The Lawman's Convenient Bride. Christine Rimmer

purple flowers. “Right here,” he answered, though she was standing directly behind him and no doubt looking straight at him. He turned around and met those wary eyes. “We need to talk.”

      Resigned. She looked resigned. His certainty increased that Monique had not lied; that giant belly cradled his brother’s child.

      Nicky’s baby. He didn’t know what he felt. Joy, maybe. And something else, something angry and ready for a fight.

      She said, “It’s time to close. I need to bring in the stock from out in front and deal with the register.”

      “I’ll help.”

      “No, it’s fine. I can—”

      “I said, I’ll help.” It came out as a growl.

      She stiffened, but then she answered calmly, “Well. All right, then. If you’ll bring in the flowers.” She gestured at a section of bare floor space not far from the door. “Just put them there for now.”

      “For now?”

      “I’ll take them to the cooler in back later.”

      “As long as I’m bringing them in, I can take them where you want them to go.” He put out a hand toward the glass-doored refrigerator full of fancy arrangements that took up much of one wall. “You want them in there?”

      She bit her lip like she was about to argue with him. But then she said, “No, there’s a walk-in cooler in back.” She pointed at the café doors near the check-out counter. “Through there.”

      “All right, then. I’ll bring everything in.”

      They got to it. She turned off the Open sign and closed out the register while he carried in the tubs of flowers, trekking them through the inner door to the other fridge. Once all the tubs were in, she locked the shop door. There was an ironwork gate between her shop and the one next door, but it was shut, the shop on the other side dark and quiet.

      She must have seen him glance that way. “My half sister Elise owns Bravo Catering and Bakery through there. She closed at six.”

      And so they were alone, with no chance of interruption.

      He got to the point. “I heard a rumor that you’re having my brother’s baby.”

      He didn’t know what he’d expected. Denial? Nervousness? An apology for holding out on him?

      But all he got from her was the barest hint of a shrug, followed by a quietly spoken confirmation. “Yes. Nick was my baby’s father.”

      The soft words struck him like blows. All at once, his ears were burning. His stomach clenched, and he really wished he hadn’t eaten so much steak.

      Sucking in a long breath through his nose, he accused, “You were at the funeral.”

      “Yes.”

      “You stepped right up to me. You shook my hand. You had to know there was a baby then.”

      “Yes, I did.”

      “But you said nothing.” He gave her a look meant to make her knees shake and waited for her to explain herself. When she only regarded him steadily, he demanded, “What is the matter with you? Why am I the last to know? My brother has been dead for almost six months, and until Monique Hightower shared the news today, I had no idea there was a baby involved.”

      That seemed to get through to her. Scowling now, she whipped up a hand, palm flat in his face. “Don’t you get on me, Sheriff. I thought you knew—and didn’t care.”

      Didn’t care? That knocked him back. He took a moment to gather his composure. And then he said, deadly calm, “You thought wrong. Did Nick even know?”

      Slowly, she lowered her hand to her side. Her diamond-shaped face was all eyes at that moment, eyes of a blue so deep they looked black. Those eyes stared right through him. “He knew.”

      Seth couldn’t help but scoff when she said that. “Oh, no. Uh-uh.”

      “Why even ask if you’re not willing to accept my answer?”

      “I guess I had some crazy idea you might tell me the truth.”

      “That is the truth.”

      “How long did he know?”

      “I told him a few days after I found out myself. That was about six weeks before he died.”

      “I don’t believe you.”

      Twin spots of color flamed high on her cheeks. “Keep calling me a liar, and I’m just going to have to ask you to leave.”

      Was he out of line? Probably. A little. But she should have told him that his dead brother had fathered a child. And that she’d told Nicky? He couldn’t see it. “Nick was a stand-up guy. If he’d known there was a baby, he would have wanted to marry you. That was who he was, a simple man with a big heart and high standards, a man whose own natural father deserted him and his mother. Nick wouldn’t do that. If he knew about that baby, you’d have a ring on your finger—and there is no way that he would have...” His throat locked up. He swallowed hard to loosen it and then tried again. “If Nick knew he was going to be a father, he would’ve told me.”

       Chapter Two

      Jody Bravo stared at the shiny badge pinned to the starched khaki dress shirt right above Seth Yancy’s heart and tried to decide what to say next.

      Unlike Nick, who’d been lean and wiry, of medium height, Seth was a tall man, imposing, built broad and tough. Not as handsome as Nick, but a good-looking man if you liked them strong-jawed and dripping testosterone. He was one of those guys who looked like a cop in or out of his uniform, as if he’d been born to protect and serve and would do so whether you wanted him to or not. He wore his brown hair clipped short and his posture was ramrod-straight.

      His anger with her? It came off him in waves.

      Yes, she should have told him about the baby earlier. She supposed. In hindsight. But she found him so...forbidding. At the funeral, when she’d offered her condolences, he’d narrowed his eyes at her and muttered a grudging thank you. She’d read his attitude loud and clear; he couldn’t wait for her to move on. So, yeah, she’d kept putting off telling him, kept asking herself why it even mattered if the step-uncle knew about Nick’s baby or not? At the same time, she’d had some vague plan to go see him, have a little talk with him, eventually, when the moment felt right.

      But the moment never felt right. Also, she really had wondered if he knew about the baby already and simply didn’t care. So, yeah, she’d been struggling with a powerful desire never to have to deal with the guy in any way, shape or form.

      But right now she just felt sorry for him. So what if he was acting like a first-class douche canoe with his judgmental attitude and insensitive accusations?

      The man missed his baby brother. And he was hurt that Nick hadn’t confided in him.

      As for the marriage question, she didn’t even want to get into that with him. But still. He was here and clearly he cared. She gave him the truth. “Nick did ask me to marry him. I turned him down.”

      “Why?”

      She did know what he meant by the curtly uttered question, but she was feeling just snarky enough to ask for clarification anyway. “Why did he ask me, you mean?”

      “Why did you turn him down?” He barked that one at her.

      Stay calm, she reminded herself. “Nick was a wonderful guy. He deserved a woman who loved him with all of her heart.”

      His lip curled in a sneer. “And you didn’t.”

      “You should stop talking,” she said with excruciating sweetness. “Because I have to tell you, Seth. Every time