Page 126 of Only With Me

There’s a knuckle tap on the window and an angry sheriff with a phone to his ear.

“Hey, Sheriff Wagner,” I say once the window’s down. “Nice day out, ain’t it?”

“Yes, Miss Rhodes, I see ‘em.” He speaks into the phone, his tone laced with annoyance as he glares at me. “Alive, not murdered.” His gaze moves to Harlow. “She looks fine to me. By the looks on their faces, I interrupted somethin’.”

And then a loud squeal through the phone’s speaker, “I knew it!”

“Oh my God,” Harlow mutters, her palm colliding with her forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

Her apology to the sheriff gets ignored as he pulls his phone away from his ear and dramatically hangs up on her.

“Mr. Hollis…” His pointed stare makes me uneasy. “Ms. Fanning.”

“We were just?—”

“Save it.” He holds up a hand. “Ihighlyencourage y’all to get a move on because if y’all make me do more paperwork on myday off, imma be pissed.”

“Yes, sir.” I lower my steering wheel and then pull the lever to move up the seat. “We’re leavin’ now.”

I watch in my side mirror as he walks back to his car, shaking his head. Once I’m buckled, I signal to turn onto the road and drive back toward the ranch.

“Holy crap, he scares me.”

I chuckle. “He’s all growl and no bite.”

“I can’t believe Natalie called him and made him find me. She’s gonna kill me for makin’ her worry.”

“Better text her that you weretoo busyto answer.” I smirk.

“Yeah, see…that’ll require a whole Thursday night topic of conversation where she’ll demand a play by play of what happened.”

“Not…everythingthat’s happened, right?”

She shrugs innocently.

“What have you told her so far?”

She purses her lips, then pretends to seal them.

“Well that’s not fair…who am I supposed to tell?” I’m only messing with her because I’d never reveal intimate details to someone else.

“Your twin brother.”

I scoff. “He has the biggest mouth of anyone I know and unless you want your sister findin’ out through him, I can’t tell him shit.”

Even though he already suspects something’s going on between us, I don’t have to confirm anything yet.

“That’s true, but I’ll need to tell her eventually.”

I reach over, interconnecting my fingers with hers. “I know. We can do it together, if you want.”

“Yeah, maybe. But I think she’ll be happy for us. At least, that’s my hope.”

“For you, maybe. I have a feelin’ she’ll wanna kick my ass.”

“Well, that might be the price you pay if you wanna be with me,” she taunts.

I bring her hand up and kiss her knuckles. “In that case, I’ll let her get in a few good punches before I tell Wilder to hold her back.”