What If We Fall in Love?. Teresa Southwick

you?”

      “You have two girls who need a mother. I just have me,” she pointed out.

      “All the more reason you should be a touch more open-minded about finding someone. I’m not alone.”

      She lifted her chin slightly. “Being alone is nothing to be ashamed of. I happen to like my own companionship. The company is always agreeable—quite witty and stimulating, in fact,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

      Almost there, he noted. But he wouldn’t let up until he coaxed a smile from her. “I’d like to try that sometime.”

      “Being alone?” she asked.

      “Considering Kasey and Stacey are nine and talk like a couple of magpies, being alone sounds like a small slice of heaven. But that’s not what I meant.”

      It looked as if she was struggling to hold back a laugh as she caught the corner of her lip between her teeth. “Then what did you mean?”

      “You said you like being alone. I’d like to be alone with you, too.”

      Eyes wide, she stared at him for several moments. Son of a gun, he’d rendered the legal eagle speechless. Not a bad night’s work. On top of that, he’d made her smile, or would have if she’d just let go. And the stars were definitely back in her eyes, along with a blush on her cheeks.

      Before he could figure out what to say next, a busty, dark-haired, approximately thirty-year-old woman stopped on the bleacher stair beside him. “Sheriff O’Connor?” she asked.

      “Yes, ma’am,” he said, putting on his hat as he stood. “What can I do for you?”

      She pulled an envelope from the large denim bag slung over her shoulder and handed it to him, then started back down the bleachers. She looked back and said, “You’ve just been served.”

      Chapter Two

      As Grady studied the summons, Jensen named every emotion that washed over his face—surprise, shock, anger, then fear. She swore he turned white beneath his tan. Standing, she put a hand on his arm.

      “What is it?” she asked.

      “Nothing.” He quickly folded the papers and shoved them back in the envelope, then tucked the packet into his shirt pocket.

      “I’m a lawyer, Grady. Someone else might buy that it’s nothing, but I know better. You’re being sued. What I want to know is by whom and what for?”

      “It’s just a pain-in-the-neck suit. No big deal.”

      “If you tell me not to worry my pretty little head…”

      “Would I do that?” He smiled, but it was strained.

      She knew this, even though they hadn’t seen each other much in the past ten years. But they’d been friends once; she didn’t believe he’d changed all that much. So two things were clear to her—he was shook. And he wouldn’t admit it. Why?

      It was obvious—he was a man. A lawman. It all boiled down to testosterone and training.

      “I’d be happy to read the papers and advise you,” she offered. “You can’t turn down free legal advice.”

      “Watch me. Thanks, but no thanks.” He snapped out the words like pistol shots, sharp and shocking.

      Before she cross-examined him, common sense prevailed. It was none of her business. She’d offered help and he’d turned her down. End of story.

      “I have to find the girls,” he said quickly, and there was a hint of desperation in his voice. “I need to get them home.”

      “Yeah, it’s getting late.”

      Before he could answer, there was a metallic galumphing on the bleachers. Kasey and Stacey, followed by their best friend, Faith Benson, hurried toward them. The three nine-year-olds were a study in contrasts. Faith was blue-eyed and fair skinned with a cap of dark, curly hair. The twins were tan, blond and brown-eyed. They took after their mother, and were identical. But they’d confided to Jensen how to tell which was which. Stacey had an almost invisible scar at the edge of her hairline caused by a run-in with the corner of a table when she was a toddler. S for Stacey and scar. With bangs over it, no one could see, or tell her from her sister.

      “Hi, Jensen,” they said in unison.

      “Hi,” she answered, folding her arms across her chest.

      “Hi, Daddy,” the two girls said together.

      “Hey, you two.” He pulled them close, one on each side of him. “Hi, Faith.”

      “Daddy, we have a completely brilliant idea.”

      “Beyond brilliant,” Kasey added.

      “Is that right?” He sat down on the bleacher bench and settled the girls, one on each knee. Their friend stood watching.

      “Dad, you’re squishing me,” Stacey complained.

      “Me, too,” said her sister, squirming.

      “Sorry.” The sheriff loosened his grip slightly.

      Jensen studied him with his children. Was it just her imagination, or was he hanging on to them for dear life? As the girls chattered, she noticed that he scanned the crowd like a secret service agent protecting the president of the United States. This behavior was a complete contrast to the laid-back lawman he’d been a few minutes before receiving the papers.

      If she was a betting woman, she’d wager that summons had something to do with his children.

      “So that’s why we think it would be a good idea for us to spend the night at Faith’s house,” Kasey finished.

      “What?” he asked, turning his attention to the eager little girls.

      “Weren’t you listening, Dad?” Stacey brushed her hair off her forehead. “We want to spend the night at Faith’s house.”

      “No,” he said sharply. “I want you home.”

      Identical faces creased with disappointment. “But why?” they said together.

      “My mom said it was okay,” Faith added.

      Jensen studied the girl and somehow knew that the little schemer was fibbing. She couldn’t be sure whether or not it was a conspiracy.

      “That’s right,” Kasey said. “We asked Maggie and she said it was okay with her if it was okay with you.”

      “She did, Dad,” Stacey piped up. “Honest.”

      Aha, Jensen thought. Collusion. With malice aforethought, if the knowing glances exchanged by the three amigos were anything to go by. He was being tag-teamed big-time. She recognized the technique because she and Taylor had done the same thing to their father until tutoring from their mom had wised him up. Did Grady have a clue what they were doing?

      “I’ll just go talk to Maggie and see what she has to say.”

      A superhero, able to leap conniving kids in a single bound. That was refreshing. Or maybe dealing with crackpots and criminals gave him the edge of cynicism he needed to keep their feminine wiles-in-training from overpowering him.

      “Kasey, Stacey,” Faith said, “I’ll see you guys in a little while. I hafta go check in with my mom.” Before Grady could stop her, she turned and raced down the stairs.

      The twins started to wiggle off his lap, but he held on.

      “Not so fast.” He checked the arena, then looked at Jensen. “The final events are about to start. I have to go make sure that my staff is in place. It’s been nice talking to you. I’ll take the girls with me.”

      “Aw, Dad. We can take care of ourselves. It’s so dumb hanging out with you when you’re working. We’ll die of boredom.”

      Which