The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family. Jules Bennett

he was also still fascinated by the gentle blonde with wide, expressive green eyes.

      As they pulled into the station, Noah couldn’t help but wonder what the next few days, weeks, and months would bring.

      He hadn’t known what to expect from this new town, but a reawakening in his desire certainly hadn’t been on his list.

       Chapter Three

      Her nerves were near shot. Noah had been on the force for nearly a week and she’d worked five days out of the seven. Her usual part-time schedule had shifted into full-time since Carla had to be out with her mother for the next couple of weeks.

      Which meant more face-to-face time with Officer Brooding and Sexy. Why, why, why did this man have to be the one she found so attractive? Why couldn’t she get stirrings for a schoolteacher or a garbage man? A man who put his life on the line every day was an absolute no-no.

      Her husband had done the same thing. Day after day he’d put himself out there...until one day he was gone.

      Noah had only been on the force a short time and already he’d proven he was a man of loyalty, integrity, and compassion. He’d taken the little boy from the creek incident a stuffed animal before his shift. And the only reason anyone knew of that was because the mother called to tell Captain Cameron St. John what an amazing officer he had.

      The back door opened and closed. Before she could turn to see which officer was coming on duty, a call came in. She pressed the key on the computer to answer and adjusted her headset.

      “Stonerock Police Department.”

      “I have someone walking through my backyard carrying a baseball bat.”

      “Do you know who this person is?” Lucy replied.

      “No, but they’ve been out there for a few minutes just staring at the house.”

      Lucy dispatched an officer and kept the caller on the line as she made sure the lady’s doors were locked and she was away from doors and windows. The woman didn’t sound frantic, but concerned.

      Stonerock wasn’t known for having many crimes, but there were crazy people everywhere. She couldn’t take any call for granted.

      Once the officer arrived and the caller confirmed it, Lucy disconnected the call. When she turned in her seat, she was alone in the room, but she knew who’d come in earlier. That aftershave still permeating the room had become so familiar, making her insides stir and get all schoolgirl giddy.

      She was a grown woman getting giddy. How sad was that?

      Keeping her feelings in check was the smart thing to do. She needed to keep her emotional distance from Noah, but each day she saw him, she realized she wanted to see more of him, to learn more about him. That need was a recipe for disaster and heartache. Neither of them was at a place in their lives to act on attraction. Of course, she was still assuming it was one-sided, which was all the more reason for her to rein in her school-girl crush.

      Only this didn’t feel like anything she’d had as a teenager. Her attraction for Noah Spencer was all grown up...as were the dreams she’d been having since that first meeting in the rain.

      Lucy came to her feet and stretched her neck from side to side. She was pulling a double shift today, which was fine. She could use the extra money to put back into the support group fund. Tonight was a meeting, but Kate and Tara were fine without her. It’s not like Lucy was ever missed.

      “Thought you were off today.”

      She jerked around to see Noah standing in the doorway drinking a cup of coffee. His dark eyes held hers and she had to force herself to not fidget.

      “Taking on a few more shifts while Carla is out. I can always use extra money for my group.”

      His dark brows drew in. “Aren’t you missing a meeting tonight?”

      Lucy shrugged. “I am, but my girls understand. Sometimes we have to cover for each other.”

      He took a sip of coffee from one of the disposable cups. When he pushed off the doorway, Lucy thought he was about to turn and leave, but he crossed the room and headed for her desk. Lucy spun around, pretending to stare at the monitors. It was a slow night, but she still wished for a call to come in right then. She couldn’t handle all this tension. Well, the tension on her part at least. She never could get a grasp on what he was feeling.

      “What do you do in your spare time?” he asked as he took a seat beside her.

      The question threw her off as she glanced to the clock. He was early for his shift by about twenty minutes. Why was he choosing to sit in here with her?

      “Spare time?” she asked, fidgeting with her watch. “I’m usually looking for speakers for the group or community projects we can do. Giving back and lifting others up is a great way to—”

      “No.”

      Lucy jerked her attention back to him. “What do you mean, no?”

      Noah set his cup on the desk and leaned forward. That dark stare of his zeroed in on her and she could easily see him cornering a suspect with those eyes, or seducing a woman. Those eyes held every secret, letting no emotion slip through. That whole guarded, sultry thing he had going might be the sexiest thing she’d ever seen in her life.

      The uniform didn’t hurt, either. But she’d rather have a man not so committed to danger and more committed to...well, her. As selfish as that sounded, part of her hated knowing that her husband had sacrificed his life defending their country, but that was the type of man he’d been. And she could tell that was the type of man Noah was.

      “I know you work and volunteer your time for the group,” he stated, still holding her in place with that mesmerizing gaze. “But I’m asking what else you do.”

      “Oh, I study. I’m almost done with my online classes.”

      Noah shook his head. “For fun. What do you do for fun?”

      Lucy opened her mouth, then shut it. She thought for a second, but nothing came to her. Surely she’d done something for fun lately...hadn’t she? Her friends were always texting her or calling for some reason or another. But she couldn’t recall the last time they went out and did anything.

      “I have horses,” she replied. “Two of them. They were my husband’s, so they’re mine now.”

      Before she could even think of something she actually did just for herself, a call came in. It took great effort on her part, but she blocked out the presence of the powerful man beside her. The call didn’t take long and didn’t require anyone to be dispatched. An elderly lady had locked herself out of her home, but ended up finding her key in the bottom of her purse while she was talking.

      When Lucy disconnected the call, Officer McCoy came in the back door. “Evening. Gettin’ chilly out there.”

      Noah spun in the chair. “It’s downright frigid to me. I guess I’ll have to invest in thicker coats.”

      “Drink more coffee,” McCoy suggested as he passed on through to the break room.

      “It’s not too bad here,” Lucy replied once Noah turned back to her. “But I guess coming from Texas, Stonerock does seem cold in the fall.”

      “Everything is different from Texas,” he muttered.

      There went that darkness settling over him again. If she could just break through...but that would require her getting closer and spending more time with him. That probably wasn’t smart. Maybe she should have Tara or Kate reach out to Noah. Definitely a better option.

      A sliver of jealousy speared through her at the idea of her friends getting one-on-one time with Noah.

      “Are you upset about missing the meeting?” he asked.

      Lucy