A Most Shocking Revelation (5 page)

“Not yet,” Jake said. “But anything's possible….”

Gavin turned his attention to Valerie, who was pouring coffee and slicing pie. He liked watching her in action. He'd like to watch her in action under different circumstances. Tonight, when he had her alone again, he planned to kiss her soundly, provided she let him do that. Maybe if he played his cards right, she might be willing to play along. It was sure worth a try.

“Are you still with us, Sheriff?”

Gavin snapped out of his waitress-watching to realize Jake had been speaking to him. “Yeah, I'm still here.”

“But your mind's on that cute little blonde behind the counter,” Logan said, followed by a laugh.

That cute little blonde was heading in their direction, two cups
of coffee balanced in one hand, a piece of pie in the other. “Here you go, gentlemen,” she said as she slid the fare in front of Jake and Logan.

“Can I get my coffee now, Val?” Gavin asked when she didn't offer him a cup.

“I don't know,
can
you?” she asked.

“May I have it, darlin'?” He topped off the comment with a wink.

She tried her best to look put out, but Gavin noted a smile trying to creep in. Score a point for the sheriff. “I suppose so,” she said. “But you'll have to wait until the fresh pot finishes brewing.”

“Some things are worth the wait.”

Without responding, Val spun around and walked away.

“When are you going to give up, O'Neal?” Logan asked.

“That one's never going to come around, I don't care how hard you work on her.”

“Believe it or not, she's living with me.” Gavin waited for their shock to subside before he added, “At least for the time being.”

Logan eyed him suspiciously. “How did you manage that?”

“She was staying in Harvey Joe Raleigh's rental. She had a run-in with him last night over the sorry conditions. She didn't have a place to go, so I offered my guest room.”

“And she agreed—” Jake snapped his fingers “—just like that?”

Gavin could leave it at that or he could tell the truth. The truth might work best in case Val should decide to tell the accurate version. “Actually she went after Harvey Joe with a mop and he threatened assault charges. So I told her she could either come home with me or she could go to jail.”

Logan barked out a laugh. “That's great, O'Neal. If you can't charm her, then hold her captive in your house. Good plan, even if it does border on coercion.”

“I look at it as a little gentle persuasion.” Gavin intended to try a lot of that in the next few days, before she left.

Logan regarded Jake. “I give him until the end of the weekend.”

“End of tomorrow,” Jake said.

Logan held out his hand. “It's a bet.”

Gavin knew exactly where this was heading but he chose to
play ignorant. “What's this bet all about and what does it have to do with me?”

“You know damn well what we're talking about, O'Neal,” Jake said. “We're betting you have her in your bed real soon.”

If only he had their confidence. Gavin wasn't sure he'd even get to first base anytime soon. “If you say so.”

“We know so,” Logan said before studying Gavin for a long moment, his expression suddenly serious. “Out of curiosity, what do you know about her, Gavin?”

Enough to know that he liked her a helluva lot. “Not much because she's fairly guarded. But I figure she'll eventually open up.” When Gavin noticed Logan and Jake exchanging another look, the light suddenly came on. “You're not thinking she's involved in Durmorr's murder, are you?”

“She is blond,” Jake said. “And since she attacked Harvey Joe, she might be capable of murder.”

“She's been fairly mysterious,” Logan added. “Maybe she's a fortune hunter. The woman caught on the surveillance tape stealing the map that's supposed to lead to Jess Golden's treasure was blond with a ponytail. That could have been her.”

No way would Gavin ever believe that Val could be involved in anything so heinous. “You're both on the wrong track.”

“Maybe you should get a handwriting sample from her and see if it matches the note of apology the culprit left,” Jake offered.

Gavin had no intention of doing any such thing. “Val's not the type to shoot anyone over some presumed hidden gold that might or might not really exist.”

“If you say so.” Logan checked his watch. “And unless we have something else to discuss, I've got to go. More wedding stuff.”

“Speaking of the wedding,” Gavin said, “mind if I bring a guest with me?”

Logan hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “I take it you mean Valerie.”

“Yeah, if she'll agree to go.”

“Not a problem,” Logan said.

Jake came to his feet. “Good luck with Valerie, Sheriff. It's about time you settled down like the rest of us.”

This time shock kept Gavin from speaking for a moment. “I didn't say anything about—” Before he could issue a rebuttal, both Logan and Jake had already tossed a few bills on the table and headed out the door.

Settling down hadn't even entered Gavin's mind to this point. With the demands of his career, he'd never considered that to be a good idea. But when his gaze came to rest on Valerie Raines as she punched the cash register, wisps of golden hair framing her face, her thin eyebrows drawn down in concentration, looking both serious and sexy, he wondered if maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. After he got this murder investigation out of the way, chances were he could go back to patrolling a normally peaceful county. Maybe it
was
time to consider the possibilities. Maybe it was time to find out if Valerie just might be the one to consider. Provided she was still speaking to him tonight.

V
alerie had barely changed out of her clothes before Gavin was knocking at the bedroom door. Fortunately Manny had taken pity on her and let her leave the diner early, although she wondered if he'd been persuaded by the sheriff. A very persuasive sheriff.

“Val, are you in there?”

“Just a minute,” she called as she pulled the bulky black sweatshirt over her head. When she opened the door, she wasn't quite prepared for the impact of seeing Gavin leaning against the opposite wall, dressed in a white T-shirt covered by a red flannel shirt, his starched jeans replaced by a ragtag pair that had been through the wringer several times.

He straightened and slid his hands into his pockets. “Care to take a little trip with me?”

“That depends on where we're going.” Although right now she'd probably accompany him anywhere he'd like to take her, even though she still wasn't happy about his intrusion. She'd told him that again on the way home from the diner, and his response had been no response at all. He'd just grinned, as he was doing now.

When he pushed off the wall, Valerie's heart took a little leap into her throat. “I have something I want to show you.”

That sounded very interesting. “What would that be?”

“It's a surprise. You like surprises, don't you, Val?”

Not always. Admittedly this time she was curious. “Okay. You have my attention. Where is this surprise?”

“Outside.”

Valerie barely managed to keep up with his long stride as he walked through the great room and out the front door. He turned to his left and strode past the landscaped hedges and up the paved drive to a freestanding garage. He fished a few keys from his pocket and removed several locks securing a heavy chain wrapped around the latch. Once he had that removed, he raised the door, revealing a large object draped in beige canvas, presumably a car.

“What is this?” she asked when he started to pull back the cover.

“You'll see in a minute.”

And she did, starting with the taillights before a bright red spoiler came into view. By the time he had the car completely exposed, Valerie could only stare in wonder until she recovered her voice. “Oh my gosh, it's a GTO. What year?”

Gavin dropped the canvas and stood at the hood, looking very proud. “A '69 model.”

Valerie walked to where Gavin was standing and asked, “Can I see underneath the hood?”

He looked genuinely perplexed. “Yeah. Sure.”

He lifted the hood and secured it with the pins for Valerie to peer inside. “Wow. A four-fifty V-8. I bet it can fly.”

“Yeah, if you're so inclined.”

She was. “Incredible. It's in mint condition.” She looked up to find him smiling. “I don't see you as a classic-car kind of guy.”

“It's the size of the engine that gets me going.”

She rolled her eyes. “Men and their motors.”

He laughed then, a low, compelling laugh. “You can tell a lot about a man if you look under his hood.”

She folded her arms across her middle against the sudden bout
of chills. “I suppose you're going to say something about the big block.”

He forked a hand through his hair. “No, but now that you mention it…”

“Oh, please.” She sounded appalled, when in fact she was getting a bit warm just imagining the possibilities. “Do you use it often?”

“The car?”

“Of course I mean the car.” However, she still was considering Gavin's personal motor.

“Not often enough these days.” His tone bordered on suggestive, and Valerie wasn't about to walk into that trap, even though she was sorely tempted.

“I understand why you would want to limit the mileage,” she said. “It increases the value.”

“It still needs to be driven, and that's why I want you to drive it until your car is fixed.”

“That's very sweet, Gavin, but I can't do that. What if something happens to it?”

“I trust you.”

Valerie internally cringed. “You don't really know me.”

“I'm getting there.”

Oh, but he hadn't come close. “I'm still not sure it's a good idea.”

“Why? Can't you handle a stick?”

“Better than most women.” And she couldn't believe she'd just said that.

“That sounds interesting.” He dropped the hood closed and nailed her in place with his grin. “You don't have to decide to take me up on my offer right now. But I might be tied up when you need a ride. This way you'll have your own wheels.”

“Okay, I'll think about it.” Truthfully she was dying to get behind the wheel and turn it loose on the rural roads. Probably not a good idea unless she was alone, considering he was authorized to give her a citation.

Gavin narrowed his eyes. “How do you know so much about cars?”

“I spent a lot of time with someone who was fascinated with them. That's all he could talk about.” A sixteen-year-old boy she'd counseled. She'd learned all she could about his passion in order to get on his level, hoping to keep him from dropping out of high school, and she had succeeded. A success among the failures.

“He taught you well,” Gavin said.

“I'm a quick study. Always have been.”

“Good.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Now you can help me with something.”

She pointed behind her. “I thought I might start dinner.”

“It's already in the oven,” he said.

“Now I'm doubly impressed.”

“Don't be. It's frozen lasagna.” He turned, strode to a shelf housing several tools and pulled an ax from the top before facing her again. “This shouldn't take that long.”

She held up her hands, palms forward. “Okay, I'll drive your car. I'll even clean up after dinner. No need to use that.”

He presented his all-star grin. “I'm just going to go out in the back forty and chop some wood for a fire.”

Valerie felt somewhat relieved, not that she ever really thought he was going to use the ax on her. “Okay, I can help you with that.”

“Don't tell me—you knew someone who taught you how to chop wood.”

“No, but again, I learn fast. You just have to show me what to do.”

“My pleasure.”

A long, tense silence passed before Valerie gathered enough wherewithal to say, “We should get started before the sun goes down.”

“Yeah. Let's go.”

Gavin led Valerie through a metal gate and onto a parcel of land lined with mesquite trees and brush, bordered on the right by a small creek. The terrain appeared as untamed and rugged as the sheriff did at the moment, Valerie decided after a quick glance in his direction. They walked side by side, the crunch of
dried winter grass beneath their feet the only sound interrupting the silence. The atmosphere was very different from her usual surroundings—traffic noises and urban chaos. She breathed in the fresh air untainted by smog. She could get used to this environment, although that wasn't possible. After she'd done what she'd come here to do, she would return to the place she'd called home for most of her life, even if she had no one waiting for her. Even though she would be utterly alone.

“I don't see any cows,” she told him as they walked on.

“Haven't had time to build a herd, but I plan to buy a few head in the spring.” Gavin stopped at a pile of tangled wood. “I'll just chop some of this up and we can carry it back.”

After pulling a pair of gloves from his back pocket and shrugging them on, Gavin raised the ax and landed it squarely on one heavy limb, then hacked it once more until it broke in two. He grabbed up both pieces and laid them to one side.

Valerie stood back, fascinated by his strength, the way he split the limbs with such ease. Everything he did seemed effortless, from his cowboy strut to his charming smile that he now aimed at her.

“Want to try it?” he asked.

“Okay, but I don't think I'm going to be as good at it as you are.”

“I've had lots of practice. And you might surprise yourself at that.” He propped the ax, blade down, between his knees, pulled off his gloves and offered them to her. “Put these on.”

She slid her fingers inside the too-big gloves, suddenly very aware of the difference in their sizes. He had to be at least six-two, and she was barely five-four. His hands were three times as big as hers, and although she sported some muscle, he had solid biceps and triceps and all those “ceps” that mattered most.

He held out the ax handle-first. “It's all yours.”

Valerie took the hatchet as well as a deep breath and turned to the pile. “You better stand back, Sheriff. This could get interesting.”

She raised the heavy ax high above her head and aimed for one large branch. With all her strength she sliced the wood and received a noisy
thwack,
but the blade wouldn't budge. “It's stuck,” she said as she braced her foot on the bough and tugged.

Before she could prepare, Gavin was against her back, reaching around her, one hand resting at the bend of her waist, the other on her wrist. He pulled the ax from the limb easy as you please but still didn't release his grip on her. Valerie glanced back at him. “How did you do that?”

“Let me show you.” His voice had a provocative quality, as if he would gladly serve as her guide in any endeavor, both the nice and the naughty.

He lifted her arm and brought the ax back down, splintering the limb in two with only one attempt.

“I don't think I'm cut out for this,” she said, her tone laced with frustration. She didn't like to fail at anything.

He pressed closer to her and Valerie froze. “Have you noticed you always seem to be behind me?” she said in a breathless voice.

“Yeah, but I know how to remedy that.” He slid his hand up her arm to her shoulder and then brought his lips to her ear. “Put down the ax and turn around.”

All the wisdom in the world couldn't stop her from answering his low, compelling command. All the reasons why she shouldn't seemed to float away on the crisp breeze. She lowered the ax to the top of the pile—in slow motion it seemed—and turned into his arms.

“What now?” she asked, although she saw the answer in his dark eyes.

“I'm going to do what I've wanted to do to you since the first day I saw you.”

Without even a moment's hesitation he framed her face in his palm and lowered his mouth to hers. Just a kiss, she told herself. Just an uncomplicated kiss—and there was nothing uncomplicated about it. He leisurely parted her lips with his tongue before slipping it inside. He kept it soft, kept it unhurried, kept her pulse fluttering. His palms drifted to her hips, and hers managed to find their way beneath the flannel to the T-shirt.

When he went deeper, explored more fully, Valerie recognized this kiss was an epic occurrence. An experience to be savored. A mind-ripping kiss…that she had to halt now.

Valerie pulled back and brought her hands to his chest, intending to push him back. Instead her palms encountered the corded muscle, the rapid beat of his heart, and she couldn't find the will to take them away.

She'd try a meager protest, about all she could handle at the moment. “We shouldn't be doing this, Gavin.”

He surveyed her face before kissing her forehead. “Why not?”

“What will the neighbors think?” And that was quite possibly the lamest thing she'd said in her twenty-seven years.

“First, I only have one real neighbor, and his house is two pastures over.” He kissed her cheek. “Second, he's a good friend—Logan Voss—and he wouldn't care.” He kissed her other cheek.

“Third, even if he did care, that wouldn't matter to me. What just happened between us does matter to me. A hell of a lot.” He laid his lips on hers again, kissed her until she felt as if the frozen ground could open up and consume her and she wouldn't really care.

Reality returned, forcing her out of his arms. “It's just not a good idea, us getting involved beyond friendship. I might not be here much longer.”

He looked sorely disappointed. “Did you find a new place today?”

“No, not a thing. But I didn't mean at your house, I meant in Royal. I might move on soon.”

He slipped his hands in his pockets. “You're the free-spirit sort, huh?”

No, she wasn't. She never really had been, although a few minutes before, she'd felt more liberated than she had in a long time. Maybe even a lifetime. “I'm not sure I fit in here.”

“What if I want you to stay a while, both in Royal and in my house?”

Oh, how tempting that would be. “I don't know—”

“Only until after the holidays. Then you can decide.” He reached out and stroked her cheek, once chilled from the night air setting in, now warm from his kiss.

She hugged her arms close to her middle. “We should see about dinner now. Hopefully your oven isn't on fire.”

He checked his watch. “It still has another twenty minutes, so it's not burning.” He raised his gaze to her. “I can't say the same for myself.”

She saw the longing in his eyes and she almost fell victim to it. Almost walked back into his arms. Only through sheer resolve did she keep from doing just that. “I need to take a shower before dinner, if that's okay.”

“Me, too, so I guess we should head back.”

At least he hadn't asked to join her in the shower, although that image came to Valerie in fine detail. Very fine detail.

After he gathered up some wood, refusing her offer to help carry it, they started back to the house, not a word passing between them until they were inside. Only then did Gavin face her. “One more thing you need to know about me, Val.”

“What's that?”

“I'm a determined man and I'm going to do everything within my power to convince you to stay.”

When he turned and headed toward the hearth, Valerie escaped into the bedroom. She used the closed door for support for a few minutes before she walked to the drawer to retrieve her journal. Her hands trembled when she put pen to paper, but writing her thoughts might make the situation seem less surreal.