Loud pops and crackles sounded as the flames licked away at the dilapidated building. Grey smoke poured out as the blaze now curled through the cracks of the walls. A brisk wind blew up and she choked on the smoke.

  “Oh my God!” she rasped, staring numbly at the scene before her. What if the fire spread before the fire department arrived? Would she lose everything?

  She couldn’t just sit back and watch.

  On autopilot, she hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink and raced back outside. It was probably too late to save the shed, but she wouldn’t wait and watch it go down without a fight. The fire heated her skin as she approached. Turning on the extinguisher, she aimed the nozzle into the flames that had grown higher and the stream was no fight against the beast of flames that had now engulfed the entire shed. With a loud crack one wall came crashing down. Tyler jumped and turned to run, but her feet slipped on the damp grass and she fell to her knees, hitting her face hard against the dirt. She instantly tasted blood and felt a pain in her shoulder. Still fearing the fire, she hurried to her feet, racing for the safety of the porch where she examined the scene before her. The wood creaked in resistance, but the force was too strong for the rotten wood and another wall fell, then another until all four piled into one burning heap. Several neighbors had gathered to watch from a safe distance.

  Tears rushed up and her throat burned. She coughed against the scorching scent that hurt her nose and filled her lungs.

  By the time the fire department arrived, the shed and part of the wooden fence surrounding her property was in ashes. From a chair on the porch, she watched the men in fire gear put out the last of the embers that seemed too easy compared to the destruction.

  She swiped her hands down her hot cheeks. When she looked up she saw Deputy Payne standing beside her.

  “You okay?” he asked, kneeling down beside her chair.

  “I-I’m okay, but I can’t say the same for my shed.”

  Jake looked at her with genuine concern. He gave her a small smile of understanding. “Did you have anything of value in there?”

  She lifted a shoulder and let it drop sullenly. “I had stored a few pieces of furniture , but nothing of real value.”

  “That’s good. I need to ask, did you see anyone?”

  Narrowing her gaze, she looked at him curiously. “Did I see anyone? No, why would I? I had just gotten home, smelled the smoke, but was too late to put the fire out.”

  “Looks like you’re a little beat up. Your lip and your knees. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Nodding, she reached up and touched her swollen lip. “I’ll be fine. Why did you ask if I saw someone?”

  “There’s a red gas can laying on its side close to the fence. Is it yours?”

  “I-I don’t know. I mean, it’s not mine, but this house belongs to my father. I don’t think the can belongs to anyone…except…” Her chest tightened. “It belongs to the person who started the fire, doesn’t it?”

  “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. I called Sheriff Cade. He’ll be here soon.” Jake patted her shoulder.

  The tears that she’d been able to suppress up until this moment flooded the dam and slid from her eyes. Her throat ached, probably a mixture of nerves and the smoke. She tried to wrap her brain around what the deputy was telling her, but her brain could only work sporadically. Fire. Purpose. Someone came into her yard. But why?

  ~~**~~

  Kace propped his booted feet on the coffee table and leaned back into the fluffy pillow as the music started from somewhere in the back of Sadie Mae’s house. He wasn’t sure what she had planned for them, but he waited patiently, although he wanted to just ease the tension behind his zipper and be on his way. Each second that passed, there was the likelihood that things wouldn’t work out to his advantage today.

  Movement in the hallway brought his gaze that direction about the same time Sadie Mae sashayed her way through the door, swaying her flared hips to the beat of the upbeat song. She was dressed in nothing but cowgirl boots and a smile.

  Repressing a “Yee-haw”, he grinned and dropped his boots to the floor. Now we’re talking…

  Until an image of Tyler flooded his brain.

  He blinked and swiped a hand down his jaw, trying to force his head and his balls back into line. He was going to have sex with Sadie Mae and like it. No, he was going to love it. They were going to get back to the way things were before Tyler threw everything for a loop. Anyway, she was planning a date with Payne. Wasn’t that proof enough that she no longer cared or was interested in Kace?

  With a swirl of hips, Sadie Mae swiveled around, gyrating her firm, large bottom in his direction and he beamed, but he didn’t feel anything south of his belt buckle. Not one darn thing.

  What the hell was wrong with him?


  Was he broken?

  “Adults want to have sex.” Tyler’s words rang through his head.

  That’s right, adults did want to have sex and he wanted to have sex right now with the sexy and lush woman standing before him. So then, why was his body misbehaving? Why didn’t he want to jump Sadie Mae’s bones instead of yearning for Tyler, even if only to see her smile or hear her voice.

  Oh fuck! He was turning into freaking mush.

  Jumping up from the couch he rubbed his forehead and shifted from each boot. Sweat beaded on his temples and parts of him softened.

  Sadie Mae edged up close, rubbing her hip against the crotch of his jeans and then her eyes widened slightly. He gave a small shrug. She stomped across the room and into the hallway. A second later the music stopped. When she came back, her normally pretty face was scrunched and red.

  “Don’t tell me we’re back to this again,” she pushed through clenched teeth.

  Maybe it was time to face the facts. He was broken. Or rather under the spell of the woman who’d once owned his heart. Whatever hex she’d placed on him, Kace knew he needed to squelch it, and fast. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.”

  Her chest lifted and fell. “Are you shitting me? You’re walking out on me again?”

  He was already to the door wanting to get the hell out. “I know this isn’t what we planned—”

  “Not what we planned?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you walk out now, I promise the cookie store will be closed for good!” she threatened.

  With a tight jaw, he nodded. “Don’t worry. I won’t be back.”

  Chapter 8

  A FIRETRUCK WAS pulling away from Tyler’s when Kace pulled onto the street. His heart about beat out of his chest when he received the call from Deputy Payne about the fire.

  Rolling down his window, Kace stopped next to the fire chief who was climbing into the rescue truck. “What the hell happened here, Meyer?”

  Chief Trent Meyer was in his mid-fifties, probably no taller than five eight with a smooth baby-face, but Kace knew the man was tough and had been a hero in Bohannan. “Looks like we have a case of arson. Shed is nothing but ashes now. We found an empty gas can near the scene so it’s pretty obvious what the cause of the fire was. Your deputy is still inside the house with the owner.”

  “Was Ms. Posey home?” Kace had to push the words out.

  “Yeah. She called 9-1-1. She’s a little scuffed up, but she’ll be okay.”

  Scuffed up? How the hell did she get scuffed up?

  Racing from his truck, Kace made it to the door in a fast stride, his stomach burning. He should have been here. Instead, he was making a last-ditch effort to release his tension. Why was he kidding himself? It was time he was honest. His last-ditch effort was to prove to himself that if he could possibly have sex with Sadie Mae, then he didn’t still love Tyler. He guessed now he had his answer.

  ~~**~~

  Tyler had answered Jake’s questions, still in shock that someone had set the shed on fire. She looked up and he was looking at her with a sweet sincerity that made her relax some. Although she didn’t know him, he seemed nice and had kind eyes. And he seemed to care about doing his job. He closed his small notebook and slid it into his front pocket.

  “Your insurance will take care of all the damages, Tyler.””

  “Okay. I’ll have to call my father.” She choked back emotion that was quickly turning into anger. How could someone do this? And why?

  “You might want to take care of that as soon as possible,” he said. “I might even suggest calling a security company. It never hurts to install cameras. New locks. Alarm panel.”

  “Do things like this happen a lot in Bohannan? Mysterious fires? Vandalism? I don’t remember it being like this when I lived here before.”

  “On occasion we see some criminal activity.”

  “Who would do this, Jake? If only I had gotten my hands on them.” She clenched her hands into fists. “Sorry, just that…”

  “Hey, no apology needed. I know this was scary.”

  And the tears that she’d held back blurred her vision again. She wanted to be stronger than this. He must have sensed her weakness because before she knew what was happening, he wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Although he was a stranger, and his touch was a bit awkward, she did appreciate his kindness and consideration. He smelled good and he didn’t squeeze too tightly.

  With the intrusion of a clearing of a throat somewhere in the room, she and Jake parted and both looked to see Kace standing in the doorway. He filled the frame with his large body and his hard jaw couldn’t go unnoticed. Seconds felt like hours as each of them stared, no one saying anything, and Tyler’s emotions trickled like creek water over rocks. More tears streamed from her eyes and she cursed herself for allowing her emotions to show, especially in front of Kace. He seemed to trigger something in her that she couldn’t control.

  She realized things could have been worse. It could have been the house that caught on fire. The thought didn’t ease her tension, not when someone had set the fire on purpose.

  Kace took several steps into the room, his gaze narrowed and his eyes were meditative.

  He looked at Jake first, tipping his hat, but his jaw didn’t soften. “Can I talk to you a minute, Deputy?”

  Tyler watched the two men step to the side, but her eyes stayed steady on Kace who had his back to her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when they were finished, Jake gave her a quick nod. “I’m heading back to the office. I’ll see you soon, Tyler.”

  “Sure. Thank you, Jake,” she responded.

  When the younger man didn’t make a move, Kace cleared his throat. “That’ll be all, Deputy. I’ll see you back at the office.”

  Jake gave her one of his friendliest smiles and then took his leave.

  She swore she heard Kace’s neck crack, but he wore his emotions behind a mask now. “Tyler, what happened here?” He skimmed his pale gaze up and down her.

  “I came home, smelled smoke and looked outside to see the shed was on fire. I-I tried to put it out, but—”

  “You tried to put it out?” He gave her a long, agitated look.

  “I found the extinguisher in the cabinet.”

  He blinked. “An extinguisher on a burning building?” he growled the words. “You’re lucky you weren’t hurt beyond the busted lip.”

  “I had to do something,” she muttered. “I couldn’t just stand there and watch.”

  “Damn.” His rough, sandpapery voice caressed her senses. “You’re covered in soot, and what the hell happened to your knees? You’re bleeding.”

  Looking at her scuffed, raw looking knees, she sighed. “I fell.”

  His warm hand on her forearm brought her gaze back up. His jaw had softened some and it triggered something inside her, a feeling she didn’t want to feel, not when it wouldn’t be reciprocated. He’d made it clear over the last week that he wanted to keep things on a professional level.

  Tears bubbled up and having him so close made her weakness triple.

  How could he do this to her? Turn her on, only to deny her?

  Remembering how once upon a time she could fall into his arms as he comforted her. How she wanted to do such a thing now, just fall mindlessly. Forget everything except how he made her feel.

  He looked down at her, his callused fingers sending waves of heat into her bones. “It’s okay. You’re safe. That’s what matters.”

  She blinked. “I don’t know why I’m so upset.”

  “I do. Someone came onto your property and violated your safety. It’s normal to be hurt and upset. Deputy Payne said you didn’t see anyone.”

  She gave her head a shake. “Nothing. But there was a gas can left behind.”

  Kace nodded. “Yeah, I heard.” His jaw tightened some. His fingers smoothed over her skin until his hand rested on her elbow, his thumb settling into the groove of her sensitive skin. “I want to take
a look myself. That can wait a few minutes though.”

  She tugged a tendril of hair behind her ear and he winced. Did he feel sorry for her? She was certain she looked like she’d been sucked into the eye of a tornado and spit out.

  “How about you have a seat and let me look at those knees and lip?”

  It was best that she sit before she fell. A few seconds later there was a soft damp cloth pressed against her lip. She looked at him, watching him wipe away the soot and blood with a tenderness that made her melt into the cushions.

  He knelt in front of her, lifting her leg and tending to one scraped knee. His warm fingers on her bare skin made her throat constrict and her nipples tighten. How was she expected to keep her hands to herself when all she wanted was to thread her fingers through his thick hair? Yet, a woman could only flirt with a man so much before rejection got to her.

  “They’re not too bad,” he said as he cared for the other knee. Goosebumps scattered her skin.

  “I’m sorry you had to come here. It seems I’m always dragging you away from something.”

  He shrugged. “I was in the area.”

  “Considering Bohannan is all of four stop lights, I guess that would be true.” She coughed, her lungs were still sore from inhaling the smoke.

  “You need some water.”

  She watched him walk into the kitchen, enjoying how his broad back moved under the shirt that was almost too tight for his strapping muscles and the way his firm bottom filled out the seat of the Wranglers doing the worn denim justice. He must have taken his hat off sometime because it was sitting next to her on the couch and this exposed his head. She remembered how she liked to tug his hair in the throes of orgasm. How she left scratches on his skin from wild impulses. She’d been an unskilled lover, but together they’d learned what each other liked, taken their time to explore each other’s body.

  When he was out of eyesight, she groaned. Why did her thoughts have to drift to sex every time he was around? Sure, once upon a time they’d had great sex. No, the sex had been more than just great. It had been mind blowing. Even back when neither of them had any experience. He’d been her first, and most women never forgot their first, but it was more than that with Kace. He’d touched her in a way that marked her body and she’d never be able to forget.