“So you have been in love? What happened?”Please tell me you’re nothing like my ex-boyfriend, and you were perfectly capable of keeping your man parts zipped up.
“Pretty much the same as what happened to you. But how about we compare notes later?” He nods toward the ranch house that has come into view.
“Okay, but I’m holding you to that, cowboy.”
And so is Charlie, if his bark is anything to go by.
We arrive at the ranch house a few minutes later, and Noah parks in the large curved driveway in front of it. He helps Charlie and me down, and we walk up the porch steps to the front door. Noah opens it and gestures for us to enter. Voices can be heard from another room, along with the sound of a child imitating a car engine. “Vroom.Vroom.”
A second later, Deacon rolls through a doorway, sitting on a toy car powered by his feet. “Vroom.Vroom.”
“Hey, little buddy,” Noah says, “hope you’re obeying the speed limit. Otherwise your uncle Austin might give you a ticket.”
“Vroom.Vroom,” is Deacon’s reply.
“I already tried that warning,” a deep male voice says, and a good-looking man with short brown hair, scruff, and hot-looking glasses enters the foyer. Like Noah, he’s wearing jeans and a dark T-shirt. “Hi, you must be Kate Snow.” He holds out his hand to me and I shake it.
“Kate, this is Austin Brooks, the town sheriff.”
“Ah yes, I’ve met your grandmother. She’s really sweet.”
“She did mention that she’d met you, but the jury is still out on the sweet part.” His affectionate tone implies he believes the opposite.
A grin appears on his face. “So I hear I’m the one you plan to murder.”
13
Kate
“Vroom.Vroom,”Deacon says as he drives around us in the foyer.
Noah laughs at Austin’s comment. “Since you didn’t pick me to be the one you killed, that leaves me with fire-truck or marry. So which one is it, Princess? Did you want to fire-truck me or marry me?”
I look Austin squarely in the face. “I’ve changed my mind. You get to live. Noah is the one I’m going to do away with.” I smile sweetly at Noah and this time, it’s Austin who cracks up.
Noah scowls at him.
“Since Noah’s the one who is no longer with us,”Austin says, “why don’t I take you into the kitchen and introduce you to everyone?” He offers me his arm and I take it.
Charlie trots merrily beside me, with Noah trailing us. We enter the huge, modern kitchen, which is a direct contrast to Charlotte’s.
Originally, when TJ invited me to join them for dinner, I was under the impression it would only be Noah’s two brothers, Sophie, and TJ’s wife, Violet.
I didn’t expect to meet the town’s sheriff…or a man who looks strangely familiar, but I can’t figure out why. Like the three brothers and Austin, he’s also from the pages of Hot Hunks.
Seriously, what is in this town’s water?
“Really?” Noah says, sounding mildly irritated. “Ryan, too?”
The man frowns. “Happy to see you as well, Noah.”
Austin smacks him on the back. “Meg and Tilly were at it again.”
“Again?” I ask.
The frown vanishes, replaced by a knowing grin. “Marry”—Ryan glances at Deacon, then back at Austin—“fire truck, and heaven?”
“Are you telling me that Tilly and Meg have been asking all the woman in town which of you three they want to marry, fire truck, and do away with? Like some unofficial poll?”
