Kiss Me, Katie! & Hug Me, Holly!

“Cooking isn’t everyone’s strong suit.” He flashed her a grin. “Not like you.”

She sniffed, as if not being able to make a meal was the greatest sin a woman could commit. “I know how much you count on that cafe, and I could not let you go hungry.” This last was spoken gruffly as she removed her apron. “Everyone in town is talking about her. There is a bunch of unhappy, hungry people around.”

“Yeah.”

“She is big city. She does not belong here.”

Riley didn’t need the reminder that Holly came from a world entirely different from his, that she was restless, and probably looking for something in Little Paradise that didn’t exist outside her imagination.

“She is too beautiful.”

That wasn’t a problem for Riley. He loved beautiful women; he loved all women. But he didn’t need an attitude-ridden, trouble-causing princess, that was certain.

“Soak your dish, Sheriff, do not leave it all week for me. Enjoy your lunch.”

And with that, she was gone.

Interesting. Maria liked him, she really liked him. But after he indeed soaked his dish, he saw the note she’d left him by his front door. “Wipe your feet. The sheriff of Little Paradise should not live like a pig.”

Okay, maybe like was too strong a word.

BY THE TIME Riley pulled up to his office, he was running late. But at least his belly was full. He could last all day on the feast he’d had. Bring on the lost cows, the occasional town drunk, a speeding tourist…he was ready.

Holly’s Jeep was still parked out front of the cafe, assuring him she hadn’t run for the hills.

Or the nearest big city.

He’d give her until the end of the week. Hell, he’d give her until the end of today.

He walked into his building and surprisingly enough, there she stood by the front desk, with containers of food.

She let out a tight smile at the sight of him. “Hungry, Sheriff?”

He could see that she expected him to be. He could see also that she hadn’t lost her inherent…cityness. She wore a two-piece number today, with a snug top and a short, wide skirt that screamed fashion. He had no idea who the maker was, or even the material, but he had no doubt it was the latest fashion, made by someone expensive.

“I brought breakfast,” she said.

Tearing his attention away from the way the ice-blue color of her outfit emphasized her eyes, he looked at the food she’d put out. Steaming eggs, sausages, cinnamon buns…the works. “Wow.” He didn’t know which stunned him more-her little smile, which made her seem young and vulnerable in a way he’d never imagined, or the fact she’d actually brought him food. “You cooked?”

“Don’t look so surprised.” She lifted a blond eyebrow. “Food is the way to a person’s stomach.”

“I thought food was the way to a man’s heart.”

“I don’t care about your heart. All I care about is you liking the food.”

“Why?”

“So you can influence the people in town, of course.”

Thinking she was kidding, he laughed. Leaning against the desk, he crossed his arms and studied her.

She looked the same as ever; cool, calm and collected. And very sure of herself. But he was beginning to think maybe that was all an act. If she was so sure of herself, she wouldn’t be here. “Excuse me for being cynical,” he said. “But yesterday I got the distinct impression you didn’t like me much. Why do you really care what I think of your food?”

“Actually, I don’t care what you think. But like I said, the people of this town do, and since I didn’t exactly bowl them over yesterday-”

“You yelled at them, you spilled on them, you treated them like they were dirt beneath your heels,” he pointed out.

“Yes, well, maybe I could use a little honing up on my people skills. So are you going to eat this damn food and tell everyone you know it’s good, or what?”

He shook his head at her audacity, but she didn’t back down in her quest. She actually expected him to help her.

Jud walked in the front door, saw the two of them and stopped short. Pulling up his slipping pants, he lifted his nose and sniffed. “What’s going on here?”

Holly looked at Riley, expectation and hope in her gaze. It was so far and away from the mistrust and sarcasm she’d been showing him since yesterday, he could only stare at her.

“Well?” Jud asked again.

Holly’s gaze pleaded with him.

If he didn’t help her, she’d be gone before sundown. A really tempting thought.

If he did help her, she might keep looking at him with those eyes that made him want to drown in them.

Idiot, he told himself, even as he held out an empty plate to Jud. “Help yourself. It’s breakfast.”

Holly smiled.

“From Cafe Nirvana,” Riley added. “It’s a special treat.”

Jud looked at Holly with a good amount of suspicion, but with Riley holding out an empty plate, and all the steam and good scents rising from the food, he didn’t have a prayer in resisting. When the plate was heaped high, Jud dug in with his fork and…choked.

“Yuck!”

“Yuck?” Riley looked at Holly. “I thought you said it was good.”

“It is good!” she claimed, but she bit her lower lip uncertainly.

Riley whipped around to Jud, who was dumping the food in the trash.

“Those eggs are fake!” he yelled.

“They’re low cholesterol,” Holly whispered.

“And that sausage!” Jud spit into the trash can. “It wasn’t sausage at all!”

“It’s turkey meat.” Holly winced at the loud, heavy thud they made as they hit the bottom of the can. “It’s much healthier.”

“It’s disgusting,” Jud said. “Don’t tell me all your meals are going to be this bad.”

“I’m thinking of trying other lean dishes, yes. Like meat loaf from low-fat ground turkey.”

Riley groaned.

“What’s that mean?” she demanded, whirling to him.

“Sounds…lean.”

“Exactly!”

“Oh, man.” Riley shook his head, grateful he’d already eaten. “You’re going to go give us all that newfangled California junk, aren’t you?”

“Your cholesterol will thank you. I’ve got some salads planned-”

“Gee,” Riley muttered. “Sounds appetizing.”

“I think so.”

Jud pulled at his sagging pants. “I want the fat, woman!” He glared at Riley as if this were all his fault, then walked out.

The silence was deafening.

Holly straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin.

Riley sighed, rubbed his hands over his face, then looked at her. “Well, that went well. You were exceptionally charming and sweet.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m easier to get along with when people agree with me.” But she looked out the window at the empty parking lot in front of Cafe Nirvana and chewed on her very red, very shiny and perfectly made-up bottom lip.

A lip he suddenly, irrationally, had the most shocking urge to suck into his mouth.

Where was a cow emergency when he needed one?