Page 13 of Seducing the Sheriff (Charming Butte #2)

Chapter Seven

Greg

So far, the day with Cash had turned out quite interesting.

My discovery that he was gay the night before had managed to shift my thoughts from potential friend to maybe boyfriend.

Was that a real possibility? Not only from his point of view, but could I handle having an actual, honest-to-goodness, committed, and all-the-good-things relationship after all my years as a professional hermit?

I glanced sideways at the subject in question.

One hand gripped the top of the steering wheel, while the other rested on the bottom.

Those intense, serious eyes, the strong chin, the proud, straight nose, and slight upcurve of his upper lip…

I dragged my fingers through my hair, holding in a sigh.

Great. Already, I was smitten. This could either go really well, or I would have to abandon a half-mangled house and scurry out of town in the dead of night.

Speaking of dead things…

“Have you ever worked on a really old, cold case like this before?”

Much to my growing interest, Cash tugged those gorgeous lips into a smile. “Solving mysteries isn’t really in the job description.”

“Oh.” I’m sure I was impressing him so far with my sparkling intellect. Why wouldn’t he be chomping at the bit to hitch himself to my wagon? “Of course.” I chuckled shakily. “I guess you’re as curious as I am.”

Cash’s smile remained sinful, and I shifted in the bucket seat of the truck.

“Well,” he replied. “I gotta be honest. As much as I love my job as sheriff, I do sometimes wish I could experience what the detectives or other investigators go through. Piecing together the puzzle of a crime has always sparked my curiosity.”

He was a guy after my own heart. “I never considered law enforcement as a profession,” I offered. “But I love reading mysteries, watching true crime shows… That kind of thing.”

“Yeah?” Cash darted his eyes my way before bringing them forward again. “I’m a reader too.” He let out a snort. “Gives me something to do at night when there’s no one around.”

He cleared his throat, and my belly tightened. Should I respond? Had he left me an opening to inquire about his status? I scraped my thumbnail over the opposite one, then quickly stilled my hands. Fidgeting was not a good look. Too bad it was one of my favorite pastimes.

“Is that…” I shifted in my seat again. If I didn’t knock it off, he was going to ask if I needed a potty break. I coughed into my fist. “Uh, a usual thing?”

Cash tilted his head. “Reading?”

He wasn’t going to make this easy. “I meant the alone part.”

Cash paused, and I wished I could take back my words. This was what happened when you didn’t interact with people in a meaningful way for most of your adult life. You were still mentally trapped in high school. I guess Aunt Bonnie was right when she said I should get out more.

Maybe I could still roll back some of the damage. “Never mind. None of my business.”

Cash shook his head. “No, that’s fine. My mind wandered to how I was saved from asking the same thing because I keep barging in unannounced at your place.”

Phew. “Well, I did call you out there originally.”

We both shared an easy laugh, and a potential crisis was averted.

Cash grinned, and I had to admit he seemed relieved as well.

“To answer your question, I live alone. I don’t really have any close friends here yet—everyone is pretty much an acquaintance.

” He glanced my way. “I’m originally from Albuquerque, and other than a couple of short-term relationships, I’ve been single.

Never had any roommates, either.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I like my privacy.”

I nodded. “Sounds like me. Except I’ve never had to worry about roommates or buddies for the most part.”

“Has it been hard?”

I almost choked on my spit until I realized Cash wasn’t referring to my dick.

“You mean not having any friends?” Oof. Did I have to say it like that?

Cash let out a small sigh. “Traveling around so much, not having someplace to call your own?”

I swallowed down a wave of emotion threatening to turn our fun road trip into a therapy session.

“It finally caught up with me.” I reached back in my mind to what had driven me to go it alone initially.

“At first, it was great. However, after a couple of years hanging out with the guys on the job, going for beers after work, forcing myself to be social…” I screwed up my nose.

“It wasn’t me. Plus, I had zero in common with my co-workers.

Beer, babes, and ballgames were all they cared or talked about.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Some of the shit I said to them. I cringe remembering their expressions, as if I were one of the Roswell aliens that had crash landed in their favorite bar.”

Cash chuckled. “Come on. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

I let out an inelegant snort. “Trust me. Try explaining to a group of hyper-hetero construction workers why a queer foreign indie film was snubbed when it didn’t make the Oscar list. Or asking if anyone was interested in taking a day trip to a Native American art exhibition in Phoenix.

” I rolled my eyes. “That one actually caused one of the younger guys to burst into laughter. Usually, they were all pretty good at keeping the mocking to a minimum.”

Cash made a low whistle. “Ouch. If it’s any consolation, I would’ve loved to take a day trip like that with you.”

With a surprise burst of bravery, I responded, “The next time something comes along, I’ll take you up on that.”

My cheeks heated a tad, but it was so worth it from the smile Cash radiated back at me.

Cash’s smile turned into a grin. “Sounds like a plan. So, I take it that after all that, anything that involved working solo became your preferred career choice?”

“Exactly. Traveling around, seeing all the art exhibits I wanted, hunting down out-of-print books on local history, exploring the countryside, and doing whatever I pleased when I pleased was incredible. Plus, there was my dad back at home base. We might not have been on the same wavelength at times, but he wasn’t anywhere near as out of touch with me as my co-workers were. ”

“And no boyfriends,” said Cash.

My shoulders slumped. Speaking aloud what I’d kept buried in my thoughts while moving relentlessly forward, never stopping, never catching my breath—the truth of the past two decades of my life came crashing down on me.

“No boyfriends.”

My morning coffee and muffin that we’d grabbed on the way out of town swam threateningly in my belly. Next time, I’d remember that cream-filled chocolate chip baked goods were probably better saved for dessert rather than breakfast.

“Hey,” said Cash, his voice lowering. “I haven’t exactly been the Belle of the Ball.

I get it. I’ve sometimes wondered over the years if I kept too much to myself.

But the reality is that we’ve stuck to our guns.

We haven’t compromised ourselves to fit in with a group of so-called friends or desperately held onto a relationship that was never going to work out. ”

I straightened in my seat. He had a damn good point. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Cash laughed. “I have my moments. And now, here you are. You’re making a home for yourself, and you’re even taking a day trip with someone who isn’t the complete opposite of you in every way.”

My chest swelled, and I stole a peek at Cash. Our eyes met for a split second before Cash darted his gaze forward again. This time, the emotion I felt was one I’d forgotten about. Genuine affection for a guy. Could it be I was finally ready to let someone into my heart?

“Well,” said Cash. “This is it. Once we see what the County assessor has to offer, we can decide whether it’s worth it to hit the library.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed.

He shut off the engine, and we both stepped out of the vehicle.

While he locked up, I took in our surroundings.

Santa Maria was larger than Charming to be sure, but it still wasn’t exactly a bustling city.

The welcome sign on the way into town indicated a population of a little over thirty thousand.

Not skyscraper-worthy and still small enough that many of the residents knew each other.

“Do you have any change?”

I was jarred from my musings by Cash’s voice. As I turned around, I noticed a parking meter. No debit card options. Nope. Good old-fashioned dimes and quarters would be needed, or else the sheriff would get a ticket. I snorted out a laugh.

Cash was digging through his pockets, his brow furrowed. “What? You only carry cards?”

“Huh?” Meter. Right. “Sorry, I was thinking how you’d never hear the end of it if you got a ticket.”

“You’d keep my secret, though. Right?” He gave me a wink, and dare I say, an evil grin.

I grinned back. “I’ll never tell.”

Cash arched his eyebrows. “Good to know.”

I ducked my chin and put on a big show of retrieving quarters from my jeans. I hadn’t realized any were in there, but they were saving my ass. No way could I look Cash in the eyes after that comment.

“Will this be enough?” I opened my hand, palm up, offering him my tribute.

Cash regarded the four silver coins in my hand, then plucked them from my palm.

“It buys us an hour. We can get more change inside if needed.” He dropped the quarters in, shaking his head as he did.

“Could’ve gotten a whole hour for one of these babies back in Charming.

I don’t think the city has given those meters a second thought for at least forty or fifty years.

” He chuckled. “They’re even the old school drop and dial models.

We made our way down the sidewalk, toward the sweeping stone steps that beckoned the citizens of Santa Maria to the entrance of City Hall.

“Really?” I stole a glance at Cash, marveling over how the guy was as drool-worthy in profile as he was head-on. “I don’t remember seeing any meters.”