Smoking Hot (16 page)

Surprise left Raine speechless. She never expected Emily to make a declaration like that.

“What? I'm not stupid. I've read the files on your years as a police officer. I read back as far as when you went to high school. You might be a little unorthodox at times, but you're honest.” She handed her empty cup to Raine. “Don't prove me wrong. I really hate when I'm wrong.”

Raine came to her feet, taking her cup. “You're not wrong this time.”

“I hope not.” She studied Raine for a moment. “You know, in another situation we might be friends.”

Raine began to relax. Emily was down to earth, and against her better judgment, Raine was starting to like her. The woman had to have grit to be a Texas Ranger. She admired that.

“You're dressed differently,” Emily observed. “One might think there was a man you wanted to impress. But then, you're not dating anyone around here, are you?” Her expression was puzzled.

Raine couldn't think of anything to say. She could argue the point, but Emily was already going down the steps and around the side of the house. A few minutes later, Raine heard her car start. Lying never sat well with her, and she was afraid that telling Emily she wasn't trying to impress anyone, especially a man, would be a bald-faced lie and the other woman would know it. Sometimes it was better to keep her mouth closed. “I think she likes you,” Dillon said as he came out the back door.

Raine whirled and threw the cup toward him. It hit him square in the chest. With a loud oomph, he doubled over.

“Your reactions haven't slowed since you've been on leave,” he gasped.

“Damn it, don't you know not to startle someone like that? If I'd had a gun I might have shot you!”

“I'm immortal,” he said as he weaved his way to the chair and sat in it.

“But you still feel pain.”

He nodded. “For a bit.” He rubbed his chest.

“Then you would think you'd learn not to scare people.” She hadn't meant to throw the empty cup at him. “Are you okay?”

He stretched his shoulders and rubbed his chest. “Did anyone ever mention you'd make a great pitcher?”

She grimaced. “I took my softball team to state my senior year in high school. I was the pitcher. I had more strikeouts than any other team that year.”

“I believe it.”

“Does it still hurt?”

His eyes met hers. “Not really.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. Dillon continued to stare. She began to fidget.

“What?” she finally asked.

“You're so beautiful.”

She rolled her eyes. “So you've told me.”

“Because you are.”

“Why are you here?” she asked, changing the subject. He made her uncomfortable talking like that.

“I'm going to help you find the men who robbed the bank, remember?”

“Like you helped me find them last night?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to call them back. She didn't want to think about last night.

“You're blushing,” he said.

“I am not. The sun's up. It's getting warm.”

“You enjoyed yourself last night. Why are you so afraid to admit it?”

Because then she would have to face the fact that she'd let him take charge for just a little while. He said watch, and she watched. He moved on top when they made love, and she let him. For just a little while last night, he was the one in control and it scared the hell out of her because she'd enjoyed herself. What would she give up next time? No, she didn't want to think about it.

She marched to the edge of the porch, but stopped before going down the steps and sat on the top one instead. “I don't want to talk about last night.”

“What happened last night?” Grandpa asked.

Raine whirled around. Grandpa pushed open the screen door and joined her on the porch. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it might jump out of her chest.

“Grandpa, you scared me!” She caught her breath, then stood on trembling legs. “What are you doing here? Did Emily see you?” And where was Dillon? He wasn't sitting in the rocking chair. She frowned. He could've warned her someone was coming. And why didn't he warn her about Emily? Some guardian angel he was. Or was he? No, now that she thought about it, she didn't think he was much of a guardian.

“That Ranger lady was here?”

“She just left.”

He shook his head. “Nope, she didn't see me. Just in case they have the ranch staked out, I came in from the back side. I wasn't born yesterday.”

Lady barked as she ran around the side of the house. She jumped up the steps and stopped beside Raine, resting her head on Raine's knees.

“She likes you.” Grandpa beamed.

Raine patted the dog's head, marveling at the beauty of her golden yellow coat. Then it hit her. “This dog isn't a stray, Grandpa.” Grandpa looked down at his feet, refusing to meet her eyes.

“I found her limping down the road,” he mumbled. “Sort of. Her foot was hurt real bad. I just made sure she got better.”

“Grandpa, how could you?” If anyone got wind of this, they'd be in so much trouble.

“I was real careful this time.”

Her expression must have shown her shock because he back-tracked fast enough.

“I mean when I loaded her in the truck. No one saw me. I didn't dog-nap her. She
was
hurt and she
was
going down the road, sort of.”

“And she didn't have tags?” she asked.

Grandpa looked at his feet.

“Oh, Grandpa.” They were going to jail. Sheriff Barnes would have no choice but to arrest them. He'd fold like a bad poker hand when they questioned him. It wouldn't matter if they were abused or not. If he would steal an animal, why wouldn't he go a step further and rob a bank?

Something rattled in the kitchen. Raine froze. Had Emily returned? Maybe she'd only been trying to catch her and Grandpa together. Would she lock them up this time? She could feel the color draining from her face.

“It's okay, Raine.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “Tilly came with me. She brought over a breakfast casserole. Figured you were living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and could use some decent grub. Brought stuff you could put in the microwave, too. I told her 'bout the angel helping you out, but I don't think she believed me.”

Why did her life always have to be so complicated? “You're not supposed to be here. It'll look bad if anyone catches you at the ranch.”

“Then I won't get caught.”

Something in the way his words came out made her pause. It was almost as if he was talking about something else. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Of course he didn't rob the bank. The idea was preposterous.

“So what happened last night?” he asked.

She'd lost the thread of his conversation and had no idea what he was talking about. “Nothing happened. Why?”

“Right before I came outside you said something about not wanting to talk about last night.” He glanced around. “Was Dillon here?”

“Yes.”

He smiled.

“I mean no,” she quickly amended.

He frowned. “Well, which is it, girl? Either he was here or he wasn't.”

She was so bad at lying. “He was here,” she finally admitted. “We're trying to find the men who robbed the bank.”

“Good, then he's watching over you.”

She silently pleaded for him not to ask any more questions.

“I have breakfast on the table,” Tilly said as she stepped to the screen door, wiping her hands on the red apron tied to her ample waist. “Come eat before it gets cold.”

Did neither one of them realize she and Grandpa were suspects in a bank robbery? They acted like today was just another day. Raine's head was starting to pound as she walked back inside. An aspirin would be nice. Did she have any downstairs?

“By the way, there's leftover roasted hen in the refrigerator,” Tilly said as they took a seat at the table. “I hope you don't mind but I stole a tiny bite.” She closed her eyes for a moment as though she savored the taste again. “Absolutely heavenly. I know you don't cook any better than Sock, no offense, and there's not a restaurant nearby that has a cook who could have roasted a hen that would taste that good. Where did you get it, dear?”

Raine looked at Tilly, then Grandpa, then back at Tilly. She was right. Dillon created more problems than he solved. Now what was she supposed to say?

“It was Dillon,” Grandpa finally spoke for her.

Tilly's eyebrows drew together and her eyes turned sad. “Your angel?” She reached over and patted his hand as though she could take away his fanciful ideas.

Grandpa nodded. “The one I prayed for.”

Tilly sniffed.

Grandpa shook his head. “I promise I'm not losing my mind, woman.”

“Of course you're not, dear.”

Raine silently watched the exchange between them. Everything was tumbling down around her and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

Grandpa finally turned toward her and said, “You tell her I'm as sane as you are.”

Maybe they would have cells next to each other. They could play cards all day long. Go Fish or Old Maid. Something simple.

Dillon suddenly appeared, sitting at the opposite end of the table from Raine.

“About time you showed yourself,” Grandpa scolded.

Raine didn't know whether to laugh or cry. “Tilly can't see him, Grandpa.”

“That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Of course she can see him. He's sitting right there. You need your eyes checked?”

“Excuse me,” Tilly said. “Who are you?”

Raine drew in a sharp breath and choked. Her eyes watered and everything blurred, but she could still see Dillon at the end of the table. What was he doing here? And why could Tilly see him?

“That's the angel I've been telling you about,” Grandpa explained.

Tilly chuckled. “Of course he's not an angel. Stop ribbing an old woman.”

Dillon closed his eyes and disappeared. A second later he reappeared in the chair beside Tilly. “I'm Dillon. The angel.” He smiled.

Tilly looked at the end of the table where Dillon had been sitting, then where he was sitting now. “Oh, you weren't lying,” she mumbled right before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Dillon caught her before she tumbled out of her chair.

“Great, you've killed her,” Raine said as she hurried to Tilly's side.

“Tilly!” Grandpa pushed out of his chair.

“She's not dead. I just startled her,” Dillon said.

“Carry her to the sofa.” Good Lord, what else was going to happen? No, she didn't want to know. As Dillon laid Tilly on the sofa, her eyes fluttered open. Raine breathed a sigh of relief. Tilly had been awfully still, and she didn't know if she trusted Dillon's medical savvy. She supposed he would know if someone died or not, though. He might see their soul rise or something.

Tilly's eyes narrowed as she studied Dillon. “Are you really an angel?”

Dillon's smile was kind. “Yes.”

She squeezed his arm. “You feel like a real man.”

Grandpa cleared his throat a little too loudly. Tilly frowned when she looked his way. “I wanted to be sure.” Her gaze returned to Dillon.

“I'm a nephilim, to be exact,” he started to explain.

“I told you about that already,” Grandpa interrupted. “He's part angel 'cause that's what his daddy was, but his momma was mortal so the other half is man.”

“Yes, I remember now.” She smiled like an infatuated teenager.

Raine looked between Grandpa and Tilly. He was in love with her. Did he realize it? The pieces of the puzzle began to fall in place. She remembered the salesman that rented one of Tilly's rooms. Grandpa had been really ticked about that and left the B&B and returned to the ranch. The next morning Dillon was there to warn Raine about the bank robbery.

“Isn't breakfast getting cold?” Grandpa snarled and stomped back to the kitchen.

Tilly winked at Raine. “I love it when he's jealous. Makes me feel young again.” She quickly sat up. “But he's right. My casserole is getting cold.”

Tilly acted as though she met angels every day. Raine's world was crumbling around her and no one seemed overly concerned.

“You brought the roasted hen.” Tilly took the hand Dillon offered and let him assist her to stand. Before he could answer, she continued. “I knew it wasn't prepared around here. No one can cook that wonderfully. I took a small bite. Absolutely divine. Was it made by angels?”

“Mama Paula's. A little place in the middle of nowhere. Best home cooking you'll ever eat.”

Raine followed behind them, shaking her head. Anyone would think Tilly and Dillon had known each other forever, the way they acted.

“You're not even going to question that he's an angel?” Raine asked as they sat back down at the table.

“Not when I can see him with my own eyes, dear.”

“But we could all be lying.”

“You forget I saw him move from the end of the table to the chair beside me.”

“I thought you were supposed to be helping my granddaughter, not making more problems.” Grandpa set his elbows on the table and glared at Dillon. For the first time since he spoke about the angel, Grandpa didn't look quite as happy to have him in their lives.

“Sock, mind your manners. We're entertaining an angel.”

“Half angel,” he groused. “And he's the reason we're in this fix. They think we robbed the bank.”

“Well of course you didn't,” Tilly scoffed. “Soon everyone will see the truth.” Tilly must've seen Raine cringe. “Is something the matter?”

“They might think you were involved, too.”

Tilly chuckled. “That's priceless.” Her voice tinkled like tiny wind chimes moving in the breeze. As suddenly as her humor appeared, it disappeared. “You're serious.”

“We'll find the real bank robbers,” Dillon reassured her.

Tilly turned slightly in her chair to cast a doubtful eye in his direction. Raine watched as her anger slowly rose to the surface. “You're damn right you'll find them. I do not plan to spend my golden years in a jail cell.” She sat a little straighter. “Those orange jumpsuits do nothing for my figure.”

“I like your figure,” Grandpa said with a wink.

“Hush, Sock!” she whispered, then dabbed at the corner of her mouth with her linen napkin, her cheeks turning rosy. “Here, eat some of my casserole before it does get cold. I don't like that you haven't been eating as well since this whole mess began.”

“I've gained five pounds,” he said.

“You could stand to gain a little more.”

“See how bossy she is?” Grandpa was smiling when he looked across the table. Just as quickly, he cleared his throat. “Now, what are we going to do about catching these bank robbers?”

“Nothing,” Raine quickly told him. “You're going to let me handle this.” The last thing she needed was Grandpa's help.

“Well,
I
can certainly assist in some way. I have friends who will help, too.”

Raine groaned.

Tilly frowned. “I wouldn't tell them how they'd be helping me, and I'm just offering. It's not as though I'd actually be chasing down the bank robbers. Goodness me, I'm not sure I would even be able to fire a gun.”

“Gun!” Raine exploded. “I don't want you to go near any guns.”

Tilly jumped. Grandpa's chair wobbled, then righted itself. Dillon gave her a warning look. What the hell was she supposed to do? Tell Tilly she could borrow one of hers? She raised her hands in supplication.

“I was trying to help,” Tilly said in a small voice.

“We know,” Dillon quickly reassured her. “You frightened Raine when you mentioned guns.”

“I merely pointed out the fact I'm not familiar with the workings of a firearm, not that I have any intention of using one.” Tilly raised her chin and pursed her lips.

Raine wanted to crawl beneath the table. “I'm sorry,” she apologized. She would never do anything to offend the older woman. Tilly had always been a friend and she didn't mean to hurt her feelings. “You scared me. I'd feel responsible if you were hurt.”

“I spoke up because I thought you might need assistance in some other way. Looking up records or some such thing. I'm certainly not in law enforcement and never claimed to be.”

“I know, Tilly.” Raine finally looked to Dillon for help as much as she hated having him step in and fix everything. It seemed she was depending on him to do that a lot lately.

“Of course Raine meant nothing by her words except to express her concern for your safety,” Dillon said.

“She has a funny way of showing it.” Tilly spoke to Dillon as though Raine and Grandpa weren't in the room. “It's not good to scare an old woman. Our bodies don't function as well as they used to.”

“I understand,” Dillon said.

“I understand more.” Grandpa frowned.

Tilly preened, enjoying the attention from both men. “All is forgiven. Now, everyone dig in, then we'll all put our heads together and decide how to catch these hoodlums.”

“Good idea,” Dillon agreed.

“Who's at the top on your list of suspects?” Grandpa asked.

“No one—”

“Ethan and Leo,” Dillon supplied. Throughout the meal, the three carried on a lively conversation about how the men could be caught.

This was his idea of smoothing things over? He hadn't helped. Dillon made things worse. Now Tilly and Grandpa were going to be pulled into the thick of everything. The last thing she wanted was to involve them. Apparently it wasn't up to her. She was the only one in the room that had any idea how to catch the bank robbers and no one seemed to care.